WASHINGTON – Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has announced its vision for the Great American Rail-Trail, an unprecedented commitment to creating an iconic piece of American infrastructure that will connect nearly 4,000 miles of rail-trail and other multiuse trails from Washington, D.C., to Washington State. RTC is committing to this project after more than 18 months of analysis […]
Section: News & Reviews
Sen. Manchin urges Amtrak to reconsider private car policies NEWSWIRE

Passengers de-train from the New River Train as it makes its second station stop in Hinton, W.Va., in October 2015. Chase Gunnoe WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has sent a letter to Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson expressing concern over Amtrak’s policies and restrictions that are creating financial hardship for the Collis P. Huntington […]
Trains News Round-up for the week of Feb. 1, 2019 NEWSWIRE
Trains editors discuss all the rail news that is fit to print each week. In this episode of Trains News Wire round-up, Editor Jim Wrinn and Digital Editor Steve Sweeney talk about railroads and the Polar Vortex, Class I railroad traffic gains and concerns, a school bus-train crash, and more. Only from Trains! […]
First Look Gallery: ScaleTrains.com HO scale General Electric C44-9W diesel locomotive
ScaleTrains.com Inc. announced a General Electric (GE) C44-9W diesel locomotive at the 2019 Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show on Jan. 26. The model will be available in HO and N scales in the company’s Rivet Counter and Operator series. The Model Railroader staff received a sample from the HO scale Rivet Counter line. Road […]
Grain, auto, frac sand traffic are concerns for 2019 traffic outlook NEWSWIRE

UP forecasts single-digit growth in 2019. This westbound mixed freight is in eastern Iowa. Trains: Jim Wrinn Executives from the six publicly traded Class I railroads expect 2019 to be another solid year for traffic and revenue growth amid a relatively strong economy. In most cases, the railroads expect this year to be a replay […]
Amtrak begins restoring Chicago service after Wednesday cancellations NEWSWIRE

A Chicago-bound Amtrak Hiawatha passes the station at Deerfield, Ill., on Dec. 24, 2016. Almost all Amtrak corridor service in and out of Chicago will resume Friday after cancellations on Wednesday and Thursday. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — With temperatures expected to bottom out at minus-23 degrees and wind chills in the minus-50 degree range […]
CN looks to acquisitions to fill the rest of the railroad NEWSWIRE

The western part of the CN system is humming with traffic. New acquisitions are aimed at filling out the rest. Trains: Jim Wrinn MONTREAL — Canadian National, flush with growth in western Canada, is turning to acquisitions and partnerships to help fill up the rest of its railroad. But it’s not looking at traditional railroad […]
CN touts strong finish to 2018 NEWSWIRE

A Canadian National freight makes its way through Trains’ hometown, Waukesha, Wis., in March 2018. CN announced fourth-quarter earnings earlier this week that beat analysts’ expectations. TRAINS: David Lassen MONTREAL — Canadian National had a strong finish to a year that began with congestion on its main line in Western Canada and ended with a financial […]
CSX reaches settlement with family of film-crew member killed by train NEWSWIRE

SAVANNAH, Ga. — CSX Transportation has reached a financial settlement with the family of a movie crew person killed during the filming of a movie scene on a railroad track in 2014. The settlement was field last week in Chatham County State Court in Savannah, the Los Angeles Times reports. Terms were not disclosed. Camera […]
Electrified commuter routes stopped by record Chicago-area cold NEWSWIRE

A South Shore commuter train approaches the Hegewisch station in South Chicago on a frigid March 16, 2017. South Shore and Metra Electric service has been stopped by downed wires. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Downed power lines have halted service for South Shore and Metra Electric District routes through Friday, part of the continuing […]
Railroads face ‘dire conditions’ in bitter Midwest cold NEWSWIRE

The engineer of Amtrak’s train 22, the Texas Eagle, assists an employee climbing aboard P42DC No. 17 on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. The northbound train was stopped at Shirley, Ill., with mechanical issues related to maintaining main reservoir air pressure. At the time of the photo the air temperature was minus-9 with a windchill of […]
Alstom, Siemens make late concessions in effort to win merger approval NEWSWIRE

PARIS — Alstom and Siemens have offered concessions to European regulators examining their proposed merger, Reuters reports, but there is no guarantee the move will be enough to satisfy antitrust concerns. Alstom confirmed in a statement on Monday that it had offered concessions, but said, “There is, however, still no certainty that the content of […]