WASHINGTON — More than 18,000 union workers at Amtrak will receive $900 holiday bonuses to mark the company’s record year of ridership and revenue, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced. The worker bonuses announced today (Dec. 11) come as Amtrak executives have agreed to forgo 50% of the bonuses that would have been paid out […]
BROCKVILLE, Ontario — Cascading delays following a mechanical issue with one train led to VIA Rail Canada passengers being stuck on Ottawa-Toronto trains overnight before finally being transferred to another train, arriving at their destination more than 12 hours late. The problems that began Tuesday night continued into Wedesday, with some trains arriving more than […]
FILLMORE, Calif. – Sierra Northern Railway’s Ventura Division hosted a Dec. 6 toy drive in partnership with Operation Toy Train on its line from Piru to Ventura, Calif., operating a train between Ventura and Santa Paula and using trucks from Fillmore to Piru. A specially decorated train consisting of a genset locomotive, open-air car, and […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday issued a pair of safety alerts related to recent grade crossing accidents that killed railroaders or motorists. In a safety advisory, the FRA emphasized the importance of crews determining that track is clear prior to making shove movements through crossings that are not protected by gates. “This […]
SEATTLE — Flooding in parts of Washington state have disrupted the Seattle section of Amtrak’s Empire Builder, as well as Amtrak Cascades service. Both Cascades round trips between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, have been canceled today and tomorrow (Dec. 11-12) “due to the anticipated flooding of the Skagit River through Mount Vernon,” Amtrak said […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials say the East River tunnel rehabilitation project is on schedule after six months, with repairs on the first of two tunnels to be completed by July. The operators addressed progress on the tunnel project with local media on Wednesday (Dec. 10), with Laura Mason, Amtrak executive […]
WASHINGTON — Predawn low-light conditions made it impossible for the operator to stop in time to avoid hitting a downed tree, the National Transportation Safety Board says in its final report on the Oct. 14, 2024, collision that killed the operator of an NJ Transit River Line light rail train. The train’s operator was later […]
CHICAGO — For the first time in six years, the Operation North Pole train for seriously and terminally ill children and their families is set to operate on Metra on Dec. 20, with Metra and Operation North Pole encouraging area residents to come view the train to show support for those on board. The train […]
CHICAGO — More evidence of the toll Amtrak’s aging locomotive and passenger car fleet is taking on operations was provided in recent days when long-distance and regional trains were canceled or suffered hours-long delays, most shortly after leaving Chicago. The common thread? Problems with electrical head-end power. On Monday, both the westbound California Zephyr and […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway will dramatically increase its track inspection capabilities early next year with the systemwide deployment of locomotive-based sensors that analyze track geometry while pulling trains in revenue service. BNSF developed its ODIN system — which stands for Onboard Defect Identification & Notification — entirely in-house in 2023. The system relies […]
WASHINGTON — The Navy has begun the process of acquiring new flatcars to replace those currently used to transport missiles between military facilities. In a request for information issued last month, with responses due today, the Navy is seeking to replace the current DODX 40000 series flatcars, designed and built for the Army in 1981 […]
TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission has opened its newest rail transit line, the 10.3-kilometer (6.4-mile), 18-station Line 6 Finch West. The light rail line launched service on Sunday, Dec. 7, offering connection to TTC’s subway Line 1 (University-Yonge), 30 TTC bus routes and other regional transit systems. Regional transit agency Metrolinx says in a […]
