CHICAGO — Metra will make major changes to the weekday schedule on the BNSF line, historically its most-used route, with a net increase from 86 to 91 trains as the route moves closer to its pre-pandemic level. The new schedule, effective March 28, will include four new trains, restoration of three trains dropped in November […]
A northern Illinois model railroader is using his – and others – love of the hobby as a Boy Scout project to raise funds for a large-scale railroad group to expand its facilities. George Werderich, who appears on the toy-train oriented GFW Trains Channel on YouTube, is organizing GFW Trainfest as a community service project […]
WASHINGTON — Chicago-area commuter rail operator Metra has come out against the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, telling the Surface Transportation board in a 946-page filing that the merger would bring delays, prevent expansion of service, raise safety issues, and increase Metra’s infrastructure costs. The communter operator also says its traffic modeling indicates the operating […]
A four-car Chicago Aurora & Elgin train heads away from the Loop as a Chicago Rapid Transit train heads inbound. Below the train are the south platforms of Chicago Union Station. Don Sims photo […]
WYANDOTTE, Mich. — The Michigan Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit against the Grand Trunk Western Railroad involving a teen who was struck by a train in 2012. The Associated Press reports Jacob Marion, who was 14 at the time, was stuck by a train and severely injured while walking down the tracks while […]
SUGARCREEK, Ohio — Age of Steam Roundhouse and Trains Magazine will sponsor an exclusive day of photography May 20 at the venue that houses the late Jerry Joe Jacobson’s extensive steam locomotive collection. The day will begin with the operation of Moorhead & North Fork 0-6-0 No. 12 and then move inside, where locomotives ranging […]
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Three locomotives and four other pieces of rolling stock have been saved for preservation by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, thanks to a generous donation and the assistance of two Indiana communities. The equipment had been left behind and was in deteriorating condition at former locations of the Indiana Transportation […]
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Grain terminal operator AgRail LLC is moving to replace its current locomotive with a rare six-axle EMD unit. Western Rail Inc. SD18M No. 1229 has arrived on the property of Bloomington-based AgRail to replace GP7 No. 35, a former Guilford/Springfield Terminal unit. The six-axle, low-nose unit began its life with Minnesota’s Reserve […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate has joined the state House of Representatives in requesting an audit of the problem-plagued Metro Transit Southwest light-rail extension project. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that, by a 65-0 vote, the Senate approved the bill appropriating $200,000 for the audit and requiring twice-yearly updates to legislators on the […]
Canadian Pacific trains were involved in two derailments on Saturday, one in Saskatchewan and one in Minnesota. An unknown number of cars were involved in the derailment of a train carrying corn near Drinkwater, Sask., but at least 20 cars are visible on their sides or otherwise off the track in a video posted to […]
“Hear the Whistle” is Jack Haley’s biography, written by his daughter. It primarily covers his career in the rail industry. His first short line in Iowa and Minnesota focused on the revenue side — marketing and sales — rather than trying to reduce costs by trimming staff and deferring maintenance. The book’s most interesting portion […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Legislation introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives would provide $20 million for capital improvements on the state’s short lines, which face significant costs to upgrade their infrastructure, according to the bill’s sponsor. Rep. Paul Tokelson (R-Hanska, Minn.) says the state’s 821 miles of Class II, III, and private rail lines […]
