BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced it will offer free travel on its Fairmount commuter rail line during the upcoming 16-day closure of the rapid transit Red Line’s Ashmont Branch and Mattapan trolley line, set to begin Oct. 14. The agency had previously said it would offer increased bus service during the […]
MIAMI — Development of commuter rail between downtown Miami and Aventura on the route owned by Florida East Coast Railway and served by Brightline is set to receive increased priority, and has a new higher price tag. Miami Today reports the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization, which oversees county transportation development, will vote this week to […]
DENVER — The state of Colorado has changed its negotiating team addressing the expiring lease for the Moffat Tunnel, with the state’s Department of Transportation taking over from the Department of Local Affairs to lead negotiations with Union Pacific over use of the state-owned bore through the Rocky Mountains. The website Colorado Newsline reports that […]
The war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending any time soon, and railways remain heavily involved in Ukraine; in Russia, where the ongoing invasion depends on it; and in neighboring European countries. Trackside espionage in Poland In March, Polish police arrested six people allegedly working for Russian Military intelligence who had placed trackside cameras […]
MONTREAL — The builder of Montreal’s light rail system has announced measures it says will address noise complaints that have arisen since the new Réseau express métropolitain system launched service on July 31. The Montreal Gazette reports CDPQ Infra — the construction arm of provincial pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Québec — […]
TORONTO — Loose or broken bolts that held the electrified power rail in place were the cause of the derailment that led to the permanent closure of the Scarborough Rapid Transit line, according to a Toronto Transit Commission report. The CBC reports the initial investigation into the July derailment found “failed reaction rail anchor bolts” […]
Blue flags protect workers. Here’s how they work. A major consideration in railroad operation is the maintenance that must be done on the rolling stock and track if freight and passengers are to be transported in a safe and timely manner. To maintain cars and locomotives, workers must get on, in between, and under them. […]
MOBILE, Ala. — Agreements regarding a lease for a station stop in Mobile, as well as an operating agreement that will include costs the city will cover, are significant details that must be addressed before Amtrak can launch Gulf Coast passenger service between New Orleans and the Alabama city, the news site AL.com reports. “We’re […]
WASHINGTON — The operator of a piece of maintenance-of-way equipment moved onto unprotected track for unknown reasons, the National Transportation Safety Board said in determining the probable cause of a July 2022 collision between a Union Pacific roadway maintenance machine and an Amtrak Capitol Corridor train in Oakland, Calif. The NTSB completed its final accident […]
CHICAGO — BNSF Railway reached a settlement last week in a biometric data privacy case in which it had initially been assessed a $228 million penalty, only to have that award thrown out on appeal. Reuters reports that the railroad reached a settlement with a group of truck drivers over claims that BNSF illegally collected […]
Richard Arsenault’s S gauge railroad (shown in the February 2003 issue of Classic Toy Trains) illustrates the drama that a grade can add to a model railroad. The battle of man versus mountain can be won in S, O, or Standard gauges only if the inclines aren’t too great. Classic Toy Trains file A […]
OMAHA, Neb. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow the Eagle Pass, Texas, railroad gateway to reopen at midnight tonight after a visit by a delegation of Union Pacific executives led by CEO Jim Vena. The bridge linking Eagle Pass with Ferromex at Piedras Negras, Mexico, has been closed since Wednesday due to the […]
