Senators introduce new version of Railway Safety Act

Unit train of tank cars at commuter rail station

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Jon Husted (R-Ohio) introduced a new version of the Railway Safety Act today (Feb. 24). The new legislation includes a mandate for wayside defect detectors, an expanded list of hazardous materials subject to higher safety standards, and a two-person crew requirement. […]

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Work restarting on Hudson Tunnel project

Aerial view of construction site

NEW YORK — Work is resuming this week on the Hudson Tunnel project, the Gateway Development Commission said today (Feb. 24), with nearly 1,000 jobs being restored following layoffs that occurred when the project was shut down on Feb. 6. The resumption of work is being funded through approximately $235 million the commission received from […]

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Front Range passenger agency launches town hall meetings on project

Map of proposed Fort Collins-Pueblo rail service

DENVER — The Front Range Passenger Rail District has scheduled the first in a series of town hall meetings to hear from residents as part of the ongoing planning for proposed service between Fort Collins and Pueblo, Colo. The first meeting is Thursday, Feb. 26, in Colorado Springs, followed by meetings in Pueblo on March […]

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What does Round 2’s acquisition of Lionel mean for the toy train hobby?

blue logo with a kangaroo

Classic Toy Trains recently posted an article announcing Round 2’s intent to acquire Lionel, LLC. If you’re not a die-cast or plastic model kit fan, you might not be familiar with Round 2 or its product lines. According to Tim Kidwell, Editor-in-Chief of FineScale Modeler magazine, Round 2 is best known for producing plastic model […]

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Delaware River Railroad Excursions profile

Delaware River Railroad Excursions logo

On the Delaware River Railroad Excursions, enjoy a 90-minute ride along the scenic Delaware River in Western New Jersey from Phillipsburg to Riegelsville behind a historic steam locomotive or vintage diesel. Additional experiences can be added to the train ride for a longer adventure through the different events and excursions. Choices On the Delaware River […]

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Western Maryland Scenic Railroad profile

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad logo

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, operating west out of Cumberland, Maryland, is one of the most scenic and exciting train rides in the East. With the addition of restored steam locomotive H-1 2-6-6-2 No. 1309, the drama of mountain railroading is on full display with each departure. Choices On the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, several […]

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Walkersville Southern Railroad profile

Walkersville Southern Railroad logo

The Walkersville Southern Railroad takes you on a pleasant 8-mile, 70-minute round trip through woods and farmland, past a restored century-old lime kiln, and across the scenic Monocacy River. Choices Trains on the Walkersville Southern Railroad depart from the original Pennsylvania Railroad depot pulled by one of the railroad’s diverse collection of switchers, which includes […]

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Incomplete training of worker played part in CPKC derailment: TSB

derailed freight train pictured at night

CALGARY, Alberta — Incomplete training of a maintenance supervisor played a part in the derailment of a CPKC intermodal train near Brooks, Alberta, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said today in releasing its report on the Feb. 5, 2024, incident. The derailment involved the trailing unit of two locomotives at the front of the […]

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Union Pacific releases full schedule for Big Boy’s western trip

A Big Boy locomotive leads a yellow passenger train through the Great Plains.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Some 27 whistle stops are planned along with four public display days on the western tour of Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014, which begins March 29 with departure from Cheyenne. UP today announced the full schedule for the western trip, the first part of a planned coast-to-coast journey, in an email […]

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VIA gets little attention in parliamentary hearing

VIA train with LRC equipment at station

OTTAWA — Given the myriad of current issues with VIA Rail Canada performance, it would be reasonable to think that a parliamentary hearing entitled “Improving VIA Rail’s Safety and Customer Service” could lead to a substantial number of passenger rail questions for Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon. That’s not the way things played out before […]

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Amtrak still working to recover from snowstorm

Passenger train in snow

NEW YORK — Amtrak service remains subject to significant disruptions on the Northeast Corridor, with a large number of cancellations already announced today (Tuesday, Feb. 24). Service between New York and Boston, shut down since mid-morning on Monday, was tentatively scheduled to resume as of 8 a.m. ET, according to the most recent Amtrak customer […]

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Rail transit digging out after storm (updated)

Deicing train at subway station

Most commuter rail and rail transit operations have resumed in the Northeast after a blizzard that dropped more than 30 inches of snow in some portions of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Schedules may be limited on some operations. Here where operations stand as of 8:15 a.m. ET: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: All operations — commuter […]

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