WASHINGTON— Amtrak’s independent Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Government Accountability Office have issued separate reports within the last week that address courses of action Amtrak, state agencies, and the Federal Highway Administration might take to reduce injuries and deaths associated with train strikes of vehicles and pedestrians. The Amtrak Inspector General’s 28-page report, […]
Ride Amtrak outside of the Northeast Corridor and there’s a good chance you’ll arrive late because freight traffic delayed your train — despite the law that gives passenger trains preference. Amtrak is challenging host railroads Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern with a pair of high-profile on-time performance cases that aim to put teeth into the […]
Note: General travel information on visiting the Rhätishe Bahn is available here. North American railfans can only dream of their interests receiving the kind of respect from a major railroad that is displayed by the Rhätische Bahn, the meter-gauge, electrified railway in the Swiss canton of Graubünden we are featuring in the June and July […]
Ken Rodig’s Gunnison City Old Town Line layout is fascinating for many reasons. The 22 x 36 Gn3 (1:22.5 proportion) model railroad was built on the benchwork of his former HO scale Ironwood System. The indoor large scale layout is set in southwestern Colorado and features industrial narrow gauge railroading in the 1950s. Steam locomotives of […]
Space precluded inclusion of “If You Go” information with June’s Trains Magazine feature on Switzerland’s Rhätische Bahn (the first of two parts), but for anyone who might like to visit, here are a few notes: Getting there From Zurich’s main train station, direct service on the Swiss Federal Railways, or SBB, to Chur — the […]
TRENTON, N.J. — A Florida man has been indicted in New Jersey after transporting a “small arsenal” of illegal weapons — including an allegedly “booby-trapped” rifle that fired during his arrest — through stations and onto an Amtrak train. Jeffrey O. Kennerk, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was arrested at the Trenton Transit Center. He […]
Heavyweight Pullman cars trail Pennsylvania Railroad train 72, the eastbound Juniata, at Marysville, Pa., in 1952. The train, which is about to cross the famed Rockville Bridge over the Susquehanna River, is en route from Detroit to New York City. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The California Coastal Commission has approved an emergency permit allowing Orange County’s transit agency to undertake some stabilization measures along the rail line connecting Orange County and San Diego. The Orange County Transportation Authority board, at a Monday, April 14, meeting, authorized the OCTA to address four areas along the Surf […]
There’s something magical about childhood memories, especially those centered on beloved toys. My grandparents had a Marx train set, once belonging to my uncles, hidden under a bed upstairs. My sisters and I discovered it and, of course, wanted to set it up and play. We’d wait until the evenings, when my grandparents were busy […]
AUSTIN, Texas — Continuing operation of the Oklahoma City-Fort Worth, Tex., Heartland Flyer past June 30, 2025, could depend on whether the Texas legislature renews financial support it has contributed annually since 2006. But the train is also at risk because a yearly stipend from Oklahoma hasn’t changed since 2003, while Amtrak charges have risen […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit on Tuesday presented a new progress report on their work to improve reliability on the Northeast Corridor, an outgrowth of the significant operating issues experienced by both entities in summer 2024. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy hosted representatives of both operators in a “working summit” on Tuesday, April […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have rejected a tentative agreement with NJ Transit by a resounding margin, setting the stage for a possible strike or lockout as soon as May 15. The union said today that 372 of the 427 BLET members casting ballots, or 87%, voted against […]
