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Louisville & Nashville No. 3, the Chicago–Danville, Ill., train formerly named the Danville Flyer, stops at Milford, Ill., in August 1970. The last passenger train on the former Chicago & Eastern Illinois, it will expire with the advent of Amtrak. William M. Scott photo […]
WASHINGTON — The fallout from DC Metrorail’s failure to maintain retraining and certification for its train operators has claimed its two top officials, as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority board accepted the resignation of outgoing General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld and Chief Operating Officer Joseph Leader. Meanwhile, the transit agency took another hit on […]
LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink has named Frank Castellon as its chief safety, security, and compliance officer. Castellon’s background includes safety and security systems with Portland-area agency TriMet, Valley Metro in Phoenix, LA Metro, and Bombardier Transportation North America. Most recently, he was vice president of environmental, health, safety, and quality for Peak […]
ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner is adding a carry-on pet program beginning May 20, expanding the locations where the passenger operator allows passengers to bring along small dogs and cats. Dogs and cats weighing up to 20 pounds may be brought aboard in a carrier which should remain under the passenger’s seat. There is […]
A special Metroliner carries President Nixon and Mrs. Nixon out of Washington on the evening of Jan. 24, 1970. The President and First Lady were en route to Philadelphia for an orchestra concert. The Metroliners had entered service 12 months earlier, and Nixon wanted to ride one. Don Phillips photo […]
WASHINGTON — Sixteen of 43 Amtrak routes, none of them long-distance operations, met the 80% customer on-time performance threshold established by the Federal Railroad Administration in first-quarter 2022 statistics released Tuesday by the FRA. The latest quarterly stats are the first to use all of the metrics established by the FRA [see “FRA publishes final […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has asked the state’s rail agency to explore the “feasibility and cost” of potential expansion of Amtrak service in the state, the first time DeWine has indicated interest in further pursuing new routes included in Amtrak’s “Connects US” proposal. Cleveland.com reports that a spokesman for the governor said […]
WASHINGTON — Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration met the deadline set by lawmakers to establish a $1.8 billion Corridor Identification and Development program, characterized by the agency as “a formal framework to guide the future development of intercity passenger rail throughout the country.” However, additional application details need to be issued before it is […]
WASHINGTON — In the latest setback for the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority’s troubled Metrorail system, 72 train operators have been removed from service for failing to receive mandatory retraining for at least year, and the agency has acknowledged that at least half its 500 operators lack the requiring recertification testing and training. Those removed […]
SEATTLE — Transportation officials in Washington state and Oregon are protesting an announcement by Amtrak that it does not plan to restart Amtrak Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, before December 2022. The Associated Press reports Ray Lang, Amtrak vice president of state-supported services, informed the rail directors in both states that the […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s purchase of a Wilmington, Del., office building will see few of the cost savings and personnel consolidation efforts the company envisioned because it failed to verify its plans, according to a new report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General. The report, released Friday, is available in full here, although with some […]
PHILADELPIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority has begun the process of replacing its 40-year-old Kawasaki trolley cars, issuing a request for proposals for 100 new rail vehicles. WHYY reports the agency seeks larger vehicles, with a capacity of 65 as opposed to the current 45, and will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities […]
