Builder of Montreal light rail system to address noise issues

Light rail train crossing bridge at sunset

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 — […]

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Blue flags

The side of a yellow and blue locomotive inside a maintenance facility. A blue metal sign hangs from the cab window, labeled in white with the words STOP Employees at Work

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. […]

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NTSB issues final report on collision between UP maintenance machine, Capitol Corridor train

Badly damaged piece of maintenance equipment

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 […]

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BNSF settles suit over biometric data

Trucks and containers at intermodal yard

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 […]

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Basics on grades or inclines for toy trains

S-gauge locomotives appear to ascend uphill pulling a train to the left while a scale truck with logs moves to the right in a mountain and forest scene.

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 […]

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East Palestine street along NS main line to reopen Monday

Burned out tank cars and standing water around derailment site. East Palestine street along NS main line to reopen Monday.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – A through east-west roadway paralleling the Norfolk Southern Fort Wayne Line track here will reopen on a limited basis Monday, Sept. 25. It was closed for 7 months during an environmental cleanup of the derailment and toxic-chemical spill that occurred Feb. 3. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that East […]

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Brightline inaugurates Orlando service

Yellow, white, and black passenger train arriving at station. Brightline inaugurates Orlando service.

The mood was one of celebration and accomplishment as the first Brightline train pulled into the new Orlando International Airport station on Friday. The arrival signaled the start of revenue service between Miami and Orlando, linking major population centers and attractions in the northern and southern portions of Florida. [see “Brightline Orlando to launch service […]

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$178 million CRISI grant awarded for Gulf Coast rail

Amtrak logo.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced today $178 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program funding to restore Amtrak service from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala. The funding will help to build a platform for the Mobile end of the service, as well as additional track upgrades. “We’ve been fighting to […]

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