More Wednesday morning rail news: City wants ‘Pere Marquette’ route linked with other Michigan trains The St. Joseph (Mich.) City Commission has called for building a connection that would link the routes used by Amtrak’s Pere Marquette, Blue Water, and Wolverine service in New Buffalo, Mich. WJSM radio reports this would allow all the routes […]
Monday midday rail news: Metra to add trains on Rock Island, BNSF lines Reflecting increasing ridership as the Chicago area reopens after COVID-19 shutdowns, Metra will add express trains to service on its BNSF and Rock Island lines next week, while schedules will be adjusted on two Electric District train. The new services will include […]
Friday morning rail news: STB’s Oberman won’t participate in Metra-UP proceedings Surface Transportation Board Vice Chairman Martin Oberman, a former Metra board chairman, announced he will recuse himself from the STB’s proceedings regarding Metra’s request for a preliminary injunction and ruling in its ongoing dispute with Union Pacific [See “Metra asks STB for injunction against […]
CHICAGO — The depth of disagreement between Metra and Union Pacific over commuter rail service on three Chicago-area UP lines is visible in Metra filings with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board seeking to ensure UP continues to provide service on those lines. In two filings on Tuesday, Metra asks that the STB to rule that […]
Tuesday morning rail transit news: Contract approved for South Shore’s West Lake project The agency which oversees South Shore Line commuter train operation has selected two Chicago-based companies to lead design and construction of the planned West Lake Corridor branch line, which could see construction work begin this fall. The Times of Northwest Indiana reports […]
CHICAGO — Metra has asked the Surface Transportation Board to issue an injunction to prevent Union Pacific from acting on plans that the commuter railroad says would “degrade or halt service” on the three Metra lines operated by UP. In a press release, Metra also says it has asked the STB to rule whether UP […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National plans to spin off 850 miles of low-density routes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario, the railway said today while announcing its quarterly financial results. Railroad officials did not specify which lines will be marketed for sale to short line operators. But executives say the bulk of the routes on the block […]
The layout at a glance Name: Toledo, Walhonding Valley & Ohio Layout owner: Associated Model Railroad Engineers of Coshocton Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 40 x 143 feet (layout), 50 x 150 feet (room) Theme: freelanced Locale: southeastern Ohio Era: not specific Style: walk in Mainline run: approximately 967 feet Minimum radius: 42″ (main line) Minimum […]
Thursday morning rail news in brief: UP says it will end some support of Metra in August, would quit running trains in 90 days if it wins suit Union Pacific says it will stop providing some support services for Metra at the end of August and would stop operating trains for the commuter railroad within […]
More Wednesday rail news in brief: Metra tests ridership dashboard Metra has joined the list of commuter railroads providing online ridership information to help passengers make decisions on finding less-crowded trains. The ridership dashboard, a test program, will classify trains according to four levels of occupancy: low (green), with an average of less than 50 […]
CHICAGO — Canadian National has won federal regulatory approval to double track more than four miles of its former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern route near Elgin, Ill., a project the railroad says will eliminate a chokepoint and improve the flow of rail traffic in and around Chicago. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a […]
WASHINGTON — Canadian National has defended its request for the Surface Transportation Board to wade into its long-running dispute with Canadian Pacific regarding where the railways interchange in Chicago. Both railroads continue to exchange cars at the Belt Railway of Chicago’s Clearing Yard, as they have under an August 2019 interim agreement that shifted the […]
