U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, shown during last week’s hearing on Amtrak in Washington, may pursue legislation forcing the passenger railroad to turn over control of Chicago Union Station to Metra. Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson once again turned down a call to relinquish control of Chicago Union Station at last week’s House hearing on […]
St. Croix Valley SD40-2 No. 1326, wearing an NP logo for the day, heads south near Pine City, Minn. on Oct. 8, 2019. Steve Glischinski RUSH CITY, Minn. – The St. Croix Valley Railroad, famous for its diesels painted in the style of the Northern Pacific Railway, is facing the loss of one of its […]
The Village of New Lenox, Ill., has awarded a contract to build a new Metra station, replacing one closed and moved in 2018. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW LENOX, Ill. — The Village of New Lenox has approved an $8.6 million bid to build a new Metra station. John Burns Construction Co., which had the lowest […]
Canadian National has donated this SW1500 to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. The railroad gave the locomotive a full overhaul prior to the donation; the museum then repainted it into its current scheme. National Railroad Museum GREEN BAY, Wis. — Canadian National has donated an SW1500 locomotive to the National Railroad Museum in […]
PLANO, Ill. — Two Kendall County communities will host open-house meetings on possible extension of Metra’s BNSF line beyond Aurora, Ill., into the county. Plano will hold a meeting on Dec. 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Plano Community Library; the next night, there will be a meeting at the Oswego Village […]
An artist’s conception of the Carbondale multimodal station, which has received a $14 million federal grant. City of Carbondale CARBONDALE, Ill. — The city of Carbondale has received a $14 million federal grant to build a new transportation center to replace its current Amtrak station. The facility, the Southern Illinois Multi-Modal Station, will be served […]
An inbound Metra BNSF train arrives at Lisle, Ill., on Nov. 8, 2019. Metra will install security cameras on 400 to 700 of its passenger cars as a result of a contract approved Friday. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors has approved a $15.5-million contract to purchase and install security cameras inside […]
St. Croix Valley No. 1363 works at the Titan Lansing sand plant in North Branch, Minn., on Oct. 8, 2019. Steve Glischinski CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – Take a look along railroad lines in western Wisconsin, and you’ll find evidence of the frac sand boom that’s meant good times for railroads. BNSF Railway serves a plant […]
Work on a replacement station had already begun in this November 2018 view of the Metra station in Cary, Ill., which dated to 1942. A new Cary station opened this week. TRAINS: David Lassen Several Metra station locations have been in the news this week. A roundup: — A new station has opened in Cary, […]
An inbound Metra UP West train eases past track construction as it approaches the River Forest, Ill., station on Oct. 27, 2019. Union Pacific will place the third track into service between River Forest and Melrose Park this weekend, leading to some Metra delays and service changes. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Union Pacific is […]
A former F40 locomotive converted to a cab car leads a southbound Hiawatha through the Techny interlocking in Northbrook, Ill., on May 23, 2019. Tracks diverging in foreground are used by Canadian Pacific for trains to or from Bensenville Yard west of Chicago. CP won’t allow more round trips until more tracks are added in […]
Thanksgiving-weekend travelers line the Holland, Mich., platform on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, for an extra Chicago-bound Pere Marquette. Bob Johnston Passengers grouped by departure snake through Chicago Union Station’s Great Hall on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in 2018. Bob Johnston CHICAGO — Amtrak has touted more Midwest coach capacity out of the Windy City […]
