‘Finest interurban equipment’

Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Electroliner en route to Chicago

A Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Electroliner streaks through the south side of Milwaukee en route to Chicago in October 1957. The photographer, second to none as an authority on electric railways, called the North Shore’s two articulated trains “the finest interurban equipment ever constructed in the United States.” Photo by William D. Middleton […]

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LA’s Metrolink to offer free passes for students

Commuter train with white locomotive emerges from tunnel

LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink is launching a “Student Adventure Pass” program, allowing students with valid school identification to ride anywhere on the Metrolink system for free. The program begins this Monday, Oct. 9. Students can receive the pass via the Metrolink mobile app by registering via their school email address and […]

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Metra EMD F40C diesel locomotives

Blue, white, and silver EMD F40C diesel locomotives with red nose stripes

  EMD F40C diesel locomotives were six-axle, 3,200-hp units built for Chicago-area commuter service in 1974. They were found on two Milwaukee Road-operated routes out of Union Station, one west to Elgin and one north to Fox Lake. The units had a cowl body like the Amtrak SDP40F of 1973, but used an alternator to […]

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Erie Railroad passenger trains remembered

A black and white photo of a conductor posing with a train

  Erie Railroad passenger trains: The Erie Railroad is Classic Trains’ railroad of the month for October 2023. All this month you’ll find interesting articles detailing the history of the Erie in text and photographs. Please enjoy this Erie Railroad passenger trains photo gallery, originally published in March 2016 and selected from the archives of […]

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Cleveland man arrested for alleged attempts to derail trains

CLEVELAND — The FBI on Friday arrested a 43-year-old Cleveland man for allegedly attempting to derail trains on CSX Transportation lines used by Amtrak over a three-month period. Joseph Findley was charged in federal court with terrorist attacks against railroad carriers, Cleveland.com reports. He was ordered by U.S. District Magistrate Judge James Grimes to remain […]

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Pacific Southern Railway in HO scale

With a mainline run of more than 1,000 feet, this freelanced HO scale (1:87.1) club layout is quite impressive! But the fact that the established Pacific Southern Railway Club 501(c)(3) nonprofit raises funds for a local emergency services definitely makes this model railroad a stand-out/stand-up amongst some of the finest in the hobby! To learn […]

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Pacific Southern Railway in HO scale

With a mainline run of more than 1,000 feet, this freelanced HO scale (1:87.1) club layout is quite impressive! But the fact that the established Pacific Southern Railway Club 501(c)(3) nonprofit raises funds for a local emergency services definitely makes this model railroad a stand-out/stand-up amongst some of the finest in the hobby! To learn […]

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No injuries reported in DART light rail derailment

Portion of light rail system map for Dallas area

RICHARDSON, Texas — A Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail train derailed in suburban Richardson on Thursday evening, disrupting service on the Red and Orange lines. KTVT-TV reports the southbound Red Line train derailed near the Galatyn Park Station, north of downtown Dallas, about 7 p.m. DART is saying the derailment was caused by a […]

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Amtrak runs specials to mark CPKC performance

Passenger train with locomotive, three bilevel cars, and single-level car.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Amtrak is operating two days of trips along CPKC’s former Milwaukee Road River Subdivision in Minnesota to recognize the company as Amtrak’s best performing Class I railroad in 2022. The trains make a round trip from St. Paul Union Depot to La Crescent, Minn., where they are turned on the wye […]

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Caltrain offers details on initial plans for electrified service

Red and white electric trainset on test track

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain on Thursday unveiled its initial plans for electrified service, which call for faster trains and a simplified schedule when electric operation begins in its San Francisco-San Jose corridor. Completion of the ongoing electrification project is currently expected in fall 2024. The plans call for 104 weekday trains, including four trains […]

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Indonesia launches country’s first high speed train

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Passenger service commenced for Indonesia’s first high speed rail service on Oct. 2, 2023. The 140-kilometer (87-mile) route connects Jakarta and Bandung, the country’s capital and a popular tourist destination, respectively. The Nikkei Asia reports that the new eight-car WHOOSH train — an acronym for “Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hebat,” meaning […]

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