WASHINGTON – Virginia and Charlotte, N.C., have notified federal regulators that they intend to acquire portions of Norfolk Southern main lines in order to expand passenger and commuter service. In a filing with the Surface Transportation Board this week, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said its acquisition of the NS Manassas Line, as well as […]
WASHINGTON — In advance of a scheduled Wednesday hearing on Amtrak, two members of the House Committree on Transportation and Infrastructure have announced bills regarding the passenger operators’ governance and executive bonuses. U.S. Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas), chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, has introduced the Amtrak Transparency and Accountability […]
In the Wisconsin Dells, tourism is the region’s life blood. The Riverside & Great Northern Railway, located just one mile north of the downtown area, is one destination worthy of a Grand scale visit. Yes, it is grand scale (well-known for park railroading) and operates on 15-inch gauge track, but the smaller size is fitting. […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain announced plans to launch electrified service on its San Francisco-San Jose service on Sept. 21 after a final weekend of testing that included running eight trains of electric equipment simultaneously, the agency said on Monday. Electrified operation will see service between San Francisco and San Jose in less than an […]
NEW YORK — The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Monday night that the transit agency would focus on state-of-good-repair work instead of improvements as a result of the planned halt to the Manhattan congestion pricing a program, a decision that will cost the agency $1 billion a year for its capital program. The […]
BOSTON — The latest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service shutdown for track maintenance work led to removal of 10 speed restrictions on the rapid-transit Orange Line, the agency says. Service was suspended between the Wellington and Back Bay stations from May 28 through June 6. During that period, nine slow orders were addressed in the […]
DC-to-AC rebuild During the middle of May, Canadian National tested its first modified DC-to-AC rebuild on an ore train in northern Minnesota. This is the first step to replacing a fleet of older General Electric locomotives that were built over three decades ago and currently handle the majority of the region’s ore. Canadian National’s Minnesota […]
GARY, Ind. — Two passengers were injured when a Chicago-bound South Shore Line commuter train hit a dump truck reportedly stalled on the tracks in Gary this morning (Monday, June 10), the Chicago Tribune reports. The collision occurred about 7:45 a.m. at the Rutledge Street crossing, west of the Gary Metro station. The driver of […]
My first regular assignment as a brakeman on the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1977 was one that no one else wanted. In accordance with my union’s working agreement, when a job could not be filled voluntarily, the most junior employee was “forced” to work it. The morning after being notified by the crew clerk, […]
WASHINGTON — A subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has scheduled a hearing this Thursday on California regulations that would require zero-emissions locomotives in the state beginning in 2030. The focus of the hearing by the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee is clear from its title: “Environmentalism Off the Rails: […]
ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern introduced a new specially painted locomotive saluting its railroaders at an NS Family Day event at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona on Saturday, June 8. NS CEO Alan Shaw was on hand and spoke, and the railroad’s Southern and Virginian heritage units were also on display. The front of […]
MONTREAL — Beginning June 19, VIA Rail Canada is adding 90 minutes to the westbound schedule of its Montreal-Halifax, N.S. Ocean and 45 minutes to the eastbound train, “to provide passengers with a schedule which better reflects actual travel times,” according to a statement provided by VIA in response to a set of detailed questions […]
