WASHINGTON — The process that determines how much money Amtrak will receive for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2024, began Wednesday with release of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Committee’s “Department of Transportation Appropriation Act of 2025.” Funding levels for the U.S. DOT and its related highway, rail, and […]
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court has ordered the Federal Railroad Administration to allow BNSF Railway to expand its automated track inspection program while simultaneously reducing the frequency of traditional visual inspections. Railroads are permitted unlimited use of automated track inspection systems that rely on lasers and other technology to find track geometry defects. But […]
MOUNT VERNON, Ind. – OmniTRAX has been named the railroad operator for Ports of Indiana – Mount Vernon. The short line holding company, which operates 27 railroads, will begin serving the 1,200-acre port on Aug. 4. It’s the fourth domestic port in the OmniTRAX network, the company said today. “OmniTRAX is excited to add our […]
MATTESON, Ill. — Authorities ordered an evacuation, then lited it about two hours later after a Canadian National train derailed at the railroad’s busy junction of former Illinois Central and Elgin & Joliet Eastern lines today (June 27) in Matteson, about 25 miles south of downtown Chicago. WGN-TV reports there was a small leak of […]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia Railway Express will eliminate fares for riders 18 and under as part of fare adjustments effective July 1. Adult passengers on the commuter service will see a fare increase of approximately 5%, the first raise in ticket prices since 2019. That will translate to an increase of approximately 65 cents for […]
DURANGO, Colo. — Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad service to Silverton, Colo., remains suspended as a result of a rock slide last week, according to an update on the railroad’s website. The heritage railroad had hoped to be able to restore service by midweek after a slide discovered on Saturday, June 22, covered the […]
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic remained up compared to 2023 according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads, with intermodal traffic continuing to account for the overall growth. For the week ending June 22, total traffic was 485,557 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6% compared to the corresponding week […]
WASHINGTON — Rail projects received a miniscule amount of the $1.8 billion in 2024 Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Although 148 projects were awarded funding for construction or planning, most of the money was directed to street realignment to enhance safety for motorists, […]
If you’re reading this, you’re undoubtedly aware of what’s been going on with Kalmbach Media, and how it has sold most of its magazine titles, including Trains and Classic Trains, to Chattanooga-based Firecrown Media. Concurrently, Kalmbach has decided to liquidate over the next couple of months, bringing an end to approximately 90 years of continuous […]
WASHINGTON — New Jersey’s congressional delegation is requesting that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg investigate Amtrak issues on the Northeast Corridor that have led to what a letter calls a “commuting nightmare” on one recent morning, as well as a series of other recent disruptions. The June 25 letter, signed by all 11 House members from […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX’s 16th heritage locomotive honors the Georgia Railroad. The unit, No. 1834, was released yesterday at the railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga. “Here is our 16th CSX Heritage Locomotive – the Georgia Railroad #1834. Founded in 1833, the company was originally the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company and the banking side […]
Kyle Colley has been part of the heritage railroad industry since birth, literally. The Durango, Colo., native was born to parents who both worked at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. After a childhood spent on and near the famed tourist train, Colley used the knowledge he gained to purchase a narrow-gauged Railway Post […]
