WASHINGTON — Coaches where half of the seats face backwards have been standard for years on Amtrak services ranging from many regional state-supported corridors to Acela First Class. Beginning March 2, that configuration is being extended to all Northeast Regional Amfleet-equipped trains. Acela Business Class will transition to permanent “fixed forward and backward” seating later […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A broken wheel led to the derailment of 61 cars of a Canadian National potash train near Floods, B.C., in the Fraser River Canyon in a 2020 incident, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its final accident report. The report on the Sept. 14, 2020, derailment of the Vancouver-bound […]
WASHINGTON — An error in which the worker in charge released track occupancy protection — “due to degraded performance from his excessive workload” — led to a March 2022 incident in which a Caltrain commuter train struck three hi-rail construction vehicles, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a final accident report released on Tuesday, […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board and Surface Transportation Board both announced the addition of new staff members on Tuesday. At the NTSB, Warren Randolph has been appointed as the board’s first chief data officer, while Jen Adler will head the Office of Safety Recommendations of Communications. At the STB, Dr. Kristen Monaco has […]
Great Circus Train In January 2017, the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus announced it was closing down after more than 100 years in operation. For many, the transportation of the “Greatest Show on Earth” — its performers, animals and equipment — has been just as fascinating as the show itself. Circus trains became an […]
The proxy battle that activist investor Ancora Holdings is waging against Norfolk Southern isn’t just about the direction NS should take and who should run the company. It’s a fight for the future of the railroad industry. The Cleveland-based activist investor seems to be taking the position that railroads shouldn’t grow. They argue that intermodal, […]
2024 Majestic Switzerland Special Interest Tours and Trains Magazine bring you a rail excursion tour like no other. From Sept. 19-30, join Trains Senior Editor David Lassen on an 11-night, 12-day adventure into the mountains. Switzerland has one of the most extensive railway networks in Europe. Beginning in 1847, the Northern Railway line was established, […]
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen today said it will “vigorously oppose” an activist investor’s attempt to gain control of the Norfolk Southern board and oust CEO Alan Shaw and Chief Operating Officer Paul Duncan. Cleveland-based Ancora Holdings is waging a proxy battle and has proposed a slate of eight directors […]
WASHINGTON — The state of Oklahoma and Blackwell Industrial Authority have asked the Surface Transportation Board to allow emergency service on the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad, the short line shut down by the Federal Railroad Administration for safety reasons earlier this month. In a Monday filing, the state and the industrial authority, operator of an […]
STUART, Fla. — Brightline will build a new intermediate station in Stuart, Fla., the TC Palm newspaper reports. Stuart City Manager Mike Mortell informed employees on Monday that the passenger operator had selected Stuart’s downtown site near the Martin County Courthouse. Brightline did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. At least two other […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General has released a report explaining how the company’s lack of effective parts inventory management is responsible for numerous service failures. The 62-page report released Monday, “Asset management: Company has opportunities to more effectively manage and safeguard maintenance of equipment inventory,” asserts a lack of key parts to keep […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which had previously announced it was placing much of its capital spending on hold because of uncertainty over implementation of Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan, on Monday detailed the projects at risk while the lawsuits against congestion pricing are pending. Congestion pricing, intended to discourage driving in Manhattan below […]
