Metra to add to Electric line’s Blue Island Branch schedule

Electric bilevel cars approach statement

CHICAGO — Metra will add four trains — two daily round trips — the weekday schedule for the Metra Electric District’s Blue Island Branch as of Aug. 14, the commuter operator announced Tuesday. Those trains, and adjustments to the current 18 daily trains on the branch, will also address ridership trends and service gaps to […]

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Return of Ottawa light rail pushed back to Aug. 14

Red and white light rail train in station

OTTAWA — Reopening of Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line has been pushed back yet again, with Aug. 14 as the new date for the resumption of service. But the Ottawa Citizen reports that Renée Amilcar, the city’s transit services general manager, stressed that is an early estimate and subject to change, saying, “We continue to […]

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Amtrak Floridian service remembered

Red-and-black diesel locomotive with Amtrak Floridian passenger train in street

Amtrak Floridian service provided direct service between Florida and the Midwest for almost a decade. The train was first known as the South Wind, a name inherited from predecessors Pennsylvania Railroad, Louisville & Nashville, and Seaboard Coast Line. With the issuance of Amtrak’s first in-house timetable on Nov. 14, 1971, the name was changed to […]

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Montreal’s REM experiences bumpy first day

Two green-and-white light rail trains meet on tracks in center divider of highway

MONTREAL — Montreal’s Réseau express métropolitain light rail line experienced a problematic start to regular operations on Monday, as service was halted for more than an hour during the morning rush hour because of a pair of issues. The line was shut down from 8 a.m. until about 9:15 a.m. because of a track issue […]

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FTA funds address disaster recovery for transit agencies

Federal Transit Administration logo

WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration will provide $102.3 million in funding to help transit agencies, cities, and councils recover from recent natural disasters, the agency announced Monday. The funding, to entities in eight states and territories, comes from the FTA’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief program. It helps fund replacement of equipment and facilities damaged […]

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Imbleau to head VIA’s high frequency rail affiliate

Head shot of man in white shirt

MONTREAL — Martin Imbleau, CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, has been named as the first CEO of VIA HFR, the VIA Rail Canada project office for the construction of the passenger-only High Frequency Rail corridor between Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. VIA HFR, which operates as an “arms-length” affiliate of VIA Rail to co-manage […]

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News & Products for the week of July 31st 2023

An image of a section of a model railroad layout, with a bridge and green scenery

News & Products for the week of July 31st 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 31st 2023. […]

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Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet stands out

Streamlined diesel locomotive with Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet passenger train

The Milwaukee Road Hiawatha fleet stands out among mid-century passenger operators.     Of all the major U.S. railroads that fielded impressive fleets of passenger trains between the end of World War I in 1918 and the arrival of Amtrak in 1971, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific — more commonly known as the […]

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Young Guns in Preservation: Brian Tenaglia

Young worker performing repair work on an interurban car.

In an industry that focuses on looking back on the past, being forward-thinking helps ensure the future of the rail preservation movement. At the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, Shop Foreman Brian Tenaglia is no stranger to that concept, utilizing new skills to help manage the traction collection. The incorporation of computer-aided design (CAD) […]

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White Pass & Yukon workers ratify new agreement

Black and red narrow-gauge diesel with mountain backdrop

SKAGWAY, Alaska — Union operating crews at the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway have ratified a new agreement, ending the prospect of a strike that could have disrupted the end of the tourist railroad’s 2023 operating season. KTOO reports the railroad and members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation […]

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