SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The unstable slope along the rail line used by Amtrak and Metrolink trains in south Orange County continues to move, but excavation is scheduled to begin today (Friday, Nov. 11) for the installation of ground anchors to stabilize the hillside, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Passenger service on the Surf Line […]
Type of Train: Passenger/Transit
Tri-Rail service resumes; SunRail still shut down
MIAMI — Tri-Rail commuter operations resumed this morning (Friday, Nov. 11) after being suspended Wednesday evening and Thursday because of Hurricane Nicole. In the Orlando area, SunRail remains shut down. Tri-Rail crews spent much of Thursday inspecting the right-of-way for the 73.4-mile, 18-station system and reinstalling crossing gates, the operator said on its Twitter feed. […]
Westbound Empire Builder to miss North Dakota stops in expected blizzard
RUGBY, N.D. — With extreme winter weather expected tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 11) and Saturday, BNSF Railway has notified Amtrak that it will enact directional running between Minot and Fargo, N.D., for those days, forcing the westbound Empire Builder to miss scheduled stops in Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Rugby. Forecasts are for 10 to 15 […]
STB grants delay in final Gulf Coast hearing (updated)
WASHINGTON — Having been told there is a “substantial probability” the parties involved can reach an agreement through mediation, the Surface Transportation Board has agreed to postpone the final two days of hearings over Amtrak’s efforts to launch Gulf Coast passenger service until Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The hearings had been scheduled for Nov. […]
Capacity’s impact shows in Amtrak’s fiscal 2022 revenue and ridership: analysis
WASHINGTON — Amtrak reduced the huge financial shortfall it experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic with its results in fiscal 2022, earning $1.78 billion in gross ticket revenues while carrying 22.9 million passengers, according to a route-specific recap obtained by Trains News Wire. Most noteworthy in yearly comparisons by service category, shown in the table below, […]
Metrolink breaks ground on Burbank Junction improvements
BURBANK — LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink broke ground Wednesday (Nov. 9) at its Burbank-Downtown station for its Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project. The work will improve operations at the spot where its Ventura County and Antelope Valley lines meet. The Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project, located north of the Burbank-Downtown Station, will realign a […]
Voters in two cities approve MBTA South Coast Rail service
BOSTON — Voters in the communities of New Bedford and Fall River, Mass., have voted to join the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, clearing the way for operation of South Coast Rail commuter service, which is expected to begin in 2023. Boston.com reports those two communities and Taunton, Mass., are the only major cities within 50 […]
Brightline to halt service early on Wednesday because of approaching storm (updated)
MIAMI — Brightline is altering operations between Miami and West Palm Beach as of this afternoon (Wednesday, Nov. 9) because of the approaching Tropical Storm Nicole, which forecasters have predicted will be a Category 1 hurricane when it makes landfall on Thursday. But while the passenger operator initially said it also expected to modify Thursday […]
Florida’s SunRail, Tri-Rail to suspend operations because of storm
ORLANDO, Fla. — SunRail, the Orlando-area commuter operation that suffered significant damage on part of its route from the recent Hurricane Ian, has once again halted operations because of an approaching storm. Miami-area operator Tri-Rail, meanwhile, is also preparing to shut down. SunRail announced Tuesday afternoon it would halt operations today (Wednesday, Nov. 9) for […]
Amtrak makes changes to Florida service because of approaching tropical storm
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has announced a series of changes and cancellations for Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and Auto Train departures scheduled for today (Tuesday, Nov. 8) through Friday, Nov. 11, because of the approach of Tropical Storm Nicole, which is being forecast to reach hurricane status by the time it arrives in Florida. The first […]
Repairs begin at site of September light rail derailment in Colorado
AURORA, Colo. — The Regional Transportation District has begun repairs at the intersection where a light rail train derailed in September, leading to an ongoing interruption of service on its R Line, the Denver Post reports. A train derailed at a 90-degree turn through the intersection of South Sable Boulevard and East Exposition Drive on […]
Glenview, Ill., group objects to condition sought by Metra in CP-KCS merger
WASHINGTON — A group of Glenview, Ill., residents who helped block efforts to expand Amtrak Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee has told the Surface Transportation Board it opposes Metra’s request for a new connecting track in the community to offset possible negative impacts of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. In a letter filed […]
