DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The fire truck struck by a Brightline train at a grade crossing last month, leading to injuries to 15 people, was responding to a report of a high-rise structure fire, City of Delray Beach officials said on Thursday. The city’s police chief also confirmed that his agency has asked the Palm […]
SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah cities are considering employing 24-hour-a-day flaggers at grade crossings to restore a quiet zone on a stretch of Union Pacific track also used by Utah Transit Authority commuter trains. Two quiet zones, stretching from Ogden to Provo and in place for up to 16 years, were suspended last Sept. […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today announced more than $1.1 billion in grants for projects to improve, eliminate, or study grade crossings, funding 123 projects that will address more than 1,000 crossings nationwide. That announcement came at the same time the FRA announced more than $146 million in funding to improve passenger service on […]
WASHINGTON — Four state-supported Amtrak routes, Connecticut’s CTRail, and Florida’s Brightline will receive a total of more than $146 million for service improvements from the Federal Railroad Administration, the agency announced today (Friday, Jan. 10). The funding comes from the Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program. It was announced at the same time as FRA funding […]
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Switching Services, the freight operator on the state-owned Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad, has been selected by the Maine Department of Transportation to operate and maintain the state’s Rockland Branch, a 57-mile former Maine Central line. However, a pilot program to test passenger service on the route, in coordination with the […]
LOS ANGELES — The firestorm devastating Southern California is, inevitably, affecting rail operations. Metrolink has suspended operations today (Thursday, Jan. 9) on its Antelope Valley Line between Lancaster and Vista Canyon because of firefighting activity, the operator reports. The suspension is until further notice. According to a Los Angeles Times map, the Lidia fire, at […]
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling for development of a freight rail bypass to the west of Toronto that he says would allow “significant, longer-term expansion” of GO Transit commuter rail service in the region. In a letter today (Jan. 9, 2025) to the chairman of provincial transit agency Metrolinx, posted on X.com, […]
ORLANDO — The SunRail commuter service, funded and operated by Florida’s Department of Transportation since its opening in 2014, is locally funded as of Jan. 1. Spectrum News reports the local members of the governing Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission — Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties, and the city of Orlando — authorized the […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators will attempt to close security gaps on the U.S. rail system for exports destined for Mexico and Canada through a new rulemaking by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The proposed rule, posted Wednesday, Jan. 8., would require the electronic transmission of rail export cargo manifest data, including an initial filing 24 […]
SACRAMENTO — The state of California has unveiled a $310 billion plan to expand the state’s rail network to increase its share of passenger travel from 2% to 20% by 2050 through a network featuring extensive electrification and zero-emission operations. The new State Rail Plan was announced Jan. 7 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It envisions […]
ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Train Dispatchers Association has ratified a new national agreement with the National Carriers Conference Committee, the national bargaining group for major U.S. railroads. The agreement announced today (Jan. 8, 2025) is the fourth to be ratified, following deals with the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers, Transportation Communications Union, and […]
PORT CLINTON, PA. — Almost 340,000 riders took part in Reading & Northern excursions in 2024, surpassing the previous mark of more than 322,000 in 2023 by 5%, the railroad has announced. The year included the opening of the new Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station on the railroad’s Nesquehoning campus, which includes the railroad’s new shops […]
