Diesel locomotive 9901, named Zephyrus, leads Burlington Route’s Twin Zephyr into Aurora, Ill., about 38 miles into the streamliner’s Chicago–Minneapolis run sometime in 1937. L. E. Griffith photo […]
‘Twin Zephyr’ at Aurora
Type of Train: Passenger/Transit
Ottawa, builder of light rail line announce settlement
OTTAWA, Ontario — The City of Ottawa and the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the Rideau Transit Group, have reached an out-of-court settlement over the contract to build the light rail system. A joint statement issued today (Friday, Jan. 27) says the agreement resolves the dispute and resets the relationship between the […]
Maryland light rail operator charged in grade-crossing death
LINTHICUM, Md. — The operator of a Maryland Transit Adminstration light rail train has been changed in the death of a 17-year-old killed in a grade crossing accident last February, the Baltimore Sun reports. Tavon Smith has been charged with negligent manslaughter, criminal negligence, and reckless endangerment, according to court records, in the death of […]
CRRC won’t be able to meet schedule calling for three-year-late delivery of MBTA cars
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority hasn’t received any new rapid-transit cars from CRRC’s Springfield, Mass., factory in seven months, and the company won’t meet a new schedule calling for completion of its 404-car order by September 2026, the agency’s board of directors was told today (Thursday, Jan. 26). And the long-term future of […]
Ottawa to seek settlement in light rail dispute
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa city council will seek a negotiated settlement in its long-running dispute over the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the CBC reports. The council directed its head of transit services to negotiate a settlement with builder Rideau Transit Group after spending five hours in a closed-door update on […]
New York governor, MTA chief help inaugurate Grand Central Madison service
NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA CEO Janno Lieber were among an estimated 100 passengers on the first Long Island Rail Road train today (Wednesday, Jan. 25) to Grand Central Madison, the new Manhattan station deep beneath Grand Central Terminal. “Grand Central Madison is a game changer for New Yorkers, and I look […]
News & Products for the week of January 23rd 2023
News & Products for the week of January 23rd 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 23rd 2023. […]
Grand Central Madison, terminal for MTA’s East Side Access, debuts
NEW YORK — The path to the opening of Grand Central Madison — the new Long Island Rail Road terminal in Midtown Manhattan, deep beneath Grand Central Terminal — has been long, arduous, and incredibly expensive. Now that it has arrived, officials at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hope it will be viewed for its transformational […]
Massachusetts legislation calls for MBTA commuter-line electrification
BOSTON — Bills have been introduced in both houses of the Massachusetts legislature that would require electrification of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail lines by the end of 2035, the Boston Herald reports. The bills include an ambitious goal of electrifying by Dec. 31, 2024, three segments that serve what are defined as environmental […]
MTA to begin service to Grand Central Madison on Wednesday
NEW YORK — More than a decade after it was first projected to begin — and after more than three weeks of ventilation-fan issues that delayed a final effort to open before the end of 2022 — New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will open its East Side Access project on Wednesday, bringing Long Island Rail […]
Pacific Surfliner to resume weekend service between LA, San Diego on Feb. 4
ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service between Los Angeles and San Diego, suspended since Sept. 30 because of an unstable hillside in San Clemente, Calif., will be restored on weekends beginning Feb. 4. In announcing the partial restoration of service, the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Corridor Agency said tracks in the San Clemente […]
Montreal, Quebec to spend more than $500 million to begin upgrades to Metro train control system
MONTREAL — The city of Montreal and the province of Quebec will spend more than C$565 million to begin operational upgrades on the city’s Metro system. CTV News reports the money will equip the Metro Blue Line with a new train control system, better managing spacing between trains, train speed, and track changes. Similar improvements […]
