Michigan Central Station to reopen June 6

MichiganCentralStation1940

DETROIT — The landmark Michigan Central Station, purchased by Ford Motor Co. in 2018 after decades of decay for revival as an innovation center, will have its public reopening on June 6, the Detroit Free Press reports. First teased with the projection of the June 6 date on the side of the building, the opening […]

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The evolution of EMD’s SD70-series locomotives

yellow and gray engine on track

SD70-series locomotives EMD’s SD70-series is the longest-running locomotive series in railroading, spanning over three decades. There have been nine domestic new-build models. There are also many more export and remanufactured models that use the “70-series” designation. First introduced in 1992 as the successor to EMD’s “60-series” locomotives, the “70-series” locomotives were the builder’s first to […]

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BNSF train derails in Montana

Torn up track and overturned tank cars at derailment site

HEDGESVILLE, Mont. — Twenty-six cars of a BNSF train derailed early Monday near Hedgesville, in Golden Valley County in central Montana. The incident occurred about 3:30 a.m., according to the Golden Valley County Sheriff’s Office. No injuries were reported, and all the cars that derailed were empty. KTVQ-TV reports BNSF was hoping to have the […]

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Ukraine’s railways enter third year of war (updated)

Fire-damaged passenger cars in yard

Ukraine and its rail network will enter the third year of full-scale war this Saturday, Feb, 24, following the Russian invasion of the country in 2022. While the front line in the country’s east has barely moved in a year, the role of the railways has evolved. The immediate urgency of evacuating civilians has passed, […]

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When trains take a detour

Locomotive approaches signal with raised bridge in background

Trains take a detour The whir of an electric switch motor fills the air as a dwarf signal flashes from red to green. Beneath a blinding headlight, four locomotives advance stiffly along a tight connecting track as the rails squeal in protest. A dark figure emerges from a pickup truck waiting in the gathering darkness, […]

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Travel: Come for the trains, stay for the food and service

brick restaurant with lights and fence

Food and service I like railroad station restaurants, especially those that thoroughly grasp their heritage, offer views of the tracks, and consistently provide great service and delicious food. Over the years, I’ve visited a great many, including traditional establishments in active railroad stations. As a youngster, my father brought me to Grand Central’s famous Oyster […]

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Surviving a train wreck: Improving passenger safety

MetrorailWashingtonDC

This story originally appeared in the May 2012 issue of Trains Magazine. Train wreck Two very similar passenger trains approach a standing locomotive at slow speed in an over-under video produced by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. On impact, one train crumples with the lead car, but stays in […]

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FRA releases long-distance study interim report, invites comments

Map showing 15 proposed new Amtrak long-distance routes

WASHINGTON — Fifteen new or revived long-distance routes are presented in a new Federal Railroad Administration presentation to accompany the next round of meetings for its ongoing Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study. The 163-page PowerPoint presentation was issued prior to the third round of six regional workshops for stakeholders including Amtrak and state transportation officials, […]

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New Hampshire reviewing bids for purchase of Flying Yankee

Three-car stainless steel streamlined passenger train

CONCORD, N.H. — The state of New Hampshire is now reviewing bids for purchase of the Flying Yankee, the 1935 Budd Co. articulated streamliner built for the Boston & Maine Railroad — including a bid from the non-profit group that has long tried to support restoration of the train that is a virtual duplicate of […]

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