Canadian Pacific E8 with the Alouette

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CP owned just three E units: E8’s 1800–1802, the only E units purchased by a non-U.S. railroad. Less than a month old, No. 1800 leads the Boston–Montreal Alouette out of Woodsville, N.H., and across the Connecticut River into Vermont on December 30, 1949. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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News Wire recommended reading

Short passenger train on single track surrounded by trees

Trains News Wire’s occasional roundup of noteworthy articles is back for your New Year’s Day enlightment, this time with three recent stories on commuter and passenger rail: — The news site MinnPost looks at Amtrak’s Borealis and barriers to further service; even adding another car to the consist would require negotations. — The Boston Globe […]

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‘One CSX’ locomotive unveiled by railroad

Nose view of blue locomotive with One CSX lettering

WAYCROSS, Ga. — CSX has introduced a new specially painted locomotive commemorating its “One CSX” initiative to recognize and involve the railroad’s employees. As with the railroad’s fleet of heritage locomotives, the newly painted unit — SD70MAC No. 4720 — was unveiled by CEO Joe Hinrichs in a posted on the business social media site […]

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Top stories of 2024, No. 2: Federal infrastructure spending

Illustration of double-track bridge with lift span in middle

  For the second straight year, federal infrastructure spending lands on our review of the year’s top stories (last year, it was tied for No. 6). Some of the dollars awarded in 2023 are part of the 2024 story, as big-ticket projects began moving forward after long waits for financial support, with impacts that will […]

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MTA commuter railroads introduce new weekend discounts

A Metro-North train heads north through Westport, Conn

NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are introducing a new weekend discount program for those with monthly tickets as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s effort to encourage more public transit ridership in conjunction with the start of Manhattan’s congestion pricing program. The “Winter Weekend” program allows passholders to travel […]

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New York MTA capital plan rejected by state legislative leaders

EMU trainsets with city skyline as backdrop and maintenance crew on one of four tracks

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state legislative leaders have rejected a $65 billion capital plan for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, citing a major funding shortfall. The website Gothamist reports that State Senate Majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie notified MTA CEO Jannon Lieber of the rejection in a Christmas Eve letter. The […]

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Pittsburgh transit agency victim of ransomware attack

Gray light rail trainset

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Regional Transit is investigating a ransomware attack on its operations that slowed light rail operations last week — a problem originally believed to be a computer glitch. The agency announced on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, that it has “launched an investigation, activated its Cyber Incident Response Team, notified law enforcement, and engaged […]

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Amtrak service restored on Northeast Corridor

Long-distance passenger train behind elecric locomotive on S curve

NEW YORK — Amtrak says service has been fully restored between New York’s Penn Station and Philadelphia. The company said “all services are operating” in a post shortly before 8 a.m. ET today (Dec. 24, 2024) on its Northeast Corridor alerts feed on X.com. However, Amtrak also reports that Acelas No. 2154 (a 7 a.m. […]

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