Hurricane continues to impact Amtrak, commuter rail operations

Commuter train at Spanish-style passenger station

WASHINGTON — Amtrak continues to adjust its operations in the Southeast as a result of Hurricane Ian, which is now projected to make a second landfall in South Carolina today (Friday, Sept. 30) Today’s operations of the Palmetto, which normally runss between New York and Savannah, Ga., will now terminate or originate in Washington, D.C., […]

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Class I railroads’ focus on efficiency, simplicity likely to phase out the piggyback era: analysis

Freight train in desert landscape beneath dramatic clouds

CHICAGO — Class I railroads’ focus on efficiency and simplifying service is making trailer-on-flatcar service obsolete. Despite strong e-commerce demand and a persistent shortage of truck drivers and chassis, intermodal trailer traffic has continued to decline. So far this year, the four major Class I railroads have hauled nearly 160,000 fewer trailers, down 20% year […]

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CRRC order for new MBTA cars falls farther behind schedule

Subway train at station

BOSTON — Delivery of new rapid-transit cars by a local affiliate of Chinese manufacturer CRRC are falling farther behind schedule, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board was told Thursday, and officials are expressing growing concerns about the quality of the cars being built. CommonWealth Magazine reports CRRC says it will need to add several more […]

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Rail service to Denver airport to be reduced in October

Denver_ALine_Meet_Lassen

DENVER — The Regional Transportation District A-Line, which connects Denver International Airport to Denver Union Station, will operate at a reduced frequency for most of October, the RTD has announced. Trains will run at 30-minute intervals between Oct. 3 and Oct. 29 to accommodate right-of-way repairs, departing Union Station on the hour and half-hour, and […]

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Suit says city’s ‘quiet zone’ created unsafe situation

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority logo

BEVERLY, Mass. — The City of Beverly created an unsafe situation by instituting a no-train-horn “quiet zone” within city limits, according to a lawsuit filed by the family a man killed by a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter train in October 2019. MassLive.com reports that the lawsuit by the family of Moses Shumow, a professor […]

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CN train derails in Michigan

Canadian National logo

WARREN, Mich. — Twelve cars of a Canadian National train derailed about 7:30 a.m., creating traffic issues during the morning rush hour in the Detroit suburb while first responders assessed the damage. The Detroit Free Press reports Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said 12 cars of a 151-car train derailed. While three of the cars involved […]

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Duncan to lead Norfolk Southern’s combined Transportation, Network Operations organization

Head shot of smiling man in coat and tie

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern is revising its managerial structure, creating a combined Transportation and Network Operations organization to be led by Paul B. Duncan. Duncan, who is being promoted to senior vice president, transportation and network operations, will lead a team responsible for designing network operations, executing network plans, and coordinating train movements, the railroad […]

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FRA study sees issues with locomotive cab automation

Image of computer screen

WASHINGTON — A Federal Railroad Administration-sponsored study on the use of locomotive cab automation systems found human errors occurred in three of 10 sessions in a locomotive simulator, and recommends further training on the systems for engineers, conductors and dispatchers. The study, “Human Error Analyses Associated with Locomotive Cab Automation,” also calls for further study […]

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Amtrak switch to Miami airport station again moving forward

Commuter train at station with unoccupied track in foreground

MIAMI — A long-delayed plan to bring Amtrak trains to a station at Miami International Airport is being revived. A dedicated track for the Silver Meteor and Silver Star has been gathering rust at Miami Intermodal Center since the building connected to the airport opened seven years ago. Despite the operating challenges involved in backing […]

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