PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The first winter “Iron Horse Ramble” will provide an early start to the 2025 steam excursion schedule for the Reading & Northern, the railroad announced today (Dec. 28, 2024). In all, four steam excursions are planned, with tickets on sale at this Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, at 9 a.m. The season […]
HONOLULU — Hitachi Rail is suing the city of Honolulu and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation over cost overruns on the Skyline light rail project. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Hitachi Rail Honolulu JV, the project’s principal contractor, is suing for more than $324 million, claiming breach of contract and unjust enrichment over the nearly […]
THOMPSONVILLE, Ill. — Nineteen cars of a Canadian National coal train derailed Friday near Thompsonville in Southern Illinois, WPSD-TV reports. No injuries were reported. Brian Burgess, director of the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency, told the station that the derailment occurred in a remote area of the county. “It’s just a slip off the track […]
As the Chicago-St. Paul, Minn., Borealis surpassed 100,000 riders a little over five months after its May 21, 2024, debut, the train far exceeded the performance that its state sponsors, passenger rail advocates, and Amtrak had suggested would occur. In fact, Borealis’ origins and public acceptance contain elements that should be weighed heavily when decisions […]
WASHINGTON — An Amtrak train left a large number of passengers behind when it departed Washington Union Station for New York on Dec. 26, the Washington Post reports, reportedly after doors to the station platform were never opened to allow customers to board. A passenger posted on the social network Reddit that passengers received a […]
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 […]
Chances are good that if you’re building a model railroad, you’ll want to include a bridge. After all, who doesn’t love a good bridge? I can’t speak for anyone else, but when I think of San Francisco, I think Golden Gate. When I think of Duluth, Minn., I think of the Aerial Lift Bridge (well […]
In a move that promises to reshape the landscape of transportation-themed attractions, Firecrown, a leading publisher of transportation and enthusiast titles, has acquired the railroad assets from EnterTRAINment Junction. The company plans to relocate the beloved train exhibits to Chattanooga, Tennessee, as part of an ambitious new transportation museum. Firecrown is also the parent company […]
WASHINGTON – Union Pacific has resolved the broader service problems that prompted Amtrak’s complaint about the tardy performance of the Sunset Limited in the 12 months ending on Sept. 30, 2022, the freight railroad told federal regulators this week. UP, which hosts the Sunset Limited for 1,770 miles of its 1,994-mile route between New Orleans […]
WASHINGTON — Class I railroads this week disagreed with Amtrak’s contention that its passenger trains should enjoy absolute and unlimited priority over freight trains. Amtrak, as part of its complaint over Union Pacific’s handling of the Sunset Limited, told the Surface Transportation Board earlier this year that every individual dispatching decision must result in the […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic remains ahead of 2023 levels for the week ending Dec. 21, 2024. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, overall traffic for the week was 523,912 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.8% from the same week a year ago. That includes 230,857 carloads, up 0.3%, and 293,055 […]
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma state legislator has announced plans for a bill to limit train lengths within the state. State Rep. Ty Burns (R-Pawnee) says the legislation, to be introduced at the start of the upcoming legislative session in February, will seek to cap train length at 8,500 feet, KOKI-TV reports. “The infrastructure that […]
