WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail has begun replacing the wheels on all its 7000-series railcars, the latest step in the long-running effort to fully return the newest cars in the Metrorail fleet to service in the wake of problems that have limited their availability for more than two years. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said […]
What’s it like to travel with Trains Magazine? Read Editor Carl Swanson’s day-by-day impressions of the 49th State. Information on all our upcoming tours is posted here. Alaska 2023 Day 1, Sunday 9/10 | Fairbanks Depending on where you live, getting to Alaska can take a while. In my case, it meant waking in time […]
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court has turned down a request to rehear its decision blocking approval of the Uinta Basin Railway project, the Salt Lake Tribune reports, leaving the Surface Transportation Board to address issues with its environmental report raised by the court’s decision in August. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District […]
WASHINGTON — A coalition of rail labor unions has criticized the U.S. Class I railroads’ hiring efforts, their pace of service improvements, and the industry’s safety record in a filing with the Surface Transportation Board. The big four U.S. railroads — BNSF Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific — have told federal regulators that […]
WOODLAND, Wash. – A Washington state port will serve as a test bed for Glīd Technologies’ autonomous intermodal vehicle. The Port of Woodland and Glīd have announced a partnership that will allow testing of the Glīder prototype on a rail spur at the port’s Schurman Way Industrial Park, they announced on Friday. “Glīd is at […]
From Auto-Train to Amtrak Auto Train Today’s Auto Train is a stellar option for people looking to travel long distances with their car in tow between northern Virginia and central Florida. Amtrak’s marketing slogan on its website is “Take Your Car on an Auto Train Road Trip.” Those traveling in sleeping cars receive traditional dining-car […]
DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation isn’t prepared to start shopping for passenger trains just yet, but it’s at least ready to look at brochures. The state DOT on Friday issued a “request for information” for rolling stock for possible passenger service between Denver and Craig, Colo., and has asked manufacturers and vendors to […]
LONDON — A safety dispute between British rail regulators and the operator of summer steam trains through the West Highlands of Scotland threatens to prevent the trains — now internationally famous — from running next year. The trains in question gained their fame as the “Harry Potter Train,” as the route – and especially the curved […]
MONTREAL — Canada’s largest private-sector union has blasted VIA Rail Canada’s new baggage policy, a complex set of fees which were set to take effect Nov. 18, saying they “inconvenience travelers and complicate [union members’] working conditions.” VIA, however, says it had elected to waive the fees a week prior to their implementation, and the […]
One of Amtrak’s retired HHP8 electric locomotives, with both pantographs removed, is being tested for possible use as a cab car. Amtrak is reportedly looking to bolster or replace its aging fleet of ex-Metroliner cab cars in the Northeast until Siemens’ new Amtrak Airo equipment arrives. The 15 Bombardier-Alstom locomotives, delivered in 2001, were plagued […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration has announced $343 million is available in fiscal 2024 for accessibility improvements at rail transit stations under the FTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program. The program, funded for a total of $1.75 bililion through fiscal 2026 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supports upgrades to subway, light rail, and commuter rail […]
RICHMOND, Va. — Amtrak projects that it will surpass pre-pandemic figures for ridership and revenue in 2024, company officials said Friday as executives joined the board of directors for the company’s second annual public meeting, an event mandated by 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law held this year at Richmond’s Main Street Station. This year’s gathering was […]
