MBTA’s Orange Line service to resume Monday as scheduled

Subway train at nearly empty station

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s 30-day shut down of the Orange Line — the second most-used route on the MBTA rail rapid-transit system — will reopen as scheduled on Monday morning after a 30-day shutdown, MBTA officials said Sunday. The unprecedented shutdown led to significant disruptions for commuters, but also allowed the transit […]

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St. Louis celebrates reopening of Merchants Bridge

People in ribbon-cutting ceremony

ST. LOUIS — The 133-year-old Merchants Bridge celebrated its official reopening on Thursday, marking completion of a $222 million project to replace the vital structure connecting Missouri and Illinois near downtown St. Louis. The Mississippi River crossing dating to 1889 owned by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis serves six Class I railroads and […]

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Amtrak long-distance trains set to resume

Passenger train on curve

All Amtrak long-distance trains will apparently resume operations today (Friday, Sept. 16), although the most recent message on the passenger carrier’s website, posted Thursday evening, continues to say only that the company recommends passengers “check their ticket and confirm their train status on Amtrak.com or the Amtrak app.” The passenger operator had cancelled all long-distance […]

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Railroads, commuter operators shift to return to normal operation (updated)

Container train passing overhead signals

Freight railroads have begun informing customers they are returning to business as usual, after halting some operations in preparation for a work stoppage. Commuter operators are returning to normal plans, as well. A stoppage was averted when railroads and unions reached tentative labor agreements early this morning following a marathon bargaining session [see “Freight railroad […]

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LA’s Metrolink prepares for cancellations, Metra updates plans in event of freight rail stoppage (updated)

Amtrak_Metrolink_Lassen

UPDATE: Railroads and unions have reached a tentative agreement as of early Thursday morning, averting a work stoppage. Watch Trains News Wire for more information. Los Angeles-area commuter rail operator Metrolink, which operates some of its trains on BNSF Railway and Union Pacific trackage, has informed customers that some operations will be suspended on Friday […]

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NJ Transit, online wagering site announce naming-rights deal

Detail of map showing route named "BetMGM Meadowlands Rail Line"

NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit announced Wednesday it had signed a three-year naming-rights agreement with Jersey City-based online wagering site BetMGM to rename the transit agency’s rail line to the station serving MetLife Stadium, home of the area’s two NFL teams, as the “BetMGM Meadowlands Rail Line.” NJ Transit did not announce the value of […]

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More Amtrak services set to be suspended

Passenger train runs on single track with Chicago skyline in the background

Amtrak will suspend seven more long-distance trains as of today (Wednesday, Sept. 14) as it prepares for a possible interruption of national freight rail service. Also, the three regional operations in California — the San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor, and Pacific Surfliner — are preparing for service disruptions to begin Thursday and take full effect on […]

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Former Metro-North official sentenced in kickback scheme

Logo for MTA Metro-North Railroad

NEW YORK — A former Metro-North official has been sentenced to at least a year in prison in a kickback scheme, amNY.com reports. James Berlangero, 64, was a contract manager at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority commuter railroad. He received $70,000 from Long Island firm WRS Environmental Services for providing the company with inside information and […]

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Metra says some lines will be halted by freight rail strike

Commuter trains meet on curve

CHICAGO —Metra expects it will be unable to operate on at least some of its 11 Chicago-area commuter rail lines in the event of a work stoppage on Class I freight rail lines, the agency said in a statement today (Tuesday, Sept. 13). Commuter operators elsewhere are also beginning to assess their situations in light […]

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