WASHINGTON — Coaches where half of the seats face backwards have been standard for years on Amtrak services ranging from many regional state-supported corridors to Acela First Class. Beginning March 2, that configuration is being extended to all Northeast Regional Amfleet-equipped trains. Acela Business Class will transition to permanent “fixed forward and backward” seating later […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A broken wheel led to the derailment of 61 cars of a Canadian National potash train near Floods, B.C., in the Fraser River Canyon in a 2020 incident, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its final accident report. The report on the Sept. 14, 2020, derailment of the Vancouver-bound […]
WASHINGTON — An error in which the worker in charge released track occupancy protection — “due to degraded performance from his excessive workload” — led to a March 2022 incident in which a Caltrain commuter train struck three hi-rail construction vehicles, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a final accident report released on Tuesday, […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board and Surface Transportation Board both announced the addition of new staff members on Tuesday. At the NTSB, Warren Randolph has been appointed as the board’s first chief data officer, while Jen Adler will head the Office of Safety Recommendations of Communications. At the STB, Dr. Kristen Monaco has […]
You’re hosting an operating session with a group of friends. What kind of snacks do you serve? Trains.com staff members chime in with their favorite items. Trains Associate Editor Bob Lettenberger Good meat sticks from a local butcher shop. They are not too greasy and don’t make a mess when spilled. Honey BBQ is the […]
Great Circus Train In January 2017, the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus announced it was closing down after more than 100 years in operation. For many, the transportation of the “Greatest Show on Earth” — its performers, animals and equipment — has been just as fascinating as the show itself. Circus trains became an […]
The proxy battle that activist investor Ancora Holdings is waging against Norfolk Southern isn’t just about the direction NS should take and who should run the company. It’s a fight for the future of the railroad industry. The Cleveland-based activist investor seems to be taking the position that railroads shouldn’t grow. They argue that intermodal, […]
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen today said it will “vigorously oppose” an activist investor’s attempt to gain control of the Norfolk Southern board and oust CEO Alan Shaw and Chief Operating Officer Paul Duncan. Cleveland-based Ancora Holdings is waging a proxy battle and has proposed a slate of eight directors […]
WASHINGTON — The state of Oklahoma and Blackwell Industrial Authority have asked the Surface Transportation Board to allow emergency service on the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad, the short line shut down by the Federal Railroad Administration for safety reasons earlier this month. In a Monday filing, the state and the industrial authority, operator of an […]
Shortline railroads Today, shortline railroads scattered around America continue to survive. Even though many “brick and mortar” customers have closed, and their spurs and industry tracks have been pulled up over the last several decades, Class IIIs continue to find additional sources of revenue. Car storage and transloading are two such sources that are popular […]
STUART, Fla. — Brightline will build a new intermediate station in Stuart, Fla., the TC Palm newspaper reports. Stuart City Manager Mike Mortell informed employees on Monday that the passenger operator had selected Stuart’s downtown site near the Martin County Courthouse. Brightline did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. At least two other […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General has released a report explaining how the company’s lack of effective parts inventory management is responsible for numerous service failures. The 62-page report released Monday, “Asset management: Company has opportunities to more effectively manage and safeguard maintenance of equipment inventory,” asserts a lack of key parts to keep […]
