Vermont Rail System moves to restore portion of Maine Central line

Orange locomotives with green stripes lead frieght train past small station

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Trains could return to a long-dormant section of the former Maine Central Mountain Subdivision in New Hampshire and Vermont, according to the president of Vermont Rail System. The company operates 56-mile short line New Hampshire Central in the northwest corner of the Granite State. “There are transload opportunities on the route,” says […]

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New York rail ridership up since start of congestion tolling

EMU train arrives at station

NEW YORK — Rail ridership — both on the subways and the commuter rail network — is up in the first three weeks of congestion-zone tolls, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board was told in a presentation on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Overall, the agency said the number of vehicles entering the congestion pricing zone — […]

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Model Railroader staff’s favorite track plans

A model railroad track plan with two illustrated figures standing at the layout

When it come to track plans, everyone has a favorite. After all, each modeler values and prioritizes different aspects of model railroading. Some prefer intricate freight switching layouts, while others prefer long, continuous passenger routes. Some like layouts with dense foliage and rolling hills, whereas other modelers may prefer flat, desert landscapes. We here at […]

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Trump administration scraps freeze on grants

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has rescinded its freeze on federal grants, which created confusion regarding a broad variety of government programs, including some in the rail industry. The Washington Post reports that a memo today (Jan. 29, 2025) from Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said an order […]

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MBTA completes commuter rail Automatic Train Control installation

Map of MBTA commuter rail lines serving North Station

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed implementation of Automatic Train Control on its commuter rail lines, the agency has announced. The ATC project involves a federally mandated signal upgrade required as part of positive train control. “Our state transportation system must be safe for all users, and completing MBTA Automatic Train Control […]

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MBTA to raise speeds on Red Line’s Braintree Branch

Map detail showing southern portion of MBTA Red LIne

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will increase top operating speeds on the rapid transit Red Line’s Braintree Branch from 40 mph to 50 mph as a result of last year’s Track Improvement Program, the agency has announced. “Reaching this milestone is a testament to the hard work of our team,” MBTA CEO Phillip […]

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Union roundup: Amtrak stewards, Toronto Terminals ratify contracts

Logo of SMART-TD union

Recent rail union news: — Amtrak dining car stewards represented by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) unanimously ratified a new agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2022 and running through Dec. 1, 2028, that will provide a compounded raise of 40.21% over the life of the contract. Other […]

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Amtrak employee pleads guilty in health-care fraud scheme

U.S. Department of Justice seal

NEWARK, N.J. — An Amtrak employee has pleaded guilty to participation in a health-care scheme that defrauded the passenger operator’s health plan of more than $11 million. Rodolfo Rivera, 41, of Clayton, Del., pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of […]

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