France to launch German-style low-cost monthly rail pass

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PARIS — In an effort to encourage greener travel, Clément Beaune, France’s transport minister, announced a new reduced-price monthly rail pass to be introduced in summer 2024 across the country, according to a story in the Guardian. The pass, modeled after the similar and highly successful program offered in Germany, will cost around €49 (US […]

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CSX names CN veteran Mike Cory as its new chief operating officer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation today named Mike Cory as its chief operating officer, a role he held at Canadian National from 2016 until his retirement in 2019. “Mike Cory is one of the rail industry’s leading operations executives, respected for his wealth of operations knowledge and his success as a leader who understands the […]

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Sandersville Railroad adds additional customers for new Hanson Spur

SPARTA, Ga. – The Sandersville Railroad announced it has added Veal Farms Transload, LLC and Revive Milling, LLC as additional users of its planned rail spur in Hancock County, Georgia. Veal Farms Transload and Revive Milling will use the spur to transport refined grain ingredients and other agricultural products to food producers and biodegradable plastic manufactures. […]

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RRHMA restores diesels to service

man working on staybolts in train

SILVIS, Ill. – Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA) has restored two diesels to service and is continuing work on its two Union Pacific steam locomotives, 4-6-6-4 “Challenger” No. 3985 and 2-10-2 No. 5511 at its former Rock Island shop complex in Silvis. On Aug. 26 crews fired up Union Pacific “Centennial” No. 6936 for […]

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A 10-year-old’s letter longing for a caboose

Caboose on a siding with a boy on the platform plus a second boy and conductor standing by.

The caboose Steel caboose No. 3674 was built in 1941 for the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, originally numbered 90091. It was rebuilt in Grand Rapids’ Wyoming Yard by 1970 and brought up to the railroad’s modern standards, renumbered as 3674. After 16 years along the rugged main line between Russell, Ky., and Huntington, W. […]

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September 2023

In every issue News, p. 4 NTSB holds rare on-site hearing on Norfolk Southern’s East Palestine derailment Bill Stphens p. 10 Regulations threaten California’s short lines Travel p. 44 The Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine is one of the nation’s most-successful enthusiast-led preservation efforts Preservation p. 46 Focusing on a long-term master plan brought the […]

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Trains LIVE — Durango & Silverton all-female engine crew

TV screen image with two women and a man in an interview

Trains LIVE — Durango & Silverton all-female engine crew — 8-30-2023 — What was the Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge line between Durango and Silverton, Colo., has been in existence for 142 years. In that time, across all of it operators, including the current Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, there has never been […]

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Swiss Spectacular, Part 2: Panoramas galore

Passenger trains meet on electrified route in view from onboard

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland — You ride the Gotthard Panorama Express for the big attractions: the fantastic scenery, the panoramic cars — almost dome-like — that help you take in that scenery — and the honest-to-goodness sliding-window coach that lets you take pictures without a glass reflection. But SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, has made sure […]

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Climate-friendly train travel expands between Germany and France

high-speed trains in Germany

Climate-friendly train travel BERLIN — People venturing between countries are not only interested in comfort and convenience, but they’re choosing climate-friendly train travel to help reduce their carbon footprint. After a 9-year hiatus, a night train from Berlin to Paris will be returning to service. Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are anticipating […]

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