‘Canadian,’ Rocky Mountaineer, ‘Coast Starlight disrupted by fires

Parked passenger train under smoky skies

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — VIA Rail Canada’s Canadian, luxury cruise train Rocky Mountaineer, and Amtrak’s Coast Starlight have had their operations disrupted by western wildfires, with trains running over only part of their routes because of fire damage. The wildfire that decimated the town of Lytton, B.C., halted last week’s westbound Canadian about 100 miles […]

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Oakland Pier

Passenger train observation car parked inside station shed

Oakland Pier The California Zephyr’s signature sleeper-observation-dome car, complete with neon tail sign, gleams in Southern Pacific’s Oakland Pier station 10 minutes before departure on June 15, 1958. John C. Illman photo […]

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Scenic views

Passengers enjoy drinks in a railroad lounge car

Scenic views Curved windows along the edge of the roof give the Santa Fe El Capitan’s Hi-Level lounges a bright, airy feeling; a smaller lounge-buffet is below. Budd Co. photo […]

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Reports say vehicle drove around gates in fatal Metra collision

Metra logo

CHICAGO — Witnesses report a vehicle drove around crossing gates before being struck by a Metra train Sunday evening in an accident that killed three people in the car — including a 5-year-old girl — and injured the train’s engineer, conductor and three passengers while derailing the cab car. The Chicago Tribune reports the collision […]

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Cost rises for Charlotte transit plan

Portion of map showing proposed Charlotte-area commuter rail line

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Estimates for a transit plan including commuter rail service for Charlotte have risen to $13.6 billion and could easily fluctuate over the almost two decades to complete the projects, the Charlotte city council was told at a Monday meeting. The Charlotte Observer reports preliminary estimates from an advisory group had placed the […]

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Mixed train

Mismatched high- and low-level equipment on a passenger train

Mixed train Internal stairways on some of the Sant Fe’s Hi-Level cars enable them to operate with single-level equipment. Here, a Hi-Level is mated with a sleeping car when the all-Pullman Super Chief and all-coach El Capitan were running as a combined train. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]

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Beech Grove man charged for fire at Amtrak facility

Amtrak logo.

INDIANAPOLIS – A Beech Grove man was arrested Monday in Indianapolis on federal criminal charges related to his alleged setting fire to two buildings at the Amtrak Beech Grove shop complex early on May 2, 2021. According to court documents, on the night of May 1, 2021, Casey Sage, 34, trespassed onto the grounds of […]

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