Monday afternoon rail news: With new state rules in effect, South Shore ends ‘mask optional’ cars South Shore Line commuter trains have done away with their “mask optional” car after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order on Friday on mask rules to try to help slow the state’s surge in COVID-19 cases. The […]
More Monday morning rail news: Pennsylvania rail plan calls for second Pittsburgh-New York train The draft version of a new Pennsylvania state rail plan includes a goal of adding a second daily train between Pittsburgh and New York City, beginning in the 2023-24 fiscal year. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports the feasibility of the plan and […]
Still more Monday morning rail news: Jupiter, Fla., requests fencing along Brightline route Jupiter, Fla., is asking Brightline to erect fencing along its right-of-way in anticipation of the start of Miami-Orlando service, which is projected to begin in 2023. The Palm Beach Post reports the city and passenger operator have looked at fencing the Pine […]
Monday morning rail news: Brightline expansion work about 45% complete, company says Brightline’s northward expansion from West Palm Beach to Orlando, Fla., is about 45% complete and on target to complete construction in 2022, according to a presentation by Michael Cegelis, executive vice president of infrastructure development, during a meeting last week of the Central […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued its final rule establishing metrics and a minimum standard to measure on-time performance and service quality for Amtrak trains, a rule hailed by the passenger railroad as “a victory for Amtrak customers.” The rule requires Amtrak and host railroads to certify Amtrak schedules, sets an on-time minimum […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors on Friday approved a $700 operating budget for 2021, as well as a $386.8 million capital budget, and also approved a plan to improve transit service to Chicago’s South Side that will see reduced fares on two Metra Lines. The operating budget does not call for fare increases or […]
Friday midday rail news: Transit district’s report sets goals for expanded commuter, passenger, freight service in San Diego Coaster commuter train and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service would be extended southward from their current endpoint at San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot, and more slots would be created for freight trains, under the San Diego Pathing Study […]
Friday morning rail news: As deadline nears, NJ Transit says it has 80% of PTC work done NJ Transit has about 80% of its positive train control implementation process complete with seven weeks to go to meet the Dec. 31 deadline, and officials from the transit agency and its primary contractor said again at a […]
More Friday morning rail news: Montreal REM plans online unveiling of new equipment Montreal’s Réseau express métropolitain light rail project will hold a virtual unveiling of its first trainsets on Monday, Nov. 16. The event beginning at 9:15 a.m. EST will be held on the REM Facebook page. The first of the 212 Alstom trainsets […]
Third in a series OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight was a 1971 Amtrak concoction cobbling together three trains: Southern Pacific’s Coast Daylight and overnight Cascade, even though the SP trains hadn’t connected at the time, and the unnamed Portland, Ore.-Seattle Burlington Northern or Union Pacific “pool trains.” Originally, and ambitiously, the south […]
A C&NW E8 leads the Chicago–Rapid City, S.Dak., Dakota 400 past the shimmering waters of Devil’s Lake on October 7, 1956. Today, Wisconsin & Southern freights pass through this scenic state park, located 3 miles south of Baraboo. Photo by William D. Middleton […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada sees no prospect for restoring a third full Toronto-Vancouver round trip of its flagship long-distance train, the Canadian, and says the train’s current business model is “no longer sustainable,” although it does not indicate plans to discontinue service. Those assessments are part of the summary for the passenger carrier’s 2020-24 corporate […]
