U.S. Rep. Lipinski has introduced the Improving the Metra Commuter Experience Act of 2020 (H.R. 6226) to transfer ownership of Chicago Union Station from Amtrak to Metra. David Lassen Note: revises and updates previous version A bill introduced by U.S. Rep Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) would transfer Chicago Union Station from Amtrak to Metra ownership — […]
A New Haven-bound Metro-North train arrives in Westport, Conn., in August 2019. Metro-North reported an almost 50 percent drop in ridership during Thursday’s morning commute. TRAINS: David Lassen Friday morning rail news related to the coronavirus outbreak: — Some commuter rail agencies are seeing reduced ridership in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, with significant […]
All this month — March 2020 — Classic Trains editors are celebrating the heritage, history, and images of the Clinchfield Railroad. Please enjoy this photo gallery of images from the David P. Morgan Library archives at Kalmbach Media that include Clinchfield diesel- and steam-powered freight trains through time. You might also enjoy this Clinch history […]
A northbound Amtrak Acela Express passes through Elizabeth, N.J., in August 2019. Amtrak has cut some Acela service between Washington and New York, and warns other service could be reduced because of a sharp downturn in travel. TRAINS: David Lassen Warning that it may lose “several hundred million dollars” because of reduced travel related to […]
Passengers pour from an NJ Transit commuter train with Arrow III equipment at Elizabeth, N.J. The 1970s-era equipment is subject to frequent breakdowns, according to a New York Times article. TRAINS: David Lassen Thursday morning rail news: — New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is questioning the fitness of NJ Transit’s CEO to run […]
A look at Wednesday morning rail news: — Officials in Durham County, N.C., have voted to provide $2.2 million for a study of a possible commuter rail service between Durham and Clayton, N.C. GoTriangle, the transit agency for Durham, Wake, and Orange counties, will also be asking Wake and Johnson counties and the North Carolina […]
Tuesday morning rail news: — A passenger who traveled on a Chicago-St. Louis train last week has recorded a “presumptive positive” test for the Covid-19 virus, leading Amtrak to remove the trainset for disinfecting and cancel one round trip on Sunday. The State Journal-Register reports that the train in question was the Wednesday, March 4, […]
Monday morning rail news: — Amtrak is suspending its non-stop Acela Express service between New York and Washington, D.C., reflecting decreasing travel because of concerns over the Covid-19 coronavirus. The service will be suspended as of Tuesday, March 10, until Tuesday, May 26. “We are making temporary adjustments to our schedule, such as removing train […]
In March 2020, Classic Trains is celebrating the history, heritage, and splendor of the Clinchfield Railroad. Enjoy this photo gallery, selected from the David P. Morgan Library collections, as the perfect salute to the Clinchfield. Return each week for another salute to the railroad of the month! See what we did last week for the […]
More Friday morning rail news: — Legislation introduced Thursday in Congress would end Amtrak’s forced arbitration policy, which bars passengers and their families from suing the passenger carrier if they injured or killed in crashes. The Washington Post reports the legislation, introduced in both houses, would do away with the policy introduced last year which […]
A Metra Milwaukee North train arrives in Deerfield, Ill., on Oct. 27, 2019. Deerfield is one of the partners with Metra in a reverse-commute pilot program on the Milwaukee North line. TRAINS: David Lassen Still more rail news for a busy Friday: — Metra’s reverse-commute pilot program on its Milwaukee District North line is exceeding […]
Friday morning rail news: — After almost four weeks, the blockade of Canadian Pacific tracks near Montreal has finally ended. This morning, Mohawks at Kahnawake, Quebec, lifted the blockade in what a spokesman called “a gesture of good faith.” The Montreal Gazette reports that one of the protesters said the blockade could resume at any […]
