Saturday rail news in brief: Maryland official negotiating to keep Purple Line contractors at work Maryland Secretary of Transportation Greg Slater says he is in daily negotiations with the contractors building the troubled Purple Line light rail project, trying to keep them quitting in the midst of the project. Slater revealed the negotiations in a […]
Amtrak is looking to hire individuals who will restore agent staffing at 15 stations in 12 states, responding to a congressional mandate to do so. The passenger railroad says in a statement that “These uniformed workers will be trained to assist our customers with booking and boarding trains, including helping with unaccompanied minors, carry-on baggage […]
A Brightline train departs West Palm Beach, Fla., in January 2019. The passenger operator, shut down since late March, says service will remain suspended for “the coming months.” TRAINS: David Lassen Virgin Trains USA says its Brightline passenger service in Florida will remain suspended for months, giving no indication when service might resume. In a […]
A Miami-bound Tri-Rail train departs Boynton Beach, Fla. Tri-Rail is adding a car to its consists to aid in social distancing and plans to add four trains a day on June 1. TRAINS: David Lassen Friday morning rail news in brief: Tri-Rail prepares for more passengers South Florida commuter railroad Tri-Rail will expand its trainsets […]
PUEBLO, Colo. — Amtrak’s next-generation Acela has achieved a testing milestone, reaching speeds up to 165 mph in testing at the Association of American Railroads’ Transportation Technology Center Inc. near Pueblo. That is faster than the equipment’s planned top operating speed of 160 mph. Amtrak has posted video of the train in operation courtesy of […]
PHILADELPHIA — In coordination with state partners at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, beginning June 1, Amtrak is fully restoring Pennsylvanian service (New York – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh) frequencies and Keystone Service (New York – Philadelphia – Harrisburg) trains will begin operating again on a modified schedule in response to anticipated increased demand. Modified Keystone […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit will resume service at the West Side Avenue Station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail along the West Side Avenue Branch on Saturday, May 23, following the completion of required utility work by the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority. This will complete the reopening of the entire West Side Avenue Branch. […]
Table of VIA Rail services starting June 3 VIA Rail Canada MONTRÉAL — Due to an increase in demand resulting from the progressive deconfinement implemented by public health authorities in Québec and Ontario, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) announces service changes effective June 3, which will be in place until further notice. Trains 62 and […]
The southbound Adirondack arrives at Port Kent, N.Y., in 2016. In testimony on proposed new timekeeping measures for Amtrak trains, Canadian Pacific cited concernes it could be penalized for Adirondack delays resulting from late handoffs from another railroad. Bob Johnston WASHINGTON — Railroads hosting Amtrak trains have challenged the Federal Railroad Administration’s attempt to simplify […]
Wednesday morning rail news in brief: — Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is preparing to buy out Northwestern Pacific Railroad, the freight hauler that shares its tracks, giving it full control of its right-of-way and facing a decision whether to operate freight service itself or find a contract operator. The Santa Rosa Press Democrats reports the […]
Yves Desjardins-Siciliano Siemens Siemens Mobility announces the appointment of Yves Desjardins-Siciliano as Canadian CEO for Siemens Mobility Limited. Desjardins-Siciliano will build Siemens Mobility’s presence in Canada and lead its team in the provision of transportation solutions to Canadian service providers. “With deep industry knowledge and demonstrated customer focus, Yves is well-positioned to grow Siemens Mobility […]
WASHINGTON — This week, the Federal Transit Administration announced a number of large grant awards to transit agencies around the country as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, signed by President Donald J. Trump. Grants and awardees are: •$449 Million for BART, SFMTA in San Francisco •$876.8 Million for Washington (D.C.) […]
