Florida East Coast’s single-track right-of-way through downtown Melbourne, Fla., shown in 2014, is being converted to two tracks to support Virgin Trains USA passenger service. An appeals court decision has upheld Virgin Trains’ right to use private activity bonds as part of the funding package for that project. Bob Johnston WASHINGTON — The U.S. Court […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile City Council, which had been expected to vote today on funding to support the return of Amtrak service to the city, is now likely to delay that decision. AL.com reports that the vote is likely to be delayed because council members learned a deadline to submit matching funds for a […]
SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s Link light rail service will see service reductions for a 10-week period beginning Jan. 4, including three weekends when bus service will substitute for part of the route. The reductions will allow construction connecting existing tracks to the new 19-station East Link line to Redmond, Wash. Trains will run on 12-minute […]
An inbound Metra BNSF train meets Amtrak’s Southwest Chief at Naperville, Ill., on Jan. 1, 2018. Metra will offer free New Year’s Eve rides and discounted New Year’s Day tickets this year. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — For the first time, Metra will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve, along with discounted rides on […]
Two former Santa Fe Hi-Level coaches are now part of the collection at the Arizona Railway Museum. They arrived on Dec. 26. Arizona Railway Museum CHANDLER, Ariz. — Two Santa Fe Hi-Level coaches have a new home at an Arizona museum. The Arizona Railway Museum, in Chandler, took delivery of the coaches from a Union […]
Amtrak Acela Express trains meet at Elizabeth, N.J., in August 2019. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is launching a new effort to bring high speed rail service to New York’s Empire Corridor. TRAINS: David Lassen ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will announce a new effort to develop high speed rail service in […]
BOSTON — Delays were continuing this morning on one Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority line after a Thursday afternoon derailment of an outbound commuter train. No injuries were reported when the Framingham/Worcester train derailed near the Lansdowne station in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Keolis Commuter Services, the contract operator of MBTA commuter trains, described the accident as “a […]
Atlas N scale ALP-45DP locomotive performance charts Atlas N scale NJ Transit commuter train The trailer cars feature full interiors, with toilet and cab details where appropriate. Couplers are truck-mounted except at the cab end of the cab car. The cab car has operating headlight, ditch lights, and marker lights. N Scale fans of modern […]
RALEIGH, N.C. — The recent deal between Virginia and CSX that will allow expanded passenger and commuter rail service south of Washington D.C. also reaches into North Carolina. The Raleigh News and Observer reports that the North Carolina Department of Transportation will eventually acquire about 10 miles of CSX right-of-way from the Virginia state line […]
Joe Boardman, Amtrak’s second-longest-serving CEO, on a Southwest Chief inspection trip in 2016. Bob Johnston Few people have suffered the sustained, stinging criticism of opinion writers and readers in Trains Magazine as long as Joe Boardman did while he was Amtrak president and CEO — only to revive his popular reputation with interviews in retirement. […]
Shelbi Hoover, Paul Utterback, and Dr. Helen Hudson help prepare the Crawfordsville, Ind., station on Saturday, June 29, the day before the final run of the Hoosier State. Bob Johnston If you’re a fan of Amtrak, 2019 might be called a “building year,” similar to a major league team recouping from years of losses and […]
Metra trains meet in Western Springs, Ill., in November 2019. The commuter railroad is inviting riders to participate in a survey on possible amenities in new railcars that could replace the familiar bilevel gallery coaches. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Metra is seeking customers’ opinions on features of new railcars it expects to order soon. […]
