SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The unstable slope along the rail line used by Amtrak and Metrolink trains in south Orange County continues to move, but excavation is scheduled to begin today (Friday, Nov. 11) for the installation of ground anchors to stabilize the hillside, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Passenger service on the Surf Line […]
Zone & Region: California
Metrolink breaks ground on Burbank Junction improvements
BURBANK — LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink broke ground Wednesday (Nov. 9) at its Burbank-Downtown station for its Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project. The work will improve operations at the spot where its Ventura County and Antelope Valley lines meet. The Burbank Junction Speed Improvement Project, located north of the Burbank-Downtown Station, will realign a […]
Comment period begins for environmental report on Brightline West Cajon Pass project
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has scheduled two online meetings as part of the public comment period for its environment assessment of the proposed Brightline West high speed rail line over Cajon Pass, released in late October. The meetings, to be held via Zoom on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon PST […]
Caltrain names Bouchard as executive director
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Michelle Bouchard, who has been acting executive director of Caltrain since April 2021, has been named as the commuter operator’s first permanent executive director. The Caltrain board of directors announced Bouchard’s unanimous appointment on Thursday, Nov. 3. “Michelle has been a dynamic and engaged leader for Caltrain,” Caltrain Board Chair Steve […]
Menards Santa Fe diesel A-A set beta 4.0 test
Menards Santa Fe diesel program launched a little more than a year ago with its first beta test. The company has released several more iterations of its F units, which it markets as “Santa Fe Diesel Locomotive,” soliciting customer feedback. The latest iteration, beta 4.0, is an A-A set in Santa Fe’s “bluebonnet” paint scheme […]
Jury awards $28.6 million to man who lost legs when hit by Amtrak train
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A jury on Friday awarded $28.6 million to a man who lost his legs when hit by an Amtrak train while laying on railroad tracks in Marysville, Calif, in 2016, finding varying degrees of negligence by Amtrak, a hospital, and a doctor who released him before the accident, as well as the […]
Rancho Cucamonga, transit agency agree to sell land for Brightline West station
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — The Rancho Cucamonga City Council and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority have approved sale of a 5-acre property for a station for the Brightline West high-speed rail service. The San Bernardino Sun reports the two bodies approved the sale earlier this month. While the sale has been approved, a price has […]
LA’s Metrolink marks 30th anniversary with new logo
LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink has marked its 30th anniversary by introducing a new logo, intended to emphasize its role as a vital transportation link in Southern California. The logo was unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 26, the anniversary of the first Metrolink run, which the operator also marked by handing out commemorative pins […]
Metrolink, Pacific Surfliner adjust schedules on routes halted by hillside issue
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Metrolink will resume weekend operations to and from its San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, and San Clemente Pier stations as of this Saturday, Oct. 29, while Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will offer an updated schedule for service south of Irvine as of Monday, Oct. 31. Metrolink’s limited return of service will be […]
News photos: Arrow service begins in Southern California
REDLANDS, Calif. — The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and Metrolink launched their Arrow commuter rail service on Monday, a 9-mile route between Redlands and San Bernardino served by Stadler FLIRT diesel multiple-unit trainsets. The route adds four stations to a line connecting to the San Bernardino-Downtown station, where passengers can connect to Metrolink trains […]
Talgo, LA Metro sue each other over subway-car contract
LOS ANGELES — Milwaukee-based rail equipment manufacturer Talgo and LA Metro are involved in dueling lawsuits over a cancelled contract to refurbish Los Angeles subway cars, with Talgo filing a $48.8 million countersuit Friday after Metro filed suit in September. City News Service reports the Metro suit claimed Talgo had defaultd on its contract and […]
STB turns down bid to purchase part of former Northwestern Pacific line
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has denied a bid by the owner of the Skunk Train tourist operation to acquire 13 miles of abandoned Northwestern Pacific right-of-way, increasing the likelihood the entire route will become a public trail. In a Thursday decision, the board ruled that Mendocino Railways, the Skunk Train owner, “has failed […]
