SACRAMENTO — Virgin Trains USA has received preliminary approval from a California state agency for the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to finance its Xpress West high speed rail project between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nev. On Wednesday, the state Debt Limit Allocation Committee recommended that the company receive the first $300 million of its […]
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller greets AAPRCO members before touring the private cars at the Albuquerque Transportation Center. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Amtrak was at the head end of topics discussed this week in Albuquerque for the American Association of Private Rail Car Owners’ 42nd annual convention. The convention opened on Tuesday with members of the Southwest […]
A Metra Electric train departs the 47th Street/Kenwood Station in May 2019. Chicago’s mayor has come out against a plan that would lower fares and increase service on the Electric and Rock Island lines, saying it would hurt Chicago Transit Authority ridership. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot has come out against a […]
Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson discusses his vision for the passenger railroad during a Thursday appearance at a travel industry conference in New York. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK — Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson made a rare public appearance Thursday at the Skift Global 2019 Travel Industry Conference, voicing many of the themes that have […]
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — After a five-month delay, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is scheduled to begin a pilot program of commuter rail service to Foxborough on Oct. 21. The 11-month trial, approved last November, was originally slated to begin in May [see “MBTA to begin Foxborough service on trial basis,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 30, […]
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco-area transit agencies will study the possibilities of integrating their fares to reduce commuting costs. The San Francisco Examiner reports that the Clipper Executive Board, representing transit executives from the region, has approved the study, which will take 12 to 14 months. The $599,839 cost will be covered by residual funds from […]
TORONTO — Ontario transit agency Metrolinx has announced it will buy 36 new bilevel railcars from Bombardier for GO Transit. The order will include 31 standard coaches and five accessible cars, and will add more than 6,000 new seats for GO Transit operations. The cars will be built at Bombardier’s Thunder Bay, Ont., plant, which […]
The interior of one of the new heated waiting areas at Metra’s Healy station. The station was completed earlier this year but formal opening ceremonies were held Tuesday. TRAINS: David Lassen A conductor announces information for passengers as a Metra Electric train stops at the Homewood Station in 2016. Homewood has received funds for a […]
Rebuilt GP40H-2B No. 4024, an ex-Penn Central unit, pushes NJ Transit Main Line train No. 1118 out of Secaucus toward Hoboken in August 2019 afternoon. Additional PTC funds ensure that this unit will be able to operate until replacement locomotives arrive at the end of 2020. Ralph Spielman NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit’s board of […]
New dining options with trays on display in the dining car ‘Tallahassee,’ boxed meal examples are in the background. Bob Johnston WASHINGTON – When the New York-Miami Silver Meteor and New York-New Orleans Crescent become the last single-level long-distance trains to offer cooked onboard dining car meals to both sleeping car and coach passengers on […]
BOSTON — A broken axle caused the June 11 derailment which has led to long-term disruptions of MBTA Red Line subway operations, the transit agency said in a report issued Monday. Arcing electricity damaged a 27-year-old axle, which fractured and led to the derailment, Boston Magazine reports. The derailment caused extensive damage to signal hardware […]
Metro-North trains pass a hi-rail maintenance vehicle on the Park Avenue Viaduct near the 125th Street station in Harlem. Reconstruction of the nearly 2-mile-long viaduct is part of the MTA’s capital plan for 2020-24. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the largest capital plan in its 54-year history on Monday, including […]
