RALEIGH, N.C. — A ceremony Friday (May 30) marking the 30th anniversary of the North Carolina’s Piedmont passenger rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte, repainting a locomotive into the original Piedmont paint scheme to mark the event. Piedmont service was launched on May 26, 1995, with state-owned equipment. It has grown from a single daily […]
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Union Pacific and rail technology firm ZTR have concluded the first portion of the pilot program for their battery-diesel hybrid switching locomotives, the company said Friday, with the pilot remaining on track for completion in 2026. The mother-slug set has completed initial testing and proof of concept at the Jenks […]
PETALUMA, Calif. — Northern California commuter rail service Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is set to launch service on its northern extension to Windsor, Calif., on Saturday (May 31). The North Bay Business Journal reports that SMART received final clearance from the Federal Railroad Administration to begin operation on Thursday, according to SMART General Manager Eddy […]
BOSTON — Four former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority track inspectors and a current MBTA employee are facing federal charges for allegedly falsifying track inspection reports on the rapid transit Red Line. Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield, Mass.; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendez, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy […]
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — BNSF Railway and intermodal partner J.B. Hunt have launched cross-border Quantum de Mexico premium service in conjunction with GMXT’s Ferromex. Like domestic Quantum service in the U.S., Quantum de Mexico takes aim at highly service-sensitive freight that has never moved on rails before, the companies announced this morning at the Mexican […]
NEW YORK — Lost in the debate between Amtrak, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and transportation advocates over the plans to close Amtrak’s East River tunnel for repairs — and the resulting service reductions, especially for Empire Service trains to and from Albany-Rensselaer, N. Y. — are the limited track routing options that exist between […]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — With the Illinois legislature one day away from a deadline for passing the state’s budget for fiscal 2026, lawmakers have yet to decide on a way to address the looming $770 million deficit for Chicago-area transit agencies. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that state Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) has proposed funding the operations […]
The first step in building a freight train is understanding what railroaders mean by “compliance.” A freight train is said to be “in compliance” when it’s assembled properly and is operating according to the railroad’s rules. In practice, crews need to devote as much attention to the big picture of compliance as they do to […]
MONTREAL — After announcing its overall 2025 capital spending plan earlier this month, Canadian National has now released province-by-province plans for the Canadian portion of that plan. British Columbia, where the railroad is working to improve fluidity to and from Vancouver and add capacity to the Port of Prince Rupert, will receive the largest investment, […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak and Metrolink service through San Clemente will resume on Saturday, June 7, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced today (Thursday, May 29). The Surf Line route through San Clemente — an area where landslides have frequently disrupted train traffic in recent years — has been closed since April 28 to […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The launch of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service between Mobile and New Orleans has been pushed back further, likely to the end of July or beginning of August. WALA-TV reports that Southern Rail Commission chairman Knox Ross told the station that “construction issues” are responsible for the latest delays. “We know the train’s […]
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has signed into a law a bill creating funding to improve safety at railroad grade crossings, legislation sparked by the death of a Houston high school student late last year. Senate Bill 1555 passed the house by a 101-16 vote earlier this month, after passing the Senate by […]
