Trains.com Kent Johnson’s pick: VIA Rail Canada Ocean Name of train: Ocean, Train No. 14 The route: Montréal, Quebéc to Halifax, Nova Scotia Duration: ~22 hours (one night, one day), tri-weekly service Waylaid by wet leaves on the rails, VIA Rail’s No. 14 eastbound Ocean arrives hours late into Moncton, N.B., Canada, on Oct. 19, […]
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The newest additions to the Indiana Rail Experience passenger fleet are nearing the end of the journey to that operation. Heavyweight Pullman Kitchi Gammi Club and former Union Pacific sleeper Pacific Island are shown in South Bend this morning (Saturday, Sept. 7) on the rear of the Lake Shore Limited as […]
MONTREAL — Amtrak’s New York City-Montreal Adirondack is set to resume operation north of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this Monday, Sept. 9, with a northbound trip. The first southbound train from Montreal will run the following day, Sept. 10. Amtrak chose to cancel the train beginning May 19 because, as a result of deferred track maintenance, […]
DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation has scheduled a series of three open house events next week to discuss the proposed Mountain Rail project, which would launch passenger train service between Denver and Craig, Colo. The meetings are part of the process of creating a “service development plan” for the route, which last saw […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has launched a Shortline Select program designed to improve interchanges and service while deepening the commercial ties between the Class I and its short line connections. The first participating short line is Genesee & Wyoming’s 339-mile Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway (AGR), which interchanges with BNSF at Armory, Miss. […]
SAN MATEO, Calif. — Caltrain will mark the launch of full electrified service on its San Francisco-San Jose route with a two-day “Launch Party” on Sept. 21 and 22. Major events will be held at the Palo Alto station on Sept. 21 and San Mateo station on Sept. 22, with additional events at other stations […]
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has, in fairly subtle fashion, joined the list of commuter operators employing locomotives with heritage paint schemes. Newly rebuilt GP40MC No. 1129 — handling a test train of Hyundai-Rotem bilevel cars — passes through Attleboro on Aug. 28, 2024, displaying a version of the “cranberry” paint scheme […]
KENOSHA, WIs. — A Union Pacific worker was struck and killed today (Wednesday, Sept. 4) by a Metra commuter train in Kenosha, WISN-TV reports. The incident occurred about 12:17 p.m. near 13th Avenue and 69th Street, about a half-mile south of the Kenosha Metra station. The worker killed has been identified as 34-year-old Austin Scott […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak’s Empire Builder departing Seattle on Aug. 30 got off to an on-time start, but was spotted over Labor Day weekend exiting Rugby, N.D., 13 hours, 29 minutes late at 1:18 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1 instead of 11:49 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31. It would lose more time because a borrowed BNSF […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — Canada’s transport minister has asked for an independent report on the VIA Rail Canada incident involving a significantly delayed Montreal-Quebec City train on Saturday, Aug. 31, the minister’s press secretary said Tuesday. The Canadian Press reports that Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez has also asked the passenger operator to improve employee training and […]
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — It’s official: The CSX Santa Train will make its 82nd run on Saturday, Nov. 23. Following its traditional path taken through Appalachia since 1943, the train will embark on a 110-mile journey from Shelbiana, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., spreading an abundance of holiday cheer while delivering more than 15 tons of toys, […]
With their Powder River Basin coal volumes down by more than 22% this year — and 58% below the peak of 2008 — is it time for BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to consider rationalizing capacity on their primary coal-hauling routes? Not yet, the railroads say. In the heart of the Wyoming coal fields, BNSF […]
