State bill advances for project to rebuild South Dakota short line

Map of the Twin Cities & Western Railroad and its two related rail lines

PIERRE, S.D. — A state legislative committee has endorsed funding for a project to help rebuild the Sisseton-Milbank Railroad, moving the appropriation bill forward, KELO-TV reports. The Senate Transportation committee unanimously approved the bill that would provide $6.25 million from the state’s general fund to help rebuild the railroad from its current state, which limits […]

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News photo: New look for Alton & Southern’s SD60s (updated)

Blue and yellow locomotives on bridge with Gateway Arch in the background

SD60s from parent railroad Union Pacific, which have retained their prior numbers, show off the new paint scheme of operator Alton & Southern on Feb. 4, 2023. Photographer Nick Goedecke reports the railroad will be repainting at least six units, including some SD40Ns, and that plans are to modify this paint scheme to include bolder […]

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New larger, faster ferries boost CG Railway volume

Ship loaded with railcars at dock

CG Railway’s traffic grew 53% last year thanks to the increased capacity of its new rail ferries, the company said this week. The short line, a joint venture of Genesee & Wyoming and SEACOR Holdings, floats freight cars across the Gulf of Mexico. The route links the ports of Mobile, Ala., and Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, […]

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Alstom’s hydrogen passenger train to debut in Quebec

Blue and white passenger train with people

QUEBEC CITY — A hydrogen-powered passenger train will make its North American debut this summer in Quebec. Alstom’s Coradia iLint, which first entered commercial service in Germany in 2018, will operate in a demonstration project on the Réseau Charlevoix rail network, following the St. Lawrence River between Parc de la Chute Montmorency and Baie-Saint-Paul, approximately […]

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Getting small: the Bobber Caboose comes to Lionel

Bobber Caboose comes to Lionel side view

The Bobber Caboose comes to Lionel with the 2022 Volume I catalog. Although new to the Orange & Blue, these models aren’t an entirely rare site on O gauge layouts since they were previously produced by MTH Electric Trains. Lionel purchased the tooling for these cars from MTH during the latter’s sell-off a few years […]

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Maine DOT proposes $3 million for pilot of Brunswick-Rockland RDC service

Rail Diesel Car outside shop building

PORTLAND, Maine — The prospect of regular passenger service on a state-owned route between Brunswick and Rockland, Maine, received a big boost last week when Maine’s Department of Transportation budgeted $3 million to advance a two-year pilot project utilizing 1950s-era Budd Rail Diesel Cars. The Camden, Maine, Courier Herald originally reported the development. Northern New […]

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Locomotives short lines like to use

Photo of center-cab locomotive with seven car train

Locomotives short lines like to use: Shortline railroads have long fascinated me. Perhaps it’s because I had a front-row seat to the startup of one in my hometown in December 1996. Maybe it’s because some are real underdog stories. Seeing a railroad turn a line or lines plagued by years of deferred maintenance into a […]

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Work remains on schedule on South Shore projects, board is told

Electric trainset pulled by diesel passes station

PORTER, Ind. — Work on the South Shore’s Double Track project remains on schedule, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was told at its Monday board meeting, with a full resumption of revenue service likely in about 16 months. The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that NICTD President Michael Noland told the board that trains […]

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News photos: Irving short lines add more SD70M-2s

Bright green locomotive with yellow 'Maine Northern' lettering

The J.D. Irving Ltd. short lines in New Brunswick and Maine have added five more locomotives to their fleet of refurbished SD70M-2s. The first six units were delivered starting in June 2021 [see “Locomotive news: First New Brunswick Southern Railway locomotive refurbished,” Trains News Wire, July, 2021]. Four of the second group of locomotives are […]

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Pioneer Valley Railroad Company profile

Pinsly Railroad Company logo

Pioneer Valley Railroad Company summary The Pioneer Valley Railroad Company (PVRR) is a short line railroad that operates in western Massachusetts. It’s owned by the Pinsly Railroad Company, a family-owned holding firm that was established in 1938. About 16 miles of standard-gauge track connects industries, warehouses and transload facilities between Westfield and Holyoke. History Before […]

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Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad profile

Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad logo

Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad summary The Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad (PN) is a Class III short line railroad that operates north of Philadelphia. With 100 miles of standard-gauge track, the railroad serves customers in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties on what was known as the “Lansdale Cluster” of CSX Transportation. History The tracks of what is now […]

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Gulf Coast Switching profile

Gulf Coast Switching logo

Gulf Coast Switching summary Gulf Coast Switching (GCS) is a Class III short line railroad that operates in the Houston, Texas area. It’s owned by Anacostia Rail Holdings, a privately held firm that manages multiple short lines throughout the United States. The railroad specializes in contract switching for the Union Pacific Railroad’s Robinson and Angleton […]

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