WASHINGTON — Two days of testimony that made up the second week of the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing on Amtrak Gulf Coast service delved into the intricacies of traffic modeling and its data inputs, and made clear both that Amtrak had no role in that modeling, and that consideration of changes to freight operations were […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak is trying to gain control of Washington Union Station, the southern terminus for most of its Northeast Corridor operations, saying the move is necessary to expand and modernize the second-busiest station on the passenger operator’s network. The Washington Post reports Amtrak has moved to use eminent domain to gain control the facility, […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada has announced plans to restore most service by June, ending suspensions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the previously announced return of two weekly round trips for the flagship, Toronto-Vancouver Canadian, plans announced last week will see three weekly round trips for the Montreal-Halifax Ocean, tentatively beginning June […]
WAUKEGAN, Ill. — Support is building for a Canadian National double-track project in Northern Illinois, with the Lake County Board joining Metra and three communities in endorsing the plan. The Daily Herald reports the proposal to add 2.2 miles of second track between Round Lake Beach and Grayslake, on a CN line shared with Metra’s […]
PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Union Pacific is recalling furloughed workers to reopen its locomotive shop in Pine Bluff, Ark., the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. UP spokesman Mike Jaixen told the newspaper that he did not have information on the number of workers being recalled, but noted that open positions in Pine Bluff include boilermakers, electricians, mechanics, […]
CHEHALIS, Wash. — After being shut down for more than a month when insurers declined to renew its policy, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum has acquired insurance that will allow some activity to resume. The Centralia Chronicle reports the heritage rail operation acquired premises-liability insurance as of April 8, allowing work to resume at the […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has added three locations to those offering $5,000 starting bonuses for its conductor trainee program. Bonuses are now available for trainees in Bellevue, Ohio; Elkhart, Ind.; and Fort Wayne, Ind., the company said in a press release. The railroad offers similar bonuses at a dozen other “priority locations” announced in February […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide up to $1.76 billion in loans for the troubled, long-delayed Purple Line Light Rail Transit project in Maryland, the agency announced last week. The loan from the DOT Build America Bureau will finance up to 33% of the $5.9 billion in eligible project costs, using Transportation […]
SCRANTON, Pa. — Passenger excursions at the Steamtown National Historic Site wil resume beginning May 14, 2022, with 30-minute trips starting that day and the first extended trip set for May 28. The short trips, the Scranton Limited or Caboose Experience, will operate on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has unveiled the new paint scheme to be worn by the remainder of its fleet of Siemens ALC42 locomotives, a two-tone blue design with a splash of red and white trim. The “Phase VII” scheme — the seventh standard design in Amtrak’s 50-year history — debuts on Charger No. 309, the 10th […]
LOS ANGELES — The former Pacific Harbor Line engineer who intentionally derailed his train at the Port of Los Angeles in 2020 was sentenced this week to three years in prison, the Los Angeles Times reports. Eduardo Moreno, 46, had pleaded guilty in Decmeber to committing a terrorist attack and other violence against railroad carriers […]
Cody Grivno explains how to bevel the edges of an HO scale cork roadbed in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have other questions about model railroading techniques, or would you like to learn more about what real railroads do? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com And if you have any other techniques for beveling […]
