ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline has welcomed the arrival of two new trainsets at its Orlando Vehicle Maintenance Facility. The “Bright Green 2” and “Bright Pink 2” trainsets arrived Thursday, the third and fourth trains from the passenger operator’s second round of equipment purchases to arrive on site in Florida. The first train arrived in West […]
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is launching a feasibility study to consider the possibility of operating passenger rail service beween the Raleigh-Durham area and Greenville, N.C., the Charlotte Observer reports. The $250,000 study, to be funded by a federal grant, is one of several considering expansion of the state’s passenger service […]
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Railroad Corp. has been authorized to sell up to $60 million in bonds to upgrade its cruise passenger dock and terminal in Seward, Alaska, following Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s signing of a bill earlier this month. Bond sales for the $80 million project will be underwritten by Bank of America Securities, […]
TAMPA, Fla. — A long-discussed proposal to launch commuter rail service in the Tampa Bay area is unlikely to advance after CSX Transportation told local officials it is not interested in selling two rail lines in the area. The Tampa Bay Times reports that the railroad — which indicated seven years ago that it would […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority still needs “considerable work” to be prepared to use some $350 million in flood-control devices installed since Hurricane Sandy caused substantial damage in 2012, according to a new report. Acting MTA Inspector General Elizabeth Keating said in a press release that in the years since Sandy, the MTA […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s second quarter profits and revenue rose despite service problems that prompted the railroad to meter traffic, a move that helped keep the network fluid but came at the expense of lost volume. “We understood that the actions we took to improve fluidity would impact our financial performance,” CEO Lance Fritz […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern is increasing conductor trainee pay to $25 per hour, with a minimum of $200 in earnings per shift, the railroad has announced. Trainees will also be eligible for an on-the-job training incentive of $300 per biweekly pay period, provided they make themselves available to work. “We are committed to ensuring our […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has released details of its excursion later this month with Big Boy No. 4014. In a message to members of its Steam Club, the Railroad says the 4-8-8-4 will depart Cheyenne for Denver on Thursday, July 28, at 10 a.m., with an intermediate stop in Greeley, Colo. The locomotive will […]
SOMERVILLE, Mass. — An MBTA Orange Line rapid-transit train caught fire on a bridge Thursday morning, reportedly leading passengers to kick out windows to escape and one person to jump into the river below. WCVB-TV reports the incident happened prior to 7 a.m. on a bridge over the Mystic River in Somerville. Images show fire […]
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern has announced plans to run a steam doubleheader — with 4-8-4 No. 2102 and 4-6-2 No. 425 — on its sold-out Iron Horse Rambles excursion Aug. 13. In a Facebook post, the railroad says this will be its first steam doubleheader since 1988. The doubleheader was made […]
KEYTESVILLE, Mo. — A second wrongful death suit has been filed over the June 27 derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, this one taking aim at the company whose truck was hit at a grade crossing, triggering the derailment. The Kansas City Star reports the family of Bihn Phan, 82, of Kansas City, has filed suit […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation’s second-quarter earnings improved despite ongoing crew shortages that have snarled operations and forced the railroad to turn away traffic. At the current pace of hiring and training new conductors, CSX expects to hit the magic number of 7,000 active train and engine crews by the end of September, which will […]
