KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — VIA Rail Canada’s Canadian, luxury cruise train Rocky Mountaineer, and Amtrak’s Coast Starlight have had their operations disrupted by western wildfires, with trains running over only part of their routes because of fire damage. The wildfire that decimated the town of Lytton, B.C., halted last week’s westbound Canadian about 100 miles […]
Oakland Pier The California Zephyr’s signature sleeper-observation-dome car, complete with neon tail sign, gleams in Southern Pacific’s Oakland Pier station 10 minutes before departure on June 15, 1958. John C. Illman photo […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The State of California is planning to provide $20 million to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to help the agency recover from the May shooting in which nine VTA light rail workers were killed by another employee. The San Jose Spotlight reports the funding — included in budget bills making […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Fires and extreme weather are disrupting Union Pacific operations in the West and Midwest, the railroad has informed customers. In Northern California, the Lava fire, in Siskiyou Canyon and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, is disrupting operations between Redding, Calif., and Eugene, Ore. The railroad is assessing damage to infrastructure including the Dry […]
SAN MATEO, Calif. — Discussions over the governance of Caltrain have broken down, reflecting concerns about a lawsuit between the agencies involved in operating the San Francisco Bay Area commuter railroad. The San Mateo Daily Journal reports board chair Dev Davis attended Friday’s Caltrain meeting but would not participate in discussion of the governance issue. […]
Transportation Safety Board to investigate winter increase in grade-crossing accidents The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is opening an investigation to determine why grade-crossing accidents increase during winter months. The agency’s statistics show such accidents increase by 61% in non-vacation winter months (January and February) compared with non-vacation, non-winter months (May, June and September). Along […]
LOS ANGELES — Beginning Monday, June 28, the agency overseeing Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliners will add three daily Pacific Surfliner round trips between Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif., to the six that have been running since frequencies were last increased April 30. However, only three trains in each direction, plus Amtrak’s Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight, […]
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The effort to finance the Brightline West high speed rail line between Las Vegas, Nev., and Victorville, Calif., will wait until 2022. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Brightline spokesman Ben Porritt said the plan to seek funding through private activity bonds was being pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and […]
Tehachapi Loop viewing platform could open by mid-July Ground has been broken on a new viewing platform at California’s Tehachapi Loop, with completion expected by mid-July. The Tehachapi News reports the platform will end the need for those viewing trains at the loop to stand along a narrow shoulder of Woodford-Tehachapi Road, easing safety concerns. […]
LOS ANGELES — With a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, LA Metro marked the formal start of work on the almost $900 million Airport Metro Connector project, which will provide the long-sought direct service for the Metro light rail system to L.A. International Airport. The new facility connect Metro’s light rail system to L.A. International Airport’s […]
South Dakota will ask FRA for money for $84 million Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern project The South Dakota Railroad Board will ask the Federal Railroad Administration for $22 million to help rebuild the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern line between Rapid City and Fort Pierre, S.D. KELO-TV reports the federal money, along with $20 […]
Judge delays closure of UP car shop until at least July 8 A district court judge in Texas has blocked Union Pacific’s plans to close its Palestine, Texas, car shop at least until a July 8 hearing that is part of the efforts by the city of Palestine and Anderson County, Texas, to prevent the […]
