Emigrant Gap The caboose roof glistens with moisture as Southern Pacific Extra 6311 East climbs through the Donner Pass mist at storied Emigrant Gap, 65 miles out of Roseville and nearly a mile above sea level in October 1957. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
CAHSRA settlement reverses action of Trump administration The U.S. Department of Transportation has reached an agreement with the California High Speed Rail Authority to reinstate $929 million in grant funds revoked by the Trump administration. The agreement, dated June 10, stipulates the return of the funds within three days. “This settlement agreement follows intensive negotiations […]
FILLMORE, Calif. — Southern California short line and excursion railroad Fillmore & Western Railway will officially cease operations June 30, 2021. The current operators, Dave and Tresa Wilkinson, are retiring from the tourist railroad business after more than 30 years. They have successfully operated excursion trains, Mystery Dinner trains, and Santa Claus, specials among others. […]
Mississippi station museum director vows to rebuild following fire The executive director of the McComb (Miss.) Railroad Depot Museum says he is “encouraged” by what he has seen after viewing the interior of the station and museum, which was badly damaged by an arson fire on Sunday. WVUE-TV reports that executive director Ralph Price said […]
Capitol Corridor increases service for the first time since June 2020 California’s Capitol Corridor Amtrak service will increase as of Monday, June 7, with San Jose-Sacramento service going from 16 to 22 trips daily, while Oakland-San Jose service will return to the pre-pandemic level of 14 trips daily. Also, the Richmond Standard reports, Café Car […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Light rail service in the San Jose area may be suspended for months as a result of last week’s mass shooting that left 10 Valley Transportation Authority workers, including the shooter, dead. That is the word from an agency spokeswoman, the San Jose Mercury News reports, as VTA determines how to […]
FBI agent faces attempted murder charge for shooting on Metrorail train An FBI agent has been charged with second-degree attempted murder as a result of a 2020 shooting aboard a DC Metro subway train. The Washington Post reports Eduardo Valdivia, 37, was also charged with first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and use of a firearm in […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Valley Transportation Authority light rail service remains suspended indefinitely as a result of the May 26 mass shooting at the VTA maintenance yard, and the substitute bus service which had been operating since the event is being discontinued. The agency reports the bus service is ending because of limited staffing. “Instead, […]
I was hired as a yard clerk for the Southern Pacific in San Jose, Calif., in April 1960. On my first day, I was ushered into the general yardmaster’s office and given a short talk on safety. The general yardmaster, an old head named Ralph Fanning, stood behind his desk and regarded me suspiciously. […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Authorities now say the gunman in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Valley Transportation Authority light rail facility had long been angry about his workplace, something federal officials had discovered well before the shooting. A ninth victim died of injuries from the shooting late Wednesday. The victims, men ages 29 to 63, […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — At least eight workers at the Valley Transportation Authority light rail facility in San Jose were shot and killed by a co-worker who also killed himself, according to authorities. Several other people were wounded, with at least one in critical condition, CNN reports. The network reports the gunman has been identified […]
MBTA, board can’t agree on new fines for fare evasion Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority staff and the agency’s Fiscal and Management Control Board continue to disagree about fines for fare evasion. CommonWealth Magazine reports the staff and board remained at an impasse for the second consecutive board meeting. The MBTA staff initially recommended fines of […]
