Ohio governor asks state agency to explore Amtrak expansion

Map showing current and possible passenger rail routes in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has asked the state’s rail agency to explore the “feasibility and cost” of potential expansion of Amtrak service in the state, the first time DeWine has indicated interest in further pursuing new routes included in Amtrak’s “Connects US” proposal. Cleveland.com reports that a spokesman for the governor said […]

Read More…

FRA unveils Corridor ID and Development program: news and analysis

Long passenger train passes under signal bridge

WASHINGTON — Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration met the deadline set by lawmakers to establish a $1.8 billion Corridor Identification and Development program, characterized by the agency as “a formal framework to guide the future development of intercity passenger rail throughout the country.” However, additional application details need to be issued before it is […]

Read More…

DC Metrorail removes operators from service over lack of recertification

Rapid-transit train in underground statioin

WASHINGTON — In the latest setback for the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority’s troubled Metrorail system, 72 train operators have been removed from service for failing to receive mandatory retraining for at least year, and the agency has acknowledged that at least half its 500 operators lack the requiring recertification testing and training. Those removed […]

Read More…

Engineering, construction firms selected for Uinta Basin project

Logo of Uinta Basin Railway

FORT WORTH, Texas — The engineering and construction teams have been selected for Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway project, parent Rio Grande Pacific Corp. has announced. Companies selected to take part in development of the 85-mile railroad in northeastern Utah are: — AECOM, which will design the railroad, except for its tunnels; — Skanska-WW Clyde Joint […]

Read More…

Athearn Genesis 2.0 Electro-Motive Division SD70M-2 diesel locomotive

white, red, and blue diesel locomotive

2.0 Electro-Motive Division SD70M-2 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current with 21-pin NEM connector, $249.98; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 sound decoder, $339.98 Era: 2005+ to 2019+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com 2.0 Electro-Motive Division SD70M-2 diesel locomotive features: All-wheel drive and electrical pickup […]

Read More…

Summit USA modern IHOP restaurant

IHOP restaurant

IHOP restaurant Price: $110 Manufacturer: Summit USA LLC, 512A Ford St., Lake Charles, LA 70601, 337-436-8481, summit-customcuts.com IHOP restaurant features Unpainted milled styrene, laser-cut acrylic, and self-adhesive micro-plywood parts Parts may require light sanding in joints for cosmetic reasons Photo-illustrated instructions Measures 11½” x 7-3/8” x 3¾” Available now Company Information: Summit Customcuts is a […]

Read More…

BNSF Ry. business cars from Wm. K. Walthers Inc.

silver diner and dormitory cars

BNSF Ry. business cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Pullman-Standard 36-seat diner BNSF no. 11 (Fred Harvey): standard, $94.98; lighted, $104.98. Budd Big Dome bar-lounge dormitory no. 31 (Bay View): standard, $99.98; lighted, $109.98. Era: late 1990s to mid-2000s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218, 414-527-0770, walthers.com Features: 36” turned-metal […]

Read More…

Plaque, ceremony honor rail historian Peter A. Hansen

Woman and man holding plaque

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Friends and admirers of Peter A. Hansen, the late editor of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s scholarly journal Railroad History, gathered here at Union Station Sunday (May 15, 2022) for the ceremonial unveiling of a plaque in his honor. Hansen, who edited the publication for 13 years, died two years […]

Read More…

Amtrak Cascades service to Canada pushed back to December

Train approaching bridge

SEATTLE — Transportation officials in Washington state and Oregon are protesting an announcement by Amtrak that it does not plan to restart Amtrak Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, before December 2022. The Associated Press reports Ray Lang, Amtrak vice president of state-supported services, informed the rail directors in both states that the […]

Read More…