Southern Rail Commission awards grants for stations

Logo of the Southern Rail Commission

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Birmingham and three Mississippi communities will receive Federal Railroad Administration funds from the Southern Rail Commission for station work in preparation for the resumption of Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. Birmingham will receive $250,000, while Gulfport, Miss., will receive $246,500; Bay St. Louis, Miss., will receive $270,000; and Pascagoula, […]

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‘City of New Orleans’ returns to its namesake city

Bilevel passenger train on concrete trestle with construction crane behind it

NEW ORLEANS — After first being turned back to Chicago at Memphis, Tenn., and later at Jackson, Miss., Amtrak’s City of New Orleans will finally make its grand entrance to the Crescent City one month after Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana with torrential rains and strong winds. The southbound train departing Chicago today and its […]

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Buckingham Branch petitions to acquire line leased from CSX

Buckingham Branch Railroad logo

WASHINGTON — Virginia’s Buckingham Branch Railroad seeks to acquire a line that it presently leases from CSX Transportation. It encompasses 164.22 miles of line from milepost 276 in Clifton Forge to milepost 111.78 at Doswell. The railroad has leased the line, part of which hosts Amtrak’s Cardinal, since 2005. It was originally Chesapeake & Ohio. […]

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‘Crescent Limited’

Open platform passenger car aside brick station with steam locomotive nose

Crescent Limited At an unknown station on an unknown date, Crescent Limited passengers enjoy the open rear platform of the Southern Railway train’s sleeper-observation car as a Ps-2 light Pacific passes. F. S. McKay photo […]

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Proposal for Atlanta-area commuter rail line may be scrapped

MARTA Logo

ATLANTA — A proposed Atlanta-area commuter rail line is likely to be scrapped after Norfolk Southern told the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority it would not share its rail line with the passenger operation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the planned line would run from MARTA’s East Point station southwest of downtown Atlanta to the Clayton […]

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Dixie Line

Man in coveralls stands by blue and gray streamlined diesel locomotive in profile

Dixie Line The Nashville, Chattanooga, & St. Louis rostered 23 F7A and eight F7B units, built 1949-51. Mainline freight and passenger trains were dieselized with GP7s and F units starting in 1948 with the last steam operating in 1953. It was merged into parent Louisville & Nashville in 1957. Linn H. Westcott photo […]

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Kentucky Steam Heritage operates first excursion trains

Small steam locomotive pulling two cars

RAVENNA, Ky. — Train operations are now underway at the Kentucky-based nonprofit where steam locomotive C&O 2716 is being restored, and officials there are looking forward to larger-scale operations in the near future. On Saturday, Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. hosted train excursions for the first time in its six-year history to help celebrate the Ravenna […]

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