F. C. Jones works the model board inside brand-new Clara Street tower, part of the project that produced New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in 1954. James G. La Vake photo […]
NOUPT’s Clara Street tower
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Amtrak rolls out ‘Airo’ branding, images of Siemens push-pull fleet
NEW YORK — Amtrak today (Thursday, Dec. 15) introduced the graphics and a new brand name — Airo — for its coming fleet of Siemens Mobility push-pull trainsets due to enter service in 2026, replacing 40- to 50-year-old locomotive-hauled equipment. At a press conference in Penn Station’s Moynihan Train Hall, Amtrak President Roger Harris and […]
Union Pacific, stung by criticism of embargoes, to evaluate suggestions for improvements
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has soaked up all the complaints leveled at its soaring use of embargoes and will evaluate customer suggestions before coming back to the Surface Transportation Board with steps it may take to ease the burden on shippers. “First and foremost, I do want to assure the board that we have listened. […]
Lionel ES44AC locomotive personifies modern power
The O gauge Lionel ES44AC locomotive is a release that really captures the essence of modern rail power. This Legacy model has returned rather quickly to the train-maker’s catalog in 2022 with new road names. Those include several heritage paint schemes, like the Canadian National’s Elgin, Joliet & Eastern livery shown in this video. With […]
At FRA hearing, railroads and labor stake out their positions on two-person crew rule
WASHINGTON — Class I railroads, short lines, and rail labor staked out familiar positions during the Federal Railroad Administration’s public hearing on its proposed two-person crew rule on Wednesday. The Association of American Railroads said there’s no safety data to back a rule that would require two people to be in the cab of a […]
Traveling through the mountains via rail
Traveling through the mountains Having never visited Canada before September and thus never having an opinion of the Canadian Rockies, except visualizing something like Colorado, my first brush with Canada revealed I frivolously misperceived the legitimacy of its mountain railroad scene. New realizations Prior to several realizations, this experience brought me to Calgary on Canadian […]
Ontario government orders equipment for revival of Northlander
NORTH BAY, Ontario — The Ontario government announced today it will purchase three new sets of passenger train equipment from Siemens as part of its plan to reinstate service in the northeastern part of the province. “This is a significant step forward in bringing back the rail service that northerners deserve,” said Stan Cho, the […]
Brightline to begin service at Aventura, Boca Raton stations Dec. 21
MIAMI — Brightline will begin service at its new Boca Raton and Aventura stations on Dec. 21, the company has announced, and has placed tickets on sale for operations from those locations. The company will hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the two new facilities on Dec. 20 — at 9 a.m. on Boca Raton and at […]
The making of a holiday train
Making of a holiday train The excitement of a special holiday train might be lost in the eyes of adults, but not in a child. Especially, if he or she believes in Santa Claus. As adults — we may not admit it — but we can still get caught up in the magic of seeing […]
Amtrak Inspector General report addresses concerns over high-security keys
WASHINGTON — Amtrak should take steps to better address distribution, tracking, and retrival of keys which control access to critical and sensitive infrastructure, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General said in a report issued Wednesday. Citing the sensitive nature of the material, the highly redacted report offers few specifics on the types of locations that […]
Hamilton, Ohio, station nears move
HAMILTON, Ohio — The much-discussed, long-delayed move of the first portion of the Hamilton, Ohio, railroad station is at hand. As of Wednesday, Dec. 14, the two-story station building — one of two structures involved in the city preservation effort to move the station from CSX Transportation property to city-owned land — had been jacked […]
NJ Transit approves contract for almost $35 million overhaul of diesels in ALP45 locomotives
NEWARK, N.J. — The NJ Transit board of Directors on Wednesday approved a $34.85 million contract for overhauls of the diesel engines in its fleet of ALP45 dual-power locomotives, which the agency says is needed for the locomotives to maintain their EPA Tier III emission standards. “Keeping our trains in a state of good repair […]
