Trains in the UK: West from London

Orange, yellow, and black double-cab diesel on freight train

STRATFORD, England — Back at my London base for the first part of this tour, a hotel adjacent to the Stratford station. Unlike my first stay a week ago, I this time asked for a room with a railway view. (Clerk: “No one has every asked for that before.” I now understand why; you can […]

Read More…

Savage Tooele Railroad becomes Utah’s newest short line

GRANTSVILLE, Utah — Savage Tooele Railroad held a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to celebrate the opening of the 11-mile short line, which revived a dormant Western Pacific branch line southwest of Salt Lake City. “This new railroad is a major step forward for Utah’s economy,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. “The Savage Tooele […]

Read More…

CN expands and upgrades its fleet of firefighting trains

Canadian National has turned a flatcar, two tank cars, and a track maintenance vehicle into a firefighting train, dubbed "Poseidon," fighting Alberta widefires. CN

MONTREAL — Canadian National has expanded and upgraded its specialized fire suppression fleet as wildfires in Canada have become more extreme in recent years. CN has introduced two new firefighting trains, Oceanus and Amphitrite, which join a fleet that includes Neptune, Trident, and Poseidon. The new trains carry 25,000 gallons of water and are equipped […]

Read More…

South Shore’s Beverly Shores depot gains long-term preservation partnership

Electric train arrives at historic station building.

BEVERLY SHORES, Ind. — One of the last surviving vestiges of the interurban era will continue to serve South Shore Line passengers in its current state, thanks to a recently-announced partnership. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, Indiana Landmarks organization, and the Beverly Shores Depot Museum and Art Gallery recently announced renewal of a 100-year lease […]

Read More…

Trains in the UK: Scotland and the Caledonian Sleeper

Black British steam locomotive at station

GLASGOW, Scotland — Another night, another sleeper train. Tonight, I’ll be concluding my two-night experience with Scotland’s Caledonian Sleeper, taking the 11:40 p.m. train from Glasgow Central Station back to London Euston, where I started this quick excursion into Scotland on Tuesday night. Since my previous post, I have made a 418-mile, 12-hour, 45-minute trip […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern’s train inspection portals win innovation award

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s Digital Train Inspection (DTI) portals have been recognized in Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards, receiving an honorable mention in the Artificial Intelligence Design category. It’s the first time a railroad has earned a spot in the business technology magazine’s annual awards. “This recognition highlights how our innovation is transforming […]

Read More…

TSB urges Transport Canada to take steps to prevent train collisions

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada yesterday urged Transport Canada to immediately implement interim measures to prevent train collisions while an enhanced train control system is being developed. The recommendation was made as part of the TSB’s report on a November 2023 collision between Canadian National locomotives and an Exo commuter train […]

Read More…

Amtrak won’t travel I-41 anymore

White Amtrak Thruway Bus. Amtrak won’t travel I-41 anymore.

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has announced that the Amtrak Interstate 41 Thruway Bus Service will cease operations on October 1, since the contract between the state and Amtrak would not be renewed. The service linked the Wisconsin cities of Green Bay, De Pere, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fond du lac with Amtrak […]

Read More…

Armstrong indeed

Armstrong indeed

Armstrong levers – so named because they took some arm strength to move – were used to throw turnouts and change signal indications. Especially in older installations, each lever had its own personality and required various amounts of finesse to operate. Photo by Union Switch & Signal […]

Read More…

Trains in the UK: This … is London

Aerial view of London

LONDON — Greetings from London, where I am preparing for my third international Trains Magazine/Special Interest Tours, following earlier trips to Germany and Switzerland. This one begins Sept. 23 and was scheduled to mark the bicentennial of modern railroading, which began in September 1825 with the first steam-powered train on the Stockton & Darlington Railway. […]

Read More…