Detroit commuter trains remembered

Steam locomotive with Detroit commuter trains under high-tension power lines

Detroit once had a robust passenger-train network that included two commuter routes that survived into the early 1980s. But when public funding of those trains ended, so did the Detroit commuter trains.     Grand Trunk Western began Detroit-Pontiac commuter service on Aug. 1, 1931. Steam locomotives pulled some of the three daily roundtrips until […]

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Alaska by Rail expedition Day 6 — An Alaskan sunset

Conductor next to blue and yellow diesel locomotive. Alaska by rail journey.

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail expedition. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. Today we start with breaking Alaskan wilderness news! There has been a Denali sighting. The morning in Talkeetna began […]

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Montreal commuter rail lines threatened

Cab car leads train of blue-and-silver commuter coaches at station

  MONTREAL — There are Montreal commuter rail lines threatened with closure. A report by Autorité Régionale de Transport Métropolitain suggests that closing three commuter rail lines could save up to C$21 million annually, CBC News reports. Commuters would be served by bus connection to adjacent rail lines instead.   They are the three least-traveled EXO commuter […]

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Alaska by Rail Day 5 — Riding the ‘Turn’

Deep mountain gulch with river at bottom. Alaska by rail.

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. We begin with an Alaskan vocabulary lesson. Today’s term: termination snow. Dial back to the Day 4 entry when […]

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Alaska by Rail trek Day 4 — Traveling from winter to fall

A yellow and blue passenger train rest beside a rain-soaked platform. Alaska by Rail adventure

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. Jump back to yesterday when we were bounding along Park Road inside Denali National Park and Preserve observing wildlife […]

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Swiss Saga, 2024, Part 1: In Chur, for sure

Green electric locomotive emerging from tunnel.

CHUR, Switzerland — I’m baack … For the second year in a row and third time since joining Trains Magazine, your senior editor is wandering Switzerland by train, developing some stories for the magazine. While this is my first blog post from this trip, it’s actually day three of my 2024 visit. I’ve been on […]

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Alaska by Rail journey Day 3 — Meeting the Great One

A yellow and blue passenger train rest beside a rain-soaked platform. Alaska by Rail adventure

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. Today it was time to encounter the Great One — Denali — the tallest mountain peak in North America. […]

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Four Amtrak board nominees to be questioned at Senate hearing

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a confirmation hearing tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 11) for four nominees to the Amtrak board of directors. The hearing will take place in Room 253 of the Russell Office building and will be live-streamed on the committee’s website starting at 10 a.m. Eastern. Written testimony from the […]

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No deal for planned Brightline station in Stuart, Florida

Passenger train at grade crossing

STUART, Fla. – Nearly six months after its March 4 ceremony, announcing a new intermediate station to be constructed in downtown Stuart, Brightline is now heading back to the drawing board. The TC Palm newspaper reported a city commissioners meeting on Sept. 9 to rescind both its ground lease and interlocal agreements with the passenger […]

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Tampa streetcar looks to maintain free fares as ridership soars

streetcar in downtown area

Tampa streetcar TAMPA, Fla. — Ridership on Tampa’s TECO Line Streetcar System is growing double-digit percentages every fiscal year, thanks in part to a state grant subsidizing its operations and allowing it to offer free fares. However, funding has expired and to sustain the ridership momentum, streetcar operators are looking for a new solution. In […]

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Alaska by Rail trip Day 2 — Traveling to Denali

A yellow and blue passenger train rest beside a rain-soaked platform. Alaska by Rail adventure

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. Flying into Fairbanks two days ago the view from above made it appear as if modern Alaska is literally […]

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