ROCKLAND, Maine — Loss of a freight customer that supplied more than 95% of Midcoast Railservice’s revenue on the 57-mile Rockland branch leased from Maine’s Department of Transportation has prompted the Finger Lakes Railway subsidiary to exit the property. The move upends plans the state, Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, and Amtrak had been […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board has approved a five-year Capital Investment Plan calling for $9.6 billion in spending, covering more than 640 separate projects. The board unanimously approved the plan at its meeting on Tuesday, June 11. The plan addresses only a fraction of the agency’s projected needs over the 2025-2029 period, […]
VENTURA, Calif. — Southern California commuter rail operator will once again add service for the X Games extreme sports competition in Ventura, to be held this year June 28-30. Metrolink will offer two round trips between Los Angeles and the Ventura Downtown/Beach station on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30. Schedules and other details […]
MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said Tuesday that his city’s funding obligation to support two daily Amtrak round trips could be split equally between Mobile, the state of Alabama, and the Alabama State Port Authority. As originally reported by AL.com, Stimpson announced Republican Gov. Kay Ivey had dropped her long-standing opposition to provide […]
WASHINGTON – Virginia and Charlotte, N.C., have notified federal regulators that they intend to acquire portions of Norfolk Southern main lines in order to expand passenger and commuter service. In a filing with the Surface Transportation Board this week, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said its acquisition of the NS Manassas Line, as well as […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain announced plans to launch electrified service on its San Francisco-San Jose service on Sept. 21 after a final weekend of testing that included running eight trains of electric equipment simultaneously, the agency said on Monday. Electrified operation will see service between San Francisco and San Jose in less than an […]
NEW YORK — The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Monday night that the transit agency would focus on state-of-good-repair work instead of improvements as a result of the planned halt to the Manhattan congestion pricing a program, a decision that will cost the agency $1 billion a year for its capital program. The […]
BOSTON — The latest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service shutdown for track maintenance work led to removal of 10 speed restrictions on the rapid-transit Orange Line, the agency says. Service was suspended between the Wellington and Back Bay stations from May 28 through June 6. During that period, nine slow orders were addressed in the […]
GARY, Ind. — Two passengers were injured when a Chicago-bound South Shore Line commuter train hit a dump truck reportedly stalled on the tracks in Gary this morning (Monday, June 10), the Chicago Tribune reports. The collision occurred about 7:45 a.m. at the Rutledge Street crossing, west of the Gary Metro station. The driver of […]
Lionel Trains’ 21″ passenger cars have been a staple in the manufacturer’s lineup of O-scale, 3-rail products for some time. A common censure though has been the lack of previously installed passengers upon purchase, leaving empty seats that need to be filled. From disassembly to reassembly, this project is easier to accomplish than I initially […]
MONTREAL — Beginning June 19, VIA Rail Canada is adding 90 minutes to the westbound schedule of its Montreal-Halifax, N.S. Ocean and 45 minutes to the eastbound train, “to provide passengers with a schedule which better reflects actual travel times,” according to a statement provided by VIA in response to a set of detailed questions […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and board chair Anthony Coscia are scheduled to appear before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in a hearing this Wednesday, June 12. The Railroad, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee will hold the hearing, “Amtrak and Intercity Passenger Rail Oversight: Promoting Performance, Safety and Accountability,” […]
