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 […]
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 […]
You can’t blame Amtrak for being disappointed with the on-time performance of its long distance trains, which roll off the vast majority of their mileage on host railroads. In the 12 months ending June 30, 2024, just 57% of long distance passengers arrived on the advertised. Amtrak’s No. 1 culprit for late trains: Freight train […]
Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska, aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for the next 9 days heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage. Alaska — its official nickname is The Last Frontier. Considering its size and wilderness nature, the name fits. The 49th […]
Trains.com Kent Johnson’s pick: VIA Rail Canada Ocean Name of train: Ocean, Train No. 14 The route: Montréal, Quebéc to Halifax, Nova Scotia Duration: ~22 hours (one night, one day), tri-weekly service Waylaid by wet leaves on the rails, VIA Rail’s No. 14 eastbound Ocean arrives hours late into Moncton, N.B., Canada, on Oct. 19, […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration on Friday signed a $893.3 million grant agreement for LA Metro’s planned light rail line in the San Fernando Valley. The 6.7-mile, $3.57 billion East San Fernando Valley Light Rail project will largely follow Van Nuys Boulevard, and connect the bus rapid transit Orange Line to two Metrolink lines, […]
It’s easy to forget that a plethora of passenger trains over the years carried the names of individuals who helped shape the United States history in various ways. Amtrak has kept the tradition alive with a few names retained from previous incarnations while introducing newcomers such as the Carl Sandburg and Ethan Allen Express. From […]
MONTREAL — Amtrak’s New York City-Montreal Adirondack is set to resume operation north of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this Monday, Sept. 9, with a northbound trip. The first southbound train from Montreal will run the following day, Sept. 10. Amtrak chose to cancel the train beginning May 19 because, as a result of deferred track maintenance, […]
DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation has scheduled a series of three open house events next week to discuss the proposed Mountain Rail project, which would launch passenger train service between Denver and Craig, Colo. The meetings are part of the process of creating a “service development plan” for the route, which last saw […]
SAN MATEO, Calif. — Caltrain will mark the launch of full electrified service on its San Francisco-San Jose route with a two-day “Launch Party” on Sept. 21 and 22. Major events will be held at the Palo Alto station on Sept. 21 and San Mateo station on Sept. 22, with additional events at other stations […]
OLD LYME, Conn. — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and a host of federal, state, and local officials were on hand Thursday for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on a replacement for the Connecticut River Bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, Conn. The $1.3 billion project will replace a bridge dating […]
CHESTERTON, Ind. — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has commissioned a study of South Shore Line pedestrian grade crossings to assess potential safety improvements in the wake of a fatal July incident at the Hegewisch station in south Chicago. The report, by what the NICTD describes as “a nationally recognized engineering firm specializing in […]
