Cleanup of CP derailment will continue into summer, city officials say Cleanup of a Canadian Pacific derailment in Plymouth, Minn., will last into the summer and “cause ongoing disruption and noise for surrounding neighbors,” city officials have said. In a news release, the city said the length of the process is “due to the size […]
Virgin sues Brightline for $251 million over end of ‘Virgin Trains’ name Virgin Enterprises, the corporation headed by Sir Richard Branson, is suing Brightline over the rail operator’s decision to drop the “Virgin Trains” name. The BBC reports Virgin is suing for $251 million, saying Brightline is reneging on a 20-year licensing deal by […]
MOBILE, Ala. — Pending approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak intends to pay for repairs to station platforms to be used by the Gulf Coast service Amtrak plans to launch in 2022. Vice President of Stations and Accessibility Dr. David Handera told members of the Southern Rail Commission, holding their quarterly meeting on Friday, […]
The North Carolina Railway Museum, which lost most of its 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin 2021 operations of the New Hope Valley Railway with a new event later in March. The all-volunteer, non-profit railway, will host “Hop into Spring,” with rides Saturday and Sunday, March 27-27. The event will feature socially distant […]
History of the Seaboard Air Line The Seaboard’s beginnings date to 1832, when the Portsmouth & Roanoke was chartered to build from Portsmouth, Va., to Weldon, N.C. Opened in 1834 the companies’ backers saw great potential to link the North with the South’s agricultural and forest products and with its developing potential for industry. P&R […]
With one councilman calling Amtrak a ‘joy ride for the affluent,’ Mobile, Ala., delays vote on station study Resistance to Amtrak service has resurfaced among some Mobile, Ala., political leaders, with one calling the prospect a “joy ride for the affluent.” AL.com reports the comment from Councilman Joel Daves came during discussion on spending $80,1000 […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has terminated plans for a transload facility at the site of the former Chattahoochee Brick Co. in Atlanta, which Atlanta officials sought to stop because of the dark history of the site. The plant used prison labor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it is believed laborers who […]
Last fall, Editor Jim Wrinn posed a few questions to retired CSX Chairman Hays Watkins. Living in retirement in Virginia, Watkins answered by email. Here’s what he wrote us about his own experiences, Amtrak, precision scheduled railroading, and other issues of the day. The text has been lightly edited for style or clarity. What’s the […]
UP derailment in Normal, Ill., disrupts Amtrak, blocks traffic Sixteen cars of a Union Pacific intermodal train derailed early Saturday morning in Normal, Ill., blocking a series of grade crossings, closing an underpass, damaging two rail lines, and disrupting Amtrak service. The Bloomington Pantagraph reports it was told by Normal Mayor Chris Koos that the […]
The Charlotte Area Transit System has begun testing for its Phase 2 extension of the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar line, slated to open later this year. Intermittent overnight testing was slated to begin Feb. 9 and will continue for several weeks, QCityMetro.com reports. The initial tests are to check electrical systems and platform clearances; they […]
CORDELE, Ga. — An average of 80 trains a day cross the diamond in the south central Georgia community of Cordele, making it one of the busiest rail crossings in the Southeast. Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and the Heart of Georgia Railroad, a Genesee & Wyoming short line, all use the crossing. “The activity rivals […]
More Wednesday morning rail news: Rail service continues to dig out from Northeast storm Rail systems continue to recover from Monday’s major snowstorm in the Northeast. Amtrak will continue modified Acela, Northeast Regional, and Keystone Service today on the Northeast Corridor;. see Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app, and the Amtrak Alerts and NEC Alerts Twitter feeds for more information. Most NJ […]
