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Digest: Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad sets schedule, to resume operation May 1
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to resume operation May 1 Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will resume operation May 1 with National Park Scenic rides operating through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Trains will operate three days a week (Friday through Sunday) in May and five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday) beginning in June. “We look […]
Massachusetts DOT, MBTA challenge CSX acquisition of Pan Am Railways
WASHINGTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority have told federal regulators that they oppose CSX Transportation’s proposed acquisition of New England regional Pan Am Railways. In a filing with the Surface Transportation Board this week, state officials claim the transaction will harm rail competition, potentially hinder commuter rail operations, and […]
California Energy Commission awards $4 million for development of hydrogen fuel cell switcher
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The effort to develop alternative-fuel locomotives continues to gain momentum. The California Energy Commission has awarded Sierra Northern Railway and research and development firm GTI almost $4 million to fund design, development, and demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered switching locomotive. The funds will retire a Tier 0 diesel and replace it […]
Digest: MTA says safety rules weren’t followed at site of electrical-shock accident
MTA says contractor failed to follow safety rules at site of LIRR construction accident The contractor performing work that led to the severe electrical-shock injury of an ironworker at a Long Island Rail Road station last weekend failed to follow some safety protocols, Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said. Newsday reports the accident at the LIRR […]
Behind Amtrak’s new locomotive designs
WASHINGTON — “If you’re planning for a 50th anniversary, you’ve got to look at where you came from to see how far you’ve gone,” Amtrak’s Matt Donnelly tells Trains News Wire. Donnelly, the company’s lead brand communications specialist, and Devon Parsons, Blair Slaughter, John Skalski, John Dzedzy, and Seth Geist — equipment and rolling stock engineering […]
Trains Magazine, Luckin Productions team up to produce EMD documentary
The introduction of the FT diesel in 1939 would make fortunes soar for General Motors’ locomotive-building affiliate, Electro-Motive. The four-unit FT demonstrator, No. 103, was the prototype for, in the words of former Trains editor David P. Morgan, “the world’s first standardized mass-produced line of diesel freight locomotives with no equal in railroading.” However, the […]
Digest: Caltrain adjusting schedules as of March 22
Caltrain schedule changes include two more weekday trains Caltrain will make schedule changes as of March 22, adjusting its weekday and weekend schedules to support regional transit connections. In a press release, the commuter railroad says the changes will maintain connections with BART at the Millbrae Transit Center to coincide with BART’s March 22 schedule […]
Digest: Hitachi contract for DC Metro cars could be worth $2.2 billion
Hitachi Rail finalizes contract to build up to 800 DC Metro cars Hitachi Rail has received a contract worth up to $2.2 billion to build new 8000-series railcars for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority, finalizing a decision and setting financial terms for a deal first reported in October. The initial contract with DC Metro is […]
Cult of the Operating Ratio may be loosening its grip
If you believe that railroads have sacrificed volume growth on the altar of the Cult of the Operating Ratio, then here’s some good news: A Wall Street analyst says major investors are growing weary of cost-cutting and want to see railroads attract more traffic. Credit Suisse analyst Allison Landry says some institutional investors are […]
Wabtec seeks federal funding to help develop zero-emissions locomotives
WASHINGTON — Wabtec CEO Rafael Santana asked Congress today to help fund a Freight Rail Innovation Institute that will develop zero-emissions locomotive technology to replace the diesel by 2030. “Wabtec’s goal is to develop the next generation of zero-emission locomotives. Wabtec has a clear path to power new locomotives – and repower existing locomotives – […]
U.S. railroads see increase in carload and intermodal traffic for second straight week
WASHINGTON — For the second week in a row, U.S. railroads saw in increase in both carload and intermodal traffic compared with the same week a year earlier, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads. Statistics for the week ending March 13 show U.S. railroads moving 230,684 total carloads, a 2.1% […]
