WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending increased use of buffer cars in trains with DOT-111 tank cars carrying hazardous materials as a result of investigations into two derailments. The recommendation issued Tuesday recommends at least five non-placarded cars be placed between locomotives or occupied equipment and those carrying hazardous materials, regardless of […]
WASHINGTON — A total of 16 issues, some major (the procedure for adding trains to Metra’s schedule), some less so (whether Metra is entitled to any station parking), remain to be settled by the Surface Transportation Board in the long-running dispute between Metra and Amtrak over the commuter railroad’s lease at Chicago Union Station. That’s […]
With a significant winter storm expected in the Northeast, Amtrak has announced cancellation of some trains and modified service for others beginning Wednesday. Cancelled Wednesday are 16 Keystone Service trains between Harrisburg, Pa., and New York; Boston-Newport News, Va., Northeast Regional train No. 67, and Empire Service trains 244 and 241 between New York and […]
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — Marvin H. Cohen, a lifelong railfan and pioneering rail book editor and publisher, died on Dec. 10. He was 93. Cohen developed the original “Steam Passenger Service Directory” in 1965 and was editor of the first 24 annual editions of that book, which became the “Tourist Trains Guidebook” currently published by Kalmbach […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has published its final rule requiring states to create action plans addressing safety at rail-highway grade crossings, a rule addressing a mandate of the federal FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transporation) Act. The rule requires 40 states and the District of Columbia to develop plans that identify any grade crossing […]
Transport Canada opens consultation on collection of Class I freight data Transport Canada has begun the consultation period on a proposal to collect new data from Class I freight railroads, including service and performance information that would be available to the public. In addition to the weekly service and performance data, the proposal would require […]
Montreal REM light rail plans C$10 billion, 19.9-mile addition The proposed “REM de l’Est” addition to Montreal’s Reseau express metropolitain light rail system will be a $C10 billion, two-line addition to the system under construction, adding 19.9 miles and 23 stations to the 41.6-mile system already planned. This is according to a presentation by the […]
Tuesday midday rail news: Montreal REM light rail plans C$10 billion, 19.9-mile addition The proposed “REM de l’Est” addition to Montreal’s Reseau express metropolitan light rail system will be a $C10 billion, two-line addition to the system under construction, adding 19.9 miles and 23 stations to the 41.6-mile system already planned. This is according to […]
LENOX, Mass. — A donation from CSX to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum will mean new windows for its ex-New Haven Budd Rail Diesel Car in the coming year. The $10,000 donation came as a surprise to the group. “CSX reached out to us,” said Brent S. Bette, of Berkshire Scenic. “They wanted to make […]
BOSTON — By a 3-2 margin, the board overseeing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority today approved a wide-ranging series of service reductions reflecting the financial losses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes, while significant, include some modifications from those originally proposed a month ago [see “Planned MBTA cuts would end commuter rail service after […]
Metro-North set to buy 27 dual-mode locomotives from Siemens The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a $334.9 million contract for Siemens to build 27 dual-mode locomotives for the Metro-North Railroad. A document in the board package for Wednesday’s meeting says the purchase, an order for 19 locomotives with exercise of […]
Michigan City OKs eminent domain to acquire land for South Shore project The city council of Michigan City, Ind., is moving forward on eminent domain proceedings to complete the land acquisition needed for the South Shore Line’s Double Track project, which will drastically remake the single-track street running in the community that is a unique […]
