Unifor members ratify new contract with VIA Rail Canada

MONTREAL — Members of the union representing about 2,500 VIA Rail Canada employees have ratified a new three-year contract with the passenger operator. Unifor announced Thursday (July 17, 2025) that members of its Council 4000 and Local 100 ratified the tentative agreement reached in June [see “VIA Rail Canada, Unifor announce …,” Trains News Wire, […]

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Oregon museum receives TriMet light rail vehicle

White articulated light rail vehicle with blue and yellow trim

BROOKS, Ore. — The Oregon Electric Railway Museum has added one of the first MAX light rail vehicles to its collection, a donation from Portland-area transit agency TriMet. MAX LRV No. 101 was part of the original set of equipment used to launch TriMet’s light rail service on Sept. 5, 1986, reviving a form of […]

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NJ Transit ratifies new deal with engineers

Commuter train at junction

NEWARK, N.J. — The NJ Transit board of directors has approved the agency’s contract with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, after learning some of the key provisions of the deal. The board’s unanimous vote on Thursday, July 17, ends a years-long dispute between NJ Transit and its engineers that included a brief strike […]

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East Troy Electric Railroad celebrates Milwaukee Day

Come along with Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson, as he visits The East Troy Electric Railroad in the summer of 2025. Located in East Troy, Wis., the railroad (completed in 1907) was originally part of The Milwaukee Electric Railroad and Light Company (TMER&L). When the company planned to abandon the line in 1939, East Troy […]

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Metro-North Danbury Branch faces 17-day maintenance shutdown

Green and yellow diesel leading commuter train

DANBURY, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced a 17-day shutdown of Metro-North’s Danbury Branch, set to begin Aug. 1. Bus service will replace trains from Friday, Aug. 1, to Sunday, Aug. 17. CTDOT said the shutdown, for state-of-good-repair work, saves costs and is more efficient compared to daily mobilization and demobilization of work […]

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Woman sought in latest theft of New York subway train

Logo of New York City Transit

NEW YORK — New York police are seeking a woman who allegedly broke into a parked New York City Transit subway train today (Thursday, July 17) and took it for a one-stop joy ride — at least the fourth such incident since January 2024. The news site Gothamist reports the incident occurred about 4:30 a.m. […]

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Few rail projects included in latest BUILD grant awards

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday (July 15) announced some $488 million in grants under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD, grant program. While 77% of the funding is for road and bridge projects, two projects totaling $3.2 million are designated as rail projects and at least two others […]

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House committee questions Duffy over grant delays, USDOT policy: Analysis

Man in suit speaking from table

WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy faced bipartisan grilling Wednesday questioning the slow pace of his department’s release of funding for already-approved infrastructure grants, as well as the reduction of Department of Transportation personnel to approve them. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and […]

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East Troy Industrial Park Sidetrack | Building a glass plant, Part 1

In this all-new Sidetrack Series, Model Railroader Editor Eric White begins building an HO scale (1:87.1) glass plant for the East Troy Industrial Park project layout. See how Eric studies prototype photos and Google Maps to inspire design ideas, and later confirms operational insights with an plant employee. Eric then reveals the Walthers and Pike […]

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Amtrak’s Borealis reaches 250,000-rider mark

Passenger train led by road-switcher style locomotive

CHICAGO — Amtrak’s Borealis reached the 250,000-passenger milestone during the July 4th holiday weekend, the passenger operator has announced. The train, funded by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, launched in May 2024. It continues to exceed initial passenger estimates, carring more than 18,500 passengers in its first month and reaching 100,000 riders in […]

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