LONDON — As widely expected, the British government has announced the end of the passenger franchise system introduced as the means of privatizing the rail industry in 1996 and will introduce a new concession system to take its place. U.K. Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps told the media last month, “The model of privatization adopted 25 […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration has announced a barrage of project funding, with 35 projects receiving a total of $17.6 million in funding as part of two programs. Eight rail-related items are among the 10 programs receiving a total of $9.1 million as part of the Safety Research & Demonstration program. Among those awards are […]
A Wabash Alco C424 in Pennsylvania in 2020? Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad No. 2409 was built by Alco in 1964, part of a cancelled order of seven units for the National Railways of Mexico.Wabash purchased the units soon before the road was leased by Norfolk & Western. It worked for N&W until the late 1970s, when it […]
More Friday morning rail news: Long Island Rail Road triple-track project reaches midpoint The Long Island Rail Road Expansion project, adding 10 miles of third track on the LIRR Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville, N.Y., has reached its halfway point ahead of schedule and under budget, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced. Grade crossings […]
Friday morning Canadian rail news: Canadian government to require new switching rules as a result of fatal 2017 accident The Canadian government is requiring railroads to develop new rules for switching operations as a result of a Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation into a fatal accident at Canadian National’s Melville, Saskatchwan, yard in 2017. In […]
Still more Friday morning rail news: Amtrak completes new platform, will resume stops in Holdrege, Neb. Amtrak’s California Zephyr will again stop in Holdrege, Neb., after an absence of several months after completion of a new station platform in the community. KHGI-TV reports that after the passenger railroad could no longer reach agreement with the owner of the 1910 […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak is experiencing near-capacity or sellout ridership on long-distance trains as it begins its shift to triweekly operation, but says it has no plans to adjust train size to increase available inventory until just before the Thanksgiving holidays. This cost-focused strategy of reducing consists and furloughing the personnel to man them limits possible […]
DALLAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is backtracking from a letter telling Japan’s prime minister that the Texas Central high speed rail project has his full support after the group opposing the project released the letter and said the governor had been misled about the status of the project. The Dallas Morning News reports that Abbott, […]
San Diego’s North County Transit District has received the first part of its eight-locomotive order for new Siemens SC-44 Chargers for Coaster commuter train service, and began testing the weekend of Oct. 4-5, leading short test trains on runs between Oceanside and San Onofre, Calif. Five of the locomotives are slated to enter service next […]
Thursday morning rail news: Governor announces BNSF intermodal service for North Dakota North Dakota will gain direct intermodal access to international markets for the first time through a BNSF Railway facility in Minot. Gov. Doug Burgum made the announcement Wednesday, saying that the service to begin next week will be the culmination of a more […]
More Thursday morning rail news: Honolulu council begins process of revoking financial support for rail project The Honolulu City Council has begun the process of revoking its financial commitment toward construction of the city’s new rail system, following an earlier decision to withdraw from its part in the public-private partnership that would award the project’s […]
CHICAGO — The first Chicago Transit Authority cars being built by CRRC Sifang America have begun testing. The two-car trainset of 7000-series cars, Nos. 7005-7006, was conducting tests Thursday in the area of the Bryn Mayr station on the CTA Red Line. The first cars were delivered to the CTA’s Skokie Shops in August. The […]
