U.S. Rep. Lipinski has introduced the Improving the Metra Commuter Experience Act of 2020 (H.R. 6226) to transfer ownership of Chicago Union Station from Amtrak to Metra. David Lassen Note: revises and updates previous version A bill introduced by U.S. Rep Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) would transfer Chicago Union Station from Amtrak to Metra ownership — […]
A New Haven-bound Metro-North train arrives in Westport, Conn., in August 2019. Metro-North reported an almost 50 percent drop in ridership during Thursday’s morning commute. TRAINS: David Lassen Friday morning rail news related to the coronavirus outbreak: — Some commuter rail agencies are seeing reduced ridership in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, with significant […]
Due to public health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the Model Railroader offices will be closed to the public for tours until further notice. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. […]
A northbound Amtrak Acela Express passes through Elizabeth, N.J., in August 2019. Amtrak has cut some Acela service between Washington and New York, and warns other service could be reduced because of a sharp downturn in travel. TRAINS: David Lassen Warning that it may lose “several hundred million dollars” because of reduced travel related to […]
Passengers pour from an NJ Transit commuter train with Arrow III equipment at Elizabeth, N.J. The 1970s-era equipment is subject to frequent breakdowns, according to a New York Times article. TRAINS: David Lassen Thursday morning rail news: — New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is questioning the fitness of NJ Transit’s CEO to run […]
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Organizers for annual multimedia show and sale Winterail have “postponed” the 2020 event due to the COVID19 coronavirus outbreak in the Northwest. The news comes from a statement posted to the Winterail Facebook page. “Due to information from the State of Oregon, we’re sorry to announce that Winterail has been postponed,” the […]
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 7, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 462,303 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.1% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 7 were […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The R.J. Corman Group Chinese 2-10-2 steam engine, charmingly called “Old Smokey,” is being donated to the non-profit, Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. While it is bittersweet to see this locomotive go to a new home, R. J. Corman is excited to make this locomotive accessible to as many people as possible for […]
A look at Wednesday morning rail news: — Officials in Durham County, N.C., have voted to provide $2.2 million for a study of a possible commuter rail service between Durham and Clayton, N.C. GoTriangle, the transit agency for Durham, Wake, and Orange counties, will also be asking Wake and Johnson counties and the North Carolina […]
A Pacific Harbor Line train works at the Port of Los Angeles in January 2018. Traffic at the port was down significantly in February, and railroad officials anticipate a significant decrease in international intermodal traffic, because of the coronavirus. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW YORK – The full impact of the global coronavirus epidemic will soon […]
Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 on a 2017 photo charter. Steve Glischinski DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is overhauling its steam program for 2020, sending locomotive parts out for rebuilding, purchasing others, and operating on a reduced schedule. The revamp follows a 2019 season that saw Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range […]
Tuesday morning rail news: — A passenger who traveled on a Chicago-St. Louis train last week has recorded a “presumptive positive” test for the Covid-19 virus, leading Amtrak to remove the trainset for disinfecting and cancel one round trip on Sunday. The State Journal-Register reports that the train in question was the Wednesday, March 4, […]
