More Thursday morning rail news: — U.S. Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) will introduce legislation to help fund completion of California’s high speed rail project at a Friday event in Madera, Calif. According to a press release, the High-Speed Rail Corridor Development Act of 2020 would provide $32 billion in funding for projects in federal designated […]
WALLAN, Australia — Two crew members are dead following the derailment of a Sydney-to-Melbourne passenger train today. The Age newspaper reports the XPT train derailed about 7:50 p.m. local time in Wallan, about 45 kilometers ( miles) north of Melbourne. The train, which was due in Melbourne at 6:30 p.m., was running about two hours […]
Model Railroader reviewed the Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale Santa Fe-rebuilt Budd cars in the September 2019 issue. Rapido Trains Inc., manufacturer of North American prototype HO and N scale locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and accessories, as well as British-outline models, celebrated its 15th anniversary in November 2019. Jason Shron, president of Rapido, shared […]
What could you have seen at the annual (all scales) Railroad Hobby Show held in Springfield, Massachusetts, on January 25-26, 2020? Follow along as MR associate editor Eric White shares his walk-and-talk tour of the various buildings of the Eastern States Expo Fairgrounds, each housing all sorts of vendors, displays, layouts, and so much more! […]
LISLE, Ill. – Amtrak’s next generation Acela Express equipment is continuing its journey west to Pueblo, Colo., for high-speed testing this week. Trains’ staff caught up with the train at Lisle on Tuesday evening after it departed Chicago Union Station. The prototype set is traveling from Buffalo, N.Y., to La Junta, Colo., on the route […]
Wednesday morning rail news: — Quebec has entered into an economic development agreement with the James Bay Cree that would see new rail lines and roads built in northern Quebec. Work on the C$4.7 billion dollar deal would take place in see phases and see roads and rail extended as far north as Whapmagoostui and […]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday his government remained focused on resolving the protests that have blocked rail lines “quickly and peacefully,” but Canadian National Railway’s frustration at the ongoing protests is continuing to grow. Sean Finn, CN’s senior vice president and chief legal officer told the Globe and Mail, “This has been long […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration has issued a final rule, launching the Risk Reduction Program to support an increasing standard of safety for the nation’s freight railroads. “The Risk Reduction Program will improve safety in the nation’s freight rail system,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. The final […]
NEWARK, NJ – The Federal Railroad Administration has given NJ Transit approval to begin revenue service demonstration of its positive train control system, moving NJ Transit one-step closer to meeting the federally mandated deadline of PTC certification by December 31, 2020. “Entering the RSD phase of PTC is a major milestone and a testament to […]
ROANOKE, Va. — More railroaders will soon be out of work after new cuts were announced today in Roanoke. According to local media reports, Norfolk Southern will close its “Roanoke Distribution Center” and move remaining locomotive shop operations to Altoona, Pa. One outlet cites a Norfolk Southern news release that attributes the workforce cuts to […]
Tennessee Pass proposal Surface Transportation Board filing WASHINGTON — A firm controlled by billionaire New York City real estate magnates has asked the Surface Transportation Board to order Union Pacific to sell its 228-mile Tennessee Pass route so that the historic Colorado line can be reactivated. KCVN LLC and its subsidiary, Colorado Pacific Railroad LLC, […]
The Canadian government has modified its rules for hazardous-material trains, raising some speed limits. TRAINS: David Lassen Tuesday morning rail news: — The Canadian government has modified its order slowing trains carrying hazardous materials, raising some speed limits and adding additional rules reflecting rail-line signaling, the CBC reports. The rules issued Sunday create two categories […]
