Union Pacific’s Feather River Canyon route in Northern California has been shut down by wildfires, but the railroad says its main north-south route on the West Coast, the I-5 corridor, could reopen sooner than original estimates. Meanwhile, BNSF’s Inside Gateway route, which makes use of use of part of the UP Feather River route, also […]
Union Pacific has posted photos to its Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts showing a firefighting train at work on the bridge at the famous Keddie Wye on its ex-Western Pacific Feather River Canyon route, with the message: “Thanks to our crews on our fire trains, working tirelessly to help control fires in northern […]
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The North County Transit District will increase the frequency of Coaster commuter train service between San Diego and Oceanside in October after the agency’s board approved increased weekday and weekend service. Changes will include four additional round trips Monday through Thursday; 16 round trips on Fridays (a change from the current 13 […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A group of California state legislators are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to reconsider a requirement for catenary electrification for the state’s high speed rail system, seeking the option to use battery or fuel-cell power to avoid the expense of stringing overhead power lines. The Los Angeles Times reports state Assembly […]
LOS ANGELES — Darren Kettle, currently executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, has been named as new CEO of LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink. Kettle succeeds Stephanie Wiggins, who in June became CEO of L.A. Metro, which oversees bus and light rail operations in the LA area and is one of the five […]
LOS ANGELES — Union Pacific will resume international container shipments to Chicago from the West Coast at the end of its current seven-day suspension of such service, CEO Lance Fritz told Reuters on Thursday. “We’re starting to see containers clear, so I anticipate in the seven-day period … we should get back down to a […]
DEL MAR, Calif. — The North County Transit District has reached agreement with the city of Del Mar and the California Coastal Commission on plans for safety fencing on the rail line along the Del Mar bluffs, postponing and perhaps ending the NCTD’s request for action by the Surface Transportation Board. The San Diego Union-Tribune […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway is limiting the flow of international containers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to its Logistics Park Chicago intermodal terminal for two weeks to work off a backlog of boxes that have built up in the Windy City. “BNSF is metering traffic from the West Coast […]
LOS ANGELES — Amtrak’s Coast Starlight began operating as Los Angeles-Sacramento, Calif., and Seattle-Klamath Falls, Ore., sections linked by an overnight bus ride as of Friday, July 16, but travelers haven’t been able to make new reservations, even on the unaffected parts of the route. The Seattle-Klamath Falls portion had been dropped after a wildfire […]
Canadian National and Canadian Pacific main lines in British Columbia are once again both shut down because of wildfires. Meanwhile, in California, Union Pacific is also experiencing additional fire-related disruptions. Container shipper Hapag-Lloyd informed customers on Thursday that CN and CP have halted operations east of Lytton at the request of the B.C. Wildfire Service, […]
Altamont Pass(enger) During its 924 miles on the Western Pacific, the westbound California Zephyr passes through the barren hills of Altamont Pass, Calif., on March 15, 1953. W. E. Malloy Jr. photo […]
CHICAGO — Union Pacific may temporarily reopen its idled Global III intermodal terminal in Rochelle, Ill., to help relieve congestion at its Global IV terminal in Joliet, Ill. UP informed customers Wednesday it will temporarily halt shipments of international containers from all West Coast ports to its Global IV terminal for up to a week, […]
