KANSAS CITY, Mo. — By railfan standards this two-axle, metal-framed, wooden rail freight wagon is an interesting, vintage piece of rolling stock, but otherwise unremarkable. For the world at large, it has a larger, darker place in history, which is why it is on display at Kansas City’s Union Station. The car was one of […]
LONDON — The British Government has announced plans to create a single national ,government-owned rail company to run the railway network and, via mostly private contractors, operate most passenger trains in the UK. That such a move is planned, reversing decades of complex privatization is remarkable, but even moreso is that the government is from […]
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — More than 200 people were injured, 57 seriously, after a head-on collision of two light rail transit trains in Malaysia’s capital on Monday night. Reuters reports the accident occurred about 8:45 p.m. local time in a tunnel near the Petronas Twin Towers, when an empty train collided head-on with one carrying […]
NAGOYA, Japan — This is not usually what people mean when they talk about a quick trip to the bathroom. The driver of a Central Japan Railway Co. Shinkansen bullet train is in trouble after leaving the cab of his train one day last week to go to the restroom while the train was operating […]
LONDON — Eurostar, the high speed passenger rail operator that runs trains via the Channel Tunnel from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, has secured new financial backing from a consortium of banks after months of uncertainty. Since March 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic has led to severe cuts in Eurostar service, with often no more […]
U.S. Supreme Court asks Solicitor General for opinion in case involving injured Union Pacific engineer The U.S. Supreme Court is asking the Biden Administration to take a position in a case involving Union Pacific that could affect the railroad’s liability for worker injuries. Reuters reports the court asked the U.S. Solicitor General’s office for an […]
LONDON — After several months in which public railfan trips have been illegal in the UK due to restrictions imposed to control the spread of coronavirus, a trip on Thursday, May 13, celebrated the iconic British Rail-built High Speed Train. The charter from London’s St Pancras was to mark the end of regular use from […]
LONDON — Construction work has begun along the entire 140-mile length of the first stage of Britain’s new 200-plus-mph high speed rail line, known as High Speed 2 (HS2), which will link London with cities in northern England and allow faster through trains to Scotland as well. The project has been developed in several phases […]
British intercity rail disruptions could last for weeks after high speed trains are sidelined Disruptions to British intercity rail service are continuing for a third day and could last for week after Hitachi high speed trainsets were removed from service over cracks were found in the suspension of some trains. The Guardian reports Great Western […]
Cracks in Hitachi high speed trainsets cause disruption of British rail service High speed rail service in the United Kingdom is facing major disruption this weekend after cracks were found in two Hitachi-built trainsets. The Guardian reports the hairline cracks were found in brackets that are part of a device that helps stabilize the trains, […]
MEXICO CITY — At least 23 people have been killed in a subway accident late Monday. The New York Times reports an overpass collapsed on an elevated portion of the rapid transit system’s Line 12 about 10:30 p.m. on Monday, sending some cars of a train plunging to the ground while leaving at least two […]
West Virginia fails to fund MARC service, placing future in doubt The future of MARC commuter rail service to West Virginia is again in doubt after the state legislature failed to include service for the funding in its 2021-22 budget. The Martinsburg Journal-News reports state Senate President Craig Blair said he struck the commuter train […]
