Ask Trains: Who really operates locomotive shops in East St. Louis?

Q: I recently visited the Foster Townsend facility by the river in St. Louis and was informed that it is now part of Metro East Industries. Can you confirm? — John Foster, Gloucester, England A: Upon checking with railfans familiar with St. Louis, they confirmed that the shops you visited are leased out to Metro […]

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Faster running delayed again on Chicago-St. Louis Amtrak route NEWSWIRE

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Lincoln Service train No. 302 speeds through Odell, Ill., in November 2016. Bob Johnston Lincoln Service train No. 304 creeps at 30 mph on KCS-owned trackage through Granite City, Ill., in May 2014. UP track at right is signaled for 79 mph southbound only. Norfolk Southern’s ex-Wabash route is at left. Speeds had not been […]

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Metra ups pledge to fund new Clarendon Hills station NEWSWIRE

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A Metra train prepares to cross Prospect Avenue after a stop at the station in Clarendon Hills, Ill. Metra has pledged $1.5 million toward a new station at Clarendon Hills and related improvements, including work on the Prospect Avenue grade crossing. TRAINS: David Lassen CLARENDON HILLS, Ill. — Commuter railroad Metra has pledged an additional […]

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Streetcar could be catalyst for free transit in Kansas City NEWSWIRE

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the popularity of its streetcar as a guide, Kansas City is considering the possibility of making all public transit free. It would be the first major U.S. city to do so. The streetcar is free — paid for by a specialized tax district, alternative weekly The Pitch notes — and […]

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OmniTrax acquires Cleveland Commercial Railroad, affiliate NEWSWIRE

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Cleveland Commercial at Bedford, Ohio, on Aug. 22, 2016. This daily train originates at Falls Junction and goes into Cleveland. Craig Sanders CLEVELAND, Ohio – OmniTrax Inc. will acquire Cleveland Commercial Railroad and its wholly owned subsidiary, Cleveland Harbor Belt Railroad. The acquisition is expected to close in late August, 2019. The price for the […]

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Canadian National, Canadian Pacific settle Chicago interchange dispute

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WASHINGTON — Canadian National and Canadian Pacific have reached an interim agreement that settles their Chicago interchange dispute while the railroads await a formal Surface Transportation Board decision on the matter. CP informed the board of the interim agreement in a filing last week. Under the terms of the deal, CN will deliver CP-bound interchange […]

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Soo Line steam locomotive finally relocated NEWSWIRE

Chisago City, Minn. — It’s taken a year, but Soo Line 2-8-0 No. 2425 finally made the move from Ironhorse Railroad Park in Minnesota to its new home at the Mineral Range Railroad in Ishpeming, Mich. After its retirement in January 1955, No. 2425 was donated to the city of Enderlin, N.D., and put on […]

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Metra receives $17.8-million grant to replace aging bridge NEWSWIRE

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A Metra crewman watches as a passenger lifts a bicycle onto a train at the Grayland station in December 2018. Metra has received a $17.8-million grant to replace a bridge adjacent to the station. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Metra will receive a $17.8 million federal grant to replace an aging bridge near its Grayland […]

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