State legislator seeks to kill Twin Cities’ Northstar commuter rail, which could be eliminated regardless (updated)

Blue, yellow, red, and white locomotive leads train of bilevel commuter cars with city skyline in background

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The chair of the transportation committee in Minnesota’s House of Representatives is leading a legislative effort to kill the Northstar commuter rail service — which could be destined for replacement with bus service anyway. HF 269, introduced by Rep. Jon Koznick (R-Lakeville, Minn.) — chair of the Transportation Finance and Policy […]

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Ohio Rail Experience announces 2025 schedule

Passenger train led by black and yellow GP30

LEBANON, Ohio — Cincinnati Scenic Railway’s Ohio Rail Experience has announced its 2025 tour schedule, marking the return of a series of excursions last held in 2022. Trips — operated in partnership with local historical societies, the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad, and the Cincinnati Railway Co. — will run on six different routes are planned […]

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Metra donates F40C locomotive to Illinois Railway Museum

Blue and orange locomotive with steel side panels in rail yare

UNION, Ill. — Metra has donated F40C No. 614, one of just two such surviving locomotives, to the Illinois Railway Museum. IRM says in a press release that it hopes to restore the locomotive to operating condition. It had seen some cannibalization for parts during its final years in storage at Metra, and is missing […]

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Union Pacific to lease 1.25 miles of Kansas City trackage to new short line railroad

WASHINGTON — Union Pacific will lease 1.25 miles of trackage in Kansas City, Mo., to a new Jaguar Transport short line next month. The Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad will serve a cluster of customers located off UP’s KC Metro Big Mary Subdivision between milepost 0.63 and milepost 1.60 in Kansas City, according to a […]

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Spaces to Places VII | Within yard limits, part 2

Host Gerry Leone is back for more work on his double-deck model railroad, specifically targeting the lower-level yard recently featured in Spaces to Places VII. Follow along as he finishes out the scene by restoring and recycling ballasted track from his previous HO scale Bona Vista layout! Want to see more of Gerry’s work on […]

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Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum to debut Bessemer & Lake Erie 2-10-4

Steam locomotive on turntable

SUGARCREEK, Ohio — The Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum is preparing for the first public viewing of the newest locomotive on display in its collection, Bessemer & Lake Erie 2-10-4 No. 643. That viewing will come March 29 as part of the museum’s Member Day, to be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. A […]

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Start-up Lunatrain plans private night trains in East, Midwest

Illustration of sleeping car accomodation

PHILADELPHIA — A new company has announced plans to develop a private sleeper-train service connecting major destinations, and says it aims to have a demonstration unit in the second half of 2026. Lunatrain, which describes itself as “a private, early-stage company,” says it will develop a network of express, non-stop night trains in the Midwest […]

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Amtrak cancels trains in Northeast and Virginia, again scrubs Empire Builder (updated)

Passenger train in area with small amount of snow on the ground

CHICAGO — Add westbound Empire Builder for today (Feb. 19, 2025) to Amtrak’s cancellation list, making for a fifth straight day that the Chicago-Seattle/Portland train will have been cancelled in both directions. The company has also canceled several Northeast Corridor trains today and tomorrow (Feb. 20), as well as Wolverine and Hiawatha trains in the […]

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Vicksburg, Mich., station added to National Register of Historic Places

Train station with caboose next to tracks

VICKSBURG, Mich. — Vicksburg’s Union Depot, a brick and stone structure dating to 1904 and built to serve predecessors to the Pennsylvania and Grand Trunk railroads, is among 11 state locations added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The station in Kalamazoo County, which last […]

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Floods halt Amtrak’s City of New Orleans (updated)

Passenger train on curve

CHICAGO — Flooding is disrupting operation of Amtrak’s City of New Orleans, while Empire Builder departures have been cancelled for a fourth straight day. Other Amtrak cancellations announced for today (Feb. 18) include both directions of the Borealis between St. Paul and Milwaukee and a Lincoln Service trip from St. Louis to Chicago, according to […]

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Weather leads Amtrak to cancel Empire Builder, Borealis, Adirondack (updated)

Train in snow at dusk

CHICAGO — Amtrak has cancelled Empire Builder departures for a third straight day, the company announced early today (Monday, Feb. 17). Also cancelled: both directions of the Borealis, westbound between Chicago and St. Paul and eastbound between St. Paul and Milwaukee, as well as both directions of the Adirondack between Montreal and Albany Rensselaer, N.Y. […]

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