Connecticut to hold hearings on rail schedule changes, fare increases

Logo of Connecticut Department of Transportation

NEWINGTON, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Transportation will hold the first of a series of hearings on proposed changes to rail and bus service today in New Haven, Conn., with three other hearing also set for this week. Fare increases are also being proposed. The most significant changes will come on the Shore Line […]

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Erie Railroad history remembered

Smoking steam locomotive among many railroad signals

Erie Railroad history starts, surprisingly, with a canal.     “The Work of the Age” was a proclamation by New York City’s Common Council upon the opening of the 300-mile New York & Erie Railway in 1851, “Erie” referring to one of the Great Lakes. New York City had become the natural gateway to the […]

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Flooding batters New York subway, commuter rail lines

Debris and water in subway tunnel

NEW YORK — Half of the New York City subway system was shut down today by flooding from a storm that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called “a life-threatening rainfall event,” while Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak operations were also disrupted by the flooding. At midafternoon, the MTA was reporting that more than 7 inches of […]

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No injuries reported when DC Metrorail train derails near Reagan Airport

Men in high-visibiilty clothing stand near derailed rapid-transit equipment as another train passes

WASHINGTON — No injuries were reported after a DC Metrorail train derailed Friday morning near Reagan International Airport, an incident Metro officials said was caused when the train struck an object that fell off a preceding train. The derailment occurred about 10:45 a.m. and involved a southbound train heading toward the Franconia-Springfield station, the Washington […]

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MBTA pilot program leads to permanent commuter rail service for Foxboro station

Bilevel commuter cars at station platform

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A year-long pilot program offering weekday service at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Foxboro station will lead to permanent service beginning Oct. 2, the MBTA announced Thursday. The year-long pilot program began Sept. 12, 2022, and exceeded targets goals for ridership, with the MBTA saying third-quarter ridership was 112 to 133 boardings […]

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Maryland officials offer new route options for Baltimore Red Line project

Map of potential transit line with tunnels in Baltimore area

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Transit Administration has released maps showing three potential routes for its east-west Red Line transit project, an approximately 15-mile route between the western community of Woodlawn and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center via downtown. All three routes include both light rail and bus rapid transit options; the ultimate form of […]

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Young Guns in Preservation: Ryan Gerhardt

Young crew member posing in front of steam locomotive.

Ryan Gerhardt has taken on multiple management roles on the Chesapeake & Delaware, LLC, and the Black River & Western Railroad in New Jersey. He serves as the Steam Committee Chairman who oversees the maintenance and operation of the latter tourist railroad’s Great Western 2-8-0 No. 60. Still in his 20s, Gerhardt – like many […]

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MBTA to offer free Fairmount Line commuter service during Red Line closure

Portion of MBTA map showing Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced it will offer free travel on its Fairmount commuter rail line during the upcoming 16-day closure of the rapid transit Red Line’s Ashmont Branch and Mattapan trolley line, set to begin Oct. 14. The agency had previously said it would offer increased bus service during the […]

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NTSB increases staffing, cuts time to complete investigations

National Transportation Safety Board logo

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has hired a record number of employees this year, which it says is leading to a significant decrease in the time needed to complete investigations. The agency said it will have 433 employees on staff at the end of the current fiscal year, up from a previous high […]

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B&O museum receives $1 million for South Car Works Building project

Rendering of front of brick museum building. B&O Railroad Museum begins $38 million expansion.

BALTIMORE — The South Baltimore Gateway Partnership will provide $1 million in funding for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum’s plan to restore its South Car Works Building and create open community space as part of the museum’s new master plan. Restoration of the Car Works building, the oldest continuously operating railroad repair facility in […]

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Connecticut orders six dual-mode locomotives from Siemens

Blue and silver locomotive with red trim in urban setting

NEW YORK — The Connecticut Department of Transportation is ordering six dual-mode locomotives from Siemens Mobility for use on the MTA Metro-North Railroad, adding to an earlier Metro-North order for 27 such units placed in 2020. The newly ordered locomotives will be delivered through 2027. Overall, the contract includes options for up to 171 locomotives […]

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URHS unveils U-Boat restoration, shop at open house

Dark blue diesel locomotives with white center stripe outside shop building

BOONTON, N.J. — With persistent rain canceling both the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey’s annual Museum-for-a-Day event and the town’s street fair, the group quickly shifted on Sunday, Sept. 24, to a no-frills open house, showing off two newly painted historic diesel locomotives in their first public display. Live music and other attractions […]

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