Owner of masonry firm charged in Amtrak bribery case

Aerial view of large railroad station next to river

PHILADELPHIA — The owner of an Illinois masonry company has been charged in regards to a bribery case related to restoration of Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, becoming the fourth person charged in the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced on Friday, March 28, that Mark Snedden, 69, […]

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SMART-TD, Keolis reach tentative contract agreement

Commuter train at station platform

BOSTON — The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division has reached a tentative five-year agreement with Keolis Commuter Services, the union announced on Friday, March 28. Keolis is the contract operator of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail services. The agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2023, will include 5% raises […]

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Griswold joins CSX’s Hinrichs as co-chair of B&O Museum capital campaign

Man in suit and tie

BALTIMORE — Ben Griswold, a partner at investment firm Brown Advisory, will join CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs as a co-chair of the B&O Railroad Museum’s $38 million capital campaign, the museum has announced. Griswold is the great-great-great-grant grandson of Alex Brown, who in 1800 founded the first investment bank in the United States. It was […]

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Trains.com Insider Interview | Rapido Trains Inc CEO Jason Shron Talks Tariffs

Trains.com Insider Interview | Rapido Trains Inc. Founder and CEO Jason Shron visits with Trains.com Director David Popp to discuss the impact U.S.-Canada tariffs have on Rapido operations, along with the loyal customers who have helped sustain the business for more than 20 years. In the simplest terms, Jason shares how the model train manufacturer (of […]

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Amtrak sidelines Horizon car fleet, leading to widespread cancellations (updated)

Passenger cars in yard

CHICAGO — Amtrak trains on several routes have been cancelled after the company removed its fleet of Horizon passenger cars from service because of concerns over corrosion, raising the possibility of long-term service disruptions. In a statement issued at 9 a.m. today (March 26, 2025), the company said, “We discovered corrosion in several Horizon railcars […]

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Norfolk Southern adds to certified rail-served industrial sites

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern continues to expand its industrial site development with the recent certification of nine additional rail-served properties in seven states through the Redi Sites program. This brings the total number of NS Redi-certified sites to 12, showcasing the company’s commitment to providing prime locations for businesses seeking rail-integrated solutions. The Redi Sites […]

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Officials warn of possible measles exposure on Amtrak Northeast Regional train

Logo of DC Health

WASHINGTON — Passengers on a recent Amtrak Northeast Regional train and at Washington Union Station may have been exposed to measles, according to District of Columbia health officials. An advisory from DC Health says passengers aboard trip Northeast Regional train No. 175 on Wednesday, March 19, may have been exposed from 7:30 p.m., when the […]

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New Jersey ‘Merci Train’ car found, to be restored

BOONTON, N.J. — The long-lost New Jersey car from the post-World War II “Merci Train” has been rediscovered and will be returned to the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey for restoration. The URHS reports the car has been donated by the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City. It was […]

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3-D printed U-channel hopper cars

maroon model hopper car

I model the Western Maryland Ry. (WM) from the 1920s to before the start of World War II. Appropriate commercial models of coal hoppers for my modeling era are limited in large scale. I was using LGB two-bay and Bachmann three-bay hoppers as stand-ins, but I wanted accurate, period-specific coal hoppers for my rolling stock […]

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MBTA launches South Coast Rail service (updated)

People standing on platform waiting to board commuter train

BOSTON — Massachusetts’ South Coast Rail commuter operation is now officially in service. The 37-mile addition to the MBTA commuter rail network launched today (March 24, 2025), with the Fall River Herald News reporting that well over 100 people were on hand to catch the first train, a  scheduled 4:27 a.m. departure from New Bedford. […]

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NJ Transit cuts fares for commuters affected by I-80 closure

Map of NJ Transit rail lines between Hackettstown, N.J., and New York City

NEWARK, N.J. — Beginning Monday, March 24, NJ Transit is cutting ticket costs in half  for travel from five stations shared by its Morristown and Montclair-Boonton lines to provide an alternative for commuters during the emergency closure of Interstate 80 in Wharton, N.J. The highway has been closed in both directions because of sinkholes likely […]

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MBTA gets federal approval to start South Coast Rail service

View from platform of new commuter rail station

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has received federal approval to begin South Coast Rail service, clearing the way for the launch of the expanded commuter rail operation on Monday, March 24. The Fall River Herald News reports the MBTA was informed the Federal Railroad Administration had granted approval on Friday, March 21, according […]

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