NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority committed a record $15.8 billion to capital projects in 2025, including more than $5 billion made possible through congestion tolling funds, the agency and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week. The commitments include $6.6 billion for rolling stock; $3.4 billion for state-of-good-repair and other program support; $2.7 billion […]
MEXICO CITY — The train involved in a fatal derailment in Mexico on Dec. 28 was traveling at excessive speed, the federal Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday (Jan. 27) in its initial report on the accident that killed 14 passengers. The Interoceanic Train was traveling at 65 kilometers per hour (40 mph), 15 kph (9.3 […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (both D-Ill.) on Wednesday introduced legislation to create a $1.5 billion grant program to fund bridge repair, maintenance, and replacement on commuter rail lines. The Building Rail Infrastructure for a Durable and Growing Economy (BRIDGE) Act would use funds from the Mass Transit Account […]
WASHINGTON — While the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year produced record results on several fronts, equipment constraints and major capital projects are likely to make the second quarter a challenge, Amtrak’s board of directors was told during its meeting today (Wednesday, Jan. 28). Ongoing issues with the delivery of NextGen Acelas also continue […]
NEW YORK — Construction of the Hudson River Tunnel project on the Northeast Corridor is on the verge of halting because of the withholding of federal funds, the agency overseeing the project said on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Funding for the $16 billion project to build a new two-track tunnel between New Jersey and New York’s […]
Rail service in the Northeast is inching closer to normal following disruptions caused by last weekend’s severe winter weather. NJ Transit commuter rail and SEPTA Regional Rail have both resumed regular schedules today (Wednesday, Jan. 28), although scattered delays and cancellations are reported. Similar delays and cancellations are reported on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — Amtrak will restore the full Empire Service schedule between New York Penn Station and Albany-Rensselaer in early March, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said today (Tuesday, Jan. 27). The move will restore cuts made to accommodate Amtrak’s East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project. It will also end a proposal to extend one Metro-North […]
NORTHFIELD, Mass. — No injuries were reported in a slow-speed derailment of Amtrak’s Vermonter this afternoon in Northfield, at a junction of the Berkshire & Eastern and New England Central railroads. Northfield Fire Chief Floyd Dunnel told WBBG and WSHM-TV that 113 passengers were on board the southbound train, and remained on the train with […]
DORVAL, Quebec — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is renewing its call for enhanced train control systems and other measures to reduce the risk of accidents following release of its investigation report on a 2024 incident in which an unoccupied VIA Rail Canada train passed a red signal. No collision or injuries resulted. The […]
BOSTON — Keolis North America will remain operator of Virginia Railway Express under a new contact awarded under a competitive procurement process, the company has announced. The new contract is effective July 2026 and has the potential to expand to 15 years. It continues Keolis operations of the VRE commuter service that began in 2010. […]
CHESTERTON, Ind. — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has named David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, as its next president. Dech will succeed Michael Noland on March 16 as president of the agency overseeing South Shore Line commuter rail service. Noland announced his plans to retire in November [see […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak expects to see winter-storm impacts through, and possibly including, Thursday, Jan. 29, the company says in an advisory early today (Tuesday, Jan. 27). It does not offer details on cancellations or other service changes today. It recommends visiting the Amtrak website or app, or its NEC Alerts and Amtrak Alerts feeds […]
