Remembering the Santa Fe Railway

F units dressed in Santa Fe’s incomparable Warbonnet paint scheme accelerate the Chicago–Los Angeles Chief away from its station and crew stop at Chillicothe, Ill., in early 1968. J. David Ingles History of the Santa Fe Railway The Atchison & Topeka Railroad was chartered in 1859 to join the towns of its title and continue […]

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California city to buy more light rail vehicles from Siemens NEWSWIRE

Siemens logo

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract from Sacramento Regional Transit for 20 new light rail vehicles. This is the first new order from Sacramento since the late 1980s, when the transit agency ordered 36 U2A vehicles from Siemens Mobility. The contract, including the 20 trains, spare parts and tools is worth […]

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InnoTrans rescheduled to April 2021 NEWSWIRE

InnoTrans

More Monday rail news: — InnoTrans, the world’s largest rail trade fair, has been rescheduled to April 27-30, 2021, in Berlin. The event, held every other year, was postponed from its original date of Sept. 22-25 of this year when Berlin’s government placed a ban on events with more than 5,000 people through Oct. 24. […]

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NYC L Train tunnel work completed NEWSWIRE

MTA

Monday morning rail news: — Reconstruction work on the New York subway L Train tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn is complete, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday, and regular service will resume today — within the constraints of the current Essential Service Plan limiting Metropolitan Transportation Authority operations because of the COVID-19 virus. Work […]

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Amtrak executives look ahead to post-virus plans NEWSWIRE

Final_Hiawatha_Lassen

Amtrak’s northbound Hiawatha arrives in Milwaukee on time on Thursday afternoon. It was the final trip for the Hiawatha before rail service was suspended; beginning today, bus service will replace the train between Chicago and Milwaukee for at least a month because of the COVID-19 outbreak. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — Although Amtrak is in […]

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New York MTA chief cites CDC ‘failings’ for spread of virus NEWSWIRE

MTA

Thursday morning rail news: — Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Patrick J. Foye suggested in a Wednesday news conference that the “failings” of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contributed to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which has killed at least 83 MTA workers. Specifically, the New York Daily News reports, when asked if […]

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SEPTA union postpones ‘job action’ NEWSWIRE

SEPTA logo

More Thursday morning rail news: — Union members have called off today’s planned “job action” against the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, citing the involvement of Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney. Willie Brown, president of Transport Workers Union Local 234 said he remained unsatisified with SEPTA’s measures to protect employees from the COVID-19 virus, but “when the […]

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Toronto transit agency to lay off 1,200 NEWSWIRE

Toronto_Transit_logo

Still more Thursday rail news: — The Toronto Transit Commission will lay off 1,000 streetcar, subway, and bus operators as a result of falling revenue because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 200 non-union employees will also be cut, while salary increases will be put on hold, overtime will be reduced, and non-essential capital projects will […]

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Amtrak to replace ‘Hiawatha’ with bus service NEWSWIRE

Hiawatha_LakeForest_Lassen

A southbound Amtrak Hiawatha races through Lake Forest, Ill., on Feb. 2, 2020. Amtrak will replace the lone remaining Hiawatha round trip with buses as of Friday. TRAINS: David Lassen Wednesday afternoon rail news: — As of Friday, April 24, Amtrak will replace the remaining daily Hiawatha round trip between Chicago and Milwaukee with Thruway […]

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BART, Metrolink line get major state grants NEWSWIRE

Metrolink_Burbank_Lassen

A Metrolink train arrives at Burbank in January 2020. Metrolink and LA Metro have received $107 in state funding for improvements on the Antelope Valley Line. TRAINS: David Lassen SACRAMENTO — A $107.1 million award to Bay Area Rapid Transit, and another of $107.05 million to LA Metro and Metrolink, head the list of eight […]

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California High Speed Rail, LA Metro announce agreement on Union Station project NEWSWIRE

calhsr

Wednesday morning rail news: — The California High Speed Rail Authority has reached agreement with LA Metro on a preliminary funding plan for the Link Union Station project, which will make the landmark facility a through station for passenger trains rather than the current stub-end terminal. The memorandum of understanding reached on Tuesday to secure […]

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InnoTrans trade show postponed NEWSWIRE

InnoTrans

More Wednesday morning rail news: — InnoTrans, the massive international rail trade fair held every other year in Berlin, has postponed its 2020 edition, which had been set for Sept. 22-25. The decision follows a decree on Tuesday by the Berlin Senate banning events with more than 5,000 people before Oct. 24 because of the […]

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