Japanese railroad, manufacturers working on 250-mph bullet train NEWSWIRE

TOKYO — One Japanese railroad seeks to push the latest high speed train technology to nearly 250 mph with a new passenger trainset in development. The English-language version of Kyodo News reports on a 10-car “next-generation Shinkansen” train with a designed top speed of about 224 mph. The news site reports that the East Japan […]

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What a ‘carbon free’ Boston would mean for transit NEWSWIRE

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BOSTON — If all the recommendations laid out in Boston University’s “Carbon Free Boston” report are implemented, transit use in the historic city will grow 43 percent by 2050 while use of private vehicles will shrink 58 percent. The report was produced under the aegis of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission at the request of Mayor […]

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Twin Cities light rail lines see ridership increase as demographics change NEWSWIRE

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Metro Transit light rail in downtown Minneapolis. Steve Glischinski MINNEAPOLIS – The Twin Cities two light rail lines set ridership records in 2018, Twin Cities Metro Transit announced Monday. The Green Line, which connects downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota, saw 13.8 million rides, a 5 percent increase from the […]

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Piko SmartControl Light HO ICE 3 train set

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PIKO SmartControl Light HO ICE 3 train set Zooming by in a flash of red and pale gray, Deutsche Bahn (DB) Intercity-Express (ICE) trains are 21st century icons of high-speed rail travel in Germany and its surrounding countries. PIKO has upgraded its HO scale ICE 3 passenger train set to include the firm’s new SmartControl […]

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Rapido N scale New Haven 8600-series coach

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Rapido N scale New Haven 8600-series coach Price: $59.99 Manufacturer Rapido Trains Inc. 500 Alden Rd., Unit 21 Markham, Ont. L3R 5H5 Era: 1947 to 1988, depending on paint scheme Road names: New York, New Haven & Hartford (delivery with skirts, McGinnis with skirts, McGinnis without skirts); Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) without skirts; Penn […]

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Amtrak CEO testimony presses need for Corridor infrastructure funding NEWSWIRE

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WASHINGTON — Amtrak President Richard Anderson took repeated opportunities Thursday to highlight how a failure of aging Northeast Corridor infrastructure near New York “would effectively shut down economic activity in Manhattan” and “cut off (rail travel) from Maine to North Carolina and down to Florida.” But testimony from other panel witnesses and questioning from members […]

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LA Metro seeks ways to deal with declining ridership NEWSWIRE

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Passengers board an LA Metro light rail train at Union Station in January 2017. Metro, like many public transit systems, is dealing with declining ridership. TRAINS: David Lassen LOS ANGELES — From Crenshaw to Century City to Little Tokyo, workers are digging tunnels, laying track, and building stations in a massive expansion of LA Metro’s […]

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Mayors urge funding to restore Vancouver Island rail service NEWSWIRE

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The Mahalat, VIA Rail Canada’s service on Vancouver Island, arrives at Parksville, British Columbia, in 2006. Passenger service on the island ended in 2011, but area mayors are urging that the province fund a restoration of service. Bob Johnston VICTORIA, British Columbia — A group of 13 area mayors have appealed to British Columbia’s premier, […]

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Renovated Tomah, Wis., Amtrak station to open Feb. 13 NEWSWIRE

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TOMAH, Wis. — Tomah’s renovated Amtrak station will open on Wednesday, Feb. 13. A dedication ceremony is set for 4:30 p.m., the Tomah Journal reports. There is also a town hall meeting that evening featuring a representative of the Wisconsin Rail Passenger Association, discussing the status of the Empire Builder and the possibility of a […]

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Rocky Mountaineer adds capacity, offers discounts NEWSWIRE

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Stadler-built GoldLeaf dome No. 9541 in Rocky Mountaineer’s Kamloops yard on Oct 9, 2018. It is equipped with air spring primary suspension trucks with a mechanical spring secondary suspension. Three photos, Bob Johnston VANCOUVER, B.C. – New bilevel GoldLeaf domes built by Stadler Rail A.G. in Switzerland and Germany that are joining Rocky Mountaineer daytime […]

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BART, Amtrak exploring possible joint transbay crossing NEWSWIRE

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A Capitol Corridor train passes through Crockett, Calif. Amtrak and BART are considering a shared crossing of San Francisco Bay that would allow direct service between San Francisco and Sacramento. Steve Glischinski SAN FRANCISCO — Bay Area Rapid Transit and Amtrak are joining forces to study the possibility of a second San Francisco Bay rail […]

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Denver moves closer to opening commuter rail G Line with approvals from FRA NEWSWIRE

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Denver A Line commuter trains meet at the Peoria station. Two approvals from the Federal Railroad Administration have moved Denver’s RTD closer to opening its G Line service to Wheat Ridge, Colo. TRAINS: David Lassen DENVER — With approval on two fronts from the Federal Railroad Administration, Denver’s Regional Transportation District has reached “a major […]

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