CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Voters in Mecklenburg County, N.C., on Tuesday (Nov. 4) approved a 1% sales-tax increase to fund a transportation plan, including a commuter rail line. The Charlotte Observer reports that the referendum approved by a 52%-48% margin is expected to raise more than $19 billion over 30 years. The measure requires 40% of […]
WASHINGTON — A conductor’s attempt to apply a hand brake while standing in the track gauge, while using a retracted brake stick, was the probable cause of an accident that led to serious injuries to the conductor, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final investigation report on the July 2024 incident at Norfolk […]
RICHMOND, Va. — Amtrak service between Richmond and Newport News, Va., will now remain suspended until Monday, Nov. 3, as the result of last weekend’s CSX derailment, the passenger operator has announced in an update on Thursday, Oct. 30. Amtrak had previously announced that service would be suspended until Nov. 1. The 70-mile Richmond-Newport News […]
PROVIDENCE FORGE, Va. — No injuries were reported as two locomotives and 53 cars of a CSX coal train derailed today (Saturday, Oct. 25) in New Kent County, Va., near the unincorporated community of Providence Forge. The New Kent County Sheriff’s Office first reported the incident on social media about 3:10 p.m., reporting that coal […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pinsly Railroad Co. has begun operating its newest short line, the 36-mile Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad in southern Alabama. The former Three Notch Railway interchanges with CSX at Georgiana, Ala. The Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad is set to make infrastructure investments to support the growth of both current and future rail-served customers […]
WASHINGTON — Starting early next January, no freight or passenger trains will be scheduled to cross the Potomac River between Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Va., during an 8:15 a.m.-to-1 p.m. window seven days a week for up to five years. This will accommodate construction on a $2.3 billion, four-track bridge being built to replace the […]
NEW ORLEANS — Amtrak will hold its annual board of directors meeting accommodating public attendance in New Orleans on Dec. 4, 2025, the company has announced. The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Ave. The public can attend in person or online; […]
Southern Railway FP7 6141 and an F3 roar uphill into the hamlet of Saluda, N.C., top of famous 4.7-percent Saluda Grade, with the Charleston, S.C.–Cincinnati Carolina Special in the early 1950s. Linn H. Westcott photo […]
MIAMI — Beginning Oct. 6, Brightline is making sweeping changes that adjust schedules, capacity, and pricing to capture ridership and revenue for both its Miami-West Palm Beach and South Florida-Orlando clientele. Hourly round trips between Miami and Orlando will be reduced from the current 15 to 10, departing about every two hours, while short-distance frequencies […]
ROANOKE, Va. — As Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 gears up for fall excursions on the Buckingham Branch Railroad, having arrived at the short line from Roanoke on Sept. 18, the Virginia Museum of Transportation has recently geared up for a new fundraising initiative in preparation for the 4-8-4’s anticipated 1,472-day boiler inspection, […]
BONSAL, N.C. — From Oct. 11 to 25, the New Hope Valley Railroad, also known as the Triangle Trains, is inviting the public to board its annual Track or Treat Halloween Express. “October is always a special month for us here at New Hope Valley Railway,” said North Carolina Railway Museum President John Morck, “We’re […]
Second of two parts NEW ORLEANS — Although the Mardi Gras Service’s twice-daily departures are off to a good start, as outlined in Part 1 of this report, it appears more outreach along the route and attention to operating detail will be necessary to get the best results moving forward. Community engagement ‘For day-to-day onsite […]
