DANBURY, Conn. — The Danbury Railway Museum has added former Amtrak AEM7 electric locomotive No. 917 to its collection, the museum has announced. The locomotive, donated by Rail Propulsion Systems in August 2023, was delivered by the Providence & Worcester to Danbury on Friday, June 7. Former Amtrak locomotive technician and engineer Anthony Raspantini brought […]
Memorable train rides: Summerville Steam Special
Trains Video Producer Kevin’s pick: Summerville Steam Special Name of Train: Summerville Steam Special The route: Chattanooga, Tenn. to Summerville, Ga, roundtrip excursion Duration: 9 hours and about 100 miles round trip The adventure: Departing from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Grand Junction depot in Chattanooga, Tenn., this all-day steam excursion takes passengers over a […]
Amtrak’s Gardner, Coscia to appear at House subcommittee hearing
WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and board chair Anthony Coscia are scheduled to appear before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in a hearing this Wednesday, June 12. The Railroad, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee will hold the hearing, “Amtrak and Intercity Passenger Rail Oversight: Promoting Performance, Safety and Accountability,” […]
Catskill Mountain Railroad converts locomotives to biodiesel fuel
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Catskill Mountain Railroad has converted its locomotives to run on 100% biodiesel fuel and says it is the first heritage railroad in the country to do so, the railroad has announced. The railroad operates with a pair of Alco locomotives. RS1 No. 401 was built in March 1950 for the Illinois […]
Trains LIVE — What’s in the bag?
Trains LIVE — What’s in the bag? — 6-7-2024 — Trains Magazine is known for showcasing railroad photography. Images are submitted by photographers from across the country. Some are seasoned professionals. Others are snapping some of their first train pictures. The common denominator is that each photographer needs a camera, or two, or three, and […]
Michigan Central Station opens its doors
DETROIT — The city of Detroit has seen its share of comebacks over the past 20 years, but nothing quite like what is happening this week as it celebrates the grand opening of the renovated Michigan Central Station, the beneficiary of hundreds of millions of dollars in investment by its new owner, Ford Motor Co. […]
Pinsly short lines join EPA’s SmartWay program
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two of Pinsly Railroad Co. short lines – Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad and the Grenada Railroad – have joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership. Developed by the EPA, SmartWay is a collaborative framework involving industry stakeholders and environmental groups to track and reduce emissions and fuel use in […]
Canadian railways reject Teamsters’ union request for staggered contract talks
OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have rejected a Teamsters Canada Rail Conference proposal to stagger negotiations with both railways by two weeks. The union — which represents engineers and conductors on both railways, as well as rail traffic controllers on CPKC — said that staggering contract talks would avoid simultaneous […]
Pure Vermont
Vermont railroading The State of Vermont purchased 177 miles of the former Rutland Railroad in 1963, two years after the 400-mile railroad was abandoned. The newly formed Vermont Railway leased the 125 miles running north south between Bennington and Burlington, and a year later the Green Mountain Railroad leased 52 miles between Rutland and Bellows […]
Tri-Rail extension to serve West Palm Beach VA facility would cost almost $100 million
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A proposed 3-mile extension of Tri-Rail service at the northern end of its route to reach the VA Medical Center in West Palm could cost up to $94 million to build, according to a feasibility study by the commuter rail operator’s parent agency. The study by the South Florida Regional […]
Last-minute agreement averts Toronto transit strike
TORONTO — A strike by 12,000 Toronto transit workers was averted late Thursday night, with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 announcing about 11:30 p.m. that it had “reached a framework settlement with the [Toronto Transit Commission] that allows us to put the strike on hold.” The union had planned to walk out at 12:01 a.m. […]
Metra free-ride weekend to also feature debut of museum car
CHICAGO — Metra’s weekend of free rides to mark its 40th anniversary will also see the debut of the commuter operator’s new museum car at its LaSalle Street station, downtown terminus of the Rock Island District. The commuter operator will offer free rides across its system this Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9, to […]
