ABERDEEN, Md. — Twenty cars of a Norfolk Southern coal train have derailed near Aberdeen, disrupting Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor. As of 8 a.m. EST, Amtrak said in an advisory that service had been temporarily suspended between Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, and it would be operating a modified schedule between New York and […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak management is blaming “staffing and hiring shortages for skilled technical employees caused by the pandemic” for the continuation of five-day-a-week service on seven long-distance routes after March 27, when it originally said full schedules would be restored. The cutbacks began in mid-January. Only the Chicago-Washington Capitol Limited; Chicago-San Antonio, Tex., Texas Eagle; […]
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian has been found not guilty of all charges stemming from the fatal May 12, 2015, derailment of Northeast Regional train 188. CBS News reports the jury returned its verdict after a little more than an hour of deliberations. The 38-year-old Bostian was tried on charges of causing a catastrophe, […]
Eric White and Cody Grivno review three of the Rapido Trains HO scale Evans X72 boxcars. Each has a nice detailed underbody with its different style of consolidated stencils appropriate for each car. […]
Eric White and Cody Grivno review three of the Rapido Trains HO scale Evans X72 boxcars. Each has a nice detailed underbody with its different style of consolidated stencils appropriate for each car. […]
PRINCETON, N.J. — The nation’s shortest scheduled commuter rail line now has a 50-50 chance of remaining as it is. The Daily Princetonian reports that a study of possible options to replace “Princeton Dinky,” the 2.7-mile electrified NJ Transit line connecting the Princeton University campus to the Northeast Corridor, has reduced four potential options to […]
PHILADELPHIA — The trial of engineer Brandon Bostian, at the controls for the fatal derailment of Amtrak train 188 in 2015, is slated to go to the jury today (Friday, March 4) after the prosecution and defense presented closing arguments on Thursday — although the judge indicated skepticism that the evidence supports the prosecution’s case. […]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — People are vacationing again, and travel spending is close to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. This means as more Americans travel in 2022, tourist and heritage rail attractions can focus on what is normal: selling seats and injecting much-needed cashflow into tourist rail and preservation. This year is likely to be the first season […]
DENVER — Some 30 miles of New York rail line formerly operated by the Saratoga & North Creek Railroad has been sold for $3.33 million to a couple whose company plans to ship titanium ore from a mine on the route. The Albany Times Union reports Doc N Duchess Rails LLC, owned by Carol and […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Bay Area commuter operator Caltrain will begin three weeks of reduced weekday service on March 14 to accommodate electrification of the service’s route between San Francisco and San Jose. Work at the Broadway, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hayward Park, and Hillsdale stations will require single-tracking, which in turn necessitates the schedule reductions. […]
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Fertilizer firm Nutrien is asking the Canadian government to block a potential Canadian Pacific strike, saying an interruption to rail service could lead to smaller crop harvests, Bloomberg reports. Teamster Canada Rail Coalition members voted in favor of a strike against CP, the union announced earlier this week [see “Teamsters Canava vote …,” […]
WASHINGTON — Travelers already booked on some Amtrak long-distance trains in April and May are being advised today (Thursday, March 3) to rebook their trips as the passenger carrier extends its frequency reductions on seven routes. Amtrak had cut service from daily to five days a week on most of its long-distance routes in January, […]
