BLET members vote on contract with Virginia Railway Express operator

Commuter train at station with bridge connecting platforms on each side of tracks

MANASSAS, Va. — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen are voting on a tentative contract for engineers who operate trains for Virginia Railway Express through contract operator Keolis Rail Service Virginia. The tentative five-year agreement, covering 11 engineers, is retroactive to 2021 and would include pay increase compounded at 22.2% over the […]

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CPKC orders more hydrogen fuel cell engines

Green and gray locomotive on bridge

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Ballard Power Systems, which has provided the fuel cell engines for CPKC’s first hydrogen-powered locomotives, announced it has received an order for another 12 engines totaling 2.4 megawatts of power. The dozen 200-kilowatt engines, to be delivered this year, will support CPKC development of additional hydrogen fuel-cell locomotives for switching and […]

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Metrolink, Surfliner expand codeshare agreement

Passenger train with cab car leading passing through rocky hillside

LOS ANGELES — Commuter operator Metrolink and the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, have expanded their codeshare program, allowing ticketholders to ride either train service between Los Angeles and Ventura. The new program, which began Monday, Nov. 6, is a pilot program currently scheduled to run through June 30, 2024. It […]

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President Biden announces $16.4 billion in funding for Northeast Corridor projects (updated)

Map of infrastructure projects on Northeast Corridor

BEAR, Del. — President Joe Biden announced that 25 Northeast Corridor projects will receive a total of $16.4 billion in funding in an appearance today at Amtrak’s maintenance facility in Bear, Del., near Wilmington. The funding comes from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Pasenger Rail Program. It includes $4.7 billion for the […]

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Cincinnati voters to decide on railway sale Tuesday

CINCINNATI — Voters in Cincinnati go to the polls this Tuesday, Nov. 7, to determine whether the city should sell its railway to Norfolk Southern, after a campaign that has seen a host of conflicting claims and endorsements. The matter, on the ballot as Issue 22, asks voters to approve the sale of the Cincinnati […]

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City of Mobile sends lease for Gulf Coast stop to Amtrak

Two women holding signs supporting Gulf Coast Amtrak service

MOBILE, Ala. — After months of waiting for completion by city of Mobile attorneys, an agreement has been sent to Amtrak for a land lease that would provide a stop for two daily passenger round-trips to New Orleans. The delay in finalizing the agreement, sent to Amtrak last week, is one factor that has pushed […]

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LA’s Metrolink plans four-day shutdown in December

Commuter train passes under signal bridge

LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator will shut down all service for a four-day period at the end of December to allow for installation of a new signal system and other work. The service suspension is set for Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 29, and will cover the entire seven-line, five-county system, including […]

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SMART-TD ratifies BNSF agreement on scheduling, sick time

Logo of SMART-TD union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — SMART-TD members have ratified a tentative agreement with BNSF Railway on scheduling and sick days reached in September, the union said Friday. Approximately two-thirds of the members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division voted in favor of the agreement, which includes paid sick days and […]

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