WASHINGTON — The wheels in Washington are beginning to turn on what could become landmark infrastructure legislation. “We are seeing are a lot of stars aligning,” says Brittney Kohler, program director of transportation and infrastructure at the National League of Cities. “The optimism is that Congress seems to understand, and local governments are prepared to […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
Nickel Plate Road No. 757 nearly traverses Pennsylvania NEWSWIRE
No. 757 passes the Wabtec plant at Wilmerding, Pa., on Wednesday. The locomotive is en route to Bellevue, Ohio, a former Nickel Plate Road hub. Steve Raith PITTSBURGH – Nickel Plate 2-8-4 No. 757 is still making tracks on its journey to Bellevue, Ohio, this week. The locomotive was spotted in east suburban Pittsburgh passing […]
Union Pacific announces another round of layoffs, closure of Pine Bluff shop NEWSWIRE
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific announced another round of layoffs on Tuesday that affects 700 employees and includes the closure of the locomotive shop in Pine Bluff, Ark. UP has notified the mechanical department that 450 positions will be eliminated across the system this month. In addition, 250 other jobs were eliminated, most of them […]
Virgin Trains USA delays public offering NEWSWIRE
A Miami-bound Brightline train crosses the New River at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 11, 2018. Bob Johnston MIAMI – Virgin Trains USA has postponed its previously-announced public stock offering. Company spokesman Ben Porritt issued the following statement to financial reporting outlets: “As we explored a public offering, a number of alternative financing sources became […]
California governor sinks SF-LA high speed rail plans NEWSWIRE
A high speed rail bridge under construction over the Fresno River near Madera in May 2016. Two photos, Bob Johnston SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In his “state of the state” message Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he intends to withdraw the state’s support of the California High Speed Rail Authority’s plans to build a […]
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 […]
Local service and terminal operations underpin new NS operating plan NEWSWIRE
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern is taking a two-pronged approach to operational changes as it adopts Precision Scheduled Railroading. First, it’s redesigning local service from scratch using a process that it has dubbed clean-sheeting. Second, NS will begin making systemwide operating changes that affect road trains once the first round of clean-sheeting is completed in June. […]
New Norfolk Southern operating plan to blend traffic and build longer trains NEWSWIRE
Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires Norfolk Southern ATLANTA — Expect to see big changes on Norfolk Southern as the railroad launches its new Precision Scheduled Railroading operating plan, TOP21, over the summer. The most visible differences will include longer trains with distributed power, the increased use of general purpose trains that combine different types of […]
What a ‘carbon free’ Boston would mean for transit NEWSWIRE
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 […]
Wilmington & Western founder Thomas Marshall passes NEWSWIRE
Wilmington & Western founder Tom Marshall speaks at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Greenbank Station. Michael Murray WILMINGTON, Del. — Thomas C. Marshall Jr., founder of the Wilmington & Western steam excursion railroad in northern Delaware, died Feb. 12, 2019, just eight days short of his 95th birthday, after a lengthy illness. In […]
CSX Huntington forces put extra into caboose restoration NEWSWIRE
Huntington shop and Kentucky Steam representatives pose with the newly restored Chesapeake & Ohio caboose. Chris Anderson HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — As the metal rolling door arose on the paint shop building at CSX’s Huntington Heavy Repair shops last Tuesday, anticipation among members of the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp., was high. The group was at the […]
Nickel Plate Road No. 757 heads home to Ohio NEWSWIRE
Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 757 and caboose arrive at Lehman Place, Pa., for interchange from the Strasburg to Norfolk Southern. Wayne Laepple STRASBURG, Pa. — Nickel Plate 2-8-4 No. 757 has begun its long journey back to Bellevue, Ohio, to the Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum, after more than 50 years at the […]