WASHINGTON — The leadership of the U.S. Senate committee responsible for transit policy has asked the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for detailed information on the wheelset defect that has sidelined the majority of the DC Metrorail car fleet. The Washington Post reports Sens. Sharrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), the chairman and […]
EARLINGTON, Ky. — Photos of today’s tornado-caused derailment of a CSX train near Earlington, Ky., show the train caught in widespread devastation resulting from the overnight storm. CSX says 28 cars derailed shortly after midnight today [see “Tornado derails train in Kentucky, Trains News Wire, Dec. 11, 2021]. An initial report said the cars were […]
EARLINGTON, Ky. — A CSX train was derailed early Saturday morning by one of a series of tornadoes that struck across a six-state area, with one car reportedly landing on a nearby home. CSX said in response to an inquiry from Trains News Wire that 28 cars, all empty, had derailed shortly after midnight. There […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will hold a virtual public hearing next month on CSX Transportation’s proposed acquisition of New England regional Pan Am Railways. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 13 and will continue on Jan. 14 if necessary, the board said today. The hearing is part of the board’s […]
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WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will consider the request for an exemption allowing construction of a 54-mile high speed line between Palmdale and Apple Valley, Calif., that would connect planned Brightline West (formerly Xpress West) and California High Speed Rail Authority rail lines. The board, in a Thursday decision, said it will open a […]
Organizers of this year’s International Small Scale Steam Up in Diamondhead Miss. are excited to welcome you to their 2022 event. The annual show, which started in 1993, features a vendor room, flea market, operating live-steam tracks, and plenty of time for camaraderie and conversation with fellow enthusiasts. The event welcomes newcomers and experienced hobbyists […]
CUMBERLAND, Md. — Western Maryland Scenic Railroad made a successful test run on Thursday over the tourist line’s 16-mile route between Cumberland and Frostburg, moving closer to its scheduled debut in Polar Express service. The Cumberland Times-News quotes Western Maryland Scenic general manager Wesley Heinz as saying the 2-6-6-2 “ran trouble free. There will be […]
Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, and Norfolk Southern say they have suspended their COVID-19 vaccination mandate following a Tuesday ruling by a federal judge blocked the Biden Administration’s executive order requiring vaccination for federal contractors. Reuters reports that UP said 74% of its 31,000 employees were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 8, and that was still […]
DARBY, Pa. — The National Transportation Safety Board said it will send a team of four investigators to the site of Thursday’s accident between a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority trolley and CSX freight train at a diamond in Darby, Pa. Updated information from a SEPTA spokesman, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports the trolley’s […]
A joint bid from Hitachi and Alstom has won the contract for a long-awaited, $2.6 billion order for the fleet of trains to operate on Britain’s new HS2 high speed line. The 54 eight-car electric trainsets, designed to routinely operate at 225 mph, are being described as the “fastest trains in Europe.” Recently announced plans […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Human Resources department does not have sufficient staff to handle the company’s plans to add up to 3,500 employees this fiscal year, the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General says in a report issued Thursday. In another report, the Office of Inspector General said Amtrak should become more involved in local efforts […]
