MENLO PARK, Calif. — Efforts by Caltrain to shore up a bridge on the commuter rail line threatened by erosion along a creek have been stalled by the complex gauntlet of governmental agencies that must approve the work, meaning repairs will not occur before another rainy season arrives with the potential of further erosion that […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Free begins tenure as acting president of Long Island Rail Road
NEW YORK — Rob Free has taken over as acting president of the Long Island Railroad, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, ending Catherine Rinaldi’s tenure as both interim president of the LIRR and president of Metro-North Railroad. Free’s first full day in the position was Thursday, MTA CEO Janno Lieber said. He had been named to […]
MBTA Green Line extension was built with track out of gauge, faces significant repairs
BOSTON — Tracks were built out of gauge on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line extension, meaning the 4.7-mile, $2.3 billion project faces significant rebuilding less than a year after it opened. MBTA CEO Phillip Eng revealed the problem at a press conference today (Thursday, Oct. 19). An MBTA spokesman said 80% of the […]
CREATE partners outline bid for Mega Grant to advance 75th Street project
CHICAGO — It’s a measure of how large CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project is that, even having been divided into more manageable parts, it’s still too big, from a financial standpoint, for one of those parts to be fully funded through the federal government’s Mega Grant program. So, when CREATE — the Chicago Region […]
Charlotte commuter rail proposal revived by Norfolk Southern willingness to discuss deal
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Norfolk Southern has revived hopes for a long-stalled commuter rail line between Charlotte and communities in the Lake Norman area by indicating its willingness to “consider … a possible transaction” over the NS line that would be a necessary part of the route north of the city — a change from the […]
News photo: Metra SD70MACH makes test run
RIVER GROVE, Ill. — Metra has recently accelerated testing of its SD70MACH locomotives, with the first test run with one of the remanufactured units leading a train taking place earlier this week. Unit No. 509, accompanied by F59PH No. 99, is shown at River Grove on Tuesday, Oct. 17, on a test run that took […]
Amtrak to implement two-tier fare structure: Analysis
WASHINGTON — Amtrak announced today (Wednesday, Oct. 18) that it will be “soon” be reducing its fare categories from three to two, although details and effective dates have not been revealed. The bottom-tier and most-restrictive “Saver” fares are being eliminated, and the other two categories — “Value” and “Flexible” — are being redefined to allow […]
Southbound lanes of I-25 reopen in Colorado after derailment
PUEBLO, Colo. — Southbound lanes of Interstate 25 reopened this afternoon (Wednesday, Oct. 18) at the site of Sunday’s derailment and fatal bridge collapse involving a BNSF Railway coal train, the Colorado State Patrol reported on social media. Northbound lanes are expected to reopen Thursday Meanwhile, BNSF says the rail line at the site of […]
CN names two operations executives to succeed retiring chief operating officer
MONTREAL — Canadian National today appointed two operations executives to take over for retiring Chief Operating Officer Ed Harris. Patrick Whitehead was named executive vice president and chief network operating officer, while Derek Taylor was named executive vice president and chief field operating officer. Both appointments are effective Nov. 15. Railroads traditionally have a lone […]
Pricing hints at early patterns of Brightline ticket demand: Analysis
MIAMI — After more than a week with Brightline offering 15 round trips between Miami and Orlando, certain runs show fares are creeping up to sellout levels, while bargains are still available for travelers who book in advance. A Trains News Wire analysis of available fares since Saturday, Oct. 7, shows that wide variations continue […]
Metra lands federal grant to purchase battery-powered trainsets
CHICAGO — Metra will receive a federal grant of almost $170 million — the largest discretionary grant in its history — to buy battery-powered trainsets, the commuter rail operator announced Tuesday. The grant under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program was approved last week by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the […]
Preliminary NTSB findings indicate broken rail caused coal-train derailment near Pueblo
PUEBLO, Colo. — A broken rail is believed to have caused the derailment of a BNSF coal train near Pueblo on Sunday that led to the death of a truck driver on Interstate 25, according to preliminary findings of the National Transportation Safety Board. The Colorado Sun news site reports NTSB investigators determined the broken […]