Athearn HO General Electric P40DC

Color photo of HO scale locomotive on scenic base.

The HO scale General Electric (GE) P40DC diesel locomotive has returned to the Athearn product lineup. The Genesis-series model features a newly tooled body with cab-mounted strobe lights, a red emergency light, and other prototype-specific details. The prototype Our review sample is decorated as Amtrak P40DC No. 813, part of the passenger carrier’s 800 through […]

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Amtrak Inspector General finds customer communication deficiencies

Passenger train at station platform

WASHINGTON — An audit report released by Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General on Monday suggests the company can upgrade its communications with patrons “to improve the customer experience,” but possible steps to do so onboard trains were beyond the scope of the inquiry. The report, “Opportunities exist to better use data to improve the customer […]

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South Dakota official sees Amtrak service as unlikely

Map of proposed passenger rail route from Denver to Minneapolis-St. Paul via South Dakota

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota’s transportation secretary has injected a note of reality into discussion of possible Amtrak service in the state. That discussion gained life in February with the inclusion of two routes serving South Dakota among the 15 in a Federal Railroad Administration report on its ongoing Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study [see […]

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Amtrak seeks information on zero-emissions replacements for diesel fleet

Amtrak logo.

WASHINGTON — Amtrak on Tuesday announced it has released a Request for Information seeking information on zero-emission technologies for the company’s rail fleet as a step toward eliminating its current diesel locomotive fleet. “Finding the cleanest technologies to carry customers across our vast network will be transformative as we deliver a new era of rail,” […]

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Amtrak, NJ Transit service restored on Northeast Corridor

NEW YORK — Amtrak has restored service between Philadelphia and New York’s Penn Station following the issues that disrupted operations Monday night, the company announced in a service advisory at 7:15 a.m. ET today (Tuesday, April 16). NJ Transit is offering limited service on the Northeast Corridor. Along with what the company is calling “residual […]

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Parts issues leads to Amtrak Midwest cancellations (second update)

Train with four matching Siemens Venture passenger cars

CHICAGO — Amtrak has cancelled a series of state-supported trains in the Midwest on Friday and today (Saturday, April 13) because of issues involving parts for its Siemens Venture equipment. Responding to an inquiry from Trains News Wire, Amtrak’s Beth Toll wrote in an email, “A supply chain backlog from key vendors has delayed replacement […]

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Four-mode trains enter service in Europe

Blue, green, and white multiple-unit passenger trainset on display at trade show.

Italian national rail company Trenitalia launched its latest hybrid passenger trains earlier this month on the scenic route from Taranto to Reggio Calabria on the nation’s southern coast. The trains, built by Hitachi in Italy, are claimed to be the world’s first four-mode hybrid trains — and while they are the first to enter service, […]

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