JASPER, Alberta — Anyone planning a trip on VIA Rail Canada’s Canadian, Ocean or other regional trains outside the Quebec City-Windsor, Ontario, corridor should keep departure date and sleeping accommodation options open. That’s because this is the first summer VIA will be utilizing a more sophisticated booking system that now offers wide pricing swings based […]
FORT STEELE, British Columbia — A steam locomotive that has been a longtime attraction in southwestern British Columbia has been sidelined for a safety review, raising doubts about its future operation. Concerns over the age and increasing maintenance costs of 2-6-2 No. 1077, built in 1923 by Montreal Locomotive Works for Vancouver Island logging operations, […]
WYANDOTTE, Okla. — An estimated 20 cars of a BNSF Railway train derailed Saturday (April 13) in Wyandotte, blocking the railroad’s main line on the Cherokee Subdivision, the route between Springfield, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla. KOAM-TV reports the derailment occurred about 7:40 p.m. and blocks Main Street and East 153rd Road in Wyandotte, a community […]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Senate has passed legislation requiring state transportation agencies to issue annual reports detailing any recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board and providing status reports on implementation of those recommendations. The bill, which passed by a 59-0 vote on Friday, was introduced by state Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) in response […]
Occasionally, the News Wire staff comes across items that don’t lend themselves to Trains News Wire coverage, but are still worth sharing with readers. To that end, today we introduce an occasional offering, “Worthwhile Reads,” to help you find those items elsewhere on the internet. — Rocky Mountain PBS profiled Amtrak conductor Brad Swartzelter, celebrated […]
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A public comment period concludes April 18 on Washington State Department of Transportation proposals to increase Amtrak Cascades service over the next 20 years to as many as 16 daily round trips between Seattle and Portland, and six between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. The 46-page Preliminary Service Development Plan for the […]
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 […]
SACRAMENTO — The California High-Speed Rail Authority has taken the next step in purchase of its first trainsets, with the authority’s board approving a Request for Proposals earlier this week for the first equipment that will operate on the line in the state’s Central Valley. Approval of the request means the Authority will solicit proposals […]
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has “terminated with cause” its contract with the U.S. affiliate of Chinese railcar manufacturer CRRC for 45 bilevel commuter railcars, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The contract was awarded in 2017, and the first cars were to have been completed in 2019 [see “SEPTA awards bid for Chinese bilevel […]
WASHINGTON — A subcommittee of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee s has announced plans for a hearing next week on challenges facing the commuter rail industry. The Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee has scheduled the hearing for Wednesday, April 17, at 10 a.m. ET, chairman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) announced. The hearing will be […]
The “Jacobite” or “Harry Potter” steam train, running from Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, will resume operations as of Monday, April 15, operator West Coast Railway announced today. Initially, the train will operate just once a day, instead of the two daily trips planned previously. The train has been subject of a long-running debate […]
INOLA, Okla. — The Port of Inola debuted its new rail line, the 4.4-mile Verdigris Southern Railroad, this week, delivering a shipment of paper products to the port facility of tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel. KJRH-TV reports the $20 million project involved rebuilding existing infrastructure at the port, a 2,500-acre industrial park formerly belonging to the […]
