Digest: BNSF train derails in Southern California desert

Damaged intermodal cars and containers

No injuries as BNSF intermodal train derails near Barstow About 15 cars of a BNSF Railway intermodal train derailed Thursday at Jimgray, Calif., about 24 miles northwest of Barstow on the railroad’s Mojave Subdivision. The San Bernardino County Fire Department reports on Twitter that it responded to the accident about 6 a.m., but there were […]

Read More…

Digest: Amtrak selects Siemens to build new intercity trainsets

White building with Siemens sign.

Amtrak selects Siemens to build replacements for Amfleet I cars, other aging equipment Amtrak has selected Siemens to build a fleet of 83 intercity trainsets for use on the Northeast Corridor, Palmetto, and various state-supported services. The selection of Siemens as the “preferred bidder” — which is currently building cars for use on state-supported trains […]

Read More…

Digest: Capitol Corridor memo expresses concern about Oakland ballpark plan

Artist's rendering of ballpark and large buildings along railroad tracks

Oakland ballpark plan creates grade crossing issues, memo says The head of the agency operating California’s Capitol Corridor Amtrak service has voiced concerns about grade-crossing issues new a proposed new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics. The Waterfront District Ballpark adjacent to Jack London Square will require stadium visitors to cross a busy Union Pacific line […]

Read More…

Duplainville, Wis.: Milwaukee’s hot spot

Duplainville, Wis.: Milwaukee's hot spot

Located just 20 miles west of Milwaukee in an easy to reach location, Duplainville offers up big-time railroading on two major Class I railroads, the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific (plus Amtrak), a corner tavern with a great burger, and plenty of parking and other fans to mingle with. Join us for  a preview […]

Read More…

Duplainville, Wis.: Milwaukee’s hot spot

Duplainville, Wis.: Milwaukee's hot spot

Located just 20 miles west of Milwaukee in an easy to reach location, Duplainville offers up big-time railroading on two major Class I railroads, the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific (plus Amtrak), a corner tavern with a great burger, and plenty of parking and other fans to mingle with. Join us for  a preview […]

Read More…

‘Amtrak Cascades’ to add two round trips on May 24

Talgo trainset in Amtrak Cascades paint scheme

SEATTLE – After months of periodic sellouts at the 50% capacity limit on a single Seattle-Eugene, Ore., round trip — the only daily Cascades corridor service for more than a year — the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation plan to add two additional round trips on May 24. But because Talgo, Amtrak, and the […]

Read More…

Analysis: Coach sellouts, high sleeper prices continue on Amtrak long-distance network

People boarding bilevel Amtrak passenger car at night

CHICAGO — Amtrak’s announcement that it will lift capacity restrictions on coach seating can’t come soon enough for long-distance train passengers. They continue to face limited availability at the highest “flexible” fares, or outright sellouts on many routes, because otherwise-idle equipment has not been added to service with consistently strong patronage since triweekly operation began […]

Read More…

Digest: Texas high speed rail opponents file suit against FRA

Texas Central logo

Opponents sue FRA over decisions on Texas Central high speed project Texans Against High Speed Rail, six Texas counties, and 10 individual landowners have filed suit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration over the proposed Texas Central high speed project between Dallas and Houston, seeking to void the FRA’s Rule of […]

Read More…

Amtrak’s money mystery

Amtrak Acela train rounds curve.

From January 2019 Trains When the Southwest Chief rumbles across New Mexico’s Raton Pass, with sleeping-car passengers paying as much as $1,058 to ride in a roomette, what is the train’s revenue-versus-cost effect on Amtrak’s bottom line? According to the “route level results” of the fiscal 2017 performance report, the Chicago-Los Angeles train generated $49.9 […]

Read More…

News photo: New Siemens cars depart for testing

New passenger cars

Three Siemens Venture coaches and two Charger locomotives depart Chicago on Monday, April 12, for Effingham, Ill. The cars will test through through Thursday of this week, evaluating the new equipment’s ability to effectively shunt electric current between rails on Canadian National’s former Illinois Central trackage. Since 2006, the railroad has imposed a minimum axle […]

Read More…