Vermont Rail System was hit as hard as its namesake state by storms early this week, but the company is beginning to get a handle on the damage. “I am feeling better today than I did yesterday,” president Selden Houghton said in a a telephone interview today (July 12) with Trains News Wire. VRS received […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
VRE service still limited after Amtrak derailment in Washington
WASHINGTON — Virginia Railway Express service remains limited for the morning commute as a result of Tuesday’s Amtrak derailment at Washington Union Station, VRE reported in a service alert. “Traffic is still suspended going into and out of Union Station,” the alert reads, “and we are still unable to retrieve our equipment from the coachyard […]
Surfliner, Metrolink to resume service though San Clemente July 17
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Metrolink commuter rail service and Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will resume operation through San Clemente on Monday, July 17, Metrolink and the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency have announced. The announcement comes a day after the board of directors of the Orange County Transportation Authority, which has been overseeing work at a landslide […]
Metro-North reopens Hudson line; Upper Harlem Line service to resume Wednesday (updated)
NEW YORK — Limited service has resumed on Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line between Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Grand Central Terminal as of this evening (July 11), with near-regular operations slated on that line and a full schedule on the Upper Harlem Line for Wednesday, July 12. The first northbound train to Poughkeepsie departed Grand Central at […]
STB announces investigation on Sunset Limited timekeeping, sets procedure
WASHINGTON — Responding to an Amtrak request from late last year, the Surface Transportation Board announced today (July 11) it will open an investigation into Sunset Limited timekeeping issues. Today’s board decision also outlines the framework for the process — a detailed procedure that will continue well into 2024. Establishment of that framework is necessary […]
Minor Amtrak derailment disrupts service south from Washington
WASHINGTON — Amtrak service between Washington Union Station and Alexandria, Va., has been suspended following the low-speed derailment this morning in a tunnel to the station, the Washington Post reports. The derailment of the locomotive and a coach of Northeast Regional train No. 86 from Norfolk, Va., occurred at 8:47 a.m. One Amtrak employee was […]
Are slugs locomotives?
Slugs What are slugs, what do they do You’re at trackside, eyeing an approaching CSX train. The roar of working diesels increases, but it’s oddly distant, given that the engines are so close. The lead unit grinds by, eerily silent but for the humming of its traction motors, followed by two others making all the […]
Progress on wall means rail service through San Clemente could return next week
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink rail service through San Clemente could resume next week, based on progress in construction of a wall to protect both rail services from a landslide. The San Clemente Times reports that the wall beneath the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is nearing completion, according to an […]
Alberta to fund study of rail link to Calgary airport
CALGARY, Alberta — The Province of Alberta will provide C$3 million in funding for a study of a rail link between Calgary’s downtown and airport, the Calgary Herald reports. The study will consider alternatives including a long-discussed extension of Calgary Transit’s light rail Blue Line and the proposed service that would link the airport, downtown, […]
Record number of short lines earn Jake Safety Awards
WASHINGTON — The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has recognized a record number of its member railroads for a 2022 Jake Safety Award, as well as for the award “with distinction” for zero reportable injuries. The ALSRRA announced Monday that 383 railroads had qualified for the Jake Award and 350 for the award […]
UP coal train derails in Wyoming
BILL, Wyo. — Twenty-one cars of a Union Pacific coal train derailed today (July 10), blocking UP’s route to ship coal out of the Powder River Basin. Cowboy State Daily reports the derailment occurred about 6:30 a.m. approximately 4 miles southeast of Lusk, Wyo., which is 130 miles north of Cheyenne. No injuries were reported. […]
Metro-North to restore some Hudson Line service Tuesday; Amtrak still halted (updated)
NEW YORK — Some Metro-North service will resume on the Hudson line on Tuesday, July 11, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced this afternoon (July 10). At least one train per hour will operate between Peekskill and Grand Central Terminal. This extends service two stations farther north than was available today, when damage from heavy rains […]