MBTA board votes for electrification of some commuter rail lines

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BOSTON — The board that oversees the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has outlined its vision for the future of the agency’s commuter rail service. At a Monday meeting, the Fiscal and Management Control Board unanimously approved a series of resolutions supporting a plan to electrify some MBTA commuter lines and offer greatly increased train frequencies. […]

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Metro-North adds more PTC operation on Hudson Line NEWSWIRE

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An late afternoon Metro-North Express No. 876 leaves Croton-Harmon station on the Hudson Line in October. Some 67 miles of the line, between Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Marble Hill, now have operational positive train control. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad has extended positive train control operation from Croton-Harmon, N.Y., to […]

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Remembering the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad

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There is no mistaking Atlantic Coast Line boss Champ Davis’ favorite color — Royal Purple — as E6 No. 518 nears Cascade Road leaving greater Atlanta for Waycross, Ga., with local train 101 in Oct. 1958. David W. Salter The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was true to its name: it linked an important string of […]

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Q&A: SEPTA general manager Jeff Knueppel NEWSWIRE

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SEPTA General Manager Jeff Knueppel SEPTA Nearing the end of a 30-plus year career with the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority general manager Jeff Knueppel is retiring at the end of 2019. He spoke at length with Trains News Wire about the changes he’s seen and helped make at SEPTA, the importance of listening to employees, […]

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Weather hampering Amtrak operations in Northeast NEWSWIRE

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NEW YORK — Amtrak is cancelling some trains and operating a modified schedule with others this afternoon as a result of “severe weather issues in the Northeast,” the passenger railroad says in an advisory on its website. Cancelled trains are: — Boston-New York Acela Express No. 2190; — Empire Service trains 280 (Niagara Falls-New York) and […]

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NJ Transit to add station on Northeast Corridor line NEWSWIRE

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A northbound NJ Transit train arrives at the Princeton Junction station in August 2019. NJ Transit has reached agreement on building a new station at North Brunswick, which will eventually be the next station north of Princeton Junction on the Northeast Corridor line. TRAINS: David Lassen NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A new NJ Transit station […]

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Smoldering embers of a different age

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A passenger for the New Haven’s Owl checks in at the gate for track 21 in Grand Central Terminal. This photo, from March 1957 Trains magazine, was author Gwyer’s introduction to the train. Don Wood I was first introduced to the New Haven Railroad’s Owl by a photo in the March 1957 issue of Trains magazine. The picture, made […]

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Advisory group recommends ‘transformation’ plan for MBTA NEWSWIRE

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An advisory group is supporting a “full transformation” plan for the MBTA that would include electrification of the currently all-diesel commuter rail system. Scott A. Hartley BOSTON — An advisory group studying six different plans for the future of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has thrown its support behind the most elaborate, and most expensive, […]

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MTA advances reorganization plan with request for proposals NEWSWIRE

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NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has issued a request for proposals for its Transformation Plan, the next step in reorganizing the agency. The request seeks a company or companies to support implementation of the plan, which will consolidate administration in areas such as finance, information technology, labor relations, customer communications, and safety. In […]

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