The J.D. Irving Ltd. short lines in New Brunswick and Maine have added five more locomotives to their fleet of refurbished SD70M-2s. The first six units were delivered starting in June 2021 [see “Locomotive news: First New Brunswick Southern Railway locomotive refurbished,” Trains News Wire, July, 2021]. Four of the second group of locomotives are […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Agencies seek to extend Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad into Cleveland, creating national park access
CLEVELAND — A new effort is being launched to link downtown Cleveland and Cuyahoga Valley National Park by extending Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad service, Cleveland.com and the Cleveland Plain Dealer report. In a meeting last week, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and other groups reached agreement on roles and responsibilities to advance the project, […]
SMART extension work to resume after California court ruling
PETALUMA, Calif. — A California Supreme Court ruling will allow Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit to resume construction of a 3-mile extension north to a station in Windsor, Calif., the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports. Last week’s 7-0 ruling by the court ended a long-running court fight by the Howard Jarvis Tax Association seeking to overturn a […]
UP derailment in Louisiana leads to evacuation
KEACHI, La. — About 130 people are under an evacuation order today (Saturday, Jan. 28) after a Union Pacific train derailed near Shreveport, La., Friday night and began leaking hazardous materials, the Associated Press reports. Approximately 16 cars derailed about 10:30 p.m. in Keachi (also spelled as Keatchie), about 30 miles southwest of Shreveport. Louisiana […]
CPKC offers plan to address traffic issues in Chicago-area suburbs
WASHINGTON — As part of their merger, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern will work with a group of Chicago-area communities on voluntary measures to address traffic concerns in those communities, the railroads say in the final Environmental Impact Statement released today (Friday, Jan. 27) by the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis. The […]
Final environmental review finds few problems with Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger
WASHINGTON — The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger would cause few adverse environmental impacts aside from increased train noise in some locations, the Surface Transportation Board said in its final environmental impact statement today. The three-volume environmental impact statement, or EIS, incorporates comments the STB received at public hearings along CP and KCS routes in […]
Ottawa, builder of light rail line announce settlement
OTTAWA, Ontario — The City of Ottawa and the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the Rideau Transit Group, have reached an out-of-court settlement over the contract to build the light rail system. A joint statement issued today (Friday, Jan. 27) says the agreement resolves the dispute and resets the relationship between the […]
Iowa legislation to limit train length takes first step forward
DES MOINES, Iowa — Legislation seeking to limit the length of freight trains in the state of Iowa passed its first legislative hurdle Thursday, moving through a subcommittee to the state House Transportation Committee. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports a three-member subcommittee voted unanimously to advance House Study Bill 88, which would limit freight trains […]
Maryland light rail operator charged in grade-crossing death
LINTHICUM, Md. — The operator of a Maryland Transit Adminstration light rail train has been changed in the death of a 17-year-old killed in a grade crossing accident last February, the Baltimore Sun reports. Tavon Smith has been charged with negligent manslaughter, criminal negligence, and reckless endangerment, according to court records, in the death of […]
CRRC won’t be able to meet schedule calling for three-year-late delivery of MBTA cars
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority hasn’t received any new rapid-transit cars from CRRC’s Springfield, Mass., factory in seven months, and the company won’t meet a new schedule calling for completion of its 404-car order by September 2026, the agency’s board of directors was told today (Thursday, Jan. 26). And the long-term future of […]
Ottawa to seek settlement in light rail dispute
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa city council will seek a negotiated settlement in its long-running dispute over the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the CBC reports. The council directed its head of transit services to negotiate a settlement with builder Rideau Transit Group after spending five hours in a closed-door update on […]
New York governor, MTA chief help inaugurate Grand Central Madison service
NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA CEO Janno Lieber were among an estimated 100 passengers on the first Long Island Rail Road train today (Wednesday, Jan. 25) to Grand Central Madison, the new Manhattan station deep beneath Grand Central Terminal. “Grand Central Madison is a game changer for New Yorkers, and I look […]