CHICAGO — An Illinois legislator has proposed lowering fares on Metra’s Electric District, and the commuter railroad says it’s willing to discuss the proposal. The Chicago Tribune reports State Rep. Marcus Evans Jr.’s bill would make rail service more affordable for South Side residents by lowering Metra Electric trips within Chicago to rates equal to […]
A light power move of Canadian Pacific and Norfolk Southern locomotives departs Bensenville Yard and passes through the Franklin Park, Ill., Metra station as a transfer cut with CSX locomotives arrives off the Indiana Harbor Belt. CP and Canadian National are in a dispute over their interchange location in the Chicago area. TRAINS: David Lassen […]
ROCHELLE, Ill. — The City of Rochelle will look at the possibility of developing its own intermodal container facility to offset the loss of Union Pacific’s facility in the city, city officials tell the Rochelle News-Leader. UP announced last week it would close its Global 3 intermodal terminal in Rochelle, as well as its Canal Street […]
Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform a free concert on Friday, May 3, 2019, at Chicago Union Station’s Great Hall. Bob Johnston CHICAGO—Union Station’s Great Hall reverberated with music, mostly from the middle of the 19th Century, in a free lunchtime concert performed by six Chicago Symphony Orchestra members on Friday. The ensemble played […]
NorthShore Track crews work on installation of welded rail on the Minnesota Prairie Line between Winthrop and Gibbon, Minn., in August 2018. The project is scheduled for completion this year. Bryant Kaden GLENCOE, Minn. – The Twin Cities & Western Railroad plans to wrap up a track rebuilding project on its wholly-owned subsidiary Minnesota Prairie […]
WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific has asked federal regulators to intervene in an interchange dispute with Canadian National, which wants to shift where the railroads exchange traffic in Chicago. CN aims to move the interchange from Spaulding in Bartlett, Ill., not far from CP’s Bensenville Yard, to CN’s Kirk Yard in Gary, Ind., effective May 10. […]
Falling concrete closed three tracks at Chicago Union Station on Wednesday. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Falling concrete led to the shutdown of three tracks at Chicago Union Station on Wednesday, interfering with some morning commuter operations. Emergency repairs had two of the tracks reopened in time for the afternoon commute. The Chicago Sun-Times reports […]
At a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Argo Connections project are (from left) Ian Jeffries, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads; Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman; U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; and CSX Transportation General Manager – Midwest William Blanchetti. Richard Wronski CHICAGO — […]
BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Elimination of Amtrak’s Hoosier State could threaten jobs at the passenger railroad’s Beech Grove shops, according to an Amtrak spokesman and workers at the facility. WISH-TV reports that Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that, if the four-day-a-week train between Indianapolis and Chicago is eliminated, it would limit Amtrak’s ability to ferry […]
BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Supporters of Amtrak’s Hoosier State will hold a rally today at Amtrak’s Beech Grove shops in a final effort to save the Indianapolis-Chicago train. Supporters are scheduled to gather and speak with elected officials about 2 p.m., arguing for the importance of continuing the four-day-a-week train, according to WLFI-TV in Lafayette, […]
Railroads like Illinois Terminal, Pennsy, and New York Central sent promotional material to author Matejka, and often returned his 15 cents postage as well. How far can you travel for 15 cents? As a child in the early 1960s, I was traveling all over the country from my St. Louis home, thanks to 15 cents I […]
MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit broke its single-day light rail ridership record on April 8, the day of the NCAA basketball championship game in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the light rail system recorded more than 130,000 rides on the day Virginia beat Texas Tech for the NCAA title. The 130,896 rides broke the mark […]
