Grand Canyon Railway No. 4960 continues centennial year into May

GC4960

WILLIAMS, Ariz. — As part of the 2023 steam schedule of operating the “First Saturday” excursions, Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel’s 2-8-2 No. 4960 was fired up for the special occasion. The former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad locomotive, with assistance from F40 diesel No. 4128, headed the railway’s round-trip excursion train from Williams to […]

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Amtrak station in Martinez, Calif., closed by mercury spill

Aerial view of train at station

MARTINEZ, Calif. — The Amtrak station in Martinez has been closed after a mercury spill was discovered in the station’s parking lot, Bay City News Service reports. Hazardous material teams responded to a reported spill at the station about 5:45 p.m. Monday evening, Contra Costa Health reported. The scene was eventually cleared, but the station […]

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Amtrak service halted between Seattle and Portland, Ore.

Train at station platform

PORTLAND, Ore. — Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland has been canceled through at least Wednesday after a landslide between Vancouver, Wash, and Kelso, Wash., on Monday. Amtrak announced the service disruption on Monday evening following the cancellation of the Seattle-Portland portion of several Cascades trains earlier in the day. The passenger operator cites a […]

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Minnesota museum repainting equipment

Orange and green passenger car in building with windows masked off for repainting

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Transportation Museum is moving ahead with plans to repaint several pieces of passenger equipment at its Jackson Street Roundhouse Museum in St. Paul. If plans come to fruition, MTM will achieve a long-time goal of assembling a Great Northern streamliner in Omaha orange and Pullman green. MTM operates the […]

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News report says Colorado Pacific has ended pursuit of Tennessee Pass line

Colorado Pacific logo

Colorado Pacific Railroad, the rail enterprise of Colorado billionaire Stefan Soloviev, is no longer pursuing purchase of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Tennessee Pass line, according to the nonprofit website Colorado Newsline. The railroad’s general counsel, William Osborn, told the site Soloviev — a major New York developer and chairman of Crossroads Agriculture, […]

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FRA offers funds to help develop multi-state passenger rail programs

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced Monday the availability of $5.8 million in funding to help states develop agreements for intercity passenger rail service. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is for the Interstate Rail Compact Program. It helps provide funds and technical assistance for improvement, promotion, or development of multi-state or regional rail operations. […]

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Empire Builder adds cars following derailment

Passenger train emerges from tunnel at Chicago Union Station

CHICAGO — With horns blaring while track crews working in the tunnel at the scene of Sunday afternoon’s derailment stepped safely out of the way, the westbound Empire Builder emerged from the north side of Chicago Union Station this afternoon (Monday, May 8) with an extra coach and two additional sleeping cars compared to its […]

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Sound Transit resumes normal light rail service in downtown Seattle

Crowded underground light rail station in downtown Seattle.

SEATTLE — Light rail service is returning to normal frequencies through the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, Sound Transit has announced, following a period of single tracking for emergency repairs at the Westlake station. The repairs, required after a ground-level construction crew broke through the roof at the Westlake station, were completed ahead of schedule. The […]

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News photos: Santa Fe 2926 takes a short trip

Large crowds around steam locomotive

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Restored Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2926 made about a half-mile move down the spur track from its restoration site to a local brewery on Saturday, May 6, 2023, drawing thousands of onlookers for a fundraising event. The movement was the first time in 20 years the engine, built by Baldwin in 1944, […]

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BNSF’s first-quarter profit sags as volume declines 10%

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s first-quarter profit sank as volume fell in all four of the railroad’s business groups. BNSF’s pre-tax earnings declined 8.8%, to $1.6 billion, as revenue increased 1.9%, to $5.8 billion, BNSF’s parent, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. The railroad’s operating ratio was 68.4%, a 3.8-point increase from a year ago, as […]

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