MONTREAL — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has said it will investigate after an Exo commuter train and Canadian National freight train collided on Tuesday evening, sending three men to the hospital with minor injuries. The CBC reports the incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. at the Saint-Léonard-Montréal-Nord station on Exo’s Mascouche line. Four other […]
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MBTA completes five days of Red Line work, eliminates nine slow orders
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced Tuesday (Nov. 21) that it had completed “critical track work” on the transit Red Line, removing four 10-mph speed restrictions and five 25-mph restrictions between the JFK/UMass and Park Street stations. Rail service was replaced with shuttle buses on the evenings of Nov. 14-16 and all day […]
Toronto places first trainset in service from new streetcar order
TORONTO — The first of an order of 60 new Alstom streetcars for the Toronto Transit Commission entered service last week, joining an existing fleet of 204 Alstom light rail vehicles in the TTC fleet. The C$568 million order, with funding from the federal, provincial, and Toronto governments, will be completed with deliveries through 2025. […]
Port Authority commissioners approve $230 million for PATH projects
NEW YORK — Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have approved a $230 million, multi-year program to address track and rolling stock issues for the Port Authority Trans Hudson, or PATH, rail system, NJ.com reports. Commissioners voted 12-0 to approve the state-of-good-repair projects at their Tuesday, Nov. 21, meeting. The […]
STB extends reply comment period on reciprocal switching proposal
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation board announced today it will extend the reply comment period for its proposed rule on reciprocal switching by 14 days to Dec. 20. The board’s decision is in response to a request by a coalition of shipper groups — the American Chemistry Council, the Fertilizer Institute, and the National Industrial […]
Trains.com Insider Exclusive | Touring Sievers Benchwork
Come along with Trains.com host Gerry Leone, as he explores the production facilities of Sievers Benchwork, located on Washington Island, Wisconsin. With master carpenters Barb Cornell and Butch Young guiding us through the manufacturing process, learn how model railroad framework fabricated with pre-drilled holes and modular designs, revolutionized benchwork construction! Discover additional insights about its history, […]
FRA issues safety advisory urging railroads to be prepared for nasty weather
WASHINGTON — Railroading is an outdoor sport, and the Federal Railroad Administration is encouraging railroads to step up their play in bad weather. In a safety advisory issued Monday, Nov. 20, the FRA urged railroads to take steps to ensure that they take proper precautions while operating through extreme weather events, including tornadoes, high winds, […]
Pere Marquette No. 1225 debuts in 2023 for the North Pole Express (with video)
OWOSSO, Mich. — Pere Marquette steam locomotive No. 1225 made its public debut over the weekend by operating the North Pole Express excursions – organized by the 2-8-4’s owners, the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI) of Owosso. The Berkshire-type locomotive is fresh from an extensive rebuild of the driving wheels and running gear with test runs […]
Ask Trains.com November 2023 compilation
Ask Trains.com November 2023 compilation | Host Cody Grivno answers viewer questions concerning pricing of hand-crafted brass versus injection-molded plastic freight cars; how to decipher stenciled freight car data; the steam locomotive classification system; where to learn about U.S. Department of Transportation rail equipment; and insights into the numerous locomotive paint schemes of the MR&T, Model […]
Mexican government seeks passenger service on seven lines
MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government has identified seven routes where it seeks the establishment of passenger rail service under a decree issued Monday, an edict that will require the companies holding the nation’s freight concessions to operate those services or accommodate government-operated trains. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obardor announced his plan to issue […]
Engineers, conductors for SEPTA Regional Rail vote to authorize strike
PHILADELPHIA — Engineers and conductors for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Regional Rail operations have authorized a strike, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen announced on Monday. The vote by engineers was unanimous, the BLET said. The union representing conductors, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD), also […]
Beyond the byline with Chris Guss
What was your first byline in Trains? Chris Guss: My first story was in the Norfolk Southern’s Heritage Power Special Issue in 2012. I co-authored “Heritage Triumph” with the late Jim Wrinn, covering the repainted fleet of new Norfolk Southern locomotives in heritage colors. Having access to the principals involved at Norfolk Southern in the […]