WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail has retired its 2000-series railcars, the oldest equipment in its fleet. The cars’ last day of service was Friday, May 10, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a press release. The cars, built by Italy’s Breda with final assembly in Beech Grove, Ind., debuted in 1983, arriving about two […]
Zone & Region: Northeast
Metro-North completes new 400,000-square-foot shop building
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — Metro-North Railroad has completed upgrades to its maintenance facilities at Croton-on-Hudson, opening a new 400,000-square-foot Harmon Shop building to complete a multi-year project. The facility opened on Friday can handle repairs for the entire Metro-North electrified fleet, including 12 carhoists, four pedestal tracks, and multiple door-level and roof-level platforms to aid in […]
Adirondack to be cancelled in northern New York State, Canada for more than a month: News and analysis
ALBANY, N.Y. — Amtrak’s Adirondack will be cancelled north of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. between May 20 and June 29, passengers already ticketed on the New York City-Montreal train were informed this week. Anyone trying to book a reservation for those dates on Amtrak’s website receives the message, “We do not have any services between the […]
Summer rail art exhibition slated for New York City gallery
NEW YORK – Twenty-two railroad paintings from the Peter and Christine Mosse collection will be displayed at a New York City art gallery this summer in a collaboration with the Center for Railroad Photography & Art. The “Art of Trains” exhibition will be held from July 11 to Aug. 23 at the Hirschl & Adler […]
New Jersey doctor sentenced to more than two years in prison in Amtrak health-care fraud case
NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey doctor has been sentenced to 26 months in prison for his role in a health-care fraud targeting Amtrak, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. Muhammad Mirza, 51, of Cedar Grove, N.J., had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The sentence was imposed by […]
Metro-North adds trains, capacity while I-95 is closed in Connecticut
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad on Friday announced plans for additional weekend trains and other capacity moves on its New Haven line in light of a collision and fire involving a gasoline tank truck that has closed Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Conn., at least through Monday. Today (May 4) and Sunday, […]
PRR T1 Trust to hold open house for its new-build 4-4-4-4 frame
ALTOONA, Pa. — A series of events, including a public open house, will be held next weekend to show the progress on building a 21st-century recreation of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s T1-class 4-4-4-4 streamlined steam locomotive. The nonprofit Pennsylvania Railroad T1 Steam Locomotive Trust will display its 64-foot-long, 35-ton fabricated frame at the Blair County Convention […]
Amtrak issues Requests for Information on high-speed wi-fi for Northeast Corridor
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has issued two Requests for Information seeking to provide high-speed wi-fi connectivity along the 450-mile Northeast Corridor, the company announced Thursday, May 2. One of the requests seeks to identify organizations interested in deploying a fiber network along the NEC; the other seeks metrics to understand the market demand along six subsections […]
MBTA maintenance removes all Blue Line speed restrictions
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has eliminated all speed restrictions from the rapid-transit Blue Line as a result of a maintenance shutdown that concluded on Tuesday, April 30, the agency announced Wednesday. A total of 19 speed restrictions were eliminated over a 5-mile stretch of the Blue Line during work that began April […]
MTA approves new commuter rail discounts to coincide with start of congestion pricing
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Tuesday approved new discounts on monthly commuter rail passes within New York City, as well as increased frequencies on six express bus routes. The fare discounts and changes to bus service will coincide with the planned June launch of Manhattan’s congestion pricing toll program [see “New […]
Friends of East Broad Top debuts ‘Young Easties’ program
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – The Friends of the East Broad Top Railroad today is kicking off registration for a new teenage-volunteer program in an outreach to recruit and engage “the next generation” of preservationists for the historic Central Pennsylvania narrow gauge short line. Closed in 1956 and revived twice since then, the former coal-hauling railroad […]
Lackawanna local at Hackettstown, N.J.
A Lackawanna Railroad local train is near the end of its Hoboken–Washington (N.J.) run as mail bags and other items are unloaded from its combine car during the station stop at Hackettstown, N.J., in 1947. Aaron G. Fryer photo […]