Coast Line reopens at site of Starlight derailment

Heavy equipment lifting damaged locomotive onto railroad tracks

MOORPARK, Calif. — Pacific Surfliner service will be restored north of Los Angeles today, while Metrolink operations north of Moorpark will resume this afternoon, following the suspensions as a result of Wednesday’s derailment of the Coast Starlight. The Surfliner Twitter feed says track work in Moorpark has been complete, and that while slow orders may […]

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Rail service remains halted at site of Coast Starlight derailment

Equipment lifts wreckage from front of damaged locomotive

MOORPARK, Calif. — Scheduled rail service through the site of Wednesday’s derailment of Amtrak’s Coast Starlight remains disrupted while an investigation and clean-up continues. The derailment occurred about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday when the train hit a water truck at private, unprotected grade crossing near Moorpark [see “Coast Starlight derails after hitting truck …,” Trains News […]

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Metrolink could add two Los Angeles County stations

White and blue commuter train rounds curve

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink could add two new stations within Los Angeles County based on work in progress by LA Metro, the county transit agency that helps fund the five-county commuter rail operator. The LA Daily News reports new stops are being considered near the Los Angeles County Medical Center in Boyle Heights and in […]

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Amtrak’s California day-trip services

Passenger train running along beach

California can lay claim as one of the nation’s top rail passenger capitals. Amtrak is a key player in the Golden State, with three state-supported regional trains connecting multiple metropolitan areas. From the capital city of Sacramento to the beaches in San Diego, here are some great Amtrak day trips you can take in California. […]

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Work begins on wall to protect rail line in San Clemente

Aerial view of landslide above railroad tracks

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Work began Monday on a temporary restraining wall to be built at the site of a landslide that has halted passenger rail service through south Orange County since June 5. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports heavy equipment was being staged at the base of the slope below San Clemente’s Casa Romantica […]

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LA’s Metrolink expands weekend service on Ventura County Line

Commuter train with white locomotive emerges from tunnel

LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink will expand service on its Ventura County Line beginning this weekend, adding a round trip to the existing Saturday schedule and adding operations on Sundays. The schedule for one existing train will also change to offer more weekend service options. As of July 1, schedules for both Saturday […]

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Caltrain to delay planned fare increases

Diesel power commuter train under overhead wire

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Bay Area commuter operator Caltrain will delay fare increases planned for July 1 as part of its effort to encourage more riders to return to the system. A 50-cent increase in the base fare and an increase in the cost of monthly fares, from the cost of 24 trips to 30, […]

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SP’s “Slim Princess”

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Southern Pacific narrow-gauge 4-6-0 No. 22 nears Keeler, Calif., with a freight in May 1940. The Ten-Wheeler was originally Florence & Cripple Creek No. 22, an 1899 product of Schenectady, and then became Nevada-California-Oregon No. 22 before the equipment was relettered for the SP. F.J. Peterson photo […]

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Union, West Coast ports announce new labor deal

Two trains work with container lifts for ships in distance

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union have reached a tentative labor agreement covering 29 West Coast ports, ending more than a year of negotiations in a dispute that had seen work stoppages at major ports of entry. The settlement has major implications for the rail industry given the […]

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California legislators make deal to aid transit agencies

Rapid-transit trains on two bridges

SACRAMENTO — California legislators have agreed to a deal that would provide more than $3 billion to aid state transit agencies such as Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit that say they are facing a “fiscal cliff”as a result of low ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The deal would […]

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