Venice Simplon Orient Express journey: two Australian’s adventure

Venice Simplon Orient Express journey: A dining room table in a luxurious rail car.

Join Jess and Stephen (or Stephen and Jess?!) for a full-review experience of the luxury Venice Simplon Orient Express journey by train from Venice, Italy, to London, U.K. The Australian family maintains a travel blog, Flying The Nest, where they detail their globe-trotting experiences, mostly out of a converted van. They’ve traveled throughout North America, […]

Read More…

BART to award eight retired cars for reuse

Illustration of BART car in museum

OAKLAND, Calif. — Bay Area Rapid Transit has selected eight finalists to receive and repurpose retired BART railcars for uses ranging from a beer garden to firefighter training. While those selected will not pay for the cars, they will have to pay for transporting and installing them at their new locations, which the transit agency estimates […]

Read More…

Metro-North sets schedules for service increases

Electric multiple unit trainset with red front stops at station

NEW YORK — Commuter railroad Metro-North has released schedules for increased service to begin March 27. The schedule includes the addition of 66 trains on the three East of Hudson lines, bringing frequencies to 89% of pre-pandemic levels and restoring express service at several stations. The schedules will see Hudson Line weekday service increase from 142 […]

Read More…

Northbound along Howe Sound

Pacific Great Eastern Railway

Two GE 70-tonners lead Pacific Great Eastern’s daily passenger train north from Squamish, B.C., in about 1950, several years before the line was extended down to North Vancouver and Rail Diesel Cars replaced the secondhand stock seen here. Linn H. Westcott photo […]

Read More…

Minnesota Senate approves audit of light-rail project

Map of light rail project connecting Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, Minn.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate has joined the state House of Representatives in requesting an audit of the problem-plagued Metro Transit Southwest light-rail extension project. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that, by a 65-0 vote, the Senate approved the bill appropriating $200,000 for the audit and requiring twice-yearly updates to legislators on the […]

Read More…

Investigation begins into Caltrain collision and fire

Train on fire with plume of black smoke

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — National Transportation Safety Board officials say they will be trying to determine why positive train control didn’t prevent the accident as part of their investigation of the March 10 collision and fire involving a Caltrain commuter train. Thirteen people were reported injured after the train struck on-track equipment involved in the […]

Read More…

Virginia rail official steps down

Woman in dark coat in front of Virginia flag

RICHMOND, Va. — Jennifer Mitchell, who as director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation helped the state reach a landmark deal with CSX Transportation to expand rail passenger service, is stepping down to take a position with the Federal Railroad Administration. The website Virginia Business reports Mitchell will depart on March 18 […]

Read More…

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western passenger trains

GL140303-1

The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad is Classic Trains’ railroad of the month for March 2022. Please enjoy this photo gallery highlighting DL&W passenger train images from Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. This gallery was first published in August 2019.   Only from Trains.com! […]

Read More…

Rail employee group voices support for Amtrak Gulf Coast service

Logo of Railroad Workers United

WASHINGTON — Railroad Workers United, which describes itself as “an inter-union, cross-craft solidarity caucus of railroad workers and their supporters,” has expressed its support for Amtrak’s efforts to launch service on the Gulf Coast — while taking more than a few shots at CSX and other Class I railroads. In a statement filed with the […]

Read More…