California high speed project seeks $450 million in federal funds

High speed train in tunnel

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High Speed Rail Authority has applied for $450 million in federal grants to continue construction of the project in the state’s Central Valley. Some $446 million of that would come from the Federal Railroad Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. The Authority has also released the final […]

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Metrolink brings back $15 Summer Day Pass

Silver, teal, and black locomotive pushes train out of station

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink has revived its $15 Summer Day Pass, a seasonal weekday special fare available through Friday, Aug. 30. The special pass, first offered in 2022, is offered alongside the agency’s $10 weekend day pass, which remains available through the summer. The Summer Day Pass will be available on all weekdays except July […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic again shows small gain

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — Carload traffic remains down while intermodal volume is up, leading to an overall gain in U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 25, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. U.S. railroads reported total traffic of 485,232 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.2% over the same week in 2023. That […]

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New York City Transit President Davey selected as Massport CEO

Man gesturing on subway platform

NEW YORK — New York City Transit President has been named CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority, departing from his job as head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority department overseeing subways and buses after just two years. The Massport board of directors voted today to select Davey over Eulois Cleckley, CEO of the transportation department […]

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New high speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester planned

Blue high speed trainsets with yellow noses at station

LEEDS, England — Marking the 200th anniversary of the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway Co., the first intercity passenger rail line in the world, the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester announced the all-new Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board on May 22, 2024. This new venture also brings forth plans for an improved high speed rail line […]

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Norfolk Southern short line project leads to carload volume growth

Train with two black locomotives on spur

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern and 40 of its shortline connections have produced outsized growth in carload traffic this year through a program that aims to improve interchange consistency and reliability. The Short Line Performance Project, which began as a pilot with a handful of railroads last July, has seen interchange volume grow 9% since March […]

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Study: Derailment risk rises with the number of cars in a freight train

The risk of derailment increases with freight train length, according to an academic study published today, which found that a 200-car train is 24% more likely to derail than a 50-car train. The study — by researchers from Brigham Young University, Georgetown University, and Virginia Tech — analyzed Federal Railroad Administration rail equipment accident data […]

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Build a yard office with an HO Atlas elevated gate tower

Model railroad building with yellow and red faded paint, as well as silver tweezer holding small red trim board.

While sifting through my “someday” project box, I found an old Atlas elevated gate tower.  I’ve had this little plastic structure since my earliest days in the hobby, but it’s been a number of years since I’ve used it on a layout. Despite its rough shape, I pulled it out of the box thinking it […]

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