CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The city of Charlotte and Norfolk Southern have reached agreement for Charlotte to acquire NS’ O-Line route north of the city for use as a commuter rail line, WSOC-TV reports. An email from City Manager Marcus Jones informed officials in Mecklenburg County of the non-binding agreement on May 15; that email was […]
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Planned Illinois excursion with CP No. 2816 is cancelled (updated)
SILVIS, Ill. — CPKC has decided not to run the previously announced excursion on Iowa Interstate with CP 4-6-4 No. 2816, Railroad Heritage of Midwest America President Steve Sandberg has informed Trains News Wire. Instead, the locomotive will be brought to Silvis for static display, Sandberg told Trains correspondent Steve Glischinski in a brief message. […]
California high speed project seeks $450 million in federal funds
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 […]
Metrolink brings back $15 Summer Day Pass
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 […]
U.S. weekly rail traffic again shows small gain
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 […]
New York City Transit President Davey selected as Massport CEO
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 […]
New high speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester planned
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 […]
Steam season underway for NKP No. 765 and Indiana Rail Experience
ANGOLA, Ind. — The sights and sounds of big steam with the aroma of handcrafted ice cream returned to Angola for the Memorial Day weekend. Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 made its 2024 debut with the Indiana Rail Experience’s Ice Cream Train. The experience — now in its third season of events and excursions […]
Norfolk Southern short line project leads to carload volume growth
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 […]
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 […]
North Carolina, Amtrak to run special trains to U.S. Open golf tournament
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Department of Transportation has announced that the state will run special passenger train to this year’s U.S. Open golf championship at Pinehurst, N.C. The “Open Express” train will run daily between Raleigh Union Station and the Pinehurst Clubhouse, near Pinehurst No. 2 golf course, during the June 13-16 tournament. The […]
Build a yard office with an HO Atlas elevated gate tower
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 […]