PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern’s primary passenger execursion routes may lead to Jim Thorpe, Pa., but the company is also offering trips this year to destinations including Pottsville, Tamaqua, and Minersville from its Reading Outer Station. Pottsville excursions are set for April 13, May 11, June 8, Aug. 17, and Sept. 14. Those trips […]
Zone & Region: Northeast
New York MTA seeks developer for Grand Central Madison retail business
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is seeking a developer to serve as master tenant to fill the 25,000 square feet of retail and dining space at Grand Central Madison, the Long Island Railroad Terminal in Manhattan that opened in 2023. “This is an amazing opportunity for the right operator: 25,000 square feet of […]
Philadelphia railroad bridge struck by oversized load, closing I-95, impacting NJ Transit service
PHILADELPHIA — A truck carrying an oversized load struck a railroad bridge crossing over Interstate 95 on Monday, closing the northbound lanes of the highway indefinitely and shutting down a portion of NJ Transit’s Atlantic City commuter rail service. The Conrail bridge in northeast Philadelphia was hit about 1:30 p.m.; after railroad engineers assessed damage, […]
MBTA to pay more to get long-delayed CRRC railcars
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will pay an additional $148 million to Chinese railcar manufacturer CRRC as part of an agreement to complete the order for its long-delayed, problem-plagued Red and Orange Line subway cars, the Boston Globe reports. That will push the total cost of the order to more than $1 billion. […]
Catskill Mountain to use New York grants to extend route, upgrade locomotives, build new engine house
KINGSTON, New York — The Catskill Mountain Railroad will use three grants from the New York State Department of Transportation to build a new engine house and connecting track, a new terminal at Basin Road, and an upgrade to reduce diesel locomotive emissions, the railroad has announced. The grants, totaling $4.485 million, were among those […]
Failure of switch part led to MBTA Red Line derailment
BOSTON — A failure in a counterpin, a small switch part, led to the derailment of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Red Line train on March 23, MBTA CEO Phillip Eng told a meeting of the agency’s board on Thursday. WCVB-TV reports the failure of that small pin allowed a larger pin connecting to a […]
Maine legislature votes down study of Portland-Bangor passenger service
AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill calling for a study to extend rail passenger service from Portland, Maine, to Bangor, via Lewiston, Auburn, and Waterville, was defeated this week in the state’s House of Representatives, CentralMaine.com reports. In a Wednesday vote, LD 860 was defeated 82-63, a week after the state Senate had approved the legislation […]
Connecticut to rename Fairfield Metro station to reduce confusion
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — In a move to address a longstanding source of confusion, the Fairfield Metro station on Metro-North’s New Haven Line will be renamed Fairfield-Black Rock, local and Connecticut Department of Transportation officials have announced. The station in question, which opened in December 2011, is approximately 1.7 miles northeast of the downtown Fairfield station. Commuters […]
Study offers five possibilities for passenger service to Allentown, Pa.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A study on the potential return of passenger service to Allentown, Pa., by Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation and consulting firm WSP was released Wednesday, narrowing from 12 to five the potential routes such service might take. The full 60-page study, available here, provides a roadmap for the process it would take to […]
CT rail passenger service along the Hartford Line
Travel with Trains.com to the Hartford Line, a busy stretch of commuter railroad operating passenger service between New Haven, Conn. and Springfield, Mass. Opened in 2018 and featuring up to 35 passenger trains a day, this state-supported passenger rail corridor features both CT rail service and Amtrak Regionals. In addition, we’ll view Amtrak Vermonter, which […]
New York MTA approves tolls for congestion pricing plan
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has approved toll rates for Manhattan’s planned congestion pricing program, which is intended to fund improvements to MTA transit programs. The board voted 11-1 at a meeting today (March 27) to approve tolls of $15 during the day and $3.75 at night in the congestion zone below […]
NTSB looks at NS rules, procedures, and training as investigation of three-train Pennsylvania incident continues
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is looking at Norfolk Southern rules, procedures, and crew training relating to train handling as it continues its investigation into the collision and derailment involving three trains that occurred March 2 in Lower Saucon Township, Pa., according to the preliminary investigation report issued today (Tuesday, March 26). The […]