San Diego-L.A. Surfliner schedule beefed up to meet surging demand

Blue and silver locomotive and passenger train at platform in front of skyscrapers

LOS ANGELES — Beginning Monday, June 28, the agency overseeing Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliners will add three daily Pacific Surfliner round trips between Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif., to the six that have been running since frequencies were last increased April 30. However, only three trains in each direction, plus Amtrak’s Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight, […]

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U.S. rail traffic continues to outpace 2020 figures

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic remains ahead of the pandemic-depressed levels of 2020, while the most recent week’s traffic shows a slight decline from the preceding seven-day period. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show U.S. railroads moved a total of 514,112 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending June 19, a 12.5% […]

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Safety first

Man climbing between two coal hopper cars

Safety first Tethered at the waist to the car for safety, a mine employee rides a string of coal hoppers it coasts from the tipple down to yard. The cars will travel from Wharton No. 2 Mine near Barrett, W.Va., to Newport News, Va. W. A. Akin photo […]

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BNSF Railway working to clear congestion on Southern Transcon

Double-stack container train passing maintenance equipment

FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway says it’s working to clear a backlog of traffic on its busy Southern Transcon route linking Southern California and Chicago after a series of extreme weather events and a derailment. The weather included record high temperatures around 120 degrees and high winds on the western end of the Transcon, and […]

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CN announces 2021 capital plans for Canada

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National has released province-by-province plans for capital investments in its Canadian routes during 2021 as part of its C$3 billion capital plan. The railroad plans to replace more than 340 miles of rail in the eight provinces where it operates, in addition to bridge, culvert, signal, and general track infrastructure work across Canada. […]

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Digest: Work begins on Tehachapi Loop viewing platform

Historical markers at overlook

Tehachapi Loop viewing platform could open by mid-July Ground has been broken on a new viewing platform at California’s Tehachapi Loop, with completion expected by mid-July. The Tehachapi News reports the platform will end the need for those viewing trains at the loop to stand along a narrow shoulder of Woodford-Tehachapi Road, easing safety concerns. […]

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Digest: MARC commuter trains to resume full schedule in August

MARC commuter rail logo

After nine months of reduced service, full MARC schedule to resume Aug. 30 MARC commuter trains will resume full operations on Aug. 30, nine months after reducing service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baltimore Sun reports that Maryland Transit Adminstration officials announced the restoration of MARC and commuter bus service on Monday, while […]

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Rocky Mountaineer, White Pass & Yukon adjust summer operating plans

Passenger train rounds curve with Rocky Mountains in background

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Despite uncertainty when the Canada-U.S. border will open, Rocky Mountaineer has confirmed it is moving ahead with limited operations on two of its three routes out of Vancouver in July and returning to a full schedule in August. Meanwhile, although Alaskan tour train operator White Pass & Yukon Route will begin […]

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Union Pacific plans tour for ‘We Are One’ locomotive

Front of multicolored locomotive

HOUSTON — Union Pacific has announced a summer tour for its “We Are One” locomotive commemorating diversity and honoring the work of railroad’s nine Employee Resource Groups in supporting diversity, inclusion, and equality. The locomotive, previewed by the railroad in May [see “Union Pacific announces locomotive honoring Employee Resource Groups,” Trains News Wire, May 27, […]

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