OAKLAND, Calif. — Amtrak will resume operation of the Coast Starlight over its full Seattle-Los Angeles route, beginning with departures from both endpoints on Monday, Aug. 23, following completion of bridge work between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, Calif. However, the train’s sleeping-car inventory currently remains limited for more than a month after its […]
LOS ANGELES — Metrolink will expand its recently introduced Saturday service on its Ventura County line, extending its single round trip to serve the Camarillo, Oxnard, and Ventura-East stations as of this Saturday, Aug. 14. The service was introduced May 29 and only extended as far as Moorpark, while also serving Simi Valley, Chatsworth, Northridge, […]
ELKINS, W.Va. — With COVID-19 cases increasing, the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad has cancelled its Polar Express holiday trains for the second consecutive years. D&GV president John Smith told the Inter-Mountain newspaper, “The Polar Express is very up close and personal with children and it would be a disaster to try and put 280 […]
‘Powhatan Arrow’ Railroad employees shine up the Tuscan red exterior of the Powhatan Arrow’s dining car at Williamson, W.Va. The new streamliner started operations April 28, 1946, on a 15.5-hour westbound timing over the 676-mile route from Norfolk to Cincinnati. Norfolk & Western photo […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Twin Cities-area Metropolitan Council has approved an additional $200 million in funding from Hennepin County for the Southwest light rail project, which will extend the existing Green Line to Eden Prairie, Minn. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the additional construction funding increases Hennepin County’s share of the project to $878 […]
WASHINGTON – Amtrak will require its employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 effective Nov. 1, according to a memo obtained by Trains News Wire. Unvaccinated employees must submit weekly proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Amtrak is also extending remote work for office employees to Nov. 1. “This extension of the return date is prudent […]
BERLIN — Much of Germany’s rail system has been shut down by a two-day strike expected to leave only about a quarter of the nation’s long-distance trains in operation Wednesday and Thursday. The Associated Press reports national operator Deutsche Bahn is asking passengers to avoid unnecessary travel and will suspend COVID-19 related restrictions, allowing every […]
WASHINGTON — The Senate’s passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill drew praise from a variety of rail observers and other interested parties Tuesday. The bill includes $66 billion for rail-related spending, including $58 billion for Amtrak. Amtrak board chairman Tony Coscia said in a statement that the bill represents more than just this country’s […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — Service on the O-Train light rail Confederation Line will remain suspended until at least Friday following Sunday night’s minor derailment of an out-of service train. CTV News reports OC Transpo, the city’s transit agency, is focusing on axle bearings as it investigates the single-axle derailment. In a memo, OC Transpo General Manager […]
West Point Route Atlanta & West Point and Western Railway of Alabama — together known as the West Point Route — handle the Southern Crescent between Atlanta and Montgomery. On February 28, 1948, WofA 4-8-2 No. 185 heads a 13-car train 38 east at Hogansville, Ga. David W. Salter photo […]
Independent analyst Anthony B. Hatch is fond of saying that one of freight railroads’ enduring advantages is owning and maintaining their own infrastructure. Nothing could drive that point home better than the repair blitz that Union Pacific launched after its 1,200-foot Dry Canyon Bridge sustained heavy damage from a wildfire. The 150-foot-tall span in Hotlum, […]
MIAMI — Brightline President Patrick Goddard announced Tuesday the company will resume hourly West Palm Beach-Miami trains in “the first half” of November, with the exact date still to be determined. When service returns, Brightline plans a major innovation designed to create a seamless experience for passengers. The company is collaborating with software company lomob […]
