CHICAGO — Metra will introduce its first bike car — a coach with room for 16 bicycles, instead of the usual five — on Saturday on the Milwaukee District North Line, and will relax its bicycle policy to allow bikes on all trains across its 11 lines as of Monday, Nov. 9. There will still […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Norfolk Southern slims down to six divisions
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern has reduced its number of operating divisions to six from nine, continuing an industry trend toward larger divisional territories. The move was effective Nov. 1, Chief Operating Officer Cindy Sanborn wrote in a memo to employees. The Southern Region, which previously included the Alabama, Georgia, and Piedmont divisions, is now […]
Transit agencies rethink future of commuter rail
As transit agencies plot their recovery from the devastating effects of the 2020 pandemic, a common denominator is emerging: more riders need city buses than suburban trains. The revelation portends diminishing investment in rail. Commuter rail systems typically serve affluent suburban residents, more of whom work in office environments. In large part, those offices have […]
Digest: Metrolink to revise schedules Nov. 16
Wednesday morning rail news: Metrolink to make schedule changes Nov. 16 Six of Metrolink’s seven lines will see schedule adjustments on Nov. 16, with a total of nine trains on the LA-area commuter rail system dropped because of low ridership. Three trains will be added; other changes include creation of two express trains and some […]
Digest: Plan advances to lower fares on two Metra lines
Tuesday morning rail news: Metra board to vote on proposal to lower fares on two lines Fares on the Metra Electric and Rock Island District lines would drop to $2.50 per ride, the same as those for Chicago Transit Authority L service, under a proposal by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. The Fair Transit […]
BNSF and Union Pacific in Rochelle IL
Union Pacific to Clinton, Iowa 64.5 miles BNSF to Savanna, Illinois 60.0 miles BNSF to Aurora 45.3 miles UP to Proviso 59.6 miles Watch live railroading action 24 hours per day on TrainsMag.com! Our Rochelle Web Cam captures live action as the BNSF and Union Pacific main lines cross. Learn about Rochelle’s Railroad Park […]
Rochelle Web cam – Frequently Asked Question
Q. I don’t get motion and/or sound. What’s wrong with the camera? A. Likely nothing. While outages happen, they are relatively rare. The biggest cause of user distress is outdated software. We recommend updating the Adobe Flash Player plugin regularly and using a modern web browser, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, to view […]
Rochelle, Ill., Railroad Webcam
Union Pacific to Clinton, Iowa 64.5 miles BNSF to Savanna, Illinois 60.0 miles BNSF to Aurora 45.3 miles UP to Proviso 59.6 miles Watch live railroading action 24 hours per day on TrainsMag.com! Our Rochelle Web Cam captures live action as the BNSF and Union Pacific main lines cross. Learn about Rochelle’s Railroad Park […]
Railroad official: Boxcars won’t go over ‘retirement cliff’
NORFOLK, Va. — The aging North American boxcar fleet will remain large enough to handle demand in the coming decade even though boxcars are being retired at a faster rate than new cars are being built, a Norfolk Southern official told a shipper conference on Monday. Shippers and railcar leasing companies have expressed concern over […]
Digest: Cumbres & Toltec resumes trips from Chama, N.M.
Still more Monday morning rail news: Cumbres & Toltec resumes trips from Chama The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is resuming trips out of Chama, N.M., as of today and plans to operate from Chama for a month. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the railroad, which has had its operations significantly curtailed because […]
Norfolk Southern may idle additional hump yards
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires hinted today that the railroad may idle more hump yards. NS has shut down the humps at four classification yards in the past year — Allentown, Pa.; Sheffield, Ala; Linwood, N.C.; and Bellevue, Ohio — as its shift to a Precision Scheduled Railroading operating model reduces the […]
Half-tracks on tracks
Army half-tracks are loaded onto flatcars at an unidentified location during World War II. This image is from the 1943 Office of War Information film Troop Train, a 10-minute short depicting the movement of an armored division to the West Coast. Photo by Classic Trains collection […]