WASHINGTON — Sixteen U.S. Senators have pushed back against Amtrak’s plan to reduce 12 daily long-distance trains to triweekly departures and cut its workforce by 20%. In three separate letters to President and CEO William Flynn sent late last week, the lawmakers strongly hinted they were unwilling to grant the company’s request for an additional […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Railroads wait to see impact of rule approving LNG moves
Railroads have gained regulatory approval to haul liquified natural gas in tank cars. Now the questions are how quickly will an LNG market develop and how big will it be? Controversial new federal regulations governing the movement of LNG by rail are scheduled to go into effect next month. Previously LNG shipments required special permits […]
SEPTA, NJ Transit, Metro Transit announce service increases
Thursday morning rail news in brief: SEPTA to increase Regional Rail service starting Sunday The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will increase Regional Rail service on most lines as of Sunday, June 28, to reflect increasing activity in the Philadelphia area after COVID-19 closures. Weekday hourly service will return on most lines as of Monday, July […]
Builders file plan to dissolve partnership building Maryland’s Purple Line
Wednesday morning rail news: Builders of Maryland light rail project say they’ll dissolve partnership The consortium building Maryland’s line rail Purple Line says it will dissolve the project’s public-private partnership, which was supposed to cover a 36-year period, if it can’t reach agreement with state officials on cost overruns and extensive delays. The Washington Post […]
Unintended clearance test
At the time of their merger in 1968, both the Pennsylvania and New York Central had extensive intermodal operations, with PRR using conventional Trailer Train cars in piggyback service and NYC using Flexi-Van equipment in an early form of containerized traffic. Penn Central retained both systems initially, but Flexi-Van traffic gradually declined. By late […]
Amtrak to resume ‘Pere Marquette’ service
More Wednesday morning rail news in brief: Amtrak ‘Pere Marquette’ to resume operation Amtrak will resume operation of the Chicago-Grand Rapids, Mich., Pere Marquette next week, with the first Chicago-Grand Rapids train on Monday, June 29, and trains operating in both directions on Tuesday, June 30. Departures from Chicago for train No 370 are at […]
DOT releases final rule for transport of LNG by rail (updated)
The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued its final rule for transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail, a controversial and highly politicized new rule which will take effect 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The rule, developed by the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in consultation with the Federal […]
Amtrak cutting frequency of ‘Silver Star,’ ‘Silver Meteor’ as of July 6
Passenger rail news and analysis: ‘Silver Star,’ ‘Meteor’ changes coming July 6 Amtrak will alternate service on its two New York-Miami trains running on different routes through the Carolinas as of July 6, a move it attributes to COVID-19 pandemic ridership drops and a preview of the company’s still mostly undefined plans to cut virtually […]
NS confirms idling of hump at Bellevue yard
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern has confirmed that it has idled the hump at Moorman Yard in Bellevue, Ohio, and is converting the largest classification yard in the East to a flat-switching facility. “Due to declining car volumes, NS will idle the yard’s hump and begin flat switching rail cars. This alteration will allow for […]
Amtrak plans triweekly service for almost all long-distance trains as of Oct. 1
WASHINGTON — Amtrak plans to reduce most long-distance trains to three-day-a-week service as of Oct. 1, according to an internal message obtained by Trains News Wire. In an internal “Service Update,” Amtrak Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Revenue Service Officer Roger Harris told employees today that the goal would be “to restore daily service […]
MTA to increase subway, LIRR service Monday as New York begins to reopen
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will significantly increase transit and commuter rail service Monday as part of a 13-point plan to address New York City’s reopening following its COVID-19 shutdown. With New York entering Phase 1 of its reopening on Monday, the MTA announced Friday that it would: — Return subways to their regular service schedule, […]
CN says conductor was killed when hit by ‘kicked’ car
More Friday morning rail news: CN employee killed by ‘kicked’ car, railroad says The Canadian National conductor killed at the railroad’s Surrey, British Columbia, yard earlier this week was hit by a car the conductor’s train had “kicked” a few minutes earlier, according to a CN “safety flash” issued to employees. In the June 1 […]