SEATTLE — The National Transportation Safety Board wasn’t stingy in handing out criticisms or recommendations for changes in the aftermath of the December 2017 Amtrak Cascades derailment, so those on the receiving end have a lot of work ahead of them figuring out if and how they’ll respond to the safety board. For the Washington […]
Zone & Region: Pacific Northwest
Oregon Coast Scenic steps in to save locomotive, cars facing eviction from park NEWSWIRE
The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad has stepped in to help save this former logging locomotive and two cars on display in Garibaldi, Ore. Martin E. Hansen GARIBALDI, Ore. — The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad has answered a call for help to rescue a deteriorating steam locomotive and trainset on local display, averting the potential sale or […]
NTSB to release ‘Amtrak Cascades’ accident report May 21 NEWSWIRE
Amtrak’s Freighthouse Square station in Tacoma is awaiting the return of trains to the Point Defiance Bypass. The release of the NTSB’s report on a 2017 derailment could hasten that process. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board will release its report on the December 2017 derailment of an Amtrak Cascades passenger […]
Popular Seattle-area burger restaurant could be spared by Sound Transit NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — A Sound Transit committee has recommended removing the site of a recently opened hamburger restaurant from consideration as the site of a new maintenance facility. By a 5-0 vote last week, the System Expansion Committee recommended that the site of a Dick’s Drive-In and Lowe’s home improvement center in Kent, Wash., be dropped […]
Coos Bay railroad operator say it can have a swing bridge operating in less than two weeks NEWSWIRE
Coos Bay, Oregon Google Maps SEATTLE — The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay believes it can have a swing-span bridge on its rail line back to normal operation by the end of this month. That will come too late to save a Georgia-Pacific lumber mill, the closing of which was announced earlier this month […]
Portion of Oregon Zoo train route could be turned into trail NEWSWIRE
The Washington Park & Zoo Railway, shown in June 2017, is a 0.5-mile, 2.5-foot gauge railroad at the Oregon Zoo that opened in 1958. The primary equipment, dubbed the “Zooliner,” is a 5/8 scale replica of the Aerotrain, constructed by Northwest Marine Iron Works and H. Hirschberger Sheet Metal Co., both of Portland. Scott A. […]
Sound Transit begins test of shuttle service from light rail stations NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — Sound Transit, in conjunction with King County Metro and the city of Seattle, launched a new on-demand shuttle serving five Link light rail stations in southeast Seattle and Tukwila. Service is provided by Via, which also operates in New York, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles. The shared rides cost the same as a […]
Georgia-Pacific cites severed rail access as reason to close Oregon lumber mill NEWSWIRE
Coos Bay, Ore. Google Maps SEATTLE — Georgia-Pacific LLC is closing a 111-employee lumber mill in the Oregon coastal town of Coos Bay, citing as one of the reasons rail service that has been cut off by a bridge closure for close to a year. Instead of loading lumber at the mill, GP has had […]
Alaska Railroad’s traffic mix makes up for drop in revenue from less traffic NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — The Alaska Railroad carried a third less freight by weight in 2018 compared with 2017 totals, but a change in the mix of freight coupled with gains on the passenger side helped dampen the drop in revenue and net income. The Anchorage, Alaska-based state-owned railroad reported operating revenue of $163.4 million in 2018, […]
Sound Transit seeking comments on Tacoma light rail expansion NEWSWIRE
Sound Transit is seeking public comment on its plans to expand Tacoma’s light rail system to Sea-Tac Airport. TRAINS: David Lassen TACOMA, Wash. — Sound Transit has released potential routes and begun the public-comment period for its planned for its Tacoma Dome Link Extension, which will connect Tacoma’s light rail to Sea-Tac Airport and the […]
Washington DOT: PTC now in place on full ‘Amtrak Cascades’ route NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — Positive train control is now fully operational on the route of the Amtrak Cascades, the Washington state Department of Transportation has announced. However, there is still no date for returning Cascades trains to the Point Defiance bypass south of Tacoma, Wash. Seattle TV station KIRO reports PTC equipment is now in place from […]
Washington state short line looks to change hands NEWSWIRE
Walla Walla, Washington Google Maps WALLA WALLA, Wash. — A small operator of short lines plans to extend the reach of one of them in southeastern Washington. CWW LLC has filed with the Surface Transportation Board to operate on 55.56 miles of UP track in two segments, one running south from Walla Walla to Weston, […]