A C&NW E8 leads the Chicago–Rapid City, S.Dak., Dakota 400 past the shimmering waters of Devil’s Lake on October 7, 1956. Today, Wisconsin & Southern freights pass through this scenic state park, located 3 miles south of Baraboo. Photo by William D. Middleton […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada sees no prospect for restoring a third full Toronto-Vancouver round trip of its flagship long-distance train, the Canadian, and says the train’s current business model is “no longer sustainable,” although it does not indicate plans to discontinue service. Those assessments are part of the summary for the passenger carrier’s 2020-24 corporate […]
Wednesday morning rail news: DC Metro safety plan needs more work, oversight group says DC Metro’s effort to address its safety issues in its rail operations center was turned down by the agency which oversees the transit system’s safety because of a lack of benchmarks to show the problems have been fully addressed. The Washington […]
More Tuesday morning rail news: CTA train derails after striking tire, disrupting Blue Line service A Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train has derailed this morning near the Harlem Station in the city’s Norwood Park neighborhood, disrupting through service between downtown and O’Hare Airport. WBBM-TV reports service was halted about 5:15 a.m. between the Rosemont […]
WASHINGTON — A precipitous decline in business travel during the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted an Amtrak “flash” sale celebrating the 20-year anniversary of Acela’s introduction with a $20 fare between any two Northeast Corridor stations served by the high speed train. Billed as the “The Deal of the Decade(s),” the tickets must be booked by […]
Tuesday morning rail news: Commuter rail, light rail among alternatives to be weighed for Santa Cruz, Calif., transit project The comment period for a proposed transit corridor along a rail branch line serving Santa Cruz, Calif., has begun and continues through Nov. 27. Milestone 3 of the Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis by the Santa Cruz […]
BOSTON — Significant cuts to commuter rail service — including an end to service after 9 p.m. and on weekends — are part of plans announced Monday by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to address budget shortfalls resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some peak and off-peak service would also be eliminated, cutting weekday trains from […]
BERLIN — The countries of the European Union have supported a proposal made by the German government to recreate the “Trans Europe Express” (TEE) system of international trains, which in the 1950s to 1970s represented the best and most luxurious international trains in Western Europe. Partly inspired by the Swedish “flight shaming” movement which seeks […]
Still more Monday morning rail news: New Buffalo Amtrak station opens Amtrak’s new downtown Buffalo, N.Y., station opened Sunday, with the $28 million structure replacing a building from 1952 that had occupied the same spot. The Buffalo News reports the new building, at 4,800 square feet, is about three times as large as its predecessor, […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s first bike car — a Pullman-Standard coach with seating removed on half of the lower level, creating space for 16 bicycles — made its debut Saturday, a biking-friendly day of unseasonable temperatures in the 70s. Metra unveiled the car on Thursday, saying its debut had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Sunday morning rail news: Miami’s Tri-Rail suspends operations because of Tropical Storm Eta Miami-area commuter railroad Tri-Rail has suspended operations as of today because of severe weather expected with the arrival of Tropical Storm Eta. WFOR-TV reports Tri-Rail will also be removing arms from crossing gates, as is procedure when there are sustained winds of over 35 […]
WASHINGTON — The North County Transit District has asked the Surface Transportation Board to put its proceeding regarding maintenance and safety-fence issues in Del Mar, Calif., on hold. In a Friday letter to the board, the district asked that its request for a declaratory order — protecting its right to perform stabilization work along the Del […]
