Thursday morning rail news: Capitol Corridor to require reservations Nov. 23-30 Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service in Northern California is, like Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner, instituting a temporary reservation requirement for travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period, Nov. 23-30. Reservations will be required to manage capacity and distancing. Those who use monthly, six-ride, or 10-ride tickets […]
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WASHINGTON — With all long-distance trains except Auto Train now running on less-than-daily schedules, Amtrak has finally introduced a booking feature on its website that automatically directs customers to the next available day when they request tickets on a day a train is not running. Downloadable and printable schedules that reflect days of service for each station on a long-distance […]
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Sound Transit has named David H. Wright as Chief Safety Officer, filling a position created as a result scrutiny stemming from the fatal December 2017 wreck of an Amtrak Cascades train on a rail line owned by the agency. His career includes 16 years in safety roles at the Chicago Transit Authority, including a key […]
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WASHINGTON — Eleven projects in nine states have received grants totaling more than $291 million under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program. Awards were announced this morning. The program is intended to improve intercity passenger rail performance with repair or replacement of publicly owned assets; many of the projects receiving […]
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More Wednesday morning rail news: Metra to make changes on UP North, Northwest schedules Metra will adjust schedules on its Union Pacific North and Northwest lines as of Monday, Nov. 2, adding express trains and addressing gaps in the current reduced COVID-19 schedules. On the North line, changes include two inbound trains and one outbound […]
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Amtrak has released a new video providing a preview of the interior on its New Acela trainsets, with an emphasis on the touchless nature of many features — an important COVID-19 consideration — as well as environmental features like the use of recycled leather for seating. Caroline Decker, Amtrak’s vice president, Northeast Corridor service line, hosts the […]
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In 1928 I was a freshman at Syracuse University. I needed a part-time job, and got one with American Railway Express, Inc., which became Railway Express Agency the following year. I worked at the New York Central’s Syracuse depot on the night shift Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m., whenever […]
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Former Norfolk Southern and Amtrak CEO Charles “Wick” Moorman and retired NS executive Deborah Butler Painter are among members of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority board of directors, which held its first meeting Monday to begin its efforts to improve rail transportation in the state. Created by a law passed earlier this year, the […]
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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 […]
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TREGO, Wis. — More than 100 visitors, some from as far away as Ohio and Kansas, were on hand at the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad this weekend to mark the 85th anniversary of the christening of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s Mark Twain Zephyr and see progress in the restoration of the shovel-nosed streamliner. The train’s dedication […]
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San Diego’s North County Transit District has ordered two more Siemens Charger locomotives, bringing to nine the number the agency will use to power its Coaster commuter trains. The order marks Siemens’ 300th passenger locomotive sold in North America, and will allow the district to nearly double frequencies of Coaster service. “In addition to increasing […]
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The proposed high speed rail operation between Southern California and Las Vegas has been rebranded as Brightline West and has launched a website with details on construction of the project, along with a virtual public meeting for information and comments. The site reports construction will be broken into six segments, three in California and three in Nevada. […]
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