WASHINGTON — The nomination of former U.S. Rep Todd Rokita (R-Ind.) to Amtrak’s board of directors will move to the U.S. Senate after being approved on a voice vote in committee this week. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the nomination earlier this week. President Donald Trump nominated Rokita in May for […]
SEATTLE — Sound Transit will drop the name “Red Line” for its light-rail corridor because of objections that the title evokes redlining, the former practice of denying home loans to non-white families in some areas of Seattle and other cities. The Seattle Times reports that CEO Peter Rogoff said during a meeting of the transit […]
ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has signed a contract with Stadler for 127 METRO trainsets, with two options for additional 25-train orders. The contract, valued at more than $600 million, is the largest single order for rail vehicles in the company’s history, and is the first major U.S. order for METRO trains. […]
Jim Stoddard, of Stoddard’s LTD Co., shows of a piece off lighted locomotive art with Digital Editor Steve Sweeney at Trainfest 2019. MRVP WAUKESHA, Wis. – Kalmbach Media is reinstating a tradition that began in the 2000s. On Friday, Nov. 22, modelers, railfans, and train lovers are invited to take their trains to work to […]
A new Acela trainset at Alstom’s Hornell, N.Y., shops. Amtrak HORNELL, N.Y. — Amtrak released a new photo today of a prototype high speed trainset being built in upstate New York. France’s Alstom is building the new Acela trainsets at its Hornell shops. The passenger sets with power cars are expected to enter service on […]
BOSTON — Boston-area government leaders are calling for a 15-cent increase in Massachusetts’ gas tax to help fund transit and roadway projects. The State House News Service reports that Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, along with members of the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition, the North Shore Coalition, and the Commuter Rail Communities Coalition, have called on Massachusetts […]
A passenger on Amtrak Cascades train No. 501 has been awarded $4.5 million from a jury after being injured in the 2017 wreck. Steve Carter TACOMA, Wash. — A jury in Washington has awarded a woman $4.5 million nearly two years after she was injured in the derailment of an Amtrak Cascades train as it […]
The Village of New Lenox, Ill., has awarded a contract to build a new Metra station, replacing one closed and moved in 2018. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW LENOX, Ill. — The Village of New Lenox has approved an $8.6 million bid to build a new Metra station. John Burns Construction Co., which had the lowest […]
A rendering of the hydrogen-powered train Stadler will build for use in Southern California. It will be the first hydrogen-powered passenger trainset in the U.S. Stadler SALT LAKE CITY — Swiss manufacturer Stadler has signed a contract with the San Bernardino County (Calif.) Transportation Authority to build the first hydrogen-powered trains for use in the […]
Afternoon rush-hour trains await passengers at NJ Transit’s Hoboken Terminal. The station hosted the first of a series of hearings into NJ Transit issues by a group of state legislators on Wednesday. Ralph Spielman HOBOKEN, N.J. — At a jammed two-hour meeting Wednesday, vexed NJ Transit commuters told a committee chaired by State Senate leader […]
In a photo taken from a video feed, Rail Passenger Association President Jim Mathews holds up his “survival pack” for long-distance Amtrak travel during Wednesday’s House hearing. Bob Johnston An Amtrak San Joaquin heads south from Madera, Calif., on Oct 21, 2019. The executive director of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority expressed her frustrations […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council has approved a $50 million study of the proposed Silver Line extension of its LNYX light rail system. The study will take two to three years, preparing for a project that may not begin construction until 2027 and begin service in 2030. WCNC-TV reports the council voted 8-2 […]
