PHILADELPHIA — The cost for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s smart fare system, Key, has swelled to $192.5 million — almost $70 million more than planned — the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Most of the increase will pay for annual maintenance and services for the 8-year-old project, but it also includes unexpected costs such as replacement […]
NEW YORK — A long-discussed rail link to LaGuardia Airport and replacement of the current monorail link to Newark Liberty Airport were among more than $4 billion in projects approved Thursday by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Each of the rail projects will cost about $2 billion, the Associated Press reports. […]
SEATTLE — Sound Transit has launched construction of the $1.53-billion, 3.4-mile extension of its light rail Blue Line, also under construction, to southeast and downtown Redmond, Wash., on the eastside of Lake Washington in the Puget Sound region. The extension, using both ground-level and elevated tracks, will start from Redmond Technology Station, located near Microsoft’s […]
An outbound Metra train passes BNSF maintenance-of-way equipment near Downers Grove, Ill., on Oct. 27, 2018, during a three-day maintenance project on the BNSF Railway main line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill. A similar tie replacement project this weekend will alter Metra schedules on the BNSF route. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — A major BNSF […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is calling for freight railroads to do more to improve Amtrak on-time performance, indicating to Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration his interest in working with the passenger railroad and federal agency on the issue. Durbin sent letters to Amtrak and the FRA in response to a report […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will spend $33 million to renovate 20 commuter coaches, returning the cars to service to provide additional capacity until new equipment arrives. In a separate development, the MBTA’s contract commuter operator, Keolis Commuter Services, announced the temporary closure of a station for emergency repairs. The State House News Service […]
New Mexico U.S. Senate Candidate Maggie Toulouse Oliver speaks of the importance of rail transportation and the influence of train travel in her life growing up. Thomas Scalf LAMY, N.M. — The New Mexico Rail Passengers Coalition held a rally at the old depot in Lamy, N.M. to Save the Southwest Chief. Fifty people gathered in […]
A Metro-North New Haven-bound express train with Kawasaki M-8 railcars emerges from the tunnel leading to Grand Central Terminal. PTC transponder installation problems with the M-8 cars are among the issues that could keep Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road from meeting the deadline for PTC implementation. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK — The Metropolitan […]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia Railway Express will modify its pass program, offering seven- and 31-day passes while phasing out its current five-day pass and limiting sales availability of its monthly pass to paper-ticket sales only. Prices for the new passes will be the same as the current five-day and monthly passes, with the 31-day pass […]
All this month — October 2019 — Classic Trains editors are celebrating the heritage, history, and images of the Boston & Maine Railroad. Please enjoy this photo gallery of images from the David P. Morgan Library archives at Kalmbach Media that include B&M steam-powered freight trains through time. You might also enjoy this B&M history […]
An RTD R Line light rail train approaches the Aurora Metro Center station in September 2018. The Denver transit agency is considering cuts to light rail and bus service because of a lack of operators. TRAINS: David Lassen DENVER — The Denver-area Regional Transportation District may have to cut light rail and bus service because […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority debuts its pilot program offering commuter service to Foxborough, Mass., today as part of its fall revision of commuter train schedules. The Foxborough trains, serving a community which had previously only seen trains for New England Patriots football games and other special events at Gillette Stadium, are being […]
