NEW YORK — The last portion of a massive concrete box to carry the planned Gateway Tunnel project under development in Manhattan will cost more than $690 million — which could leave Amtrak to come up with more than $260 million in funding, NJ.com reports. The Gateway Development Commission, the bi-state organization overseeing the planned […]
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Metra gears up summer construction work
CHICAGO — Improvement projects at 28 stations highlight Metra’s construction plans. The Chicago-area commuter operator began its construction season in April and will continue projects through the fall, weather permitting. Nearly a quarter of Metra’s $119.5 million in capital spending for 2023 is focused on rebuilding or refurbishing station facilities, part of a five-year plan […]
Authorities clean up after hazardous-materials leak from tank car in Ohio
MARION, Ohio — Local, state, federal, and railroad officials were continuing clean-up and investigation this evening (Tuesday, May 2) after a freight car on a CSX Transportation train was discovered to be leaking a hazardous material earlier today. The Marion Star reports a leak of phosphoric acid was reported at 3:21 a.m. The leak from […]
CN, UP, and Ferromex tighten new Canada-Mexico intermodal schedules (updated)
MONTREAL — Canadian National, Union Pacific, and Ferromex have significantly tightened the schedules for the new intermodal service they will launch on May 15 to link Canada and Detroit with Mexico. The changes to the Falcon Premium service, announced in customer advisories on Monday, take 40 hours out of the Detroit-Monterrey transit time and trim […]
STB requires BNSF, NS, and UP to continue to provide detailed service progress reports
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators will require BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific to continue to provide biweekly service progress reports through the end of the year. The Surface Transportation Board, in a decision released today, said the three systems had not yet made enough progress toward the operations, service, and employment goals they had […]
Amtrak hopes to resolve Pennsylvania freight customer complaint about track project
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has told federal regulators that it wants to find a way to resolve a complaint from freight customers who will lose access to Norfolk Southern service for several weeks during trackwork on the Philadelphia-Harrisburg main line. Amtrak plans to shut one track to all traffic starting this month, which would prevent NS […]
Locomotives We Love: Lionel No. 2065 steam engine
Roger Carp is Senior Editor of Classic Toy Trains and the author of numerous books about the toy train collecting hobby. What toy train locomotive means the most to you? My favorite toy train locomotive is the Lionel No. 2065 steam engine. This small Hudson isn’t the biggest, heaviest, or most expensive, but everything desirable […]
Norfolk Southern seeks regulatory approval for purchase of CNO&TP
WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern yesterday sought regulatory approval for its acquisition of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, the municipally owned railroad that forms the 338.2-mile Chattanooga-Cincinnati backbone of NS’s key corridor linking Chicago with Atlanta and the Southeast. NS asked the Surface Transportation Board to approve the $1.62 billion acquisition as a minor transaction. Norfolk Southern […]
What railroad signals mean
Admit it: Do you know what railroad signals mean? Do you panic when you shown up for an operating session at a strange layout and see it has working signals? Railroad signal aspects aren’t as simple as traffic lights. In addition to stop, caution, and go, railroad signals can mean stop and then go, keep […]
Amtrak Miami services through time
Amtrak Miami services have been dominated by trains from New York City. This included, at various times, the Silver Meteor, Silver Palm, and Silver Star. Additionally, at times, the Magic City has been served by its own section of the Floridian from Chicago and an extension of the Sunset Limited. Amtrak’s current Miami […]
Penn Central passenger trains remembered
All through May 2023, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the legacy of everyone’s favorite bankrupt railroad: Penn Central. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Penn Central passenger trains selected from the files in Kalmbach Media‘s David P. Morgan Library. Only from Trains.com! […]
General Electric BQ23-7: An Odd Diesel That Didn’t
The General Electric BQ23-7 turned out to be an odd diesel that didn’t. At the dawn of railroads eschewing cabooses as unnecessary expenses, locomotive builders were putting forth ideas to accommodate train crews. One option was the BQ23-7, the Q indicating crew Quarters. General Electric’s design team took its standard 2,250 hp […]