Venture business-class cars debut in Midwest: Trip report

Interior of business-class car

First of two parts  CHICAGO — After being delayed for several years by production setbacks and acceptance issues, the first of 17 state-owned Siemens Venture business-class cars are now hosting passengers on Midwest Amtrak routes. They are not being advertised, however, and you only need a regular coach ticket to ride the cars. They feature […]

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Greenbrier Express sets inaugural run, start of regular operations

Shay locomotive with passenger train

ELKINS, W.Va. — The inaugural run of Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad’s Greenbrier Express operation is set for Saturday, May 13, the railroad has announced. The initial run on the recently reopened, 15-mile Cass-to-Durbin remnant of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad’s Greenbrier Subdivision quickly sold out. Regular service will begin the following Saturday, May 20. […]

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Cimarron Valley Railroad marks start of $15 million upgrade project

Woman and two men in high-visibility safety vests with locomotive in background

HUGOTON, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and other officials were on hand Wednesday for groundbreaking ceremonies to mark the beginning of $15 million in improvements for the Cimarron Valley Railroad. KSCB Radio reports funding includes money from private sources, from the federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant program, and from […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic continues slide, compared to 2022

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic saw its largest weekly drop so far this year, measured against 2022 traffic, in the week ending April 8, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week was 451,336 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.2% from the same week a year earlier. It is the […]

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MBTA completes purchase of land for new commuter yard

Diagram of rail yard

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed purchase of 24 acres of land near South Station where it plans to build a new commuter rail layover facility. State House News Service reports MBTA officials announced today they have finalized the $255 million purchase of the land at Widett Circle, a mile from South […]

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Stadler to host Railway Interior Innovation Summit in Salt Lake City

Two trainsets parked at station

SALT LAKE CITY — Stadler will host RedCabin’s Railway Interior Innovation Summit on April 18-20, featuring an exclusive tour of the Stadler facility including its assembly and production areas. The three-day event will feature interior developments to enhance the passenger onboard experience, including a keynote presentation on transit interiors by the Utah Transit Authority; a […]

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Model Train Décor Using Shelf Layouts

A man and woman seated at a table and holding wine glasses surrounded by white shelves in the background.

Model train décor using shelf layouts: While having a favorite model or two on display in the family living space is a great way to enjoy your trains, it’s usually only satisfying when you have a dedicated area elsewhere in your home, apartment, or condo to be able to run them. But if that’s not […]

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Labor leaders welcome FRA’s train makeup safety advisory, while railroads emphasize their train-building tools and techniques

Aerial view of derailed boxcars and auto rack

Rail labor leaders welcomed the safety advisory that the Federal Railroad Administration issued last week that encourages railroads to take steps to reduce the in-train forces that can cause long trains to derail. Railroads, meanwhile, said they were reviewing the advisory to make sure their operating practices are in line with the FRA’s recommendations. “For […]

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