CHICAGO — Weather is taking its toll on current operations of Amtrak’s western long-distance trains. According to the Amtrak Alerts Twitter feed, the eastbound Chief scheduled to depart Los Angeles today (Wednesday, Feb. 22) has been cancelled due to severe weather conditions, while the westbound Chief that left Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 21, will terminate […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has become the third railroad to reach an agreement with some union workers for paid sick leave, announcing a deal with members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The agreement will cover about 3,000 workers. The agreement provides for four days of […]
Join Trains for an exclusive tour of Alaska tour! To mark the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Alaska Railroad, Trains Magazine, in conjunction with Special Interest Tours, announces an all-inclusive tour of Alaska Sept. 9-17. Highlights include five rail segments aboard Alaska Railroad passenger trains, a shop tour and briefing on the restoration […]
BNSF SD75 locomotives: Working out their days in the Pacific Northwest, nearly two dozen former Santa Fe and BNSF Railway SD75s have called this corner of the country home. They are now assigned some of the heaviest trains in and out of the northwest. The design of the SD75 was in part due to compete […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board says it welcomes moves by CSX Transportation and Union Pacific to provide paid sick leave for union workers, according to a statement issued today (Wednesday, Feb. 22). “The Board applauds the efforts of CSX and UP in taking the lead to work with the unions to address this critical […]
Metra’s colorful locomotive fleet is currently the most brilliant it has ever been. From its original paint scheme to its updated design first used on its MP36 fleet to a host of specially painted units to second-hand patched power. These days it’s a potpourri of colors hauling Chicago-area commuters. Let’s explore Metra’s colorful locomotive fleet. […]
MONTREAL — Tests to determine the structural soundness of VIA Rail Canada cars manufactured by the Budd Co. from the late 1940s to mid-1950s are ongoing and formal reports have yet to be issued. However, preliminary information shared with Trains News Wire indicates that the while the cars remain fundamentally sound, corrosion may need to […]
CHELMSFORD, Mass. — Things just don’t seem to go right for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s new Orange Line railcars — even when they’re not on rails. One of the cars is stranded along the side of Interstate 495 this morning (Wednesday, Feb. 22) in Chelmsford, some 24 miles northwest of Boston, WCVB-TV reports. The […]
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state of Washington has joined the list of those considering legislation to limit the length of freight trains. The Columbia Basin Herald reports that state’s House Transportation Committee heard testimony Tuesday on House Bill 1839, by Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle), that would limit the length of trains operating within the […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Empire Builder ran through a track misalignment in a curve — distinctly visible in a still from the lead locomotive’s onboard camera — just before its September 2021 derailment in Joplin, Mont., according to information contained in more than 3,100 pages of documents released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The […]
LAS VEGAS — Brightline West, the planned high speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California, has announced an agreement with a coalition of 13 rail unions for the project to use union labor. In another development, a news report says a group of California agencies have agreed to build wildlife overcrossings to span […]
TORONTO — Siemens Mobility will provide track, signal, and right-of-way maintenance for Metrolinx rail operations in the West Region of Toronto, expanding an existing agreement with the provincial agency that oversees public transportation in the Toronto and Hamilton area. “We are excited to continue our partnership with Metrolinx, helping them keep their systems running safely […]
