GLENVIEW, Ill. — The Glenview Village Board has voted to budget another $36,000 for its fight against efforts to increase Amtrak Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee, running the community’s total tab for the effort to more than $541,000. The Chicago Tribune reports that of the newly budgeted funds, $30,000 will go to a state […]
BOSTON — Service on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fairmount line for the morning commute today (Wednesday, April 10) has been cancelled as the result of a Tuesday night collision and derailment of two MBTA trains near Boston’s South Station. No injuries were reported when a Fairmount Line train collided with an out-of-service train at […]
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tuscaloosa has abandoned efforts to place a new Amtrak station in the city’s Alberta area, citing a breakdown in negotiations with Norfolk Southern over the railroad’s safety concerns. “In the final analysis, Norfolk Southern had concerns regarding sight distance at that site,” Mayor Walt Maddox told the Tuscaloosa News. “This made the […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has announced it will no longer sell tickets for the Hoosier State after June 30 as the train nears cancellation as a result of loss of funding from the state of Indiana. The state currently provides $3 million in funding for the four-day-a-week train, while five local governments provide another $500,000. But […]
Siemens Charger SC-44 No. 4632 leads Amtrak train 391, the southbound Saluki from Chicago to Carbondale, Ill., on the Canadian National Centrailia Subdivision, after passing the coaling towers that were built for the then Illinois Central Railroad in 1949. 18302-27 Jim Pearson Question: What effect, if any, will the implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading by […]
Sound Transit is seeking public comment on its plans to expand Tacoma’s light rail system to Sea-Tac Airport. TRAINS: David Lassen TACOMA, Wash. — Sound Transit has released potential routes and begun the public-comment period for its planned for its Tacoma Dome Link Extension, which will connect Tacoma’s light rail to Sea-Tac Airport and the […]
As the rebranding of Brightline to Virgin Trains USA begins in earnest, the company has received approval for more bond sales to finance its expansion. Bob Johnston Retired Brightline executive Gene Skoropowski, who has long worked to bring improved rail service to Florida, found last week’s events to be “exciting.” Bob Johnston ORLANDO — Virgin […]
BALTIMORE — Amtrak will spend $90 million to upgrade Baltimore’s Penn Station, a move expected to ignite $400 to $600 million in development around the station area, the Baltimore Sun reports. Amtrak will make station and track improvements and lease an adjacent lot to a group, Penn Station Partners, to build a mixed-use project. “Amtrak […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a year of turmoil capped by Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge in February to scale back California’s high-speed rail project, CEO Brian Kelly says he will unveil a new construction plan May 1 designed to restore flagging public confidence in the project. The plan was devised by DB Engineering & Consulting, […]
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for major changes to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York’s subways — as typified by these No. 7 trains at Corona Yard in Queens — in a Thursday speech. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told a civic group Thursday that the Metropolitan Transportation […]
The Twin Cities’ Northstar commuter rail service will add trains for this weekend’s Final Four in Minneapolis. Steve Glischinski MINNEAPOLIS — Northstar Commuter Rail will run special trains beginning Friday for the NCAA basketball Final Four and related events being held at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Today (Friday, April 5) an additional train […]
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski is not satisfied with Amtrak’s response to his questions over a Feb. 28 incident that badly disrupted operations at Chicago Union Station. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, says he is “extremely disappointed” with Amtrak’s explanation for the […]
