BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A Battle Creek police officer is questioning Amtrak’s decision to remove a 13-year-old girl traveling alone from a train, but the passenger railroad says acted within its ticket policies and with safety in mind. WOOD-TV reports the incident in question occurred March 26, when the 13-year-old boarded a train in Lapeer, […]
OTTAWA — Aircraft industry executive Cynthia Garneau has been appointed as the new president and CEO of VIA Rail Canada, replacing Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who had held the position for five years. Her five-year term begins May 9. Her appointment, as well as the appointment of three members of VIA’s board of directors, were announced Friday […]
An illustration from Brightline’s “announcement” of Convertible Class. Brightline/Virgin Trains USA April Fools Day did not pass unnoticed in the railroading world, as some organizations reported “news” in the spirit of the day. Among the highlights: — The San Antonio Zoo announced that its narrow gauge zoo train, the Eagle Train in Brackenridge Park, would […]
An electronic display at MiamiCentral station in May 2018 features the Brightline logo. An event this week featuring Virgin Group founder Richard Branson will provide a look at the station’s rebranding as Brightline transitions to Virgin Trains USA. Bob Johnston MIAMI — Two events this week could provide insight into the look and expansion efforts […]
NJ Transit train No. 5441 loads passengers at Newark Penn Station on March 13, 2019. NJ Transit’s first class to address its shortage of locomotive engineers has completed classroom training and could be operating trains by this fall. Ralph Spielman NEWARK. N.J. — In the midst of its 2018 issues with cancelled trains because of […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has revised its plans for the return of California Zephyr service along the train’s full route, now aiming for April 4 as the date for the restablishment of service. The train has not been operating east of Denver because of flooding in the Midwest. The passenger carrier had originally set today (April […]
The MTA EzPass, to be used for New York’s congestion pricing, is already in use by 95 percent of those using toll bridges and tunnels to reach New York City. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK — Patrick Foye’s first public event as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a Monday news conference, provided the first insight […]
LONDON — Frequent UK rail passengers short of pocket might be relieved to know that nationwide rail company, Network Rail, has flushed charges for public toilets in stations it operates. The BBC reports that Liverpool Street and King’s Cross stations in London and Edinburgh’s Waverley Cross station now have free, public toilets. These are among […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — Buffalo’s light rail system will receive $100 million over the next five years for infrastructure improvements, the Buffalo News reports. The money — plus another $6 million for engineering studies on a possible addition to the 35-year-old, 6.4-mile Metro Rail line — was part of a deal reached Saturday night between Gov. […]
WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — Metro-North and NJ Transit have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for safety violations between 2013 and 2018, and stand as the most-cited violators of federal regulations among commuter rail operations, NorthJersey.com reports. The news organization and its parent, the USA Today Network, base the report on analysis of six […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York legislators on Sunday passed a state budget for 2020 which will dramatically change traveling within New York City, introducing “congestion pricing” fees for drivers in Central or Lower Manhattan to fund improvements by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The budget of more than $175 billion also includes new taxes on sales […]
WASHINGTON—In addition to its “Equipment Asset Line Plan” [see “Amtrak fleet plan would replace Amfleet I cars, prepare for replacement Superliners,” Trains News Wire, March 25, 2019], Amtrak this week released companion five-year plans dealing with the following categories (click on each for the documents): Infrastructure Stations Transportation assets Service lines (Northeast Corridor, state-supported, and […]
