An elevated interior image of Chicago Union Station’s Great Hall after reconstruction. The suspended work deck is shown beneath the vaulted skylight. Mike Clarahan, Berglund Construction/Amtrak CHICAGO — The historic Great Hall at Chicago’s Union Station is awash in new light with renovation all but complete on the iconic skylight, installation of improved lighting, and […]
An NJ Transit train crosses the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River. A GoFundMe campaign wants to raise $920 million to replace the bridge. Russell Sullivan SECAUCUS, N.J. — NJ Transit commuters and Amtrak passengers tired of dealing with frequent issues with Amtrak’s Portal Bridge can now do something about it: Pay for a replacement […]
An F40PH-2C leads a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter train across the Charles River in Boston on April 21, 2016.The MBTA will begin offering service between Boston and Foxborough, Mass., under a pilot program. Scott A. Hartley FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will begin an 11-month pilot program of commuter rail service […]
New Nippon Sharyo cars like these were damaged en route to delivery to Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit. Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit SMART has not accepted delivery of its new equipment because of damage like this sustained in transit. Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Four new Nippon Sharyo diesel multiple unit […]
A computer rendering of the new OC Streetcar. Groundbreaking for the 4.1-mile system is Friday. Orange County Transportation Authority The planned route of the OC Streetcar. Orange County Transportation Authority. SANTA ANA, Calif. — The Orange County Transportation Authority will break ground tomorrow on a 4.1-mile streetcar route linking Santa Ana and Garden Grove, Calif., […]
A VIA Rail Canada corridor train departs Montreal in September 2014. A report says VIA is prepared to award the contract for new corridor equipment to Siemens. TRAINS: David Lassen MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada is reportedly prepared to award its contract for new equipment to German’s Siemens, to the dismay of officials in Quebec, […]
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority AEM-7 No. 2307 pushes a train away from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station in September 2016. TRAINS: Steve Sweeney A close-up image of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority AEM-7 No. 2304 paused at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station in September 2016. TRAINS: Steve Sweeney PHILADELPHIA — The Toasters are finally toast. Philadelphia’s commuter agency […]
Metra and BNSF Railway trains meet at the Cicero Metra station in August 2017. A derailment Monday on the track on the right, the connection from the Belt Railway of Chicago to the BNSF, has led to inbound Metra trains skipping the Cicero stop this morning, because of damage to the structure at the end […]
A Park observation car and three sleepers swell the consist of a bear-watching season VIA train ready to depart from Churchill, Man., on Oct. 11, 2016. When service resumes from Winnipeg, Man., on Dec. 2, the off-peak train will operate with one sleeping car, two coaches, a dining car, and a baggage car. Bob Johnston […]
An Amtrak Acela Express rolls through Old Saybrook, Conn., in 2016. Passengers on a stalled Acela trainset during the holiday weekend had to use a cardboard box as a toilet. Scott A. Hartley NEW YORK — When an electrically-powered train loses power, nothing works. That includes toilets. And as a delay mounts, the train may […]
This map of coastal Santa Cruz County shows a potential commuter rail line in red. Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission WATSONVILLE, Calif. — The agency examining a transit plan, including commuter rail, for Santa Cruz County has deferred its decision until January. At a Nov. 15 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission […]
A Metra BNSF train crosses over Interstate 294 between Hinsdale and Western Springs, Ill., on Christmas Eve 2015. The bridge is the narrowest point on the highway; a planned road-widening project will require the construction of a temporary bridge for the BNSF main line, followed by replacement of the existing structure. TRAINS: David Lassen HINSDALE, […]
