The often-delayed Capitol Limited passes through Goshen, Ind., on Norfolk Southern on July 14, 2017. Bob Johnston CHICAGO — Host railroads and Amtrak have settled into an uncomfortable détente during the last year instead of making serious efforts to develop accurate, a Trains News Wire analysis reveals. “Amtrak slammed by delays,” on page 24 of […]
LANSING, Mich. — East Lansing, Michigan’s fourth-busiest Amtrak station, will soon join the list of Amtrak ticket offices in the state to close. The stations in Niles, Jackson and Flint, Mich., became unstaffed earlier this year by attrition (the lone ticket agent at each station retired and was not replaced). In all cases, the Michigan […]
NEW YORK CITY — New York Penn Station changes this autumn will largely be above track level. In a media call on Tuesday, Amtrak’s Chief Operating Officer Scot Naparstek and Janet Campbell-Lorenc, senior director of the Northeast Corridor Service Line, reviewed changes that were made over the summer, and what will be happening this fall. […]
BNSF’s Rich Wessler, left, and Amtrak’s Joe McHugh address stakeholders assembled on the first inspection train of the Chief route, west of Garden City, Kan., on Jan. 10, 2013. Bob Johnston LA JUNTA, Colo. — Following the Aug. 21 meeting between Amtrak officials and Southwest Chief stakeholders in Raton, N.M. — which provided the first […]
One view of the former plan to redevelop Chicago Union Station — now scrapped due to negative public input. Riverside Investment & Development via Amtrak CHICAGO — A plan to remake historic Chicago Union Station by topping it off with a modern glass-and-steel box that some critics described as “an abomination” has been scrapped, according […]
An inbound Metra train pushed by F40PHM-2 No. 212 smokes away from the Naperville, Ill., station while Amtrak’s Illinois Zephyr prepares to depart behind a new Siemens Charger locomotive. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — While Illinois plans for spending money from the Volkswagen legal settlement have changed, Metra’s locomotive fleet will still benefit. The original […]
A Southwest Chief inspection special pauses at Garden City, Kan., on July 11, 2014, to pick up city officials. Bob Johnston RATON, N.M. — Amtrak will not operate passenger trains on lines without positive train control after Dec. 31, 2018, a top official for the passenger railroad says — a decision which could lead to […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are refusing at this time to step in and resolve a disagreement between Metra and Amtrak over use of Chicago Union Station, but are keeping the door open to intervene should Metra raise valid objections in the future. In a five-page decision released by the Surface Transportation Board on Aug. 22, […]
Southern Pacific built this structure, which it called Grand Central Station, in Houston in 1934 to replace an 1886 depot. But Grand Central had a short life, being razed after only 25 years to make way for a new central post office. Classic Trains coll. […]
Ride along with Hal Miller and Cody Grivno of Model Railroader magazine, as they travel aboard Amtrak’s Southwest Chief to and from the 2018 National Train Show in Kansas City, Missouri. […]
A screen image capture from a video of D.J. Mitchell, BNSF Railway vice president of passenger operations, speaking before Metra’s board of directors on Wednesday. METRA CHICAGO — A top BNSF Railway executive assured Metra board members Wednesday that the railroad was serious about eliminating the causes of overheated and overcrowded coach cars that had […]
Nippon Sharyo’s plant in Rochelle, Ill., is closed and is on the market. Avison Young ROCHELLE, Ill. — Eight years after opening to much fanfare, Nippon Sharyo’s passenger rail car manufacturing plant in Rochelle, Ill., is closing and up for sale. The company blamed the closing on its failure to complete a contract to deliver […]
