At a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Argo Connections project are (from left) Ian Jeffries, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads; Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman; U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; and CSX Transportation General Manager – Midwest William Blanchetti. Richard Wronski CHICAGO — […]
The New Mexico Rail Passengers Coalition held a rally in Las Vegas, N.M., to bring awareness of the importance of the Amtrak Southwest Chief to the local community on April 19, 2019. The rally was held in the recently restored Plaza Hotel, with about 125 people attending. Elected officials from New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas […]
BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Elimination of Amtrak’s Hoosier State could threaten jobs at the passenger railroad’s Beech Grove shops, according to an Amtrak spokesman and workers at the facility. WISH-TV reports that Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that, if the four-day-a-week train between Indianapolis and Chicago is eliminated, it would limit Amtrak’s ability to ferry […]
SAN FRANCISCO — The troubled Transbay Transit Center has a new problem: a pathway through the rooftop park is degrading and needs replacement, even though the park has been off limits since the facility was closed last September. KCBS Radio reports that divots had begun appearing in the pathway, made of decomposed granite, during the […]
Metrolink CEO Stephanie Wiggins. Courtesy of USC/Brian Morri A Metrolink Perris Valley Line train makes the dramatic climb out of Riverside, Calif., on Feb. 14, 2019. Metrolink CEO Stephanie Wiggins says the commuter railroad is “very happy” with the performance of its positive train control system. TRAINS: David Lassen Here’s the conclusion of our Trains […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has announced a new group discount, Share Fares, which has gone on sale today (April 24). The fare provides discounts for up to three passengers when groups of two to four travel together, with a three-day advance purchase. The first passenger will pay full price, with the second receiving a discount of […]
BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Supporters of Amtrak’s Hoosier State will hold a rally today at Amtrak’s Beech Grove shops in a final effort to save the Indianapolis-Chicago train. Supporters are scheduled to gather and speak with elected officials about 2 p.m., arguing for the importance of continuing the four-day-a-week train, according to WLFI-TV in Lafayette, […]
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s Transportation Authority board has postponed $62 million in funding for new light rail vehicles, reflecting a series of problems with the new Siemens equipment. And the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority has announced a dramatic safety measure with the new equipment, requiring operators to lock the rear doors open so passengers […]
Metrolink CEO Stephanie Wiggins. Photo courtesy of USC/Brian Morri A Metrolink Ventura County Line train arrives at the Burbank Airport station on Feb. 12, 2019. TRAINS: David Lassen The Trains Interview with Metrolink CEO Stephanie Wiggins in the June 2019 issue is, unavoidably, significantly abridged from the conversation in February at Metrolink’s headquarters in downtown […]
Inbound and outbound trains on the MBTA’s Middlesborough/Lakeville line meet in Braintree, Mass., in 2010. A project to extend the line to New Bedford and Fall River, Mass., has cleared major funding and permitting hurdles. Scott A. Hartley BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has committed more than $1 billion in state bond funding for […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is taking new steps to try to identify hot axles after they were identified as a factor in two recent derailments. The MBTA has applied heat-sensitive tape to axles on the commuter railroad’s passenger coaches in hopes of spotting problems before axles fail, the Boston Herald reports. Keolis […]
A rendering of Moynihan Train Hall, looking east, shows the open central area with skylights providing natural light for above-ground spaces. Architecture and Interiors: FXCollaborative The 10,000-square-foot Metropolitan Lounge will provide fresh food and a bar with a large assortment of beverages, among other improvements over its predecessor at Penn Station. Architecture and Interiors: FXCollaborative […]
