WASHINGTON — Beleaguered commuter railroads — which are being hit by the double whammy of funding cuts and lower ridership since the pandemic — are seeking breathing room regarding liability insurance coverage. The Commuter Rail Coalition is cheering a bipartisan bill that would give commuter railroads 60 additional days to secure additional excess liability coverage […]
Any amount of assistance can make a sizable impact for any museum, tourist railroad or organization, no matter where that help is coming from. A prime example is Anderson Pries, who volunteers at the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, Ill. The 15-year-old serves as a collector, who assists the conductor during trolley rides, […]
WILMINGTON, Del. — Heritage railroad Wilmington & Western, which shut down suddenly earlier this year, has announced it is returning to operation, with its first trips scheduled for later this month. A pop-up message on the railroad website says, “After a spring and summer dedicated to maintenance and improvements, we’re ready to welcome back riders. […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit has suspended service on two commuter rail lines today (Monday, Oct. 13) because of a storm expected to bring heavy rains, strong winds, and potential flooding. An advisory on the agency’s website says North Jersey Coast Line service is suspended between Bay Head and Long Branch — the 10 southernmost […]
WASHINGTON — Starting early next January, no freight or passenger trains will be scheduled to cross the Potomac River between Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Va., during an 8:15 a.m.-to-1 p.m. window seven days a week for up to five years. This will accommodate construction on a $2.3 billion, four-track bridge being built to replace the […]
CHICAGO — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen who operate on Metra’s Union Pacific lines have ratified a new contract, the BLET said on Friday (Oct. 10, 2025). The contract, which calls for a 3.5% wage increase, was ratified by a 60-1 vote. The pay increases will take effect no later than […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit has declared a state of emergency beginning at 10 p.m. ET today (Saturday, Oct. 11) in anticipation of a strong storm expected to hit its service on Sunday, Oct. 12, and Monday, Oct. 13, and is advising customers to travel during the storm only if absolutely necessary. Those who are traveling […]
SUGARCREEK, Ohio — Former McCloud River Railroad and Yreka Western 2-8-2 No. 19 is slated to return to full operation in 2026, according to its owner, the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum. The Mikado, famous from its appearance in the movie Emperor of the North, was last under steam in 2020 before undergoing its Federal […]
CHICAGO — Metra plans a fare increase as part of its proposed 2026 budget, a $1.1 million plan that includes other measures to address a projected $68 million funding shortfall but no cuts in service. The commuter rail agency’s announcement today (Oct. 10, 2025) also includes a proposed $575.3 million capital plan continuing Metra’s work […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National and and Congebec, a Quebec-based logistics firm, are collaborating on a cold storage facility that will be built at CN’s Calgary Logistics Park in Alberta. The facility will be built within CN’s integrated logistics hub, which will accelerate transloading of temperature-sensitive goods between rail and the warehouse. The companies, in a […]
NORA, Ill. — Residents of the village of Nora were to be allowed to return to their homes at 6 a.m. today (Friday, Oct. 10) following a Thursday morning derailment of a Canadian National Railway train that led to the evacuation of about 100 people. The Warren, Ill., Fire Department posted that information, from the […]
BNSF Railway and CSX are seeing immediate results from the interline domestic intermodal partnership that they announced in August linking the Southwest and Southeast. Over the past six weeks, CSX intermodal volume is up 8%, according to the railroad’s weekly carload reports. Rival Norfolk Southern’s intermodal traffic has declined 6.8% over the same stretch, suggesting […]
