CHICAGO — Canadian National officials seek to double-track 4.27 miles of former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern track to speed the flow of freight and bypass Chicago’s congested rail hub, but the plan is facing a regulatory hurdle and growing opposition from municipalities and residents. CN, acting under its Wisconsin Central Limited Railroad subsidiary, has applied […]
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A view of the wreckage of derailed Amtrak Cascades Train 501 on Dec. 18, 2017. Steve Carter WASHINGTON — The conclusion of an investigation into a 2017 Amtrak Cascades derailment has touched off a debate over the safety of non-conventional trainsets. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded Tuesday that the Talgo equipment’s lightweight design was […]
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WASHINGTON — A systemic safety failure by state and federal agencies caused the fatal December 2017 derailment of an Amtrak Cascades train on its first run on a new route in Washington state, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded Tuesday. The derailment investigation revealed a complex set of factors, including the pressure to put the new […]
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Northbound Amtrak Hiawatha No. 333 passes Tower A20 in Glenview, Ill., on May 18, 2019. This is where Canadian Pacific trains enter and leave the Chicago-Milwaukee main line via the tracks at right to reach the railroad’s Bensenville Yard. Bob Johnston A southbound Hiawatha passes Metra’s Glen of North Glenview station in January 2019. Plans […]
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Trails and Rails volunteer Andy Selden describes wildlife along the Mississippi River on the ‘Empire Builder’ in 2014. Bob Johnston WASHINGTON – Amtrak’s decision to no longer furnish meals or lodging for “Trails and Rails” program volunteers continues to curtail commentary on rail routes that used to have it. However, a new five-year agreement between […]
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A southbound Kansas City Southern merchandise train with a distributed power unit on the tail end passes the joint customs inspection station in Laredo, Texas, as it crosses the International Railway Bridge over the Rio Grande in November 2017. Bill Stephens BOSTON — Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific have worked together to improve the […]
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Bowing to opposition from the communities of Glenview and Lake Forest, the Illinois Department of Transportation will no longer support plans for two sidings that are part of a plan to increase Amtrak Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee. Patch.com reports that acting IDOT Secretary Omer Osman said in a letter, released […]
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Amtrak’s Freighthouse Square station in Tacoma is awaiting the return of trains to the Point Defiance Bypass. The release of the NTSB’s report on a 2017 derailment could hasten that process. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board will release its report on the December 2017 derailment of an Amtrak Cascades passenger […]
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An NJT train tiptoes through “A” Interlocking’s work zone on the west end of Penn Station on June 20, 2017. This summer “JO” Interlocking on the east end of the station will be rebuilt. Bob Johnston NEW YORK — Continued infrastructure work at New York’s Penn Station will lead to changes in service this […]
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As light fades, a lone ES44AC powers a southbound Kansas City Southern intermodal train of solid JB Hunt containers on the Rosenberg Subdivision at Ganado, Texas, in November 2017. Bill Stephens KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern has tightened southbound cross-border intermodal schedules — by as much as one or two days in some […]
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This schematic of Conrail’s North Jersey Service Area shows planned and current improvements. Courtesy of Conrail Greenville Yard in Bayonne and Jersey City, N.J., will see projects addressing capacity needs in several areas. Courtesy of Conrail This overhead image shows the current Point No Point Bridge over the Passaic River, as well as the proposed […]
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GLENVIEW, Ill. — The Glenview Village Board has voted to budget another $36,000 for its fight against efforts to increase Amtrak Hiawatha service between Chicago and Milwaukee, running the community’s total tab for the effort to more than $541,000. The Chicago Tribune reports that of the newly budgeted funds, $30,000 will go to a state […]
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