Amtrak’s Chicago Metropolitan Lounge ends free use for business-class passengers

People in loosely organized line at railroad station

CHICAGO — Amtrak business-class passengers no longer receive free admission to Chicago Union Station’s Metropolitan Lounge, although a $35 day pass is available. Enlarged and reimagined at a new location within the sprawling facility in 2016, the Metropolitan Lounge’s primary function has been to serve transferring long-distance sleeping car passengers. It is a multi-level place […]

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CPKC signs naming-rights deal for Kansas City soccer stadium

Illustration of soccer stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has signed a 10-year naming-rights agreement for the stadium currently under construction for the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League, which the team says is the world’s first stadium built for a women’s professional sports team. CPKC Stadium, under construction at Berkley Riverfront Park, […]

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Free begins tenure as acting president of Long Island Rail Road

Man speaking at podium

NEW YORK — Rob Free has taken over as acting president of the Long Island Railroad, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, ending Catherine Rinaldi’s tenure as both interim president of the LIRR and president of Metro-North Railroad. Free’s first full day in the position was Thursday, MTA CEO Janno Lieber said. He had been named to […]

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MBTA Green Line extension was built with track out of gauge, faces significant repairs

Green and white light rail vehicle at station

BOSTON — Tracks were built out of gauge on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line extension, meaning the 4.7-mile, $2.3 billion project faces significant rebuilding less than a year after it opened. MBTA CEO Phillip Eng revealed the problem at a press conference today (Thursday, Oct. 19). An MBTA spokesman said 80% of the […]

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CSX reports lower earnings but says improved service will lead to growth

CSX train with orange and blue intermodal containers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation earnings declined alongside a third-quarter volume slump, the railroad said today, but executives are confident that improved service will lead to long-term growth. “We have seen great progress with our ‘One CSX’ initiatives, which are helping to build a focused, collaborative culture that enables all of our employees to feel […]

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The Trains Interview: Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena talks service, growth, competition, and steam

Trains spoke with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena today after the railroad’s third-quarter earnings call. Vena, who served as UP’s chief operating officer in 2019 and 2020, rejoined the railroad as its chief executive on Aug. 14. Vena has pledged to make Union Pacific the safest railroad in North America and to grow volume faster […]

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CREATE partners outline bid for Mega Grant to advance 75th Street project

Map of complex group of rail lines in South Chicago

CHICAGO — It’s a measure of how large CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project is that, even having been divided into more manageable parts, it’s still too big, from a financial standpoint, for one of those parts to be fully funded through the federal government’s Mega Grant program. So, when CREATE — the Chicago Region […]

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Atlas O Fall 2023 Premier Catalog

Catalog cover image

The Atlas O Fall 2023 Premier Catalog was recently posted on the manufacturer’s website. The 32-page catalog features a mix of locomotives, commuter cars, and rolling stock from the Premier, Master, and Trainman product ranges. The last four pages of the catalog include previously announced track, structures, and accessories. Two models that will be making […]

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Must-See Big Steam for the 2023 Holiday Season

The family watches a steam-powered train go by during the winter.

There’s something magical about watching big steam engines run while the snow flies. Although most of these large locomotives are going through their off-season maintenance in the winter, there are a few big steam locomotives that plan to bring season’s greetings. For a rundown of all holiday trains, check out our list of 2023 Polar […]

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Maxon Railway is an office on rails

A two-story office structure made of glass and unpainted steel sheets sits on a wide-gauge track

As the Maxon Railway car pulls away from the platform everything seems business as usual. Steel rails. Steel wheels. A slight clickety-clack. The whizzing soundtrack of an electrified locomotive. Check. Check. Check. Check.  Except this is no ordinary rail car and this railway is definitely nowhere near ordinary. Located in the Pacific Northwest with the […]

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Union Pacific earnings fall amid volume slump, but operations and service improve

Freight train with yellow locomotives in mountains

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific reported lower third quarter revenue and profits today (Oct. 19) as volume fell and cost pressure increased. “No doubt about it: It was a tough quarter,” new CEO Jim Vena told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call this morning. But he said he was pleased with the railroad’s […]

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CSX announces sick-time agreement with Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen has ratified a paid sick leave agreement with CSX Corp. covering former Seaboard Coast Line properties, CSX announced today (Oct. 19, 2023). The agreement covers close to 400 employees. “We value the hard work and dedication of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and all our employees who keep […]

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