East Broad Top sells out Winter Spectacular

ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — The East Broad Top Foundation posted a sold-out Winter Spectacular celebration Feb. 18-19, with 10 internal-combustion-powered trips over its restored main line between Rockhill Furnace and Colgate Grove and tours of the roundhouse and station archives. This year’s winter event built on the success of the Foundation’s first Winter Spectacular in […]

Read More…

Metra schedules station ‘safety blitzes’

Metra logo

CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra announced it will hold Operation Lifesaver “Safety Blitzes” at 51 of its stations during 2022 as part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness about safe behavior around trains and tracks. Each blitz will see Metra employees visit a station during the morning rush hour to distribute educational materials about […]

Read More…

Chicago suburban group aims to ‘stop’ CP-KCS merger

Commuter train arrives at two-story station

ITASCA, Ill. — Some two months after announcing plans to do so, eight western Chicago suburbs have formalized their formation of a coalition to address concerns over the impact of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. And while many communities along the routes of the CPKC, the company that would be formed by the merger, […]

Read More…

News photo: Former Fillmore & Western diesel at work at new home

Black and yellow diesel with a few freight cars at grade crossing

GUADALUPE, Calif. — Equipment from the former Fillmore & Western continues to find its way to new locations. A GP35 from the defunct tourist and movie-filming operation in Southern California is now in operation at the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, the 14-mile operation on the Central California coast interchanging with the Union Pacific at Guadalupe. […]

Read More…

New York to try platform barriers at three stations

Barricades along edge of subway platform, with train in station

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will test platform barriers at three subway stations — including parts of its busy Times Square station — after incidents including one that saw a woman killed when she was shoved in front of an oncoming train. MTA CEO Janno Lieber said the program will cost more than […]

Read More…

Tennessee legislators seek study of in-state Amtrak service

Map showing passenger routes in Tennessee and neighboring states

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two Nashville lawmakers have introduced a bill in the state legislature asking for a study of possible Amtrak service connecting Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis. The Nashville Tennessean reports state Rep. Jason Powell and state Sen. Heidi Campbell, both Democrats, are sponsoring the legislation which would direct the Tennessee Advisory Commission on […]

Read More…

Weekly rail traffic figures skewed by 2021 weather woes

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity plus overall intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — The latest weekly U.S. rail traffic figures show a massive increase over the same week last year — a reflection of a week in 2021 when rail traffic experienced massive weather disruptions. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show U.S. railroads handled 497,822 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Feb. […]

Read More…

2022 steam locomotive list spring update

photo of black steam locomotive pulling a short freight, Spring 2022 steam locomotive list

2022 steam locomotive list spring update: It’s time for the active steam list update. Since we debuted the list last fall, we’ve gotten great feedback, updates, and added to the list. New to the list is Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 154 at the East Tennessee tourist carrier, Three Rivers Rambler, a part of Gulf & […]

Read More…

CSX asks for delay in Amtrak Gulf Coast hearing

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — CSX Transportation has asked for a delay in the evidentiary phase of the Surface Transportation Board hearing over Amtrak Gulf Coast service — but the public will not be informed why. A filing posted to the STB website today (Wednesday, Feb. 23) says the railroad “does not likely make this request, given the […]

Read More…