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CHICAGO — Passengers who drifted in to the westbound California Zephyr’s crowded Sightseer Lounge leaving Chicago on Tuesday found themselves in the middle of an Amtrak-sponsored onboard event commemorating the first runs of the original Burlington-Rio Grande-Western Pacific streamliner on March 20, 1949. They were treated to an informative lecture by Thomas Whitt, director and […]
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak has begun a $122 million project to improve its Harrisburg line between Lancaster, Pa., and Harrisburg, a project that will see some trains replaced by a bus bridge on that 36-mile segment four days a week for more than six months beginning April 8. Those outages, along with schedule adjustments at other […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Regular Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink commuter rail service through San Clemente is slated to resume Monday, March 25, after two months of disruptions because of the latest in a series of landslides along the Surf Line in the South Orange County community. The Orange County Transportation Authority announced today (Tuesday, […]
PRINCETON, Ill. — Amtrak marked the 75th anniversary of the launch of the California Zephyr today (Tuesday, March 19) with ceremonies in Chicago, Princeton, and Galesburg, Ill., as well as onboard today’s westbound departure from Chicago. In Princeton, at least 50 people were on hand when the train arrived to sing “Happy Anniversary” for the […]
DEL MAR, Calif. — Construction will begin this month on a three-year, $78 million project to stabilize the Del Mar Bluffs along the Surf Line rail line, the Times of San Diego reports. The segment along the Pacific Ocean has long been a source of erosion and occasional line closures on the route used by […]
From short lines to the Class I railroads, chances are you’ll come across a mainline steam excursion with one or more non-passenger railcars near the front of the train (sometimes coupled directly behind the locomotive). They’re carrying, as the name implies, tools and more to support the steam locomotive when out on the road and […]
PUEBLO, Colo. — For a guy who goes around in circles at work every day, MxV Rail locomotive engineer Mike Walfoort sure gets a lot done. At the beginning of each 10-hour shift he climbs aboard an SD70M that’s on the point of a 114-car train of surplus coal gondolas. He slowly notches the throttle […]
CINCINNATI — The city of Cincinnati’s sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern has been completed. Paul Muething, president of the Cincinnati Southern board of trustees, said in a statement available on the railway website that the board received the $1.6 billion payment from NS, plus $20 million in deferred transaction fees, on […]
WASHINGTON — Parties in the settlement intended to lead to the start of Gulf Coast passenger service said in a status report to the Surface Transportation Board that negotiations between Amtrak and the city of Mobile for a lease of downtown city land “are continuing to move forward.” The report filed Friday by Amtrak, Norfolk […]
WOODSTOCK, Ill. — Metra will hold an open house meeting in Woodstock on Thursday, March 21, to discuss plans for a new layover yard for the Union Pacific Northwest Line planned near the community in McHenry County, The meeting will be Thursday, March 21, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Woodstock Opera House […]
CHAMA, N.M. — The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has named Ed Beaudette as general manager for the 2024 season, the railroad announced Friday. He replaces Steven Butler, who resigned earlier this month. Beaudette, who worked for many years as the railroad’s manager of engineering and operations, currently serves on the board of the Friends […]
CANCÚN, Mexico — The latest section of Mexico’s Maya Train has finally begun operation, more than two weeks after its inauguration ceremonies. The news site Noticaribe reports the first train from Playa del Carmen to Cancún departed at 10:30 a.m. today (Friday, March 15). Initial operations include three daily round trips on the 42-mile segment; […]
