Transit Digest: MBTA, board struggle with fare-evasion policy

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority logo

MBTA, board can’t agree on new fines for fare evasion Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority staff and the agency’s Fiscal and Management Control Board continue to disagree about fines for fare evasion. CommonWealth Magazine reports the staff and board remained at an impasse for the second consecutive board meeting. The MBTA staff initially recommended fines of […]

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Digest: Pacific Surfliner to require reservations on peak summer weekends

Blue and silver-painted locomotive at a station platform surrounding by brown steel work and palm trees. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner renewable diesel.

Pacific Surfliners to require reservations on four weekends; more could be added Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will require reservations for travel on peak weekends this suffer, a move to manage capacity when more travelers are anticipated. Four weekends have been designated for the reservation requirement — Memorial Day weekend (May 28-June 1), Fourth of July weekend […]

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British government plans major shake-up of rail industry

Blue, white, and yellow passenger train in station trainshed

LONDON — The British Government has announced plans to create a single national ,government-owned rail company to run the railway network and, via mostly private contractors, operate most passenger trains in the UK. That such a move is planned, reversing decades of complex privatization is remarkable, but even moreso is that the government is from […]

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Digest: UP train derails in New Mexico

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

UP train derails near Lordsburg, N.M., disrupting Sunset Limited No injuries were reported when about 50 cars of a Union Pacific intermodal train derailed Monday afternoon near Lordsburg, N.M. The Grant County Beat website reports the accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. local time. Sunset Limited service in both directions was disrupted, with trains holding in […]

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Digest: N&W 611 makes move to Strasburg

Streamlined steam locomotive

N&W 611 heads to Strasburg for lengthy stay Its stoker repaired, Norfolk & Western Class J steam locomotive No. 611 made the move from the Virginia Museum of Transportation on Monday and is slated to begin operation at Pennsylvania’s Strasburg Rail Road this Saturday, May 29. For security reasons, the museum did not announce a […]

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Digest: South Shore Double Track project seeks ways to reduce cost

SouthShore_MichCity_Lassen

South Shore agency studying ways to reduce cost of Double Track project The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District is studying options for lowering the cost of its Double Track project to add a second main for South Shore Line service between Gary, Ind., and Michigan City. The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that South Shore […]

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More than 200 injured in Malaysia light rail collision

White rapid transit train

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — More than 200 people were injured, 57 seriously, after a head-on collision of two light rail transit trains in Malaysia’s capital on Monday night. Reuters reports the accident occurred about 8:45 p.m. local time in a tunnel near the Petronas Twin Towers, when an empty train collided head-on with one carrying […]

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How locomotives operate together in a train consist

Front view of black and white Norfolk Southern locomotive

In the railroad industry, different locomotive models and manufacturers can be found in any train consist operating in different directions from one another. The ability to achieve this is due to a set of uniform standards for both pneumatic and electrical connections adopted by all manufacturers and can be found on almost all freight and […]

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Digest: Del Mar trespassing fence faces further delay

People jumping off rail linee as train approaches

New study to further delay safety fence along Del Mar, Calif., rail line The North County Transit District will further delay its effort to build a fence to deter trespassers from crossing railroad tracks in Del Mar, Calif., to complete an additional study on the issue. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the fence — which […]

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