Six months after being sidelined, DC Metro cars remain out of service DC Metro’s 6000-series railcars, sidelined since last November after incidents in which trains separated while in motion, will remain out of service. The Washington Post reports the 184-car fleet of 20-year-old, Alstom-built cars will remain out of use indefinitely because of issues with […]
Two bills would fund studies of expanded Maine passenger service Maine legislators are considering two bills to study expanded passenger rail service in the state, while some residents would like to see state-owned rail corridors used for recreational trails. Currently, Maine’s only rail service, the Downeaster to Boston, terminates at Brunswick. WMTW-TV reports sponsors hope […]
Bill would provide grants for accessibility upgrades to transit systems Three U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would provide $1 billion annually in grant funding to improve public transit accessibility for passengers with disabilities. Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), and Bob Casey (Pa.) have put forward the All Stations Accessibility Program Act […]
CHICAGO — Anacostia Rail Holding’s six short lines have become certified partners of the Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay Transportation Partnership, a collaboration between industry and environmental groups to track and reduce emissions and fuel use in the transportation sector. The more than 3,000 partners in the program, which launched in 2004, including railroads, trucking, air, […]
An 11-car Union Pacific passenger train pauses at the east portal of Colorado’s Moffat Tunnel on Tuesday while passengers inspect the tunnel’s fan house and control room. The train arrived at Winter Park, Colo., on Monday morning, and departed about 2 p.m. today, stopping at the tunnel before continuing to Denver, where it is laying […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National today filed its Kansas City Southern merger agreement with federal regulators, and asked the Surface Transportation Board to adopt an expedited schedule for reviewing its request to put KCS into a voting trust. In what CN termed a procedural move, the STB on Monday denied CN’s request to place KCS into […]
MONTREAL – One of Canadian National’s largest investors has urged the railway to abandon its pursuit of Kansas City Southern, saying it would be reckless in light of regulatory uncertainty surrounding the merger. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board yesterday denied, on procedural grounds, CN’s request to put KCS into a voting trust while the merger […]
Athearn made a big splash recently by announcing three newly tooled HO scale models for its Genesis family of products. A General Electric AC4400CW and an Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC will be added to the Genesis 2.0 product line. Surfliner bi-level intercity cars will be in the original Genesis line. The SD90MAC is based on an […]
Demolition work began Monday on Union Pacific’s Lenox Tower in Mitchell, Ill., about 20 miles north of St. Louis. The tower is being razed to streamline the interlocking and remove a troublesome puzzle switch as part of a realignment project that will allow increased speeds for Amtrak Lincoln Service trains between Chicago and St. Louis. […]
Rail Runner Express to resume full schedule New Mexico’s Rail Runner Express commuter rail service will resume a full schedule on May 24, about two months after resuming a limited schedule following a year-long shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to a full weekday schedule serving all stations, weekend service is also returning. […]
SIBLEY, Iowa — The evacuation order resulting from the derailment of a Union Pacific train in Sibley was lifted Monday evening, after fears of an explosion eased greatly authorities discovered a car believed to be carrying ammonium nitrate was actually empty. KCAU-TV reports about 400 people had been affected by the evacuation order, which was […]
LANSING, Mich. — Maximum speeds for Amtrak trains on one segment of the Chicago-Pontiac, Mich., corridor will increase to 110 mph as of Tuesday, May 25, and that corridor will see an additional round trip beginning July 19. The higher speed limit will come on 45 miles of state-owned tracks between Kalamazoo and Albion, Mich., […]
