MBTA to continue Green Line work in January

Portion of MBTA rapid transit map

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will suspend service on a portion of the light rail Green Line for two extended periods in January, while also scheduling service outages for the ongoing repairs on the Green Line extension. From Jan. 3-12 and again from Jan. 16-28, Green Line service will be suspended on the Green […]

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Transcontinental sleeper transfer

Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad 0-8-0 moving Surprise Valley sleeper car

In October 1950, a Chesapeake & Ohio 0-8-0 moves sleeping car Surprise Valley through the interlocking at 21st Street, Chicago. The car arrived at Grand Central Station on Baltimore & Ohio’s Capitol Limited from Washington in the morning and departed from Dearborn Station on Santa Fe’s Chief to Los Angeles later in the day. Wallace […]

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News & Products for the week of December 25th 2023

A model freight car in a black paint scheme

News & Products for the week of December 25th 2023   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of December 25th […]

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Four injured in fire at Brooklyn subway station

Detail of New York subway map

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Four people were hurt after a track fire broke out in a New York City Transit subway station this evening (Sunday, Dec. 24), WPIX-TV reports. The Fire Department of New York said firefighters responded to the High Street-Brooklyn Bridge station on the A and C lines after a fire broke out on […]

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Top News Wire 10 stories of 2023, No. 8: New Acela delays

NewAcela

By now, Amtrak’s second-generation Acela trainsets were supposed to be in their second year of operation. Instead, they have no definite date to enter service, and are taking a growing toll on the passenger operator’s bottom line. A company web page simply says the trains are scheduled to debut “in 2024.” A Wall Street Journal […]

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Top 10 stories of 2023, No. 9: Amtrak leadership and governance issues

Passenger train in rural area

WASHINGTON — Second-guessing Amtrak management’s compensation and lack of investment outside the Northeast Corridor became a spectator sport for Congress in 2023. But lawmakers’ inaction in advancing new Amtrak board of directors nominees has contributed to the status quo over which they and their constituents express concern. Lack of capacity to accommodate surging post-COVID-19 ridership […]

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Fort Pierce, Stuart enter bids for new Brightline station

Illustration of proposed passenger station

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — At least three locations — including competing proposals in Fort Pierce — have applied to become home of Brightline’s planned intermediate “Treasure Coast” station on its route between West Palm Beach and Orlando, the TC Palm newspaper reports. Brightline announced in October that it was accepting proposals for a new station […]

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Overnight Amtrak trains in 1991

overnight Amtrak trains in front of brick station under power lines

Overnight Amtrak trains in 1991, its 20th year, show similarities with today’s offerings. Many trains known today were operating in 1991, some even with the same equipment. Some trains we have lost, including the Pioneer, Broadway Limited, Desert Wind, Montrealer, and Night Owl.   Amtrak’s first order of bilevel Superliner equipment came in the late […]

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Genesis of Amtrak Superliner cars

One of hundreds of Amtrak Superliner cars outside a building at the factory

Amtrak Superliner cars are derived from the old Santa Fe El Capitan Hi-Level car fleet. The cars, which operate on all Western long-distance plus a few others in the East, had a long gestation period. On July 3, 1973, Roger Lewis, Amtrak’s first president, sent a request for proposals to 13 companies — six engineering […]

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Mexico launches Interoceanic Train service

Man speaking at podium with train in background

SALINA CRUZ, Mexico — For the second straight week, Mexico has inaugurated passenger service on a new rail line. On Friday, operations began for the Interoceanic Railroad, a 188-mile route connecting Coatzacoalcos, on the Gulf of Mexico, with Salina Cruz, on the Pacific Coast. It is the key piece of the Interoceanic Corridor of the […]

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Amtrak chooses contractor for Susquehanna River bridge project

Amtrak Acela Express trains in Maryland

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Amtrak has selected the contractor for construction of a replacement for the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge in Maryland, and awarded two supporting contracts for the projects, the company announced Friday. The Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture will be the Construction Manager at Risk contractor for the two new bridges and related track […]

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