HOMEWOOD, Ill. — The Homewood station on Metra’s Electric District will close from April 1 to May 20 to replace the single stairway leading to the station platform, Metra has announced. The station has been undergoing a $20.7 million reconstruction since May 2023, and has remained open during the project, but must close during this […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Colorado officials ride inspection train from Denver to Longmont
LONGMONT, Colo. — Using the idle equipment from Amtrak’s Winter Park Express, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, state legislators, and local officials rode an inspection train from Denver to Longmont today (Thursday, March 7). The 44-mile, 90-minute trip used the BNSF Railway route via Boulder that is proposed for passenger service that would continue north to […]
Court dismisses Norfolk Southern suit seeking to share East Palestine costs with rail car owners, chemical company
AKRON, Ohio — A federal court has ruled against Norfolk Southern in a suit seeking to share cleanup costs for the February 2023 East Palestine derailment with railcar owners and the maker of the vinyl chloride involved in the incident. In a decision filed Wednesday, Judge John R. Adams of the U.S. District Court for […]
Ancora board nominees attack NS on safety after Pennsylvania accident
CLEVELAND — Continuing attacks on current management at Norfolk Southern, board nominees of investor Ancora Holdings have issued a “white paper” on last Saturday’s three-train NS collision in Pennsylvania in which they outline what they say would be safety upgrades at the railroad and question the current operating culture. The investment group launched a proxy […]
RailPulse, Nexxiot announce agreement for telemetry equipment, services
RailPulse — the consortium of railroads, railcar manufactures, railcar owners, and other industry firms developing GPS and other telematics use — and rail telemetry vendor Nexxiot have announced an agreement to make it easier for car owners to access Nexxiot products and services and join the RailPulse platform. The agreement, announced today (March 7) but […]
Three-train NS incident unfolded in less than a minute, NTSB investigator tells township council
LOWER SAUCON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A National Transportation Safety Board investigator has filled in town officials on additional details of last weekend’s incident collision and derailment involving three Norfolk Southern trains, saying a total of nine railcars derailed in the incident, WFMZ-TV reports. Ruben Payan, who is leading the NTSB team looking at train operations, […]
Despite inauguration, latest section of Maya Train not operating
CANCUN, Mexico — When is a route inauguration not really the start of service? With Mexico’s Maya Train, the answer, apparently, is when a political deadline is involved. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obardor was among the officials on board Feb. 29 for a trip to inaugurate a new section of the Maya Train, a […]
NTSB chair tells Senate hearing East Palestine chemical burn could have been avoided
WASHINGTON — The controlled burn of vinyl chloride following last year’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, was unnecessary, National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy told a Senate hearing today — and might have been avoided with better communication. Homendy, testifying at a Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on NTSB investigations, said in […]
California Zephyr resumes full route after a week of cancellations
CHICAGO — Beginning today (Wednesday, March 6) Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr will depart Chicago for California for the first time the Feb. 27 departure encountered freight congestion and weather obstacles that resulted in arrival into Emeryville, Calif., 10 hours, 35 minutes late. Those cars and locomotives, stranded for more than a week at Amtrak’s Oakland […]
Venture cars officially launched on Amtrak San Joaquins
STOCKTON, Calif. — The operating agency for Amtrak’s San Joaquins and the California Department of Transportation officially launched San Joaquins service using Siemens Venture equipment on Tuesday, March 5, with ceremonies featuring Caltrans director Tony Taveres, state Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, and other officials. The first Venture cars debuted in San Joaquins service without […]
Limited through LA-San Diego Pacific Surfliner service to resume Wednesday
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Two daily Pacific Surfliner round trips will resume through the San Clemente area as of Wednesday, March 6, providing through service between San Diego and Los Angeles for the first time since a Jan. 24 landslide at Mariposa Point. The Orange County Transportation Authority announced today (Tuesday, March 5) that Metrolink […]
Norfolk Southern, Florida East Coast further expand intermodal service
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern and Florida East Coast have announced further expansion of their international and domestic interline service, with logistics, marine, and energy company Crowley using the two railroads’ Florida Express service to move textile products to and from Charlotte, N.C., for garment and apparel manufacturing. “We are focused on providing reliable service and […]