MATTESON, Ill. — Authorities ordered an evacuation, then lited it about two hours later after a Canadian National train derailed at the railroad’s busy junction of former Illinois Central and Elgin & Joliet Eastern lines today (June 27) in Matteson, about 25 miles south of downtown Chicago. WGN-TV reports there was a small leak of […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
New York MTA votes to pause congestion pricing, places $16.5 billion in projects on hold
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Wednesday acceded to the request of Gov. Kathy Hochul and voted to indefinitely halt the planned congestion pricing toll program for lower Manhattan, and to put $16.5 billion in transit projects on hold as a result. The move came a day after New York State Comptroller […]
VRE to eliminate youth fares as of July 1
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia Railway Express will eliminate fares for riders 18 and under as part of fare adjustments effective July 1. Adult passengers on the commuter service will see a fare increase of approximately 5%, the first raise in ticket prices since 2019. That will translate to an increase of approximately 65 cents for […]
Durango & Silverton disruption from rock slide continues
DURANGO, Colo. — Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad service to Silverton, Colo., remains suspended as a result of a rock slide last week, according to an update on the railroad’s website. The heritage railroad had hoped to be able to restore service by midweek after a slide discovered on Saturday, June 22, covered the […]
Weekly U.S. rail traffic remains ahead of 2023 levels
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic remained up compared to 2023 according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads, with intermodal traffic continuing to account for the overall growth. For the week ending June 22, total traffic was 485,557 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.6% compared to the corresponding week […]
Little money for rail in 2024 RAISE grants (updated)
WASHINGTON — Rail projects received a miniscule amount of the $1.8 billion in 2024 Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Although 148 projects were awarded funding for construction or planning, most of the money was directed to street realignment to enhance safety for motorists, […]
New Jersey congressional delegation seeks investigation on Northeast Corridor issues
WASHINGTON — New Jersey’s congressional delegation is requesting that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg investigate Amtrak issues on the Northeast Corridor that have led to what a letter calls a “commuting nightmare” on one recent morning, as well as a series of other recent disruptions. The June 25 letter, signed by all 11 House members from […]
CSX unveils Georgia Railroad heritage locomotive
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX’s 16th heritage locomotive honors the Georgia Railroad. The unit, No. 1834, was released yesterday at the railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga. “Here is our 16th CSX Heritage Locomotive – the Georgia Railroad #1834. Founded in 1833, the company was originally the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company and the banking side […]
Young Guns in Preservation: Kyle Colley
Kyle Colley has been part of the heritage railroad industry since birth, literally. The Durango, Colo., native was born to parents who both worked at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. After a childhood spent on and near the famed tourist train, Colley used the knowledge he gained to purchase a narrow-gauged Railway Post […]
Railroads pledge to make additional safety improvements based on NTSB East Palestine findings
The 31 new safety recommendations that the National Transportation Safety Board made yesterday in response to Norfolk Southern’s hazardous materials wreck in East Palestine, Ohio, have prompted a flurry of responses from the rail industry, lawmakers, and union leaders. The Feb. 3, 2023, derailment was caused by the failure of a wheel bearing on a […]
Concrete tie maker to open plant in North Las Vegas
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A German manufacturer of concrete railroad ties will open a factory in North Las Vegas to help supply the Brightline West project, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. PCM Railone AG, which production facilities in 12 countries, specializes in track systems and concrete ties for projects that go 186 mph or […]
Hydrogen trainset arrives in San Bernardino, Calif.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — More than 20 months after it was unveiled in Berlin and nine months after its U.S. debut, the first Stadler hydrogen-fuel-cell powered FLIRT H2 trainset has arrived in San Bernardino, where it will operate on Southern California’s Arrow commuter rail line. The first-of-its-kind trainset arrived on June 21, after leaving Pueblo, […]