Virgin Trains USA President Patrick Goddard speaks at Monday’s ceremony to mark construction of the Virgin Trains route from West Palm Beach to Orlando, Fla. Construction is already under way on four fronts. RJ Hill Photo & Video/courtesy Virgin Trains USA ORLANDO, Fla. — Virgin Trains USA formally ushered in the “red spike era” Monday […]
A Brightline train approaches MiamiCentral station on new track on May 11, 2018. Bob Johnston This article is the fourth of five on transit in the U.S. and North America. Read parts One, Two, Three, and Five online. The Sunshine State: tourists flocking to Orlando, college kids on spring break, retirees riding golf carts, international […]
Local opposition is mounting to a $250 million intermodal terminal Canadian National aims to build outside Toronto to handle a rising tide of consumer goods imported from Asia. The terminal, planned for Milton, Ontario, just west of Toronto, received a frosty reception this week at the first of several government hearings that are part of […]
Train length is an issue that Congress is interested in. These Union Pacific trains are meeting at Nunn, Colo. Trains: Jim Wrinn WASHINGTON — During an at times testy hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, congress members peppered Federal Railroad Administration administrator Ron Batory about Precision Scheduled Railroading, Positive Train Control, and the recently dismissed crew […]
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific was named Best Logistics Service Provider, Rail, at the Asian Freight Logistics and Supply Chain Awards held earlier this week in Hong Kong. CP was the only North American railroad nominated for the award. Customers provide the nominations. “Canadian Pacific is honored to be recognized by our customers with this award,” […]
TAMPA, Fla. — Florida passenger train advocate and railway preservationist John McQuigg has died, his family announced. McQuigg, 87, passed away June 16. An unwavering passenger train supporter, he advocated for better Amtrak operations in his state, and he, along with other volunteers, were instrumental in saving Tampa Union Station. He served on the Friends […]
PERU, Ill. — The City of Peru and OmniTrax have received a $6.08 million federal grant to upgrade right of way on the Illinois Railway between Peru and Zearing, Ill. The project is one of the 45 to receive Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grants announced last week. [See “FRA awards $326 million in […]
The first of 152 new Siemens light rail vehicles was unveiled by Seattle’s Sound Transit on Wednesday. Sound Transit Sound Transit says the new equipment has wider aisles, more luggage space and more bike capacity than current light rail vehicles. Sound Transit SEATTLE — The first of 152 new Siemens light rail vehicles for Sound […]
The westbound Canadian is 68 minutes early as it arrives in Kamloops, B.C., on May 11, 2019. Russ Grycan VANCOUVER, British Columbia — VIA Rail Canada’s revised schedule for its trancontinental Canadian is meeting with mixed success. In lengthening and adjusting the schedule at the end of April [see “VIA’s summer shuffle,” July TRAINS], VIA […]
SALT LAKE CITY — The Surface Transportation Board has initiated an environmental assessment of a proposed rail line to connect Utah’s Uinta Basin with the national network in what could become one of the largest railroad-building projects in a generation. The Uinta Basin Railway would connect South Myton Bench and Leland Bench, Utah with the […]
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 15. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 527,989 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending June 15 were […]
TITUSVILLE, Pa. — Western Pennsylvania diesel heads are celebrating diesel engines and the region’s crude oil heritage with a Diesel Days festival June 22 and 23. The event, spear-headed by the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad will offer two days of diesel locomotive-hauled passenger trains, exhibition diesel trucks, and antique diesel engine displays Locomotives featured […]
