Byron Hill, Wisconsin

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Nestled among hillside dairy farms, corn fields, and rock quarries, Byron Hill, Wis., sees more than 20 trains per day on Canadian National’s busy Waukesha Subdivision. Positioned halfway between Fond du Lac and Lomira, Wis., the main line is paralleled by two vital roadways, Highways 175 and 41. Branching off of those main arteries are […]

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Chicago’s “Racetrack”

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Chicago is still the railroad capital of the country in most people’s opinion. What puts it on top over other cities like Kansas City is the strong passenger-train presence. It’s Amtrak’s midwestern hub (8 routes), and hundreds of Metra commuter trains (11 routes) hustle in and out of the city daily. Much of the railroad […]

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Trains announces the launch of Trains.com

Trains. We love them and so do you. That’s why we at Trains are excited to announce we will be launching an all-new, redesigned website for you in just a couple of weeks. You’ll still be able to access all the content you’ve come to love: articles on railfanning, locomotives, all things steam, and the latest about […]

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Kansas City Southern boosts outlook as traffic rebounds

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern reinstated and boosted its outlook for the year as traffic volume has risen above pre-pandemic levels in recent weeks. The railway, which reported improved earnings on Friday morning, says it now expects slightly higher earnings per share this year and its operating ratio to should improve to around […]

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Digest: Three reappointed to VIA board of directors

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Friday midday rail news: Three members of VIA Rail Canada board reappointed Canada’s Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, has announced three appointments to the VIA Rail Canada board of directors. Daniel Francis Gallivan of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Kennth Ching Whay Tan of Richmond, B.C., both of whom joined the board in June 2017, were reappointed for […]

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Digest: Temporary shutdown of Northstar commuter line a possibility

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More Friday morning rail news: Temporary shutdown of Northstar an option as Twin Cities council faces budget issues A temporary shutdown of the Northstar commuter rail line between Minneapolis and Big Lake, Minn., could be a possibility as the Minneapolis-St. Paul area’s Metropolitan Council deals with budget pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minneapolis Star […]

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Digest: Metro-North, Long Island to test system that could kill 99.99% of viruses

Friday morning rail news: MTA commuter railroads to test air-cleaning system that kills almost all viruses, bacteria The Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road will test an air filtration and purification system that claims to kill 99.99% of airborne viruses and bateria while scrubbing out particulate matter. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday it […]

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Digest: Legislation introduced to transfer Keystone Line ownership from Amtrak to Pennsylvania

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Still more Friday morning rail news: Bill seeks to transfer Keystone Line from Amtrak to Pennsylvania Legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week would require Amtrak to transfer ownership of its Keystone Line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa., to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Keystone Line for the Commonwealth Act would […]

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Railroads face December deadline for plans to meet new TSA rules

WASHINGTON — A late 2020 deadline is approaching for railroads and transit systems to submit plans on how they plan to comply with new Transportation Security Administration rules on security training. The new regulations require freight railroads, passenger railroads and designated “higher risk” transit systems to submit plans on how they will comply by Dec. […]

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Digest: Tri-Rail again increases service

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More Thursday afternoon rail news: Tri-Rail to add service on Oct. 19 South Florida commuter railroad Tri-Rail will increase service on Monday, Oct. 19, reaching 92% of its pre-pandemic service level. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports Tri-Rail service will begin operating 46 trains on weekdays and 28 on weekends. It will be the fourth increase since […]

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Digest: South Shore president expects little impact from Chicago quarantine rule

Thursday morning rail transit news: NICTD president foresees little impact on South Shore commuter operations from Chicago quarantine rule Indiana has been added to the city of Chicago’s pandemic quarantine list, but South Shore Line commuter trains aren’t likely to be effected. WSBT-TV reports Mike Noland, president of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates South […]

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