Thursday morning commuter rail news: Tri-Rail adding two round trips to schedule South Florida’s Tri-Rail will add to its commuter rail schedule as of Monday, June 29, adding two additional round trips to its current schedule of 11 trains in each direction. Weekend service will remain at six round trips. South Florida Regional Transportation Authority […]
SEPTA, NJ Transit, Metro Transit announce service increases
Thursday morning rail news in brief: SEPTA to increase Regional Rail service starting Sunday The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will increase Regional Rail service on most lines as of Sunday, June 28, to reflect increasing activity in the Philadelphia area after COVID-19 closures. Weekday hourly service will return on most lines as of Monday, July […]
NS sells Norfolk office building
More Thursday rail news: NS sells Norfolk headquarters building Norfolk Southern has sold its headquarters building in Norfolk,Va., as it prepares to relocate to Atlanta. TowneBank, based in Suffolk, Va., and the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters have completed purchase of the Norfolk Southern Tower, with each planning to occupy 10 floors of the […]
CN defends request for regulators to settle Chicago interchange dispute with CP
WASHINGTON — Canadian National has defended its request for the Surface Transportation Board to wade into its long-running dispute with Canadian Pacific regarding where the railways interchange in Chicago. Both railroads continue to exchange cars at the Belt Railway of Chicago’s Clearing Yard, as they have under an August 2019 interim agreement that shifted the […]
Builders file plan to dissolve partnership building Maryland’s Purple Line
Wednesday morning rail news: Builders of Maryland light rail project say they’ll dissolve partnership The consortium building Maryland’s line rail Purple Line says it will dissolve the project’s public-private partnership, which was supposed to cover a 36-year period, if it can’t reach agreement with state officials on cost overruns and extensive delays. The Washington Post […]
Amtrak to resume ‘Pere Marquette’ service
More Wednesday morning rail news in brief: Amtrak ‘Pere Marquette’ to resume operation Amtrak will resume operation of the Chicago-Grand Rapids, Mich., Pere Marquette next week, with the first Chicago-Grand Rapids train on Monday, June 29, and trains operating in both directions on Tuesday, June 30. Departures from Chicago for train No 370 are at […]
Metra to add service on three lines
Tuesday morning rail news in brief: Metra to add service on three lines Metra will offer express trains on the North Central Service and SouthWest Service lines — the first time express service has been offered on either route — as part of an increase in service on those two lines and the Heritage Corridor […]
CEO of firm that built Ottawa light rail line resigns
More Tuesday rail news in brief: CEO of Ottawa light rail builder resigns The CEO of Rideau Transit Group, which built Ottawa’s troubled light rail Confederation Line, has resigned, the Ottawa Citizen reports. Peter Lauch had led the three-company partnership that built the transit system since 2018, and became CEO of Rideau Transit Maintenance, responsible […]
Washout cuts Durango & Silverton access to Silverton for eight to 16 weeks
Still more Monday rail news: Durango & Silverton hit by washout A washout has cut the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s access to Silverton for eight to 16 weeks, the Durango Herald reports. A log jam on the railroad’s bridge at Elk Creek, about five miles from Silverton, forced the creek to overflow and […]
Portal Bridge project advances to engineering phase, gets federal funding
Monday rail news in brief: Portal Bridge project advances with commitment for federal funding The project to replace New Jersey’s infamous Portal Bridge has received a Federal Transit Administration commitment to fund nearly half the project, state officials said Friday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wrote on Twitter that the bridge will “enter into its […]
DOT releases final rule for transport of LNG by rail (updated)
The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued its final rule for transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail, a controversial and highly politicized new rule which will take effect 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The rule, developed by the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in consultation with the Federal […]
Amtrak cutting frequency of ‘Silver Star,’ ‘Silver Meteor’ as of July 6
Passenger rail news and analysis: ‘Silver Star,’ ‘Meteor’ changes coming July 6 Amtrak will alternate service on its two New York-Miami trains running on different routes through the Carolinas as of July 6, a move it attributes to COVID-19 pandemic ridership drops and a preview of the company’s still mostly undefined plans to cut virtually […]