BOONTON, N.J. — The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey has scheduled 48 departures for its Hudson River Rail Excursions between February and November, including the addition of special trips tied to Valentine’s Day and the 75th anniversary of the 1948 edition of the 20th Century Limited. The 48 trips is double the 2022 […]
Zone & Region: Northeast
Reading & Northern sets freight, passenger records
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern Railroad announced it set new records in 2022 for freight traffic and excursion passenger ridership. Revenue freight traffic rose over 4,000 carloads and the railroad carried over 250,000 passengers on its excursion trains. Reading & Northern, Pennsylvania’s largest privately-owned railroad, said the freight traffic increase was driven by […]
MBTA looks at returning older Orange Line equipment to operation
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority may return some of its older Orange Line trainsets to operation to address an equipment shortage as it continues to inspect and repair new equipment for the latest in a series of defects, Boston.com reports. At least nine of the new Orange Line cars built in Massachusetts by […]
Reading & Northern to offer ‘rare mileage’ excursion (corrected)
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Railroad Historians of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Chapter, National Railway Historical Society are sponsoring a “rare mileage” excursion on the Reading & Northern Railroad on April 15. R&N Budd Rail Diesel Cars will cover several lines. A revised trip plan includes the P&R mainline, the Mine Hill […]
Renovations planned for Pennsylvania Amtrak stations
LATROBE, Pa. — Several upgrades are planned for two Amtrak stations in Pennsylvania this year along the route of Amtrak’s New York–Pittsburgh Pennsylvanian. In Latrobe, Amtrak plans improvements to the Pennsylvania Railroad station built in 1903 to address Americans with Disabilities Act deficiencies found throughout the structure, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The station has a large […]
CSX gets Pan Am work off the ground
BOCA RATON, Fla. — CSX Transportation put a lot of effort into upgrading newly acquired property Pan Am Railways in 2022. That effort will continue this year, Ed Sparks, the railroad’s chief engineer, bridges, design, and construction, said Saturday. The plans for the former Pan Am trackage in New England was just one part of […]
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad hosts massive steam locomotive
In November 2022, Trains Magazine hosted their second photo special of the year on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad near Cumberland, Maryland, with 2-6-6-2 No. 1309. An earlier trip in February 2022 operated for 100 people. This time, a smaller crowd of 60 photographers from across the United States and as far away as England […]
The Lionel Aberdeen, Carolina & Western F9 locomotive set
The Lionel Aberdeen, Carolina & Western F9 A-B locomotive set is now out. The railroad – reporting mark ACWR – is a short line that, until January of last year, many of us in the O gauge hobby had never heard of. “The Carolina Route” runs between Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. It hauls goods from […]
Work underway for new Amtrak/SEPTA station in Pennsylvania
COATESVILLE, Pa. – Work is underway on a new $65 million Amtrak/SEPTA station in Coatesville, the West Chester Daily News reports. Expected completion is fall 2025. The job includes design, station and streetscape construction, and Amtrak track work at Fleetwood Street, just east of the existing Pennsylvania Railroad station building. According to a Pennsylvania Department […]
Operator in collision of MBTA light-rail trains may have fallen asleep
WASHINGTON — An operator who “exceeded maximum authorized speed due to his loss of situational awareness” was the probable cause of a July 2021 collision between two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority light rail vehicles, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Thursday, Jan. 5. The operator, who told authorities that he may […]
Legislative committee suggests limiting MBTA to subway, bus operations
BOSTON — A state legislative committee has proposed shrinking the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as one way to address the agency’s widespread safety issues. Boston.com reports the Massachusett’s legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation has suggested in a report issued earlier this week that the MBTA be relieved of its commuter rail and ferry operations, as […]
Metro-North Commuter Railroad marks 40th anniversary
NEW YORK — New Year’s Day 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad, which began operation on Jan. 1, 1983, taking over commuter operations from Conrail. Since then, Metro-North has upgraded Grand Central Terminal, acquired more than 800 new cars, and added seven new stations. Ridership had more than […]