Central Vermont Railway Southern Division in HO scale | In Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a dedicated group led by Paul Weiss is passionately re-creating the Central Vermont Railway’s Southern Division as it existed in May 1956. This historically accurate project showcases meticulously replicated scenes from New London, Conn., to Palmer, Mass., portraying the […]
Type of Train: Passenger/Transit
House set to vote on spending bill with big Amtrak cuts, prohibition on California high-speed rail funding
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday on an appropriations bill that would cut Amtrak funding by more than 60% and block federal support for the California high speed rail program. H.R. 4820, which funds the Department of Transportation and Department of Housing and Urban Development, includes in the budget for […]
Republicans push bill to limit Amtrak’s right of preference: Analysis
WASHINGTON — Legislation that aims to reverse Amtrak’s statutory right of preference over host railroad freight trains “within 50 miles of a port or rail yard” has been introduced by a U.S. Congressman representing a rural district without any passenger service. Among its co-sponsors is the head of the U.S. House subcommittee with jurisdiction over […]
New York MTA schedules town hall meetings on Interborough Express project
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has scheduled its first in-person town hall meetings on the proposed Interborough Express light rail project, which would build along an existing Long Island Rail Road freight right-of-way to connect LIRR passenger service and 17 subway lines. Meetings are set for Nov. 8 at Brooklyn College; Nov. 15 […]
MBTA completes work, resumes service on Ashmont Branch, Mattapan line
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority today resumed service on the rapid transit Red Line’s Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line, following a 16-day shutdown for track repairs. The MBTA says the 16-day suspension of service allowed crews to replace nearly 5,000 feet of rail and 1,174 ties on the Ashmont Branch between the JFK/UMass […]
‘Empire Builder’ disruptions triggered by snow, mechanical issues
CHICAGO — The Chicago-Seattle/Portland, Ore., Empire Builder is finally on the road to recovery after incurring significant challenges during the past week following a late October High Plains snowstorm and related issues. A series of delays throughout the week culminated in eastbound train No. 8 departing Seattle more than 5 hours late on Saturday, Oct. […]
News & Products for the week of October 30th 2023
News & Products for the week of October 30th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of October 30th […]
Fort Lauderdale, county officials at odds over replacement for downtown rail drawbridge
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The mayor of Fort Lauderdale and officials in Broward County are at odds over the best way to handle expanded rail operation by Brightline — and proposed future commuter rail service — across the New River in the middle of town. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Mayor Dean Trantalis wants […]
SEPTA, Transport Workers Union avert strike with tentative agreement
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority on Friday averted a strike that would have shut down trolley, subway, and bus service, reaching an agreement with its largest union, Transport Workers Union Local 234. The one-year agreement was reached about 4:30 a.m. Friday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, and must be ratified by a majority of […]
Virginia Railway Express seeks to add Saturday service
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia Railway Express is in discussions with its host railroads over plans to launch Saturday service for the first time in the commuter operator’s 31-year history, the Washington Post reports. The move is part of VRE’s effort to lure riders back to the system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The […]
News photo: Montreal commuter cars delivered to museum
MONTREAL — The last two remaining Bombardier MR-90 commuter railcars have been delivered to Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum in Saint-Constant, Quebec, on Saturday, Oct. 28, following donation by commuter railroad Exo. They are shown heading south on the CPKC Adirondack Subdivision in LaSalle, Que. These MU cars served on the Deux-Montagnes line from 1995 […]
New Amtrak fare structure takes effect
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has launched the simplied fare structure announced earlier this month, moving from three categories of fares to two, the company said today (Friday, Oct. 27). The company had previously announced the new fare plan, but had not specified when it would take effect [see “Amtrak to implement two-tier fare structure: Analysis,” Trains […]