WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration is soliciting applications for $24 million in grant funding to “initiate, restore, or enhance intercity passenger rail service.” The funds are part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation act, and can be applied to operating assistance including staffing, administrative costs, host-railroad access costs, station expenses, and lease payments on […]
REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp.’s corporate campus in the Seattle suburb of Redmond is miles from rail lines hosting regular passenger-train service. But that corporate campus will be, for three days beginning today [Nov. 6], the focal point of the high-speed passenger rail universe. The Cascadia Rail Summit convenes with U.S. High Speed Rail and Microsoft […]
Houston-area voters have approved a bond measure which includes expansion of the city’s light rail system. Metropolitan Transportation Authority of Harris County HOUSTON — Voters offered resounding support for a bond issue for the Houston area’s Metro Transit Authority on Tuesday, with more than two-thirds voting in favor of the $3.5 billion issue. Proposition A […]
No. 5255 switches a customer Fernald, Ohio, on Nov. 4, 2019. David T. Rohdenburg COTTAGE GROVE, Ind. — Seeing a former Southern Railway high short hood EMD GP38-2 in any paint scheme other than the Southern’s black, white and gold “tuxedo” paint scheme or Norfolk Southern’s simple black and white dress is certainly a rare […]
A CSX intermodal train negotiates the diamonds at Blue Island, Ill., in September 2019. Increased truck competition for intermodal traffic is one of many factors that has led Moody’s to downgrade its rating of the rail industry. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW YORK — Moody’s Investors Service last week described the outlook for North American railroads […]
Texas State Railroad’s Tremont & Gulf No. 30 will perform for Trains in May. Kevin Gilliam PALESTINE, TEXAS — Trains Magazine and the Texas State Railroad will offer a weekend with a 1920s steam freight train May 2-3. The event is designed primarily for photography but will also appeal to anyone interested in history, short […]
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 2, 2019, as well as volumes for October 2019. U.S. railroads originated 1,224,477 carloads in October 2019, down 8.4 percent, or 112,703 carloads, from October 2018. U.S. railroads also originated 1,331,944 containers and […]
O gauge CupolaCam caboose from Lionel Price: $124.99 (no. 85072) Features: O-31 operation, camera mounted in cupola, interior illumination, die-cast trucks and couplers, camera on/off and reset controls. Current production: Burlington Northern, Chessie System, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Pennsylvania RR, Reading, Santa Fe, and Union Pacific. As kids, we would hold our heads down close to […]
Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express departs Rutland, Vt., in September 2013. Burlington, Vt., residents are expressing concerns over preparations to handle trains in their city when the Ethan Allen is extended from Rutland to Burlington. Scott A. Hartley BURLINGTON, Vt. — Burlington’s city council is requesting more information from Vermont’s Agency of Transportation about projects related […]
A crew member returns to the locomotive after lining a switch at Canadian Pacific’s yard in Bensenville, Ill. Class I railroads have formally introduced a proposal for one-man crews on road trains. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — After hinting at it for months, Class I railroads have officially asked that single-person crews be part of […]
An RTD light rail train approaches the Aurora Metro Center station in September 2018. The Denver transit agency is soliciting public comments on possible service reductions because of a shortage of light rail and bus operators. TRAINS: David Lassen DENVER — Facing a shortage of operators that has led to light rail and bus cancellations, […]
BOSTON — The board that oversees the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has outlined its vision for the future of the agency’s commuter rail service. At a Monday meeting, the Fiscal and Management Control Board unanimously approved a series of resolutions supporting a plan to electrify some MBTA commuter lines and offer greatly increased train frequencies. […]
