Challenges ahead for passenger rail under Trump, GOP Senate: Analysis

Man speaking with passenger train in background

WASHINGTON — The election of Donald Trump could significantly reduce future financial support for Amtrak, transit, and high speed rail projects, although expected cuts could be tempered if Democrats are able to capture enough still-undecided House of Representatives races to gain a majority in that chamber. That’s the consensus of sources Trains News Wire contacted […]

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Is it time to preserve an Amtrak Genesis P40?

An Amtrak passenger train rolls through arid country against a blue sky

Is it time to preserve an Amtrak Genesis P40? Since 1993, Amtrak’s iconic Genesis diesels have hauled countless millions of passengers across its network. From Sunset Limited to Downeaster, the Genesis has been the locomotive for generations of Amtrak travelers. While the Genesis models remain among the most common locomotives for long distance passenger service, […]

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Germany’s premier steam railway to replace steam?

Steam engine under large plume of smoke with passenger cars

BERLIN — Germany’s famed Harz Mountain Railway — a 140-kilometer (87.5-mile) meter-gauge network run by the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB) — has announced plans to make long-term changes to its operation including the future “decarbonization of the popular steam locomotives.” The announcement came as part of a funding deal for this year (providing around $20 million) […]

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Ballot measures with rail component pass

Denver_RTD_Cuts_Lassen

Four ballot initiatives with at least some rail transit component all appear to have passed on Tuesday, based on results available this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 6). — In Maricopa County, Ariz., which includes Phoenix, voters appear to have approved an extension of a half-cent sales tax for transit, the Arizona Republic reports. The tax, introduced […]

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STB grants dismissal requests by Amtrak, San Diego commuter agency

Passenger train next to ocean

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday (Nov. 5) granted requests by Amtrak and Southern California’s North County Transportation District to dismiss long-running cases before the board. Amtrak had requested that the board dismiss its request for an order requiring CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern to allow operation of Gulf Coast service between New […]

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November 2024

The November 2024 cover of Trains magazine which features a blue and silver locomotive crossing a steel bridge

In every issue News, p. 4 Norfolk Southern sued by federal government over its handling of the Crescent Bill Stephens, p. 10 The more things change, the more they stay the same Great Railfan Roads, p. 46 Follow the BNSF Railway across Montana Preservation, p. 52 Kalmbach Media’s corporate art collection donated to Center for […]

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Horseshoe Curve funicular reopens after $150,000 overhaul

Funicular cars pass on hillside

ALTOONA, Pa. – The trackside park at America’s oldest train-watching site – Horseshoe Curve, on Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line in west-central Pennsylvania – is again accessible to all visitors. Closed since the end of the 2019 season by a seemingly endless cycle of mechanical, operational, electronic, and software issues, the funicular or inclined-plane railway that […]

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Chicago’s CTA returns rail service to pre-pandemic level

Elevated train with fall foliage and city skyline in background

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority has returned to pre-pandemic levels of rail service, with a 20% increase in weekly train trips, the agency said on Monday, Nov. 4. The change means more than 1,200 additional rail trips per week compared to the spring 2024 schedule, according to the CTA, and covers all eight rail […]

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