ALBUQUERQUE — The western steam and narrow gauge preservation communities today are mourning the loss of a long and remarkable fixture in their worlds: Ernie Robart has passed away. Robart was an early advocate for saving the Colorado narrow gauge, and his work ultimately led to the creation of today’s Cumbres & Toltec Scenic. He […]
Section: News Wire
NS to repay state, city for incentives to keep headquarters in Norfolk NEWSWIRE
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern will pay Virginia and the city of Norfolk about $2.4 million as a result of its announced plan to move its headquarters to Atlanta. The Virginian-Pilot reports the funds represent a repayment of incentives the company received as part of a 2016 agreement to keep its headquarters in Norfolk until […]
SEPTA’s AEM-7s get second lease on life in New Jersey NEWSWIRE
A string of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority AEM-7 locomotives at Frazer, Pa., before relocation to Morrisville, Pa., and lease work on NJ Transit. Gary Pancavage PHILADELPHIA — Railfans who’ve yet to see AEM-7 locomotives in the wild will get one more chance to do so in the coming weeks as the last of Philadelphia’s operational […]
Trains top stories for 2018: No. 3: Brightline NEWSWIRE
Brightline locomotives and trainsets appear at the railroad’s West Palm Beach “b” shops in January. Bob Johnston MIAMI — Could privately owned and operated passenger rail ever succeed in the U.S., given the billions of dollars of public spending lavished annually on competing highway, transit, and air travel transportation modes? If so, what would it […]
Amtrak 188 engineer to stand trial in 2019 NEWSWIRE
PHILADELPHIA – The locomotive engineer at the controls of an Amtrak train that derailed near Philadelphia in 2015 is set to stand trial in September 2019. Eight people died and more than 200 were injured when Amtrak train No. 188 derailment on the Northeast Corridor in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood in May 2015. A National […]
Colorado’s ‘Winter Park Express’ gets a lounge car NEWSWIRE
Amtrak cab car No. 406 at Denver Union Station in January 2017. Chip Sherman DENVER, Colo. – The Winter Park Express will have a lounge car when it departs Denver for Winter Park, Colo. on Jan. 3. Ever since the weekend ski train began operating in 2016, skiers and snowboarders have been asking Amtrak to […]
CSX donates turntable to Tennessee town as part of No. 576 restoration NEWSWIRE
WATERTOWN, Tenn. – CSX Transportation has donated a turntable to a small community in Tennessee that could eventually be used by Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway 4-8-4 No. 576, under restoration in nearby Nashville. Earlier this week, Historic Watertown Inc. announced that it had secured the donation of a surplus turntable from CSX. The […]
Federal grant to pay for PTC on part of ‘Chief’ route NEWSWIRE
A Southwest Chief inspection train hosting community leaders pauses at La Junta, Colo, on Aug 4, 2016. A federal grant will pay for the installation of PTC on the Chief’s route between Dodge City, Kan., and Las Animas, Colo., near La Junta. Bob Johnston WASHINGTON — In a boost to efforts to maintain the route […]
Federal regulators scrutinize a range of Class I railroad charges NEWSWIRE
Cars will Union Pacific’s West Colton, Calif., yard in April 2014. The railroads hope to make their networks more efficient by incentivizing shippers to release cars more quickly. Brian Schmidt WASHINGTON – Federal regulators are shining a spotlight on Class I railroad demurrage and accessorial charges, which the railroads levy on customers for things such […]
First US-built MBTA Orange Line cars completed NEWSWIRE
MBTA Orange Line cars test in China in 2017. The latest cars in the order are now manufactured in the U.S. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The first of 152 U.S.-built Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Orange Line cars were recently completed by China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. Ltd. (CRRC) in Springfield. MBTA officials, along with Gov. Charlie […]
Former Metro-North president to become Connecticut transportation commissioner NEWSWIRE
HARTFORD, Conn. — Former Metro-North Railroad president Joseph J. Giulietti will become Connecticut’s commissioner of transportation, governor-elect Ned Lamont has announced. The Hartford Courant reports that Lamont said he is looking to the commissioner to implement the governor-elect’s vision of “substationally reducing travel time from New Haven and our other towns to New York City.” […]
FTA finalizes grant for Sound Transit light rail project NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration have finalized an agreement for $1.2 billion in funding for an 8.5-mile extension of its light rail system. The FTA announced the grant on Thursday, after the conclusion of a 30-day congressional review period for the funding agreement announced in November. [See “Sound Transit, FTA reach […]
