ORLANDO — Brightline has introduced a new All-Station Shared Pass for frequent travelers between Orlando and South Florida, offering consistent fares over a 90-day period. The pass is good between Orlando and any of the five South Florida stations — West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, and Miami — and is good for […]
Type of Train: Passenger/Transit
Six new HO models from Rapido Trains
Rapido Trains hosted a dealer open house at the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 in Essex, Conn. During the event, the manufacturer unveiled several new HO scale products. Here’s a rundown of some of the items announced. Locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD7, SD9, and SD10 diesel locomotives were among the six […]
Model a pike-size passenger train
When you think of Burlington Northern, passenger service may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But from March 2, 1970 (Burlington Northern’s first day) to April 30, 1971 (the day before Amtrak started operations), the railroad offered passenger service. Among the name trains were the Empire Builder, Mainstreeter, North Coast Limited, and […]
NJ Transit fires official overseeing Portal Bridge replacement project
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit has fired its head of construction management, who was overseeing the $2.3 billion Portal North Bridge project, NorthJersey.com reports. Mohammad Nasim told the news site he was given no reason for his firing last week other than being an “at will” employee, and was escorted out of the transit agency’s […]
South Shore sets schedule for resumption of Michigan City-Dune Park trains
CHESTERTON, Ind. — The South Shore Line has released new schedules effective Oct. 25 for the resumption of train service between the Carroll Avenue station in Michigan City, Ind., and Dune Park in Chesterton, Ind., as well as continued bus substitution between Dune Park and the Gary (Ind.) Metro Center station. New schedules are available […]
Canada’s High Frequency Rail project begins Request for Proposal phase
OTTAWA — The Canadian government’s slow-moving process of developing its proposed High-Frequency Rail passenger route between Toronto and Quebec City is taking its next step. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced Friday the start of the Request for Proposals process for the rail project, with a deadline announced only as “summer 2024.” Those proposals will come […]
Siemens debuts first Amtrak Airo passenger car
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Siemens Mobility and Amtrak have unveiled a prototype of the first car for the new Amtrak Airo equipment at the builder’s Sacramento, Calif. The Wednesday event provided the first look at the equipment to be provided in 83 fixed trainsets, the first of which is scheduled to enter service in 2026. The […]
Stadler, California sign deal for hydrogen trainsets
SALT LAKE CITY — Rail equipment manufacturer Stadler and the state of California on Thursday signed a contract calling for Stadler to build four hydrogen-powered trainsets for use in the state, with an option for up to 25 more trains. The contract signed Thursday formalizes an agreement announced as a “memorandum of understanding” in September […]
DC Metrorail to increase brake inspections as a result of September derailment
WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail will begin inspecting bolts on the brake system of its older railcars every 60 days in response to a derailment last month, the Washington Post reports. That derailment of a 7000-series trainset was caused when the train hit a brake disc that had fallen off a preceding train of older equipment, […]
Virgin Group wins lawsuit against Brightline in British court
LONDON — Virgin Group has come out on top in its legal battle over Brightline Holdings LLC in a United Kingdom court judgment. This comes after a $115 million [originally reported to be $250 million] lawsuit was filed by Virgin over the Brightline’s exit from its 20-year partnership in the Virgin Trains USA branding that […]
NTSB chair criticizes FRA’s final rule requiring video cameras on passenger locomotives
WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration today published its final rule mandating inward- and outward-facing cameras in passenger locomotives, a move that immediately brought criticism from the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, who said the rule doesn’t go far enough. The FRA rule, which goes into effect on Nov. 13, will require the […]
News report says Biden administration will withdraw one nominee for Amtrak board
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will withdraw one of its six nominees for the Amtrak Board of Directors and replace that individual with a yet-to-be-named candidate from the Western U.S., the Washington news site Roll Call reports. The move will end a hold on the nominations over their failure to meet a Congressional requirement for […]