WASHINGTON — Amtrak has unveiled the new paint scheme to be worn by the remainder of its fleet of Siemens ALC42 locomotives, a two-tone blue design with a splash of red and white trim. The “Phase VII” scheme — the seventh standard design in Amtrak’s 50-year history — debuts on Charger No. 309, the 10th […]
Read More…
LOS ANGELES — The former Pacific Harbor Line engineer who intentionally derailed his train at the Port of Los Angeles in 2020 was sentenced this week to three years in prison, the Los Angeles Times reports. Eduardo Moreno, 46, had pleaded guilty in Decmeber to committing a terrorist attack and other violence against railroad carriers […]
Read More…
TORONTO — A trainset of VIA Rail Canada’s new Siemens-built equipment made a circuit of corridor stations in Ontario stations April 13-14, 2022, testing track geometry and passenger loading and unloading. Running as special train No. 649, the Charger locomotive and full set of Venture cars stopped at all station between Ottawa, Brockville, Ont., and […]
Read More…
JUPITER, Fla. — Replacing a 96-year-old, bascule drawbridge while keeping both rail and river traffic moving requires round-the-clock activity and lots of compromise. This was obvious Sunday, April 10, with the latest step in the project to replace a Florida East Coast Railway bridge over the Loxahatchee River at Jupiter, improving both operational reliability and […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON — A Caltrain commuter train hit three hi-rail maintenance vehicles — two flatbed trucks with cranes and a heavy-duty pickup truck — in the March 10 collision in San Bruno, Calif, that injured 14 people, according to the preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The preliminary report outlines details of the accident […]
Read More…
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — D&I Railroad SD40-2 No. 3023, one of five SD40-2s new to the railroad’s roster, leads an eastbound train at Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 13, 2022. Photographer Kevin J. Ryan says it is believed to be the locomotive’s first revenue trip on the railroad. The 138-mile D&I, a wholly owned subsidiary […]
Read More…
We all love the unusual — something that departs from our perceived norm. In railroading, it’s an Alco showing up on an otherwise all-Electro-Motive locomotive roster, or perhaps a slight variation of a paint scheme that catches our eye. Or it could be an EMD Model 40. A total of 11 were built between 1940 […]
Read More…
WASHINGTON – The trade group representing sugar shippers has told federal regulators that rail service problems have forced some of its members to stop or curtail production of food and beverages. The Sweetener Users Association, which wrote to the Surface Transportation Board on Wednesday, is the latest trade group to complain about poor rail service […]
Read More…
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s request that shippers reduce the number of private freight cars in their pipelines – or face strict quotas starting on Monday – has been met with a mix of understanding and outrage. Some shippers say they understand UP’s need to reduce car inventory to help ease congestion that has slowed […]
Read More…
LOS ANGELES – Metrolink publicly shared its switch to renewable fuel, on April 13, 2022, making the agency the first in the nation to completely power all its locomotives by the cleaner burning alternative. The agency began using only renewable fuel in February. “It’s a proud achievement to be the first rail agency in the […]
Read More…
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Transit Authority’s FrontRunner commuter service will remove its fleet of single-level Comet passenger cars from service April 18. The 25 cars were built for Erie Lackawanna in the early 1970s and used in commuter service in New Jersey by EL and New Jersey Transit. The cars have served UTA […]
Read More…
MINNEAPOLIS – Construction can resume on a light rail tunnel in Minneapolis after an engineering analysis determined that construction played only minor role in cracks that developed at a nearby condo building. The Twin Cities Metropolitan Council, which is building the 14.5-mile Southwest Light Rail/Metro Green Line Extension from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, halted construction […]
Read More…