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BOSTON — Significant cuts to commuter rail service — including an end to service after 9 p.m. and on weekends — are part of plans announced Monday by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to address budget shortfalls resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some peak and off-peak service would also be eliminated, cutting weekday trains from […]
Tuesday afternoon rail news: West Virginia announces new site to track blocked grade crossings The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has launched a new online site to report trains blocking grade crossings. By state law, it is illegal for a train to block a crossing for more than 10 minutes except in the case […]
Monday morning rail news: Canada revises rules on cold-weather speed restrictions for hazardous-material trains Canada’s Minister of Transport on Friday issued an order modifying previous rules regarding train operation in cold weather, basing the new rule on temperatures rather than a winter date range. As with the previous rule, issued in April [see “Canada issues […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s first bike car — a Pullman-Standard coach with seating removed on half of the lower level, creating space for 16 bicycles — made its debut Saturday, a biking-friendly day of unseasonable temperatures in the 70s. Metra unveiled the car on Thursday, saying its debut had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic […]
Sunday morning rail news: Miami’s Tri-Rail suspends operations because of Tropical Storm Eta Miami-area commuter railroad Tri-Rail has suspended operations as of today because of severe weather expected with the arrival of Tropical Storm Eta. WFOR-TV reports Tri-Rail will also be removing arms from crossing gates, as is procedure when there are sustained winds of over 35 […]
WASHINGTON — The North County Transit District has asked the Surface Transportation Board to put its proceeding regarding maintenance and safety-fence issues in Del Mar, Calif., on hold. In a Friday letter to the board, the district asked that its request for a declaratory order — protecting its right to perform stabilization work along the Del […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway posted what’s believed to be a record low operating ratio of 59.7% for the third quarter, despite deep declines in revenue and volume due to the economic impact of the pandemic. BNSF’s third-quarter operating income fell 8.4%, to $1.8 billion, as revenue sank 14%, to $5 billion, the railroad’s corporate […]
Second in a series DENVER — When Amtrak operates its long-distance trains daily, train and engine crews make regular turns back to their home base after a mandated minimum of 12 hours’ rest. On the routes of the triweekly Sunset Limited and Cardinal, longer stays — perhaps days longer — have been necessary, adding extra […]
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern has reduced its number of operating divisions to six from nine, continuing an industry trend toward larger divisional territories. The move was effective Nov. 1, Chief Operating Officer Cindy Sanborn wrote in a memo to employees. The Southern Region, which previously included the Alabama, Georgia, and Piedmont divisions, is now […]
MISSOULA, Mont. – Fan-favorite regional railroad Montana Rail Link has given us another reason to admire it. The railroad recently repainted EMD SD70ACe No. 4407 in a red, white, and blue paint scheme honoring U.S. military veterans. The locomotive is one of 29 such units on the railroad’s roster. Watch Trains News Wire for more […]
CHICAGO — Metra will introduce its first bike car — a coach with room for 16 bicycles, instead of the usual five — on Saturday on the Milwaukee District North Line, and will relax its bicycle policy to allow bikes on all trains across its 11 lines as of Monday, Nov. 9. There will still […]
Friday morning rail news from the Surface Transportation Board: Del Mar’s latest filing asks STB to disregard documents from North County Transportation District The City of Del Mar, Calif., has asked the Surface Transportation Board to disregard the North County Transportation District’s latest filing in the transit agency’s request for a ruling on its maintenance […]
