Repair process for Metrorail cars, reduced service to continue through summer

WMATA logo

WASHINGTON — The DC Metrorail system is facing a lengthy process in returning its sidelined 7000-series railcars to service, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said at a Thursday board meeting, with reduced service expected to continue through the summer. The website DCist also reports the Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport […]

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Metrolink seeks to build new maintenance facility in Orange County

Talgo_Metrolink_Lassen

IRVINE, Calif. — LA-area commuter rail operator Metrolink is hoping to build a maintenance facility in Irvine on 21 vacant acres owned by the Orange County Transportation Authority near the city’s Great Park, the Orange County Register reports. The OCTA is leading environmental review and approval for the project, expected to cost about $4.8 million. […]

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Santa Fe New Mexico branchline service

A lone diesel locomotive pauses in an arid landscaped rail yard.

Santa Fe New Mexico branchline service epitomizes a long-gone era of U.S. railroading — the kind where locals and shuttles move rural freight (and passengers) in unhurried ways. True, this photo gallery from the David P. Morgan Library collection offers dedicated copper-mine running. But there are no “hot-shots”, high-priority merchandise freights, or even an intermodal […]

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Lionel’s new baby K4 locomotive is a solid runner

Lionel's new baby K4 black locomotive in O gauge.

Back in the steam era, many railroads had a particular locomotive that symbolized that railway in the minds of the public. The New York Central had the 4-6-4 Hudson, the Milwaukee Road had its streamlined Hiawatha 4-4-2 Atlantics, and the Pennsylvania – which branded itself The Standard Railroad of the World – had the K4 […]

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Ukraine war leads to coal shortage for British heritage steam

Small steam locomotive operating through field

Several of the largest steam heritage railways in Britain have announced reduced schedules or postponed special events involving multiple locomotives. The reason: a shortage of suitable coal because of transport or supply problems following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Britain once boasted the world’s largest coal export ports. Railways around the world relied on coal […]

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Unions turn to arbitration in effort to strike down BNSF attendance policies

Logos for BLET, SMART-TD unions

CLEVELAND — The two unions who were blocked from striking over new BNSF Railway attendance policies imposed by BNSF Railway seek to overturn those rules through arbitration. In a statement Wednesday, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division said they would “proceed as […]

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Davey, former Massachusetts transportation secretary, to head New York City Transit

Man standing in front of subway train

NEW YORK — Richard Davey, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation, has been named as the new president of New York City Transit, the portion of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority operating New York’s subways and buses, paratransit services, and the Staten Island Railway. MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber announced the appointment Wednesday. Davey will begin […]

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STB addresses details on Gulf Coast hearing, allows more comments on switching

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — In separate actions Wednesday, the Surface Transportation Board outlined additional information for its upcoming hearing on Amtrak’s efforts to initiate Gulf Coast service, and on its consideration of new rules regarding reciprocal switching. Rules outlined for Amtrak hearing, to be held online Regarding the Amtrak hearing, set to begin April 4, the board […]

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Sluggish intermodal traffic continues to keep weekly U.S. rail traffic down

Table showing weekly U.S. carload statistics, plus intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — Continuing the trend that has continued for most of 2022, weekly U.S. rail traffic remains below 2021 levels, mostly because of intermodal traffic. For the week ending March 19, 2022, the overall volume of 499,362 carloads and intermodal units represented a 2.7% decrease from the same week a year earlier, according to statistics from […]

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Genesee & Wyoming touts business development efforts for 2021

Genesee & Wyoming logo

DARIEN, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming says its business development efforts in 2021 led to 69 projects totaling $1.5 billion in customer development and expected to generate more than 1,000 news jobs. “Based on last year’s customer investments, G&W’s freight transportation services continue to be critical to companies’ logistics strategies and the greater supply chain,” […]

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