Travel: Amtrak’s most unusual train

long blue and white passenger train

Amtrak’s most unusual train Dirk Nadon is a New Hampshire radio magnate who owns Lakes Media. He and I have worked together developing radio promotions for the Conway Scenic Railroad. At one point he said to me, “You’ll like this! A few years ago, I took this great train ride called the Auto Train — […]

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Union Pacific service metrics show continued improvement

Freight train with yellow locomotives in mountains

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is touting service improvements in an update to customers. “We know that delivering consistent and reliable service is what you expect, and we continue to make improvements to our service product. I’m pleased with the progress that we have sustained over the past few months,” Kenny Rocker, executive vice president […]

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Milwaukee Road No. 261 makes second run in 2023

Steam engine, E unit and passenger trian

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Railroading Heritage of Midwest America’s Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261 made its second run of 2023 today (Thursday, Nov. 30) operating from its home base in Minneapolis to St. Paul Union Depot. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 1-3, the locomotive will run short “North Pole Express” trips at the depot in what […]

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VIA Historical Society launches fundraising campaign to acquire FP9A

Blue FP9A locomotive with yellow nose

TORONTO — Canada’s VIA Historical Society has launched a major fundraising campaign to acquire its first locomotive, former VIA Rail Canada FP9A No. 6539, to be used as part of the organization’s touring exhibition train to celebrate VIA’s 50th anniversary in 2028. The organization is seeking to raise C$250,000 to purchase, move, restore, repaint and […]

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Amtrak cites major ridership increase in fiscal year-end report

High speed trains meet on S curve

WASHINGTON — More than 28 million passengers rode Amtrak in its 2023 fiscal year, the company today in announcing results for the year that ended Sept. 30. “Amtrak ridership continues to set post-pandemic records thanks to our customers who were anxious to travel again and attracted to the many benefits of train travel,” CEO Stephen […]

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NTSB to investigate death of NYC Transit track worker

National Transportation Safety Board logo

NEW YORK — The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate a Wednesday accident in the New York Subway system that killed a track worker, the agency said in a social media post. Hiliarian Joseph, 57, was serving as the flagger at a track project near the 34th Street-Herald Square subway station when he was struck […]

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OmniTRAX to begin operation of South Branch Valley Railroad on Friday

Blue locomotive pulling freight cars

MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — OmniTRAX will take over management of West Virginia’s South Branch Valley Railroad this Friday, Dec. 1, the company has announced. The transportation affiliate of The Broe Group said Wednesday that it had entered into “a definitive agreement with the West Virginia Deparment of Transportation to operate and grow” the 52.4-mile railroad, a […]

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic again up

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic again was up for the week ending Nov. 25, the third straight week with a volume increase over the same week in 2022. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, total traffic was 415,332 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4%. That included 195,948 carloads, down 2.5%, and […]

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Texas mayor vocal about need for passenger rail at House hearing: Analysis

Passenger train in background with station in foreground

WASHINGTON — Austin, Texas, Mayor Kirk Watson expressed strong support for expanded rail service in the San Antonio-Dallas-Houston “Texas Triangle” at a hearing of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s rail subcommittee in Washington today (Wednesday, Nov. 29). The session, however, primarily provided a platform for critics of the California High-Speed Rail Authority to […]

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