SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The effort to develop alternative-fuel locomotives continues to gain momentum. The California Energy Commission has awarded Sierra Northern Railway and research and development firm GTI almost $4 million to fund design, development, and demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered switching locomotive. The funds will retire a Tier 0 diesel and replace it […]
Caltrain schedule changes include two more weekday trains Caltrain will make schedule changes as of March 22, adjusting its weekday and weekend schedules to support regional transit connections. In a press release, the commuter railroad says the changes will maintain connections with BART at the Millbrae Transit Center to coincide with BART’s March 22 schedule […]
Crew misunderstanding, lack of ‘physical defenses’ play part in CP Calgary accident, TSB says A yard crew’s misunderstanding of track permission granted to an intermodal train, along with a lack of “physical defenses” such as signals, led to a collision and derailment of two Canadian Pacific trains near Calgary’s Alyth Yard in March 2019, the […]
LA Union Station to host part of Oscars ceremony Los Angeles Union Station will be one of the two venues for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, Variety reports. The station, built in 1939, is a frequent setting for films, but has never been part of the Oscars. It will be used this year, along with […]
Six hospitalized when Phoenix light rail train derails after collision with vehicle Six people were hospitalized Sunday evening after a Phoenix light rail train derailed following a collision with a vehicle. KNXV-TV reports the accident occurred about 4:45 p.m., and a photo appears to show the light rail vehicle hit one of the supports for […]
Two Amtrak Cascades Talgo Series VI trainsets’ final resting place before scrapping is Coast Rail Services in Anaheim, Calif., as seen on March 6, 2021. The distinctive passive-tilt equipment, owned by Washington, was removed from service at the end of June 2020, along with two trainsets owned by Amtrak. The Amtrak Series VI trainsets were […]
BNSF derailment leads to spill of denatured alcohol Some 25 to 35 cars of a BNSF train derailed Wednesday near the remote San Bernardino County, Calif., community of Ludlow, spilling “several thousand gallons” of denatured alcohol from a leaking tank car, according to a county fire department spokesman. The Victor Valley Daily Press reports the […]
San Francisco streetcars to return in May, cable cars back in fall San Francisco will revive its historic streetcar F Line in May and its cable cars this fall — with the latter representing a turnaround from prior suggestions that return of the city’s signature transit system was in doubt because of cost and declining […]
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe’s dock at Ferry Point outside of San Francisco burned May 4, 1984. I was on the job in 1984 and remember the fire vividly. The Santa Fe ceased tug-and-barge service across the San Francisco Bay shortly after. When I hired out in the mid-1970s, west end jobs were responsible for […]
I decided to make history repeat itself in August 2000, when my son, Liam, was 4. I wanted Liam to experience a train ride that I took with my grandfather 50 years ago. My grandfather had taken me on passenger trains from the San Francisco Bay Area to the San Joaquin Valley town of Merced, […]
San Franciscon Muni to resume some subway light rail service in May San Francisco Muni will resume some subway light rail service in May, the next step in the gradual and long-delayed restoration of service halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Francisco Chronicle reports service on the N Judah and T Third line […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The fate of California’s high speed rail project hangs on a funding decision the California legislature will make before adopting the new state budget in June. “I do think it’s time to decide: Is California committed to moving to electrified, clean, high speed rail as a way to move people around the […]
