No ‘Touring Class,’ dome access for return of VIA’s Prince Rupert train

Passenger train with dome-observation car

Tuesday afternoon rail news: Touring Class not available, schedule set for resumption of VIA Jasper-Prince Rupert service Touring Class, with its full-length single-level Panorama dome car, will not be offered when VIA Rail Canada resumes passenger service to and from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, in July, and access to the dome in the Park dome-lounge-observation […]

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BART sets 15-point plan to handle returning riders NEWSWIRE

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Thursday morning rail news in brief: BART announces ‘Welcome Back Plan’ Bay Area Rapid Transit has introduced a 15-step “Welcome Back Plan” for riders returning to the San Francisco-area rail system after the COVID-19 lockdown, including use of long trains to accommodate social distancing, increased train frequency as ridership dictates, and a possible new seating […]

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Former VIA Rail Canada chief to lead Siemens Mobility in Canada NEWSWIRE

Yves Desjardins-Siciliano Siemens Siemens Mobility announces the appointment of Yves Desjardins-Siciliano as Canadian CEO for Siemens Mobility Limited. Desjardins-Siciliano will build Siemens Mobility’s presence in Canada and lead its team in the provision of transportation solutions to Canadian service providers. “With deep industry knowledge and demonstrated customer focus, Yves is well-positioned to grow Siemens Mobility […]

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Rocky Mountaineer suspends service through July 31 NEWSWIRE

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated government restrictions, Rocky Mountaineer will extend the suspension of its 2020 travel season until July 31, 2020. This suspension is in addition to the previously announced suspended departures from April 13 to June 30. “It is with much regret that we announce […]

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Survey finds New Yorkers are wary of return to transit NEWSWIRE

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Long Island Rail Road trains await action at New York’s Hudson Yards. More than 40% of New Yorkers surveyed indicated they will avoid transit after the coronavirus pandemic. TRAINS: David Lassen More Friday morning rail news in brief: — More than 40% of New York City residents surveyed say they plan to avoid mass transit […]

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CN’s Murray becomes first female board chair of Railway Association of Canada NEWSWIRE

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Thursday afternoon rail news in brief: — Fiona Murray of Canadian National has been named as board chairperson for the Railway Association of Canada, becoming the first female to hold that position in the organization’s 103-year history. Murray, vice-president of public and government affairs at CN, joined the railroad in 1992. “As a career railroader, […]

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Canadian safety agency seeks better air-brake test NEWSWIRE

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Still more Wednesday rail news: — Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is seeking a better way to test train air brakes as a result of the 2019 derailment of a Canadian Pacific train near Field, B.C., that killed three crew members. The crewmen were killed when the train ran away on Kicking Horse Pass, derailing two […]

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Canadian prime minister sees transit aid as local, provincial issue NEWSWIRE

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Saturday Canadian rail and coronavirus news: — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau views aid for Canada’s ailing transit systems as a responsibility of local and provincial governments rather than the federal government, he said during a Friday press conference. “Operation of transit is more of a municipal and provincial responsibility, and we hope to see […]

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VIA extends suspension of ‘Canadian,’ ‘Ocean’ to November NEWSWIRE

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VIA Rail Canada is extending the suspension of the Canadian until November 2020. Bob Johnston Thursday morning rail news: — VIA Rail Canada has written off the summer travel season for its long-distance overnight trains, the Canadian and the Ocean, extending their suspension until at least Nov. 1, 2020, and has suspended Sleeper class on […]

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CN files suit against British Columbia blockade protesters NEWSWIRE

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More Friday morning rail news: — Canadian National has filed suit against protesters in British Columbia who blockaded its tracks in February, seeking damages, a permanent injunction against blockades, and an enforcement order by police. The CBC reports that the suit against unnamed individuals who blocked its main line between Smithers and Terrace, B.C., on […]

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Study places cost of restoring Vancouver Island rail line at up to $700 million

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More Wednesday morning rail news: — It would take more than $700 million to restore the former Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway line on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to operating condition suitable for a proposed commuter rail service, and another $600 million to launch such a service, according to a government report issued Tuesday. The Vancouver […]

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Toronto transit agency to lay off 1,200 NEWSWIRE

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Still more Thursday rail news: — The Toronto Transit Commission will lay off 1,000 streetcar, subway, and bus operators as a result of falling revenue because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 200 non-union employees will also be cut, while salary increases will be put on hold, overtime will be reduced, and non-essential capital projects will […]

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