Low visibility left operator no chance to avoid hitting tree, says NTSB report on NJ Transit light rail fatality

Aerial view of site of NJ Transit light rail fatality, with inset photo of train with smashed windshield

WASHINGTON — Predawn low-light conditions made it impossible for the operator to stop in time to avoid hitting a downed tree, the National Transportation Safety Board says in its final report on the Oct. 14, 2024, collision that killed the operator of an NJ Transit River Line light rail train. The train’s operator was later […]

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British Columbia museum receives grant for shop restoration

Several cabooses in a museum setting. British Columbia museum receives grant for shop restoration.

SQUAMISH, British Columbia — The Railway Museum of British Columbia has received a $50,000 Heritage Legacy Fund grant from Heritage BC to assist with work on its car shop. The museum matched the grant, netting $100,000 for the project. The grant funds the reconstruction of the shop’s five rail doors. Each 14- by 22-foot door […]

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SEPTA, TWU reach agreement, averting transit strike

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority logo

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a two-year contract, averting a strike the union had said was imminent. “I am very pleased that we were able to settle without a strike,” TWU Local 234 President Will Vera said in a statement today (Dec. 8). “… Patience was […]

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Union says strike against SEPTA is ‘imminent’

Logo of Transport Workers Union of America

PHILADELPHIA — A strike by the union representing Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority rail transit and bus operators is imminent, the leader of that union said on Friday. The Transport Workers Union of America said in a press release that SEPTA has refused to negotiate on quality-of-life issues for members of TWU Local 234, and that […]

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Choe named as Virginia Railway Express CEO

Head shot of woman in red jacket and white blouse

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Katie Choe has been named as the new chief executive officer of commuter rail operator Virginia Railway Express. The appointment, effective Jan. 20, 2026, was made at the Thursday, Dec. 4, meetings of the two agencies that oversee VRE, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission. Choe replaces […]

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New York MTA site makes it easier to track capital projects

Screen shot of web page with map of New York subway system

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched a new online dashboard to monitor its capital projects, allowing viewers to see what is being built or replaced, the project budget, spending thus far, and the expected completion date. The Capital Program Dashboard, now available here in a Beta version, addresses projects on the Long […]

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City ends TOYX turntable lease

Small diesel locomotive and boxcar on a turntable. City ends TOYX turntable lease.

PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — Port Jervis is terminating a rail historical society’s lease of the former Erie Railroad turntable site near downtown, a decision that will force the nonprofit group to find a new home for its 27-piece locomotive and rolling stock collection. The 8.67-acre city-owned site was once part of the Erie Railroad’s engine […]

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Trains.com Recommended Reading: From Penn Station to the man in Seat 61

Hallways in train station

Our latest edition of the occasional Trains.com Recommended Reading feature is spanning the globe, as the old ABC Wide World of Sports intro used to say, to bring you a wide range of rail-related articles: — The New York Times did a spectacular job with the design and graphics for this article on Penn Station […]

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STB approves Fortress Investment’s purchase of Wheeling & Lake Erie, Akron-area short line

Red, white, and blue locomotive outside shop building

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has approved Fortress Investment Group’s acquisition of the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway and Akron Barberton Cluster Railway. The acquisition will be effective Dec. 26. In a press release today (Nov. 26), the board notes that the two properties will join six Class III railroads already in the Fortress […]

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Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road Holiday Lights Trains to make season debut Friday

Commuter train decorated with holiday lights

NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will launch their Holiday Lights Trains this Friday, Nov. 28. The colorfully lit trains will operate through New Year’s and will display special holiday-themed safety messages at selected stations. This year, Metro-North is adding a diesel-powered train for the first time, bringing the holiday […]

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MBTA, Keolis complete rail replacement on Fairmount Line

Map of MBTA commuter rail Fairmount Line

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed more than 28 miles of rail replacement on its Fairmount Line, part of work in preparation for the eventual launch of battery-electric train service on the 9.2-mile, nine-station commuter line between South Station and Readville, Mass. Service on the route, which has been modified since the […]

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Governor’s move provides SEPTA with $219.9 million to address infrastructure, safety issues

Man working on railcar

PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will receive an extra $219.9 million in state funding to address infrastructure work and safety issues, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced today. The money will come from the state’s Public Transit Trust Fund, the source of money for capital projects that was also used to keep SEPTA at […]

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