SUMMIT, Montana — A BNSF derailment Saturday evening (Sept. 6, 2025) blocked the railroad’s main line on its Hi Line Subdivision, leading to the cancellation of Amtrak’s Empire Builder scheduled to depart today from Portland, Ore., and Seattle. An updated BNSF customer advisory says the derailment near Summit was reported about 6 p.m. local time. […]
SAN FRANCISCO — Transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area have become the latest to say they’re facing massive service cuts without state action. The San Francisco Chronicle reports a $750 million loan promised by Gov. Gavin Newsom now appears unlikely to be finalized before the state legislature ends its session on Friday, Sept. […]
TORONTO — The opening of the much-delayed Eglinton Crosstown light rail project has been pushed back again, although by how much has yet to be determined. The most recent estimate had projected the 11.8-mile (19-kilometer), 25-station line across Toronto would open this month, but the line has yet to begin its required 30-day revenue service […]
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority plans to restore all service it had cut as of Sept. 14, and will also enact its delayed fare increase at that time, the agency said today (Friday, Sept. 5). The agency has asked the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to approve its use of capital funds to pay […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak will halt operations of its Blue Water and Wolverine services Sept. 15-19 to accommodate demotion of two coaling towers that straddle its rail lines. An Amtrak service advisory indicates substitute bus service will be available for the Blue Water, a once-daily round trip between Chicago and Port Huron, Mich. For the Wolverine […]
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia judge has ordered the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to restore the service it cut beginning Aug. 24, but will allow a fare increase to move forward. The order on Thursday (Sept. 4, 2025) from Judge Sierra Thomas-Street of the Court of Common Pleas calls for SEPTA to “immediately cease and desist” […]
Embark on an epic journey back to the late 1940s and early ’50s, as depicted on Curt LaRue’s HO scale (1:87.1) Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle Division! Originally presented in the October 2025 issue of Model Railroader magazine, this stunning layout comes to life as cameras capture various modeled rural and industrial sites along the multi-track mainline […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — “Locomotive repair work” is being cited in an advisory to Capitol Corridor passengers this week as the reason two Sacramento-Oakland round trips have been canceled beginning Wednesday, Sept. 3. The cancellations will continue through through Friday, Sept. 19. The Oakland-Bakersfield San Joaquins also lose a round trip during the same period. A […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s board of directors will once again provide live streaming of a portion of its next meeting, set for Wednesday, Sept. 10. The live stream is set for noon to 1 p.m. ET. Members of the public who wish to watch on Zoom must register in advance here. There will be no public […]
WASHINGTON — Delays principally caused by faulty door activation and slower running over what are normally the fastest portions of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor have tempered the generally warm reception the “Next Generation” Acela trainsets received when they debuted last week. But the trainsets are now offering passengers a welcome — and long overdue — alternative […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has granted Metra’s request for terminal trackage rights on three Union Pacific lines in the Chicago area, addressing the commuter operator’s concerns that UP could otherwise choose to halt commuter service in the absence of an operating agreement. The ruling today [Sept. 3, 2025] ensures Metra service will continue […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit will take over operation and maintenance of the light rail River Line from current contract operator Alstom, a process beginning today, the agency and company have announced. The decision came “after several years of working closely together to assess the conditions of the River Line,” NJ Transit and Alstom said […]
