VIA goes to court over CN speed restrictions on Venture trainsets

Gray, yellow and black passenger train at station

OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada is asking a Canadian court to review speed restrictions imposed on its Venture passenger equipment by Canadian National Railway, saying CN has not provided any evidence or valid reasoning for the move. The Canadian Press reports VIA said in a Federal Court filing that “there is no evidence to […]

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Amtrak service resumes between New York, New Haven

High speed train crossing bridge

NEW YORK — Amtrak has fully restored service between New York Penn Station and New Haven, Conn., the company says in an update on its website. Service had been halted between New York and New Haven since Tuesday afternoon because of fires affecting Amtrak’s catenary power system [see “Fire knocks out power …,” Trains News […]

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What happened to the caboose?

A wooden fence post and yellow autumn grass with a yellow caboose receding in the distance

What happened to the caboose? Many factors helped seal their fate, and the demise of the caboose has been mourned in many places, including in the pages of Trains, which bid farewell in a special issue in August 1990. But the caboose hasn’t disappeared. Even today, you can find a few cabooses still at work. […]

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CSX aims to boost throughput at its largest and busiest hump yard

View from control tower of hump yard

WAYCROSS, Ga. — If there’s one dot on the CSX system map that’s more important than any other, it’s Waycross, Ga., the home of Rice Yard. CSX’s largest and busiest hump yard sits at the junction of the railroad’s main corridors to Chicago, New York, Florida, and New Orleans. And with CSX expecting a wave […]

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Amtrak service remains suspended between New York, New Haven

Electric multiple-unit trainset rounds curve

NEW YORK — Amtrak operations between New York’s Penn Station and New Haven, Conn., remains suspended to begin today (Wednesday, Nov. 13) as a result of Tuesday electrical fires in the Bronx. Service was suspended as of Tuesday afternoon because of a pair of fires, one involving a transformer fire at a warehouse and another […]

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AAA members now get discounts on Metrolink tickets

Commuter train passes under signal bridge

LOS ANGELES — AAA members now have a new benefit in Southern California: discounts on Metrolink commuter rail tickets. As of Tuesday, Nov. 12, current members of the AAA Auto Club of Southern California will be eligible for a 20% discount on round-trip Metrolink tickets. Members will need to log into their AAA account to […]

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MBTA work removes five Red Line speed restrictions

Maintenance crew working on track under bridge

BOSTON — Five days of service suspensions for maintenance work on the Red Line have resulted in the removal of five speed restrictions, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced, leaving just four slow orders on the entire MBTA rail transit system. Service was shut down between Broadway and North Quincy Nov. 5-10, as well […]

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Fires knock out power on Amtrak route east of New York

Amtrak high speed train meets Metro-North electric multiple-unit trainset

NEW YORK — Amtrak service between New York and New Haven, Conn., has been suspended since midafternoon today (Tuesday, Nov. 12) and is to remain suspended the rest of the day because of a loss of power east of Penn Station, according to an advisory on the Amtrak website. WABC-TV reports there have been two […]

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Ottawa puts end to lockouts at ports in British Columbia and Quebec

Intermodal train with one red and black locomotive on curve

OTTAWA — Canada’s labor minister has ordered port employees back to work in British Columbia and Quebec after negotiations between unions and terminal operators reach an impasse. “I have directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order that all operations and duties at the ports resume and to assist the parties to settle their collective […]

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Cass Scenic announces schedule for winter 2025 Greenbrier Express trains

Shay locomotive with passenger train in snow

CASS, W.Va — Cass Scenic Railroad operator Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad has announced its 2025 winter Greenbrier Express excursions from Cass to Durbin, W.Va., and return, beginning Jan. 18. Trains will operate Saturdays and Sundays from Jan. 18 to Feb. 23, 2025, departing at 10 a.m. for a round trip of about 5 hours. […]

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Floridian debuts with delays; offers major coach travel discounts: Analysis

Train at Chicago Union Station

CHICAGO — On Sunday, Nov. 10, the first “official” Floridians departed from Chicago and Miami, ushering in some noteworthy — if not all positive — changes to Amtrak’s intercity rail network east of Chicago. After one day, it remains to be seen whether operational issues can be rectified to keep the reconstituted 1,944-mile service close […]

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Cumberland Yard improvements will enable CSX to reroute traffic to the former B&O main line

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla.— CSX is wrapping up work at Cumberland Yard in Maryland that will enable the former Baltimore & Ohio main line to handle merchandise traffic moving between the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest that’s currently routed the long way around via Selkirk, N.Y., on the former New York Central Water Level Route. CSX has been […]

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