Pittsburgh transit agency approves budget with 35% cut in service

Light rail train at underground station

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Regional Transit has adopted a fiscal 2026 budget calling for a 35% reduction in service, layoffs of 38% of staff, a 25-cent fare increase to $3, and the elimination of service after 11 p.m. The action on Friday, June 27, came as the PRT board faced a June 30 deadline to adopt […]

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Four people aboard Amtrak Floridian hospitalized due to heat-related issues

Passenger train with Charger locomotive. Amtrak board full with Gleason confirmation: Analysis.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Four people were taken to the hospital for treatment of “heat-related issues” after Amtrak’s southbound Floridian was halted by mechanical problems today (Sunday, June 29, 2025), WJXT-TV reports. Train No. 41 was en route from Chicago to Miami when it was delayed in Nassau County, Fla., north of Jacksonville, about 10:30 a.m. […]

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No injuries reported in NS derailment in Georgia

Aerial view of derailed freight cars

POWERSVILLE, Ga. — Twenty-three cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed near the community of Powersville in Peach County early Saturday (June 28, 2025), WMAZ-TV reports. The derailment occurred about 3 a.m., a railroad representative told the station.No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved. Byron Police Chief Wesley Cannon said flash flooding […]

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Siemens announces Charger B+AC battery-electric locomotives

Three-quarters view of blue and silver passenger locomotive

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The battery-electric versions of the Siemens Charger locomotives to be built for MTA’s Metro-North Railroad will be known as the Charger B+AC, Siemens said today (June 27, 2025). In emphasizing the new locomotive’s suitability for commuter operations, the company also announced it will be available in additional power options. Metro-North had announced […]

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Lawmakers reintroduce bill to provide hours-of-service protection for yardmasters

View of yard

WASHINGTON — Railroad yardmasters, who supervise traffic moving through rail yards, would receive the same hours-of-service protections as other rail workers under legislation introduced this week. U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) reintroduced the Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act, a bill that places yardmasters under the same federal hours requirements that currently cover […]

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SEPTA board approves budget with 45% service cuts

Map of SEPTA rail network showing lines to be cut

PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority board has approved a fiscal 2026 budget including a 45% cut in service and a 21.5% fare increase to address a $213 million deficit. “This is a vote none of us wanted to take,” SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said in a press release following the […]

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TWU ratifies contract with Conrail

Logo of Transport Workers Union of America

WASHINGTON — Members of the Transport Workers Union have ratified a new five-year contract with Conrail including a 17.5% wage increase, the union has announced. Journeyman carmen will make more than $100,000 a year by the end of the contract. TWU International President John Samuelsen called the deal “a big win for TWU railroad workers” […]

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Surfliner unveils Disneyland anniversary railcar, announces special ticket offers

Bilevel passenger car with blue wrap celebrating Disneyland.

ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner has introduced a railcar wrapped with a limited-time design celebrating the 70th anniversary of Disneyland, an event the state-supported passenger operation is also marking with special promotions. The wrapped car was unveiled and entered service on Wednesday, June 25. “We are thrilled to be part of the Disneyland Resort […]

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Catskill Mountain Railroad equipment damaged; tourist line calls act ‘sabotage’ (updated)

Small on-rail maintenance device

KINGSTON, N.Y. — Two pieces of maintenance-of-way equipment for the Catskill Mountain Railroad were damaged in a June 19 incident, the railroad reported this week — an incident the tourist line, embroiled in a disagreement over rail vs. trail use of county-owned right-of-way, is characterizing as “sabotage.” Damage to the equipment includes cutting of electrical […]

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CPKC reports significant improvement in local service on former KCS

red, yellow, and black locomotive on track

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s local service in former Kansas City Southern territory, which faltered after a May 3 computer system cutover, improved considerably last week. First- and last-mile performance now stands at or above 80% on three of the four operating divisions that include portions of the former KCS, CPKC told the Surface […]

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Heat concerns lead Ohio Rail Experience to postpone excursions

Passenger train led by black and yellow GP30

LEBANON, Ohio — The Ohio Rail Experience, the Cincinnati Scenic Railway excursion operation featuring rail lines that do not regularly host passenger trains, has postponed its trips scheduled for this weekend (June 28-29) over concerns about the ongoing heat wave in the Midwest and East. The predicted high temperatures, “combined with extreme humidity levels, could […]

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Long-term plan for MARC service includes route extensions, increased frequencies

BALTIMORE — Expanded weekday and weekend operation and extension of two of the system’s three lines are among changes proposed for MARC commuter train service in a report released Wednesday (June 25, 2025) by the Maryland Department of Transportation. The 76-page MARC Growth and Transformation Plan includes five-year, 15-year, and “unconstrained” (longer-term) plans. “Thanks to […]

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