MIAMI — Brightline will revive the commuter pass program it discontinued last year, thanks to a federal grant it received last week, the company has announced. The company received a $33.8 million Restoration and Enhancement grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, which the federal announcement said would support expanding Brightline train consists from five to […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak’s “new normal” for handling anticipated severe weather — cancelling trains rather than operating them into a region where a storm is predicted — has proven to be a significant change from decades past when passenger rail earned an “all-weather” reputation. Fewer railroad resources in far-flung locations and Amtrak’s stretched-thin equipment situation are […]
Canadian National has opened a new 4-mile stretch of double track on its former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Chicago bypass route. The track, between Sutton and Spaulding, Ill., has increased velocity through the area by 30%, Patrick Whitehead, the railway’s executive vice president of network operations, said in a post on LinkedIn. The 17% in […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board says it is on schedule to issue a decision by early summer in the Sunset Limited on-time performance case, the first Amtrak has brought against a host railroad. “As we begin 2025, we do so having achieved marked progress on the Sunset Limited on-time performance (OTP) investigation, a critically […]
NEW YORK — Traffic in Manhattan’s Central Business District was down 7.5% in the first week of congestion tolling compared to the same week a year ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said today (Monday, Jan. 13), while transit ridership was up. MTA preliminary data shows approximately 273,000 cars entered the tolling area, with a 39% […]
In Washington State’s Cascade Tunnel, it’s time to reach for the air packs if the ventilation fails. It happened to me on one of the only times I recall running with mid-train Distributive Power (DPU’s). It was a call for the Everett to Spokane manifest or as we called it, HEVESPO. The “H” stood for […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has ratified a new five-year contract with CSX Transportation, the railroad has announced. “The ratification by the BMWED marks an important advancement in our ongoing collaboration with union leadership,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a press release […]
SADIEVILLE, Ky. — Cleanup continues after 12 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday evening north of Lexington, Ky. WKYT-TV reports no injuries were reported. No cargo was spilled and no hazardous materials were involved. The Scott County Sheriff’s Office initially reported that State Route 32 would be closed because of the derailment, but […]
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The fire truck struck by a Brightline train at a grade crossing last month, leading to injuries to 15 people, was responding to a report of a high-rise structure fire, City of Delray Beach officials said on Thursday. The city’s police chief also confirmed that his agency has asked the Palm […]
SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah cities are considering employing 24-hour-a-day flaggers at grade crossings to restore a quiet zone on a stretch of Union Pacific track also used by Utah Transit Authority commuter trains. Two quiet zones, stretching from Ogden to Provo and in place for up to 16 years, were suspended last Sept. […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today announced more than $1.1 billion in grants for projects to improve, eliminate, or study grade crossings, funding 123 projects that will address more than 1,000 crossings nationwide. That announcement came at the same time the FRA announced more than $146 million in funding to improve passenger service on […]
WASHINGTON — Four state-supported Amtrak routes, Connecticut’s CTRail, and Florida’s Brightline will receive a total of more than $146 million for service improvements from the Federal Railroad Administration, the agency announced today (Friday, Jan. 10). The funding comes from the Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program. It was announced at the same time as FRA funding […]
