Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
March 24, 2026
Union Pacific Celebrates America’s 250th with New Locomotives No. 4547 and No. 1776
Union Pacific Railroad, founded by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, unveiled its plans to celebrate the United States, its amazing history and the people behind its unparalleled success story with two new locomotives and the first Big Boy steam tour to the East Coast in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.
March 20, 2026
MTA Seeking Companies to Build 2,390 Subway Cars, the Largest Subway Order Ever
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is seeking proposals from rail car manufacturers for its largest subway car contract in history with a base order of 1,140 subway cars to replace the R62 and R62A fleets operating on the 1, 3, 6 lines, and if an option to purchase the additional 1,250 cars is exercised, to replace the R142 and R142A cars on the 2, 4, 5 lines.
March 19, 2026
Maryland Transit Administration Earns Leed Silver Certification for Purple Line Operations Facility
The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) announced that the U.S. Green Building Council has awarded LEED Silver certification to the newly constructed Purple Line Operations and Maintenance Facility located in Glenridge, Maryland. This prestigious designation for leadership in energy and environmental design recognizes the facility’s adherence to high-performance standards in energy efficiency, water conservation and environmental stewardship.
March 18, 2026
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway Resumes Daily Operation for 2026
Having completed its winter schedule, which expanded this year to include Fridays in January, February, and early March, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway has started spring a few days early. Daily operation has resumed.
March 18, 2026
AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending March 14, 2026
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 14, 2026. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 508,737 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
March 17, 2026
Bus Service to Replace Trains Bridgeport Station to Norristown Transit Center, Mar. 29 – May 9
SEPTA has announced that shuttle buses will replace train service from Bridgeport Station to Norristown Transit Center. This will allow for the major rehabilitation and structural repair project on the [M] Norristown High Speed Line’s Bridgeport Viaduct.
March 16, 2026
Ontario Acquires 205 Kilometres of Track between North Bay and Washago
The Ontario government is announcing the successful acquisition of 205 kilometres of railway between North Bay and Washago, marking another milestone in the province’s plan to bring back Northlander passenger rail service to Northeastern Ontario.
March 16, 2026
New Portal North Bridge Opens
On Thursday, March 12, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak celebrated a major milestone at the Portal North Bridge in Kearny by riding a ceremonial train over the bridge, which will have one track officially go into passenger service on Monday, March 16
March 16, 2026
Amtrak Celebrates Two South Carolina Station Restorations
Amtrak has completed a comprehensive series of improvements at both the Camden Station and the Denmark Railway Depot in South Carolina, which are each served twice daily by Amtrak’s Floridian route.











