Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
September 6, 2022
KCS Holiday Express Returns to the Rails; Kicks Off Fundraising for The Salvation Army
Kansas City Southern (KCS) announced today the first return to the rails of the KCS Holiday Express train since the start of the pandemic in 2020. This year, the festive, six-car holiday train with intricate displays inside and out will bring Santa Claus and his elves to visit children and families in 20 communities in eight states.
September 6, 2022
MBTA Orange Line Closure Work Is 50% Complete
The MBTA announced that 50% of the work taking place along the Orange Line during the 30-day closure is complete. Additionally, the scheduled work is on schedule overall.
September 2, 2022
MBTA Board of Directors Awards Contract for the Type 10 “Supercars”
Following a presentation by the MBTA’s Capital Transformation and Vehicle Engineering teams, the MBTA’s Board of Directors awarded an over-$810 million contract to CAF USA Inc. to deliver over 100 Green Line Type 10 “Supercar” trolleys, which will bring benefits to riders and the MBTA system through increased safety, accessibility, capacity, and maintainability.
September 1, 2022
N&W 611 Back Running on the Strasburg Rail Road
The Norfolk & Western 611 will be operating once again at the Strasburg Rail Road this fall. The Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT) and Strasburg Rail Road are pleased to jointly announce that for a limited-time-only, the Strasburg Rail Road will be hosting several events featuring the historic Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611.
September 1, 2022
VRE to Suspend Fares Systemwide for September
Rides on the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will be free systemwide for the entire month of September. Passengers will not need tickets to ride between any of VRE’s 19 stations.
September 1, 2022
Biden-Harris Administration, USDOT Make $1.4 Billion in Rail Grants Available Through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The U.S. Department of Transportation today issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing the availability of over $1.4 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant funding. The CRISI Program, which is administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), advances projects that modernize America’s freight and passenger rail infrastructure, allowing people and goods to move more safely and efficiently and helping make goods more affordable for American families.
September 1, 2022
Amtrak Will Resume Service to Vancouver BC
Amtrak, in conjunction with WSDOT, ODOT, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail), and other federal agencies, will resume Amtrak Cascades service to Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 26.
August 31, 2022
Rail Traffic for the Week Ending August 27, 2022
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 27, 2022. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 511,574 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending August 27 were 242,633 carloads, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week in 2021, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 268,941 containers and trailers, down 0.3 percent compared to 2021.
August 31, 2022
VRE’s New Fredericksburg Overhaul Facility
Clark Construction joined representatives from the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) on August 30 to celebrate the topping out of the Lifecycle Overhaul and Upgrade (LOU) Facility project in Fredericksburg, Virginia. At the celebration, the final steel beam was signed and placed atop the facility. Clark is serving as the contractor on the project.
August 31, 2022
MTA Announces Opening of Second Section of LIRR Main Line Third Track
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the opening of the 2.5-mile second section of the Long Island Rail Road’s new Main Line third track between the Merillon Avenue and Mineola stations.
