Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
March 8, 2021
Sleeping Car Service Returns To Overnight Northeast Corridor Trains
Amtrak Northeast Regional service will now include private rooms, affording customers an opportunity to enjoy a distinctive travel experience. Private rooms will be offered on select trains operating overnight between Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. Tickets are now available to purchase for travel beginning on April 5.
March 5, 2021
MBTA Spring 2021 Subway and Bus Schedules Effective March 14
Today the MBTA reminded customers that upcoming spring 2021 subway and bus schedules will take effect on Sunday, March 14, 2021. These changes are part of Forging Ahead, the MBTA’s plan to preserve transit access and quality of service available to transit-critical customers and were approved by the Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) in December 2020 along with other service adjustments to other MBTA travel modes.
March 5, 2021
MTA Awarded Nearly $20 Million to Upgrade Metro-North Grade Crossings, Make Other Safety Improvements
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that Metro-North Railroad will receive a $19.7 million federal grant to provide critical safety improvements to nine grade crossings on the Metro-North’s Harlem Line. The grant was part of $40 million provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration this month.
March 4, 2021
Civil Engineers: Rail Infrastructure Still Top of Class
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded the nation’s freight and passenger railroads their highest grade — a B — in the “2021 Infrastructure Report Card” . Overall, ASCE gave the nation’s infrastructure a C- in the quadrennial report.
March 3, 2021
SEPTA Encourages City Residents to Use Transit for COVID-19 Vaccine Travel
SEPTA is encouraging Philadelphia residents to take transit to their appointments at the City’s COVID-19 vaccination sites. To help them with their travels, SEPTA has developed new maps that highlight available services
March 3, 2021
Traffic for February and the Week Ending February 27, 2021
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 27, 2021, as well as volumes for February 2021. U.S. railroads originated 824,636 carloads in February 2021, down 11.1 percent, or 102,972 carloads, from February 2020. U.S. railroads also originated 1,015,995 containers and trailers in February 2021, up 1.8 percent, or 18,184 units, from the same month last year.
March 3, 2021
Amtrak Expands Carry-On Pet Program To Weekday Acela Trains
Amtrak announced today the expansion of its pet program allowing customers to travel with their dogs and cats up to 20 pounds onboard weekday Acela trains for only $26 or 800 Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
March 2, 2021
Railroads Stake Out Positions on Addressing Climate Change
he Association of American Railroads (AAR) outlined policy proposals aimed at safely and effectively combatting climate change. As the leader in fuel-efficient surface transportation, railroads know more must be done to drive down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Armed with the right policies, railroads – and the nation – can make real progress toward a cleaner, more sustainable economy.
March 2, 2021
MTA Metro-North Railroad Launches WhatsApp Chat Feature for Customer Service
MTA Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi announced that Metro-North customers can now communicate with the railroad in real time using the popular messaging platform WhatsApp.
March 1, 2021
Governor Cuomo Announces Elimination of Eighth and Final Grade Crossing as Part of LIRR Expansion Project
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s LIRR Expansion Project is closing the Main Street railroad crossing in Mineola, the eighth of eight railroad crossings to be permanently eliminated on time and on budget as part of the project. The crossings had created nuisances to nearby residents with the sounding of train horns and crossing bells, and to motorists who had to experience traffic backups with the closure of crossing gates
