Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
July 22, 2024
2024 R&N Fall Foliage Excursion Tickets On Sale
Tickets for the highly anticipated 40th season of Fall Foliage passenger excursions on the Reading & Northern Railroad went on sale at 9:00am Monday, July 22, 2024. Customers will be able to purchase their tickets online at www.rbmnrr-passenger.com or by calling the railroad’s passenger office at 610-562-2102. Five weekends of excursions to Jim Thorpe originating from Reading, Pittston, and Pottsville will be offered beginning Saturday, October 5 through Sunday, November 3, 2024.
July 19, 2024
Amtrak and Partners Kick Off Susquehanna River Bridge Project
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner today joined U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Amit Bose, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld, MTA Administrator Holly Arnold and other state and local officials to mark the start of Amtrak’s Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project in Northeast Maryland.
July 18, 2024
RBMN Adds Management to Oversee Growing Coal Business
Reading & Northern announces changes in its corporate leadership structure to better deal with the unprecedented growth in its anthracite coal business.
July 18, 2024
Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending in July 13, 2024
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 13, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,806 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
July 17, 2024
Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station to Celebrate Grand Opening in August
Having operated its very first passenger excursion from Nesquehoning this past June, Reading & Northern Railroad will be taking the next step at its new facility in August. On Saturday, August 17, 2024, Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station will celebrate its grand opening. The feature attraction will be an Iron Horse Ramble excursion to Pittston with 4-8-4 T-1 steam locomotive #2102.
July 16, 2024
Metro-North Railroad Unveils Fifth Wrapped Locomotive from Heritage Series to Honor Employees
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad has rebranded a fifth locomotive with special colors and designs as part of a Heritage Series to highlight the railroad’s 40 years of service to the public. Unlike the previous four rebrands, the rebranding of locomotive No. 214 pays tribute to the Metro-North workforce. Skilled craft workers at Metro-North’s North White Plains Shop restored locomotive No. 214, and a wrap was applied featuring pictures of past and present Metro-North workers.
July 15, 2024
Amtrak’s Major Rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel
Amtrak will begin major rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel in New York City later this year following the award of a construction contract to a Skanska E-J ERT Joint Venture. The tunnel is comprised of four tubes – two of which require significant repairs and comprehensive reconstruction following damage caused by floodwaters that entered the tunnel during Superstorm Sandy.
July 12, 2024
FRA Makes Available $153 Million in Funding to Initiate, Restore, and Enhance Intercity Passenger Rail Services
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that makes available over $153 million in funding for the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program. Grant funding will assist with operating costs for eligible projects that will establish service on new routes, restore service on routes that formerly had intercity passenger operations, and enhance service on existing routes. These passenger rail upgrades will complement the dozens of major rail projects that are underway across the country and improve the intercity passenger rail network, thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
July 11, 2024
Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending July 6, 2024
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 6, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 421,817 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.3 percent compared with the same week last year.
July 10, 2024
MBTA Celebrates Opening of Worcester Union Station Center Platform
Yesterday Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng, and Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty joined local elected leaders and stakeholder advocates to celebrate the newly opened center-running platform at Worcester Union Commuter Rail station on the Framingham/Worcester Line.
