Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
May 19, 2023
Amtrak and Restaurateur Stephen Starr Unite to Redefine Culinary Excellence Onboard
Amtrak and STARR Restaurant Group, led by James Beard award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr, today announced the launch of an all-new, premium Acela First Class dining menu on trains traveling on the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington D.C.
May 18, 2023
Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending May 13, 2023
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 13, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 466,381 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9 percent compared with the same week last year.
May 17, 2023
Brightline Orlando Tickets Now On Sale
Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in America, today, has launched ticket sales for the highly anticipated Brightline Orlando connection. While final preparations are being made for grand opening, tickets between South Florida (Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach) and Orlando are on sale now for late summer through early 2024.
May 16, 2023
FRA Releases Washington Union Station Expansion Project Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
On May 12, 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the Washington Union Station Expansion Project (Project) as well as a Draft Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act Programmatic Agreement and Draft Section 4(f) of the US Department of Transportation Act Evaluation.
May 15, 2023
As Metro-North Railroad Continues to Break Pandemic-Era Ridership Records, Railroad Rebrands a Series of Diesel Locomotives to Celebrate 40 Years of Public Service
As Metro-North Railroad continues to set post-pandemic ridership records, the railroad is rebranding up to five locomotives with special colors and designs as a Heritage Series to highlight the railroad’s 40 years of service to the public.
May 15, 2023
Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road to Receive Grant
On May 11, 2023, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (Rail Commission) approved a grant of up to $750,000 to Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road (CUOH) to improve capacity at CUOH’s Newark Yard and mitigate the possibility of blocked railroad crossings in Zanesville.
May 12, 2023
USDOT Highlights New Efforts to Keep Communities Safe and Hold the Rail Industry Accountable
As part of its ongoing work to protect the American public, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration laid out a new round of steps focused on the safety and accountability of the freight rail industry. In recent days, FRA has issued two safety advisories to railroad companies—one regarding the length of trains, which can be more than one or two miles long; and another on weight distribution of railcars and how that affects the risk of derailment. FRA has also issued a new report summarizing rail safety violations in 2022, and it completed safety training with personnel from around the country, an important opportunity to share updated safety practices.
May 11, 2023
CPKC Launches Mexico Midwest Express Premium Intermodal Service
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) today launched the Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) Series premium intermodal service bringing customers the first truck-competitive, single-line rail service option between the Midwest and Mexico.
May 11, 2023
Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending May 6, 2023
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 6, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 471,859 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending May 6 were 231,718 carloads, down 0.04 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 240,141 containers and trailers, down 12.1 percent compared to 2022.
May 10, 2023
Amtrak Advances Plans for New Maintenance Facilities
Amtrak has announced multiple upcoming procurement packages for new support facilities in Seattle, Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. These new and renovated facilities will improve trainset maintenance and repairs, inspection and cleaning for Amtrak’s existing and future fleet, including new Acela, Amtrak Airo and Long Distance trains.
