Trains

carl.swanson@firecrown.com @TrainsMagazine @trains_magazine Amtrak’s long-distance trains are a great way to travel, as long as you don’t absolutely need to get to your destination at the scheduled time. Bill Stephens notes in his article starting on page 20, in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2024, on-time performance of Amtrak’s long-distance trains was just 56.7%. Bill explores one reason for late-running trains, the preference — or lack of it — freight railroad dispatchers give Amtrak’s trains. Fast passenger trains and lumbering freights sharing the same railroad is a perpetual source of conflict, and one that’s difficult to resolve. In the meantime, Brian Solomon’s Travel column (page 44) has tips for riders dealing with a delayed train.…

CANADA HAS COMMITTED to spend almost $4 billion for the design phase of a high speed rail line linking Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City, a project Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls “the largest infrastructure project in Canadian history.” Trudeau made the commitment to begin work on the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) system, to be known as Alto, at a Feb. 19 press conference in Montreal. Trains will have a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph), and will serve intermediate stops in Peterborough and Ottawa, Ontario, and Laval and Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Travel time between Toronto and Montreal would be cut to 3 hours from the current 5½. The government pledged Ca$3.9 billion ($2.74 billion U.S.) for design and development over 6 years. Construction is not expected to begin until the…

THE AUTHORS OF A FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION study on mainline electrification recommend the railroad industry develop a prototype dual-mode freight locomotive and battery tender to test the feasibility of leaving cost-saving gaps between sections of overhead catenary. The Association of American Railroads, however, says its own study shows freight electrification remains infeasible. Over the decades, North American freight railroads have studied electrification but have always reached the same conclusion: Stringing wire over every mile of main line is prohibitively expensive and poses a colossal financial risk. The FRA study does not recommend electrifying everything, like Switzerland. Rather, the authors propose focusing on the 10% of mainline route miles that handle 30% of the gross tonmiles and consume 35% of rail energy. “The primary barriers to freight rail electrification were found to…

RAILROADING, like many other industries, is still waiting to determine the full effect of massive and sometimes chaotic changes enacted in the early weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term. But after one month, it is clear the potential impacts are widespread. Federal Railroad Administration grants for everything from passenger service to short line track maintenance to grade crossing programs will face new award criteria in light of directives from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. His Jan. 29 memo calls for elimination of all orders and directives that relate “in any way to climate change, ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions, racial equity, gender identity, ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ goals, environmental justice, or the Justice 40 Initiative.” Environmental benefits of rail were frequently cited in grant applications and awards under the Biden Administration. A…

THE EAST BROAD TOP RAILROAD has added a former H.K. Porter diesel from the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to its roster in a transaction involving two of the nation’s premier heritage operations. The locomotive arrived Feb. 13, 2025, after a week-long trip by heavy-haul truck at EBT headquarters in Rockhill Furnace, Pa. It was expected to begin work train and standby passenger duty after a few weeks of setup. Currently, when EBT’s single operating steam locomotive, 2-8-2 No. 16 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1916) is sidelined for any reason, 55-ton, 340-hp GE center-cab switcher No. M-7 pinch hits, but it cannot haul the same number of cars. As a result, EBT has been forced to reduce the consist and rebook or cancel hundreds of reservations while increasing schedule frequency…

AMTRAK ABANDONED plans to move to a station adjacent to Miami International Airport because the company estimated the change would cost an extra $5 million a year, although it would generate an additional 20,000 passengers and $2 million in annual revenue. The company revealed its decision to stay at its Hialeah station in December 2024 to officials involved with the Miami Intermodal Center. Its reasons became public in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from public radio station WLRN. Additional yearly expense included $4 million in labor costs for operating and onboard service crews to deadhead trains 4 miles between Hialeah’s yard and the Intermodal Center. The company also said an additional $6.4 million in improvements are needed at the new facility. But the move would have eliminated…