Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Companies bidding for the contract to operate California’s proposed high-speed rail line will have to declare their role in transporting victims of the Nazis during World War II. A Democratic politician is pushing to make it a requirement that any involvement in taking people to work, concentration, prisoner-of-war, or extermination camps between January 1942 and [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Thirty years ago, a patron of the Mugs Away Saloon, across the street from the tracks in Laguna Niguel, California, offered to buy a drink for anyone who would “moon” a passing Amtrak train. Anyway, that’s how the story goes. The fact of the matter is that ever since, in an annual ritual, locals have [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The Continental Rail Gateway group intends to replace a century-old tunnel between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit. A public-private coalition has been formed to raise $400 million and build a new rail-only tunnel under the Detroit River by 2015, high enough to accommodate double-stacked containers and multi-level wagons such as those conveying motor cars. [...more]
Posted on 18 June 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Work has begun on renovating the 111-year-old Rock Island Bridge adjacent to the Clinton President Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The former president led a groundbreaking ceremony at the bridge, which at one time was slated to be torn down. [...more]
Posted on 18 June 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
New York City’s Transit Authority (NYCT) says the first of two 1,000 ton tunnel boring machines (TBM) has completed its 4,661 foot run to a chamber adjacent to the current terminus for the no 7 subway train underneath 42nd Street in Manhattan. The $2.1 billion project is to extend Line 7 to 34th Street on [...] [...more]
Posted on 18 June 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Due to the G20 summit and its related security restrictions, Via Rail – the Canadian intercity rail operator – has cancelled 50 of the 162 trains normally scheduled to run through Union Station in the Toronto CBD during the period 23 to 27 June 2010. People who have already bought tickets will have to make [...] [...more]
Posted on 18 June 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Five “mid-level” managers at Mexico’s state railway, which is facing liquidation, have been accused of stealing nearly 600km of railway and selling the material to help settle company debts. Between 2003 and 2005, apparently, the parastatal was unable to deliver all the scrap it promised to four companies following a public auction – hence (says [...] [...more]
Posted on 14 June 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The 2,973km Adelaide-Darwin railway has been sold to Genesee and Wyoming, a United States freight rail operator. The company has interests in Canada and Holland too. Existing operator FreightLink was forced into voluntary administration in 2008 after several attempts to sell the railway failed. It runs six freight services per week between the South Australian [...] [...more]
Posted on 24 May 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
According to the Miami Herald, Amtrak has run a special inspection train along the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to review the feasibility of passenger rail service on a 578km route between Miami and Jacksonville. Accompanying Amtrak’s board chairman Tom Carper on the train were a number of rail supporters whose goal is to restore [...] [...more]
Posted on 14 May 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Las Vegas Railway Express Inc has acquired its first set of passenger railcars for its Las Vegas to Los Angeles “X Train” project. After nearly two years in research and development, the planning process is nearly completed. The vision is a “Vegas style” passenger train to tap into the 12 million people who make the [...] [...more]
Posted on 07 May 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Adapted from a story by Caitlin Fitzsimmons in the Los Angeles Times: “The other tram lines in San Francisco come in standard-issue silver and red. This line – the F – features historic streetcars from around the world in various shapes and colours. Each has its own look, stylishly reflecting the fashions of different eras [...] [...more]
Posted on 07 May 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
As the 2010 construction season gets under way, Amtrak is embarking on $1 billion construction programme to fund capital projects designed to rebuild, upgrade and modernise its tracks, bridges, stations and other critical infrastructure along the busy north-east corridor and across the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and the Miami area. President and CEO [...] [...more]
