Railnews from Railfan & Railroad Magazine

This month, Railfan & Railroad focuses its attention on rail transit. From commuter rail to subway trains, from the high iron to the city street, these are operations that push back against stereotypes and received wisdom about the nature of North American railways. These trains are relatively short, almost entirely urban and suburban, and they thrive not on cargo, but on passengers.

Make no mistake, on this continent, freight railroading still accounts for the majority of railway tonnage and revenues. According to the Association of American Railroads, in the U.S. alone, more than 1.5 billion tons of raw materials and finished goods move by rail every year. Drive to the nearest main line, and you are likely to see examples abound — hulking diesels pulling hundreds of cars filled with everything from raw lumber to crude oil, from finished automobiles to home appliances. But if you wait by that track, the odds are high you’ll never see a passenger train. Sure, some lines might host an Amtrak train once a day, maybe more in a few places, but standing by the average high iron, it would be forgivable to assume that passenger travel is no longer an important part of the North American railway story.

Yet in our major cities, passenger trains never went away, and if anything, have grown in the extent and intensity of their services. In this issue, we take a look at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Red Line rapid transit serving Boston, as well as New York’s enduring Long Island Rail Road. The former traces its roots to 1912, and has since expanded to serve Boston’s northern and southern near-suburbs, while the latter is approaching two centuries old, chartered in the 1830s and has since become a vital link between the vast bedroom communities on the island and New York City. There was, in short, never a time when it was possible for cities such as Boston or New York to function without significant passenger rail. What was true here was often true in other major cities — places like Philadelphia, Chicago, or San Francisco — all of which depend on some form of rail-based transportation to move people into, around, and through their urban fabric.

Moreover, for the last half-century, urban passenger rail has been on a general growth trend. Bay Area Rapid Transit’s first line opened in 1972, while the first branch of the new San Diego Trolley — actually a modern light rail system — opened in 1981. Numerous other new lines followed, from Seattle to Dallas, Buffalo to Albuquerque, Pittsburgh to Houston. There are now more new rail services than ever.

While most of these newer systems have been successful, many challenges remain. Urban systems are closely linked with the fabric and health of the cities they serve. Following the decline of the steel industry and shift in the economy, Pittsburgh’s commuter rail operations came to an end in 1985 (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) and 1989 (PATrain). With their narrow focus on conventional, 9-to-5 service, many commuter lines saw dramatic ridership losses after the 2020 pandemic, when many employees shifted to working remotely and never looked back. The Twin Cities’ Northstar service is a potent example, but so too are systems around the country, from Chicago’s Metra to the New York City subway, which — though still heavily used — remain below pre-pandemic ridership levels. Then comes the issue of subsidies, which are tied to ridership and tax revenue, forcing many agencies into difficult conversations about their future.

Despite such challenges, it remains true that most North American cities depend to some degree on passenger rail. Be it a humble streetcar or a vast subway network, a low-density commuter train operating over a freight line, or a fast and frequent light rail system built on an exclusive right-of-way, it is undeniable that passenger railroading has never stopped being an important part of the North American railway landscape.

—Alexander Benjamin Craghead is a transportation historian, photographer, artist, and author.

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By Tim Doherty/photos by the author

Boston is an ever-changing city. You pass by a place you haven’t visited in a few months, and you discover that a new skyline has sprouted from the ground. In contrast, the transit system seems frozen in time. The steps in the Downtown Crossing station that once led to Filene’s Basement remain, but the consumer touchstone of New England value was replaced long ago by a modern skyscraper. Over the years, Boston’s transit system has struggled to keep up with these quick transformations.

As Boston aspires to be (and generally is) a world-class city, the concentration, intersection, and interdependence of educational institutions, technology, life sciences, and finance allow the region to punch much higher than its population suggests. The rapidly growing technology and life sciences hubs around Kendall Square and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge are matched by similar growth in the Boston Seaport district — which literally emerged from parking lots over the past 15 years. By location and proximity, the Red Line runs right through the center as it connects Harvard, MIT, and the technology hub of Kendall to Massachusetts General Hospital, downtown Boston, South Station, and the Seaport business district.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, or “the T”) is the sixth-largest transit system in the U.S., serving 171 cities and towns across eastern Massachusetts and operating all modes of service including bus, rail, and ferry boats. As recently as 10 years ago, the Red Line carried just as many, or even more, people into Boston than Interstate 93, the main north-south highway through the city that includes the tunnel created by the infamous “Big Dig” project. Riding the Red Line at that time could be interesting at best; open seats were rare, complete crush loading was common, and cars became more intimate than commuters bargained for.

ABOVE: The new Neponset River Bridge was the first element of the South Shore extension to begin construction in 1966 after MBTA purchased the right-of-way from the bankrupt New Haven Railroad. A six-car train of Series 2 cars heads south across the river to Quincy and Braintree on June 11, 2025.

Even before the pandemic flatlined transit ridership worldwide, Boston’s Red Line was stumbling. An exceptionally snowy winter in 2015 (locally known as “Snowmageddon”) shut down the Red Line south of downtown, laying bare the critical condition of the transit system caused, in large part, by a long period of underinvestment. Further challenges, including conflicting investment priorities, staff shortages, inadequate training, and simply bad luck, caused prolonged delays. Missed trips, “temporary” shuttle buses, and outright unreliability made many of the system’s typical riders stay away. Average daily ridership on the Red Line dropped from its peak of 274,290 in September 2019 to 146,490 in May 2025 — while remaining the highest of the rapid transit lines.

History
Boston’s core rapid transit subway tunnels were constructed by the Boston Transit Commission between 1897 and 1912. The Transit Commission was the first public transportation agency in the U.S. created to address streetcar congestion in the city center. Once built, the rapid transit lines were leased to Boston Elevated Railway, which was the primary predecessor to today’s MBTA. As a private company, Boston Elevated Railway was limited through leases with the transit commission in the fares it could charge. The company’s 1918 bankruptcy caused the commonwealth to step in by establishing a public trustee that could set fares, ensuring that municipalities would cover any deficits, and guaranteeing interest payments to private bondholders. In 1947, the public sector finally bought out the bondholders and established the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Ultimately, MTA was folded into the new MBTA when commuter rail services were added in 1964.

The Cambridge-Dorchester subway was the last of the rapid transit lines to be completed to the city of Boston. All four lines were constructed and opened decades before the color-coded rebranding by MBTA in the mid-1960s. Built to a higher standard than Boston’s first-in-the-nation “subway” that became the Green Line (see September 2023 R&R) and the “Elevated Main Line” that became the Orange Line (see September 2024 R&R), the new high-speed lines were designed for a dedicated fleet of cars that would move passengers quickly into Boston with wider clearances, lower grades, and gentler curves.

ABOVE: A Red Line train passes through the new Ashmont terminal on April 3, 2021. The rebuilt multi-modal hub hosting bus, trolley, and rapid transit opened in 2011.

The original Red Line begins in a tunnel, cut under the streets and then covered back over, in Cambridge between Kendall Square and Harvard Square. However, the subway construction was delayed as Cambridge and the Boston Transit Commission argued over the number of infill stops between the transfer-feeding station at Harvard and the city of Boston. Cambridge wanted three stops and suburban interests seeking a faster ride wanted none. The subway station at Central Square was the compromise.

As the Red Line connects Cambridge to Boston, it uses the center spans of the Longfellow Bridge to cross the Charles River, offering riders stunning views of Boston’s skyline from Beacon Hill to the Back Bay and in season, sailboats dotting the river. This bridge marks the only section of the Red Line open to the surface north of Columbia Junction in South Boston. The right-of-way for the subway was reserved during construction of the Longfellow Bridge, which was completed in 1906. When the bridge was effectively rebuilt in place 110 years later, the two subway tracks were swung back and forth on the vehicle travel lanes so the steelwork underneath could be replaced.

The subway passes through downtown Boston in a three-mile tunnel under Beacon Hill to the Park Street station, where the Red Line runs one level below the Green Line. Park Street serves as the central hub of MBTA, as arriving trains are inbound and departing trains are outbound. Connecting passages between the Red and Green lines allow transfers in four directions. The station at Downtown Crossing (formerly “Washington”) lies a block beyond Park Street in Boston’s traditional commercial district and has a connection to the Orange Line.

ABOVE: The Red Line’s Cabot Storage Yard and Maintenance Shop Complex in South Boston is built on a former yard purchased from the bankrupt New Haven Railroad in 1965. Located just beyond South Station, it was constructed for the South Shore extension in the late 1960s. The facility is currently the subject of a $200 million upgrade project.

When riders emerge from the Red Line at South Station, they have multiple transit options, including the MBTA Silver Line — a hybrid bus rapid transit line above the Red Line platforms that runs to Logan Airport, Chelsea, and South Boston. Farther above, up a set of stairs, is the historic headhouse for South Station, formerly used by New Haven and New York Central (Boston & Albany) trains. Beyond the big departure board are the 13 platforms shared by MBTA commuter rail and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains.

Just past South Station, the Red Line drops under the Fort Point Channel to Broadway and Andrew stations in South Boston. Located at the edge of South Boston, the Broadway station has long carried passengers from the densely populated streets of South Boston into downtown, and every year moves large crowds during the annual St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day parade. Near the northern end of Dorchester Avenue, numerous bus lines feed transferring passengers into the Red Line at the Andrew station.

Extending the Red Line beyond Andrew saw many different proposals, including a long cut-and-cover line down Dorchester Avenue. Instead, the purchase of New Haven Railroad’s Shawmut Branch allowed the subway to expand south into Dorchester, terminating at Ashmont in 1926, which marked the first conversion of a railroad right-of-way to a rapid transit line in Boston.
Constructed on the eastern edge of the New Haven’s former Old Colony right-of-way, the New Haven stations at Columbia, Savin Hill, Fields Corner, and Ashmont were replaced by rapid transit stations. The new extension emerges from a subway portal between Andrew and Columbia and runs south along Dorchester Bay past Savin Hill before turning west and heading inward to Dorchester. The Fields Corner station was constructed with surface line loops first used by streetcars and later by buses as a major transfer station into the rapid transit system. In 2009, the 1926 station was completely replaced by a new station with parallel bus loops on either side of the tracks. MBTA rebuilt or replaced the four stations on the Ashmont Branch between 2004 (Savin Hill) and 2012 (Ashmont). The new stations make each stop fully accessible…

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by Otto M. Vondrak/photos as noted

The concept of commuting by rail can trace its roots back to the populous cities of the Northeast, when the first commercially successful railroads began to appear as early as the 1830s. Soon, the surrounding villages and towns grew into attractive suburbs where folks could live in the “country” yet have convenient access to work, shopping, and entertainment in the city. Railroads “commuted” or discounted their regular fares to encourage multiple trips, and the “commuter” was born.

Many metropolitan areas saw explosive postwar growth in the 1950s, giving rise to new suburbs, and with them, new patterns of travel. A number of cities across the country saw the continuation of their existing commuter services under the auspices of a public transit authority in the 1970s and 1980s, but for many urban areas the only way to get around was by driving your own car on congested highways. As public sentiment turned away from highway expansion, the federal government encouraged alternatives, which led some states to launch brand-new light rail and commuter rail lines where no such services had existed before.

Minneapolis and St. Paul make up the nation’s 16th-largest metropolitan area, with more than 3.7 million people living in the 15 counties surrounding the Twin Cities. Development began in the 1820s, and the region grew quickly, thanks to its location at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The heavy manufacturing the region depended on began to fade in the 1960s. However, the Twin Cities made a successful transition to high-technology, finance, and information industries through the 1980s and 1990s. The first streetcar lines appeared as early as 1865, and the two rival systems in Minneapolis and St. Paul were merged in 1890 as Twin City Rapid Transit. A stock takeover by a rogue investor in 1949 led to an accelerated plan to replace trolleys with buses, which was completed four years early in 1954.

ABOVE: MNRX 502 leads a double-header out of Target Field Station on May 4, 2019, in a canyon between buildings that have grown up along the right-of-way in downtown Minneapolis. —Otto M. Vondrak

The first Union Depot was built in St. Paul in 1881, and in its heyday, it hosted Great Northern; Northern Pacific; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Milwaukee Road; Soo Line; Chicago & Northwestern; Chicago Great Western; Minneapolis & St. Louis; and Rock Island trains. Despite the density and frequency of service offered, none of the railroads provided anything that would meet the definition of a true commuter service connecting the cities and suburbs. When Amtrak took over the nation’s long-distance service in 1971, it consolidated service to the former GN depot in Minneapolis, and later to the new “Midway” station in 1978.

To help coordinate improvements and funding to mass transit, the state legislature formed the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) in 1967. Chief among its concerns was the deteriorated level of bus service operated by Twin City Lines, which led to a public buyout in 1970. Around this same time, the new transit agency began exploring the possibility of returning rail transit to the region. A 1972 study recommended a 37- or 57-mile regional heavy rail system, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that potential light rail corridors would be identified for funding studies.

By 1997, MTC had been rebranded as MetroTransit, and political support for possible light rail projects was peaking. Gov. Jesse Ventura and Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg both pushed for the construction of light rail, and federal funding helped propel the Hiawatha Line (today’s Blue Line) into reality. Construction on the 12-mile line began in 2001, and it partially opened for service in 2004. While this was a promising start, Ventura’s successor, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, campaigned against any future light rail expansion. When the light rail option for the Central Corridor (today’s Green Line) connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul was approved in 2006, Gov. Pawlenty initially vetoed state funding for the project (although a revised bill passed in 2008). Construction began in 2010, and it opened to the public in 2014. In 2024, the Metro Transit light rail lines carried nearly 15.5 million riders, slightly less than the 16 million reported 10 years ago.

ABOVE: An outbound Northstar train to Big Lake passes a BNSF freight at Northtown Yard on May 4, 2019. Under the current agreement with BNSF, service is limited to five round-trips on weekdays and three on weekends. —Otto M. Vondrak photo

A Rail Revival
The genesis for today’s MetroTransit Northstar commuter rail dates to 1997, when the Minnesota Department of Transportation was investigating possible corridors for commuter rail. One potential route was the Red Rock Corridor, to connect Minneapolis with Hastings, operating on Canadian Pacific (former Milwaukee Road) track. A second route was the Dan Patch Corridor, running over a former interurban line (later operated by Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern) between Minneapolis and Northfield, a distance of 40 miles. The third route was the Northstar Line, operating over BNSF tracks from Minneapolis to St. Cloud, a distance of 81.8 miles. In the original plans, Northstar would be completed first as it had the highest potential for success, followed by Red Rock, and finally Dan Patch.

Plans for the Red Rock Corridor shifted from rail to bus rapid transit in 2014, which was implemented in 2016. In 2002, state legislators passed a law which banned further study of the Dan Patch Corridor, though a revised rail plan in 2010 proposed commuter rail to Mankato, operating over the winding Dan Patch Line (a former interurban) to Savage, and then switching to Union Pacific rails on a new connection. The gag order has since been rescinded, and MnDOT continues to list the Dan Patch Corridor as a “Tier 1” project to be completed by 2030.

In addition, a plan for a new higher-speed passenger service linking Minneapolis and Duluth began to gain traction in 2000. The “Northern Lights Express” was the subject of extensive feasibility studies in 2006 and 2007, and currently remains one of MnDOT’s priority projects.

ABOVE: Extra service provided for home games at Target Field helped bolster ridership. Twins fans make their way toward the stadium after disembarking from a Baseball Extra on April 12, 2010. The Twins beat the Red Sox in their season home opener. —Nick Benson photo

The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) was formed in 1997. The route was initially designed to run between Minneapolis and Rice, Minn., just outside of St. Cloud, serving 11 stations along the way. MnDOT submitted its first draft environmental impact statement in 2000, followed by a final statement in 2002. The Federal Transportation Administration responded with its decision at the end of 2002, allowing the Northstar Line project to move forward, but without the much-needed federal funding contribution due to lower-than-expected ridership estimates. Those federal funds would have paid up to half of the initial construction costs.

In an attempt to keep the project alive, the proposal was amended to define the “Minimum Operable Segment,” which cut the plan in half to about 40 miles, terminating at Big Lake. Three stations in Rice, St. Cloud, and Becker were eliminated, and infill stations at Coon Rapids–Foley Boulevard and 7th Street in Minneapolis were “deferred.” Frequency was cut from 18 trains a day to 12. The reduced segment was identified as “Phase I,” while expansion to St. Cloud and the construction of five additional stations was referred to as “Phase II,” though without a firm schedule for completion…

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A Southern Pacific 2-8-2, currently being restored in New Orleans, is looking for a new home. 

SP 745 has been maintained by the Louisiana Steam Train Association since the 1980s and returned to operation in the early 2000s. Over the years, the locomotive operated around New Orleans and as far as Kansas City. It was eventually taken out of service because it needed work on its boiler, and LSTA has been working on it ever since. 

The locomotive has been stored and maintained at Jefferson Yard since the 1980s. Now, the Ochsner Medical Center, which owns the land beneath the spur, is expanding. LSTA said they knew they would eventually need to move, but didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. Regardless, they were grateful for the home they had over the past few decades. 

“We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Ochsner organization and its staff for their generosity over the years. Most importantly, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to you, our valued community members. Your unwavering support has been the backbone of our organization and we couldn’t have come this far without you,” the group said in a press release. 

The locomotive and other equipment are expected to be moved to a temporary location soon while the group searches for a more permanent home. For more information and to donate, visit lasta.org/relocation. 

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Dwight A. Smith, founder of the Conway Scenic Railroad, died on August 8, 2025. He was 100 years old.

Smith was on a Boston & Maine “Snow Train” excursion in February 1968 when he arrived at the railroad’s small terminal in North Conway, N.H., in the heart of the Mount Washington Valley. He was immediately captivated by the station, roundhouse, and yard there. “When I got off the train and looked at that station, and the roundhouse, and the turntable, and the views… I thought ‘Oh my God, what a great place for a tourist railroad,” he would say years later.

Smith was born in 1925 and later served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he started working for the Boston & Maine. Following that 1968 visit to North Conway, he became involved in an effort to bring an excursion train to Mount Washington Valley. However, the B&M was initially uncooperative about hosting excursions on its soon-to-be-abandoned branch. Despite this, Smith and his business partners persisted and spent five years trying to buy the railroad from the B&M. Confident he would succeed, Smith purchased a steam locomotive: Canadian National O-18s 0-6-0 7470, which had been stored in a roundhouse in Ontario since the end of steam. After buying it in early 1968, Smith moved the locomotive to Maine Central’s Rigby Yard in South Portland, Maine.

Persistence paid off for Smith and his partners. On August 4, 1974, the Conway Scenic ran its first revenue excursion between North Conway and Conway, N.H. Over the years, the railroad expanded to include the former MEC Mountain Division. Today, it’s the premier tourist railroad in northern New England.

Smith would go on to sell the railroad but would remain connected to it long afterwards. In 2019, the Conway Scenic named 7470 the “Dwight Smith.”

“Conway Scenic Railroad mourns the passing of its founder and visionary, Dwight A. Smith, who passed away last week at the age of 100 years old,” the railroad said in a statement. “Dwight will always be memorialized by steam locomotive 7470, an engine that he purchased in 1968 and restored to service in 1974 to begin excursions on the Conway Scenic Railroad.”

—Justin Franz 

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The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s restored “Terrible Trolley” made its public debut on August 12, two years after the PCC streetcar arrived at the museum campus in Washington, Pa. The streetcar, former Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) PCC 1713, held a special place in Pittsburgh rail and sports history because it wore a unique livery to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers’ four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s, becoming a beloved symbol in the city. It was radio announcer Myron Cope who introduced the idea of the “rally towel” in 1975, which quickly became the team’s beloved “Terrible Towel” mascot.

The streetcar was built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1949 and originally operated on the Pittsburgh Railways’ (predecessor to PAT) Charleroi and Washington interurban lines. When the interurban routes were abandoned in the 1950s, Car 1713 was assigned to the truncated city streetcar lines. In 1980s, nine-year-old Kim Sever wrote to the mayor of Pittsburgh suggesting a trolley be painted in Steelers colors, celebrating their recent string of Super Bowl wins. That January, Car 1713 was painted in Steelers black and yellow with the words “Super Steelers” and “Super Bowl Champs.” The graphics were designed and applied by Chester Zygowski, who worked in PAT’s sign shop. The “Terrible Trolley” continued running into the 1980s and was briefly retired in 1988. In 1989, PAT rebuilt the car and operated it for another decade, wearing its standard white paint with green and yellow stripes.

Rear of Car 1713 carries “The Terrible Trolley” slogan. —Otto M. Vondrak photo

After its final retirement, the car was sold to the private Penn Ohio Electric Railway Association collection in Columbus, Ohio, and stored in a barn. While some initial work had taken place, the owner was unable to finish it before deciding to sell his property and move. PTM made inquiries and acquired the car in 2023. Torn down to the frame, Car 1713 was subject to an intense rebuilding and restoration that was completed in just two years, thanks to generous support from donors and volunteers. The museum secured licensing agreements with the National Football League, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Eamon Foundation to allow use of the football team’s logos and imagery.

This car will be part of the museum fleet offering shuttle service to the Washington County Fair August 9-16, 2025. The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is open for the summer, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit patrolley.org. 

—Justin Franz 

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The City of Rockaway Beach, Ore., has requested that a section of former Southern Pacific tracks, now used by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, be removed and replaced with a trail. The request from the tracks’ owner, the Port of Tillamook Bay, surprised the tourist railroad, which has long supported building a trail alongside the tracks. 

The planned Salmonberry Trail will stretch 84 miles along the former SP Tillamook Branch, starting from Tillamook along the Pacific Coast before heading into the Coast Range via the Salmonberry River. Construction on a short section of trail began in July near Wheeler, alongside the railroad tracks. However, the City of Rockaway, which has committed to building the trail through its community, said that constructing the trail next to the tracks is too expensive — even though it is being built in other areas. 

“We want to be clear: OCSR is not opposed to the Salmonberry Trail,” the railroad’s board of directors wrote. “In fact, we are strong proponents of a rail-with-trail model and have offered numerous engineering ideas to support safe co-location within the right-of-way, including cantilevered trail segments on the side of existing railroad bridges, as well as using the railroad’s specialized on-track machinery to help with trail construction. We have been working closely with the non-profit Salmonberry Trail Foundation on a demonstration segment of the rail-with-trail in Wheelers, where the railroad is providing help with spreading gravel and vegetation control. We remain open to collaboration, cost-sharing, and innovation over the leased section of the railroad — but we will not be excluded.”

The decision to remove the track is made by the Port of Tillamook Bay. While most of OCSR’s excursions operate between Tillamook and Rockaway Beach, some trips go north of there to Wheeler. Last year, about 10,000 of the railroad’s 55,000 passengers traveled on that section. 

—Justin Franz 

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The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of one of the most recognizable locomotive types from the famed Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge: The K-36. 

Ten K-36 2-8-2 locomotives were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925, and they served as the primary power on the Rio Grande narrow gauge main line well into the 1960s. Of the ten, nine still exist, and eight remain in operating condition, with four at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and five at the C&TS. The only one not to survive into the preservation era was 485, which fell into a turntable pit and was scrapped in 1955. 

The C&TS will host a series of events in Chama, N.M., to celebrate the anniversary from August 13 to August 17. Festivities will begin with an opening ceremony on August 13, followed by walking tours, evening whistle salutes, and even a birthday celebration with cake. Additional tours will take place on August 14, and there will be a parade of steam that evening at 5:30 p.m. There will also be several special freight runs for photographers. While the freight runs are ticketed events, the walking tours, steam parade, and others are free to attend. 

For more information, visit the railroad’s website. 

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After years of delays and canceled debuts, the next generation of Amtrak’s high-speed Acela train will finally enter revenue service on the Northeast Corridor on August 28. 

Amtrak officials say five Acela Avelia Liberty (sometimes called the NextGen Acela)  trainsets will enter service to start, and that by the end of 2027, all 28 trains should be in operation. Until then, high-speed service between Boston and Washington, D.C. will be handled by both the original Acela trains and the new ones. 

“NextGen Acela is more than a new train—it’s an evolution of travel,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “In just a few weeks, history will be made with the debut of NextGen Acela as we launch a new standard for American train travel.”

The Alstom-built trains were expected to enter service back in 2021, but they were delayed by various mechanical and infrastructure issues, specifically compatibility issues with the decades-old catenary on the route. With those issues resolved, testing of the trains has been increasing in recent weeks along the Northeast Corridor. 

The new trains can travel up to 160 miles per hour and feature amenities like free, high-speed internet, individual power outlets and more. Tickets to ride the new trainsets will be available in the coming days. 

—Justin Franz

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The Wheeling & Lake Erie, the over 800-mile regional railroad that runs through Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, is being sold to FTAI Infrastructure, Inc., for $1.05 billion. Once approved by federal regulators, the railroad will become part of FTAI’s Transtar. 

The Wheeling & Lake Erie was founded in 1990 after acquiring some former Norfolk Southern routes, some of which belonged to the original W&LE that operated from 1877 until it was leased to the Nickel Plate Road in 1949. The railroad maintains a fleet of EMD locomotives in a Denver & Rio Grande Western-inspired livery. Transtar operates seven different short lines across the country, including the Union Railroad Company, which interchanges with W&LE. 

In a statement announcing the sale, W&LE officials stated the transaction would help the railroad stay competitive for decades to come. 

“This strategic transaction represents a pivotal moment in the W&LE’s history. Since 1992, under the leadership of Larry Parsons, we’ve undergone a remarkable transition from a distressed shortline to a high-performing regional carrier. Our growth has been defined by operational reinvestment, network expansion, and a steadfast focus on customer service, positioning us as one of the leading regional railroads in North America,” railroad officials wrote. “The decision to partner with FTAI and Transtar was made with the best long-term interests of our customers and company.”

The railroad stated that the W&LE’s current brand will stay the same. The sale is expected to close during the third quarter of this year, when the railroad will be put into a voting trust pending approval by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.

—Justin Franz 

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The Salamanca Rail Museum in western New York has had to leave its longtime home at a former Buffalo, Rochester, & Pittsburgh Railway depot built in 1912. It is now searching for a new site to showcase a small fleet of rolling stock and other exhibits related to the region’s railroad history. 

When the Salamanca Rail Museum Association was established in the early 1980s, it was located inside the station and freight house donated by Chessie System to the City of Salamanca. While the city owned the building, it did not own the land it sits on, which is part of the Seneca Nation of Indians’ Allegany Territory. The museum noted that although a lease should have been negotiated at that time, it never was. The building and grounds were managed by the City of Salamanca’s Industrial Development Agency, which paid for insurance, grounds maintenance, and any repairs needed. In 2023, the City of Salamanca told the museum it could no longer cover those costs. A new agreement was then made in which the museum agreed to help pay for insurance. The museum also financed a new air conditioner, roof repairs, and regrouting of the west wall. Once again, no lease was ever negotiated with the tribe. 

Unfortunately, the oversight decades ago of not negotiating a lease for the property has come back to haunt the museum and city officials. Earlier this year, the Seneca Nation informed both parties that they needed to vacate the property. The museum was initially told it had to leave by the end of April but was later given an extension to the end of July. Since then, volunteers have been tirelessly working to move equipment, and last week, they managed to move the entire fleet to a new location. While the museum has lost its home, officials are hopeful they will eventually be able to reopen at a new site. 

“We are working to secure a new property,” the museum announced on social media. “A few locations have been evaluated, and conceptual drawings are being made to approach those who control the properties we are considering. Please understand we cannot publicly disclose any of these potential locations, but we do not plan to move far. We also do not know what the future plans are for the buildings and grounds.” —Justin Franz 

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The Pueblo Railway Museum is hosting a “Railfan Day” on August 9, which will feature short train rides, a photo freight, slide shows, and more. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and cost $40 per person to attend. 

The Pueblo Railway Museum was established in the early 2000s by the Pueblo Railway Foundation and features a variety of equipment, including a Santa Fe 4-8-4, three operational GP9s, and a trio of unusual “Rocket Cars” from the 1960s. 

Festivities will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday with a shop tour, followed by caboose rides at 9 a.m. At 11 a.m., a photo freight will run. In the afternoon, there will be additional tours and a slide show. For more information and to register, visit the museum’s website. —Railfan & Railroad Staff

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Minnesota’s Northstar commuter rail will come to an end in January, according to an update from MetroTransit. 

Earlier this year, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Council (the regional planning agency for the Twin Cities) started reevaluating the passenger service that connects the northern suburbs with downtown Minneapolis. Before the pandemic, about 2,000 to 3,000 people rode the trains daily, but according to MPR News, that number has fallen to just a few hundred. In 2023, the line earned about $323,589 in fares but had operating costs of roughly $11.6 million. 

Northstar was established in 2009 and operates on BNSF Railway trackage, which also manages it through its commuter rail division. (Besides Northstar, BNSF runs passenger trains for Metra in Illinois, Sounder in Washington, and Metrolink in California.) Originally, the line was supposed to connect the Twin Cities with St. Cloud, but an extension beyond Big Lake never happened. Some say that’s why the service has never prospered. Ridership on Northstar also trails behind commuter services of similar size.

With declining ridership and rising costs, MetroTransit plans to replace the commuter trains with buses that will mostly follow the same route as Northstar. According to a presentation this week, the last run will be on either Saturday, January 3, 2026, or Sunday, January 4, 2026, after the Minnesota Vikings’ last regular season game.

—Justin Franz 

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New York’s Adirondack Railway Preservation Society has acquired two additional Alco C-430 locomotives from the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, just months after purchasing another Century from the short line. The acquisition gives the Adirondack three of the five remaining C-430 locomotives. 

Locomotives 431 and 432 were built in December 1967 for the New York Central as their 2053 and 2054. The engines later ended up on Penn Central, Conrail, and the Morristown & Erie, before going to the WNYP. The third C-430, No. 430, arrived on the Adirondack earlier this year. Adirondack Railway Preservation Society President Luke Irvine said that the nonprofit (which operates the Adirondack Railroad) has been looking for higher horsepower locomotives, especially since expanding toward Tupper Lake, N.Y., a few years ago. The Adirondack operates on 100 miles of former NYC trackage, meaning all three Alcos will be right at home. The Adirondack has a fleet of Alco and Montreal Locomotive Works engines, including C424s and RS18us. 

“The line to Tupper Lake is mountainous,” Irvine said of the need for high-horsepower units. “And the C-430s were probably the zenith of Alco power.”

Irvine said the two units were expected to arrive on the Adirondack in the next few weeks. The acquisition of the three C-430s by the tourist railroad this year leaves just one other, locomotive 433, in regular freight service. 

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The operator of Portland’s MAX light rail announced in late July that it would reduce service by 18 percent — the largest cut in the system’s history — due to a lack of state funding. 

TriMet officials said that since 2019, the agency has “faced staggering cost increases” for labor, vehicles, facilities, contractors, equipment, and software. For a few years, the agency managed to dip into its reserves to help cover its funding gap. However, because the Oregon Legislature failed to address the issue during its recent session, the agency will need to start making cuts this fall. These cuts will begin with bus services but will be extended to MAX service next spring. Between May 2026 and August 2027, TriMet intends to reduce frequency on all MAX lines during certain parts of the day. 

“We’ve already begun cutting costs internally, and that will continue. But unfortunately, cuts to our transit service and reductions to our staffing levels are unavoidable. Without increased state funding for transit, these service reductions will become even more severe,” officials said. 

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

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BNSF Railway donated a historic SD70MAC to the Illinois Railway Museum. Locomotive 9400 was built in 1993 and is notable for being the first production locomotive (i.e., non-demonstrator) to feature modern AC traction, making it the precursor to thousands of units with this groundbreaking technology. 

BNSF made the donation earlier this summer, and IRM announced it on July 31. IRM plans to eventually restore the unit to its as-delivered appearance, Burlington Northern’s green and cream “Executive” livery from the early 1990s. 

Following testing of freight diesels equipped with AC traction motors in the early 1990s, BN ordered the first production run of AC motor-equipped diesels from EMD in 1993. The order, for 350 locomotives numbered 9400-9749, was built from November 1993 to mid-1996. These 4,000-horsepower locomotives were innovative not only because of their AC traction motors but also due to their radial trucks, computerized control systems, sound-deadened wide cabs, and “desktop” engineer’s control layout. Locomotive 9400 participated in a dedication ceremony at Fort Worth, Texas, in January 1994. During that event, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy E5 9911A “Silver Pilot,” on loan from IRM, was also present, representing some of EMD’s early groundbreaking diesels. 

BNSF 9400 is not the only historic diesel to have recently been acquired by IRM. Earlier this year, two former Amtrak locomotives were donated to the museum.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

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Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 2926 will be under steam on September 27 and 28 for New Mexico Railroad Days at the Albuquerque South Rail Yards. The free, family-friendly event will give attendees the chance to see the recently restored locomotive up close. 

ATSF 2926 was built by Baldwin in 1944 and retired after just nine years of service. New Mexico Heritage Rail (also known as the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society) spent nearly two decades restoring the locomotive and it returned to service in 2021. Since then it has made brief trips around Albuquerque on New Mexico Rail Runner Express and BNSF Railway trackage. It is the largest operating 4-8-4 in North America.

While no demonstration runs will be made during the event, the locomotive will be fired up and people will be able to climb into the cab and blow the whistle. There will also be a special night photo session with the locomotive. Tickets are being sold online at 2926.us. 

The New Mexico Railroad Days runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 27, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 28. 

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

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A day after Union Pacific announced its intent to acquire Norfolk Southern for $85 billion — a deal that would create the first single transcontinental railroad in the United States — many shippers and stakeholders withheld their opinions on the proposal. However, the few who did expressed skepticism about a plan that could significantly change the North American rail network. 

The combined UP-NS system would stretch more than 50,000 miles and operate in 43 states, making it the largest Class I railroad on the continent. The deal will need to be approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board — no easy task considering the size and scale of the combination. And one reason for the hurdles that face the combination is the cool reaction it is expected to get from competing railroads, shippers, unions and other stakeholders. 

Among the first shipper groups to criticize the proposal was the American Chemistry Council. In a statement released just hours after the merger announcement, the shippers group said it would “actively oppose” any further consolidation within the industry. 

“The four largest freight railroads already control more than 90 percent of U.S. rail traffic, with two dominating in the eastern U.S. and two dominating in the west,” the statement read. “The impact of a transcontinental merger between two of these railroads threatens to leave American manufacturers, farmers and energy producers with even fewer competitive options to ship by rail… Many rail customers are currently dealing with high rates and unreliable service. Further consolidation within the rail industry is likely to make these problems worse.”

According to industry sources, more shipper groups are expected to emerge and oppose the deal in the coming days and weeks. 

Unions also expressed skepticism about the plan. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said it was too soon to provide concrete thoughts on the plan but urged the railroads not to use it as a reason to delay ongoing labor negotiations. SMART Transportation Division, IAM Union Rail Division, and Transportation Workers Union of America also raised concerns about how a merger could affect union jobs and the safety of the rail network.

“There is no world where Union Pacific should be controlling a coast-to-coast rail network,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. 

The Rail Passenger Association, the country’s oldest and largest passenger rail advocacy group, noted that both UP and NS are currently facing lawsuits accusing the Class I railroads of violating the legal right of Amtrak trains to have priority over freight trains.  

“Frankly, America’s passengers and shippers have good reason to treat this news with skepticism. The past decade has seen Class I railroads steadily losing market share to trucking in pursuit of shareholder dividends. While that’s been good for Wall Street, it’s meant worse rail service for passengers and shippers in the rest of the country,” President and CEO Jim Mathews said.

—Justin Franz

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Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced on July 29 that the two Class I railroads are merging to create the first single, transcontinental railroad in the United States. The news of the $85 billion deal followed weeks of rumors, denials, and hints that preceded the merger announcement that, if approved by federal regulators, would reshape the railroad industry for decades to come.

Put together, UP and NS would be by far the largest Class I railroad, with more than 50,000 miles of track stretching across 43 states and into every corner of the continental United States. In a news release, UP CEO Jim Vena said the merger would benefit shippers and the nation by having just one railroad that connects both coasts, something that has never happened in the nearly 200-year history of American railroading. 

“Railroads have been an integral part of building America since the Industrial Revolution, and this transaction is the next step in advancing the industry,” Vena said in a press release. “Imagine seamlessly hauling steel from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Colton, California and moving tomato paste from Heron, California to Fremont, Ohio. Lumber from the Pacific Northwest, plastics from the Gulf Coast, copper from Arizona and Utah, and soda ash from Wyoming. Right now, tens of thousands of railroaders are moving almost everything we use. You name it, and at some point, the railroad hauled it.”

The new railroad will be called “Union Pacific Transcontinental.” Vena will be the CEO of the combined system. 

Under the terms of the agreement, UP will acquire NS in a stock and cash transaction that values NS at $320 per share, a 25 percent premium to NS’s 30-trading-day volume. UP and NS hope to complete the transaction by early 2027.

The new railroad will be called “Union Pacific Transcontinental.” Vena will be the CEO of the combined system. —Photo by Steve Barry. 

The slow drip of merger news started weeks before the announcement, when on July 16, online news site Semafor reported that UP had hired Morgan Stanley to explore acquiring one of the other five Class I railroads. Later that day, it was reported that UP had been in talks with NS about a possible merger since the beginning of the year. Then, on July 21, Semafor reported that BNSF Railway had enlisted Goldman Sachs for its own merger bid. Reuters later reported that CSX was its target. Initially, the railroads stayed mum on the rumors. But the day after Semafor and Reuters reported that BNSF was considering a bid for CSX, Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway went on CNBC to dismiss those rumors, telling the cable network the story was false. However, while the 94-year-old billionaire wields significant influence over what BNSF does, industry observers said it seemed unlikely that the Class I railroad — UP’s chief rival in the western U.S. — would simply sit on the sidelines if UP made a serious move at NS. Unless, of course, BNSF’s owners believed UP stands no chance of acquiring NS.

BNSF has not given a statement regarding the proposed UP-NS merger. However, if it doesn’t make an offer for CSX — or even a competing offer for NS — it’s likely that the Class I railroad (currently the largest in North America) will vigorously oppose the UP-NS merger. 

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George sign the agreement between the two companies. —Union Pacific

The news that UP is planning a move against another Class I railroad comes just two years after Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern completed what many believed would be the “final” merger. That merger between North America’s smallest Class I railroads was not subject to the stricter set of merger rules established in 2001 following the merger mania of the 1990s. However, any future mergers would need to meet those higher standards to ensure they serve the public interest. At the time of the CP-KCS deal, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board appeared cautious about further consolidation, especially with Chairman Martin J. Oberman in charge. But some think Patrick Fuchs, the 37-year-old appointed to the board in 2019 by President Donald Trump who now serves as its chair, might be more receptive to the idea of additional mergers.

—Justin Franz 

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The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is breaking ground on a new roundhouse that will be used to protect six Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives. 

The roundhouse will be constructed next to a former Reading Company turntable already installed on the museum grounds. It is being built by eciConstruction of Dillsburg, Pa. Construction of the 16,000-square-foot, six-stall exhibit structure is expected to start in earnest by the end of July and should be completed by late 2026 or early 2027. During construction, the Museum’s outdoor yard will be closed to ensure visitor safety.   

“The main purpose of the roundhouse building is to protect and exhibit the six historic Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives, which have resided outdoors and experienced deterioration due to exposure to the elements,” said museum director Patrick Morrison. “This new climate-controlled space will showcase these historic steam locomotives in the best possible setting. When the time comes and as resources permit, we will be able to remove each one into the Museum’s restoration shop for more extensive preservation work.”

The museum’s friends group has already raised funds to cosmetically restore PRR E6 Atlantic 460 and is currently collecting money to restore the other five locomotives (B6sb 2-8-0 1670, H10s 2-8-0 7688, L1s 2-8-2 520, K4s 4-6-2 3750, and M1b 4-8-2 6755) for display in the roundhouse.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

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