Railnews from Railfan & Railroad Magazine

Washington’s Yakima Valley Trolleys, the nonprofit responsible for running the city-owned interurban electric railroad that was once a subsidiary of Union Pacific, will start the new year without an operating agreement, putting the operation’s future in limbo. 

On December 9, the Yakima City Council discussed offering the non-profit a five-year operating agreement starting January 1, 2026, as it has done for many years. However, the council decided to delay that discussion until January as it evaluates its financial situation amid increasingly tight budgets. A week earlier, the council approved a 2026 budget that requires cutting $9 million from its current budget.

The actual operation of the trolley is fairly minimal for the city. According to Community Development Director Bill Preston, the proposed agreement called for the city to cover basic costs like heating and maintaining the city-owned trolley barn, plus setting aside about $10,000 for any maintenance issues that might arise with the track or other city-owned property. But the bigger issue — and cost — is a major road construction project along the trolley route connecting the trolley barn with the rest of the line to the town of Selah. That street needs to be rebuilt, and for a time, the city considered paying the approximately $7 million it would cost to reinstall the rails and the catenary above. But with a budget crisis looming, some on the city council are questioning if that’s a wise financial decision. Because of that, the city council decided to wait on approving or denying an operating agreement until a decision was made on the road project. 

In the meantime, the nonprofit Yakima Valley Trolleys is encouraging the public to sign a petition supporting the operation and to ride some of its upcoming holiday excursions. 

—Justin Franz 

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The oldest surviving steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley — the master locomotive builder behind famous engines like the Flying Scotsman — is expected to return to service in 2026.

The Gresley Society has owned Great Northern Railway class N2 1744, an 0-6-2T built in 1921, since the 1960s and has operated it for years at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, the Great Central Railway, and most recently, the North Norfolk Railway. The engine is not only the oldest surviving Gresley, but also the only remaining tank engine. 

The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 2018, and an extensive restoration began in 2019. However, as work proceeded, it was realized that it needed more work than previously thought. The pandemic and supply issues related to the war in Ukraine also impacted the restoration’s timeline. Still, in August, the engine successfully passed a steam test, and it is on track to run again in the new year. 

“The Gresley Society was created to preserve a working Gresley locomotive, and we owe it to our founders, and for the benefit and education of today’s generation, to maintain that vision,” said Philip Benham, chairman of the Gresley Society. “The progress on 1744’s overhaul at the North Norfolk Railway is one more step towards the return of Sir Nigel Gresley’s oldest surviving locomotive to traffic in spring 2026, resplendent in its distinctive Great Northern Railway livery.”

For more information, visit gresley.org. 

—Justin Franz 

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Work is underway in Washington to cosmetically restore a Milwaukee Road U25B locomotive. The Cascade Rail Foundation is presently working with Columbia Rail in Richland, Wash., to repaint MILW 5057 for eventual display in South Cle Elum. 

Locomotive 5057 was one of 12 U25Bs purchased by MILW in 1965 for use in freight service between Chicago and Tacoma, Wash. Later, in 1971, all of MILW’s General Electric locomotives were assigned to Tacoma, working almost exclusively in the Pacific Northwest. When the MILW abandoned its Pacific Coast Extension west of Miles City, Mont., in 1980, locomotive 5057 was one of the units to pull the last trains east out of the Pacific Northwest. The engine was sold to Webster Technical College in Nebraska in 1984, and then donated to the Portola Railroad Museum (now Western Pacific Railroad Museum) in Portola, Calif., in 1991. In 2014, it was purchased by the Cascade Rail Foundation and brought “home” to Washington. 

Cascade Rail was initially working with the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad in Usk, Wash., to cosmetically restore the engine. But when it became obvious in early 2025 that the POVA’s shop crew wouldn’t have time for the restoration because of paid work, Cascade Rail decided to go in a different direction. That resulted in a move over the summer to Richland and Columbia Rail’s shop. In late 2025, the nonprofit finalized a contract with Columbia Rail to finish up the restoration. The group is presently raising $30,000 to finish the work. Donations can be made at milwelectric.org/donate-to-cascade-rail-foundation.

—Justin Franz 

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The public was welcomed back inside Buffalo’s former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western terminal for the first time since 1962 when the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority opened its new DL&W Station on December 8. The $57 million project transforms the lower level of the historic trainshed into a modern two-track station with a center-island platform, giving passengers direct access to the revitalized Canalside and Cobblestone districts, as well as KeyBank Center, home of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo’s unique light rail line runs in a subway tunnel for the first five miles from the south campus of University at Buffalo, with the final mile-and-a-half surface-running on Main Street (now shared with vehicular traffic) down to DL&W Station. While the system was originally designed with extensions to the suburbs and airport in mind, funding has been difficult to secure.

When Erie Lackawanna shut down its waterfront terminal in October 1962, only a handful trains still called there — including the Phoebe Snow, Owl, and Lake Cities — and service shifted to a minimalist joint facility shared with Nickel Plate Road in the freight yards across town. The grand 1917 terminal designed by Kenneth Murchison was soon abandoned, vandalized, and ultimately conveyed to Conrail in 1976. NFTA purchased the deteriorating property in 1977 to use the trainshed as protected storage for its new light rail fleet. Following some debate over protected historic status, the headhouse was demolished in 1979 to construct new yard leads. Although light rail service began in 1984, the station’s upper level platforms were sealed off and left unused.

ABOVE: The former two-level trainshed built by Delaware, Lackawanna & Western in 1917, and tranformed into a covered storage yard for NFTA light rail trains. The headhouse was demolished in 1979. —Otto M. Vondrak photo

Over the next four decades, the surrounding industrial district was transformed into an entertainment hub. A small “Special Events” stop served arena crowds but offered little shelter or amenities. Redeveloping the former DL&W trainshed remained a long-discussed idea, but momentum finally came in 2017 when NFTA secured funding for a new station, waterfront access, redevelopment of the upper level, and a direct connection to KeyBank Center. Construction began in 2019, with Savarino Companies selected to design and develop the upper level as a multi-use public space.

Although construction delays pushed the opening back more than a year, the new metro station debuted to press and invited guests on December 8, complete with a ribbon-cutting featuring elected city officials and NFTA directors and staff. The station’s bright, spacious interior is a welcome addition to the 6.4-mile system, but the stairways and enclosed connector to KeyBank Center are not expected to be completed until summer 2026. Until then, riders must exit to South Park Avenue and walk the long way around, prompting some local outlets to advise passengers to continue using the nearby Canalside station. NFTA also cut ties with Savarino in mid-November, citing the developer’s failure to produce a viable business plan for the upper-level project.

ABOVE: The new DL&W Station will allow future access to the upper level as well as a covered entrance into KeyBank Center. —Otto M. Vondrak photo

Though the DL&W Station extends service only a few blocks, officials emphasized that it represents meaningful progress toward broader future expansion. “This station is far more than a new stop on our system,” NFTA Executive Director Kim Minkel said at the opening. “It’s an investment in the future of our region — expanding access, strengthening economic development, and creating new opportunities for residents and businesses alike. And we’re just getting started.”

—Otto M. Vondrak

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The Battle River Railway, a farmer-owned railroad in central Alberta, has begun moving wheat in partnership with Canadian National. 

Battle River Railway has been operating a former CN branch line between Camrose and Alliance since 2010. The railroad regularly moves grain, stores cars, and offers occasional excursions. Earlier this year, the railroad partnered with Westlock Terminals, Ltd., the Port of Westlock, and CN to do a test run of five cars of wheat. Wheat was previously moved by truck 140 miles from an elevator in Rosalind to the terminal in Westlock. But with the purchase of a wheat unloader, it can now go via rail. The inaugural five-car move over Battle River took 11 truckloads off local highways. 

The railroad anticipates moving about five cars of wheat per month. General Manager Matthew Enright told Progressive Railroading that the new traffic is a win for the railroad, its shippers, and the community. 

“When local organizations work together with shared values and community-driven goals, they create lasting opportunities that benefit farmers, rural economies and the future of agriculture in Alberta,” he said. 

—Justin Franz

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After building 3.5 miles of track on the original right-of-way of one of Maine’s famed 2-foot gauge railroads, the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum is now planning to expand southward. In December, the museum announced its intention to build a quarter-mile of track extending south from its campus in Alna, Maine, in either 2027 or 2028. The new “Southern Gateway” will be part of a future two-mile extension that will bring the narrow gauge railroad closer to Wiscasset, a popular tourist destination along the coast. 

The original WW&F operated from 1895 until 1933. In the 1980s, Harry Percival started rebuilding a short section of track on his property at Shepscott Station, which is located 4.8 miles north of the original railroad’s southern terminus. In 1989, a nonprofit was established, and over the past 36 years, the museum has rebuilt 3.5 miles of main line, constructed a shop and roundhouse, four stations, a water tower, and restored two steam locomotives (with a third currently under construction from scratch). 

Museum leadership said they were able to accomplish so much over the last three decades through their slow-and-steady approach. When the current main line was completed to Alna (and the edge of a state highway) in 2022, the museum intentionally paused its expansion efforts to focus on revamping its track maintenance programs, ensuring it could keep what it had built in excellent condition. 

“We have learned to recognize the need for tempered, thoughtful growth which serves specific organizational needs. We established that our ultimate goal is sustainability, whereby we create an institution that becomes multi-generational, lasting well beyond our own time,” museum officials wrote. “As related to further expansion, understanding the end goal is paramount; the sum total of all the infrastructure we plan, including length of main track, maintenance and construction facilities, public facilities, etc., must generate the income necessary to comfortably maintain itself.”

Building south will require crossing a public road and entering a sensitive environmental area because it’s near a waterway. As a result, the museum will need to obtain permits and permissions from the Town of Alna, the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Crossing the road will also make the museum subject to the regulations of the Federal Railroad Administration. Knowing that could be an eventuality, the museum has long maintained stringent operating and safety practices that comply with FRA regulations. 

The museum plans to start fundraising in 2026 and hopes to begin construction in 2027 or 2028. The ultimate goal is to add two more miles of track and build a new station at the end. The museum has already begun acquiring property to achieve this goal. 

For more information, visit wwfry.org/southern-gateway/ 

—Justin Franz 

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TOYX, Inc., the nonprofit organization that over the past four years has attempted to establish a museum centered on the former Eire Railroad turntable in Port Jervis, N.Y., announced on December 3 that it was closing and withdrawing from the community. 

According to the non-profit, which includes a conglomerate of projects, most notably “Operation Toy Train,” the city informed leadership earlier this year that the museum site would be sold for redevelopment after an environmental cleanup. The city hopes to apply for grants from the State of New York to help cover the cost of that work. The decision to redevelop the site means TOYX needs to find a new place to store more than two dozen pieces of equipment, some of which are historic to Port Jervis. A boxcar museum operated by Tri-States Railway Preservation Society (also part of TOYX) will also have to move. TOYX President Rudy Garbely said the organization was disappointed by the city’s decision to sell the property. 

“This is where these artifacts belonged,” Garbely said. “The decisions of the City Council will result in these irreplaceable pieces of Port Jervis history being permanently removed. Unfortunately, it seems the history of the City of Port Jervis is best preserved outside the reach of City officials whose actions serve to erase the storied past of the community they represent.”

TOYX and its equipment must be off city-owned property on or before July 26, 2026. The group said it is presently looking for a new home and in the meantime has found a place to temporarily store some equipment, most notably those cares involved with Operation Toy Train. The toy collection train will be running as normal this year, but skipping its final planned stop in Port Jervis. 

—Justin Franz 

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BNSF Railway is urging federal regulators to examine the “harms” caused by the 1996 merger of Union Pacific and Southern Pacific. In a new filing with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, BNSF claimed that the UP has repeatedly violated decades-old conditions set by the government that were meant to maintain competition in the western U.S., when the region went from three major railroads to two. 

The November 28 filing comes as UP is expected to submit its merger application with Norfolk Southern, a deal that, if approved, would create the country’s largest rail network and its first true transcontinental system. However, attorneys for BNSF stated that the STB should consider the effects of the previous merger before granting approval to a new one. 

“In the nearly 30 years since the UP/SP merger, UP has engaged in a pattern of obstructive conduct that has diminished competitive options and harmed customers by delaying or preventing BNSF from fully replacing the competition that was lost through the UP/SP merger as the Board originally intended,” attorneys wrote. “Although BNSF has diligently worked to enforce the rights the Board entrusted to it through constant vigilance, extensive negotiations with UP, and numerous petitions to the Board, its efforts have faced repeated resistance and obstruction from UP.”

In 1996, the STB granted BNSF extensive trackage rights across the combined UP-SP network to give rail shippers options for moving freight. For example, BNSF was given access to former Rio Grande and Western Pacific routes across Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. But actually using those routes has never been easy, BNSF attorneys wrote. Earlier this year, BNSF had to ask the STB to force UP to allow it access to start a new intermodal service into Salt Lake City. It was one of more than a dozen petitions the railroad has filed over the years to force UP to grant what was supposed to be guaranteed access. 

In another instance in Fruita, Colo., UP tried to force a customer to pay for upgrades to a spur after it tried to start shipping with BNSF, despite the fact that UP was already using that spur to serve other customers. 

In a statement to Railfan & Railroad, a UP spokesperson defended the railroad’s actions.

“Union Pacific has granted BNSF access on about 85 percent of their requests over the last 15 years, providing significant opportunities for competition, while ensuring customers have options. In the few cases taken to the Surface Transportation Board, BNSF was asking for more than was agreed upon,” the spokesperson wrote. 

—Justin Franz 

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The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has approved Fortress Investment Group’s $1.05 billion purchase of Wheeling & Lake Erie, the 982-mile regional railroad that operates through Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. 

The STB approved the acquisition application on November 26, and it will take effect on December 26. Wheeling will become part of Fortress’s Transtar operation, which runs seven different short lines across the country, including Union Railroad Company, which interchanges with W&LE. The transaction also includes the Akron Barberton Cluster Railway, which operates on 84 miles of track around Akron, Ohio. 

The Wheeling & Lake Erie was established in 1990 after acquiring 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. 

In a press release announcing the approval, the STB stated that the regulator received no comments opposing the merger. The one customer served by both Union and Wheeling submitted a comment supporting the consolidation. 

—Justin Franz

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The Great Plains Transportation Museum has launched an effort to raise $50,000 to cover previously hidden damage to Santa Fe FP45 93, currently being restored at Mid-America Car. 

Earlier this year, the locomotive was sent from the museum in Wichita, Kan., to Kansas City, after the non-profit railroad museum had raised the money necessary to begin a cosmetic restoration. But once they started sandblasting the locomotive, they realized there was far more body damage than they had previously realized. According to the museum, it was common for body filler materials to be used to patch up rust spots when locomotives were rebuilt by the railroad, and that was the case with FP45 93. 

Rust damage on Santa Fe FP45 93. 

“This is common for older locomotives that come into our shops after spending decades outside in the elements,” explained Jordan Blanc, vice president of operations at Mid-America Car. “Santa Fe 93 has been sitting outside for 58 years, and now it’s our job to address the damage with the expertise of our skilled craftsmen. We do this routinely. It’s our expertise, and we are confident Santa Fe 93 will look great when the repairs are completed and new paint is applied.”

Locomotive 93 was built by EMD in 1967 and used in passenger service until 1971. It was then used in freight service on the Santa Fe and later BNSF Railway until 1998, when it was retired and donated to the Wichita museum. 

“GPTM truly appreciates all of the support and encouragement we’ve received since we announced the Santa Fe 93 cosmetic restoration project in 2023,” stated Heather Gatton, GPTM president. “It’s the largest restoration project we’ve undertaken, and many people and organizations have encouraged us and are excited in anticipation of 93’s return in a fresh coat of Santa Fe’s iconic red and silver Super Fleet ‘Warbonnet’ scheme.

Donations can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-santafe93.

—Justin Franz

The post More Needed to Restore Santa Fe F45 appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, the non-profit restoring two Union Pacific steam locomotives at the former Rock Island shop in Silvis, Ill., has broken ground on a new roundhouse and turntable. The six-stall roundhouse is on the footprint of the Rock Island’s original facility and will feature a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy turntable that was donated to the group by BNSF Railway. 

Steve Sandberg, president and chief operating officer of RRHMA, said the 135-foot turntable, which was once used at the Q’s Clyde Yard (now Cicero), is large enough to spin UP 4-6-6-4 3985, currently being restored. The turntable will be the largest operating one in the United States once installed. 

“This project takes our organization to a whole new level,” said Steve Sandberg, President and Chief Operating Officer of RRHMA. “We are thrilled to break ground on the turntable and roundhouse … Our vision is to make Silvis a national hub of living railroad history – a place where we can preserve and operate vintage trains and share that

experience with the public for generations to come.”

The roundhouse will serve as a museum and storage space for RRHMA, clearing up room in the restoration shop for heavier work. The non-profit is presently raising $2.5 million for the project. Donations can be made online at rrhma.com/roundhouse-project/.

—Justin Franz 

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Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 has returned to service just in time to lead the 2025 edition of the Steam Railroading Institute’s North Pole Express excursions. 

In 2024, just as the North Pole Express season was getting underway, the N-1 Class Berkshire had to be taken out of service because an issue was discovered with the locomotive’s superheaters. The superheaters — which pipe pressurized steam back through the hot gases of the fire a second time to add more heat and thus more power — are located deep in the boiler, making a quick repair impossible. The North Pole Express ran as planned, but behind diesels. 

Throughout 2025, SRI crews worked tirelessly to get the engine back running, and on November 20, it made a brief test run near its home base in Owosso, Mich. 

PM 1225 was built by Lima in October 1941. The locomotive is perhaps best known as the inspiration for the engine in the 2004 film “Polar Express.”

—Justin Franz 

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A Cook County, Ill., jury has ordered Union Pacific to pay Metra $19.3 million after the freight railroad, which has previously operated commuter trains under contract, refused to have conductors walk trains and collect fares during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic. The verdict was announced on November 12, according to the Daily Herald. The legal battle is just one of the ongoing conflicts between the Chicagoland commuter operator and the Class I. 

Beginning in March 2020, as pandemic restrictions started to take effect, Metra and its freight contractors, UP and BNSF Railway, stopped having conductors collect fares to minimize face-to-face contact. A few months later, as restrictions eased and more was understood about the virus, Metra and BNSF resumed having conductors walk through the trains. However, UP waited until May 2021 to have conductors walk the trains and collect fares again. Metra reported that during this period, passengers complained about the difficulty of finding a conductor when issues came up onboard. They also mentioned that UP conductors shut off some cars, making it harder to socially distance from other passengers. Union Pacific plans to appeal the decision. 

Meanwhile, UP and Metra are still negotiating over how much the commuter agency will pay to use UP tracks. In spring 2025, after years of debate about UP no longer wanting to provide passenger service, Metra took over all services on the former Chicago & North Western lines. As part of that, hundreds of UP employees moved to Metra. But the payment issue remains unresolved. As this story went to press, both sides were still seeking a solution.

—Justin Franz

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The American Steam Railroad Preservation Association needs to raise $15,000 to replace the rod brasses on Reading Company 4-8-4 2100, a vital part of the locomotive’s ongoing restoration. 

The locomotive has been under restoration in Cleveland for nearly a decade, and volunteers are hopeful it will run in 2026. When it does, it’s expected to wear a red, white, and blue livery inspired by sister engine 2101, which led the American Freedom Train in the 1970s. The 2100 will also be renumbered 250. The locomotive was steamed up for the first time following extensive boiler work in April 2025.

“With 2026 approaching and work on the locomotive’s boiler nearing completion, it is time to shift focus on the running gear,” said volunteer Nick Martin. “This $15,000 goal for the rod brasses is the first of additional goals to come in the Making Moves campaign, and if we continue to meet those goals, 250 could make its first moves under steam as soon as spring of 2026.”

Reading 2100 was built in the railroad’s own shops in September 1945 by essentially expanding an existing Baldwin 2-8-0. The locomotive ran into the 1960s. In 1975, it and its sister locomotive, 2101, were purchased by Ross Rowland. Locomotive 2101 was restored for the American Freedom Train while 2100 served as a parts source. Locomotive 2100 was briefly restored in the 1980s before moving to Ontario and then Washington State, where it briefly ran in the 2000s. In 2015, the locomotive was moved to Ohio to be restored by ASRPA. 

Donations can be mailed to the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association, 2800 W. 3rd St, Cleveland, OH 44113, or made online at www.americansteamrailroad.org.

—Justin Franz 

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CSX and the CREATE program reached a major milestone on October 15, 2025, when the first train crossed the new Forest Hill Flyover. This structure, located southeast of where 74th Street and Western Avenue intersect in Chicago, carries CSX trackage over lines of Belt Railway of Chicago, Metra, and Norfolk Southern. The investment eliminates a long-standing bottleneck where an average of 30 SouthWest Service Metra trains and 35 freight trains intersect daily. As part of CREATE’s $380 million, 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, the Forest Hill Flyover was funded by federal, state and local governments, along with the involved railroads. The on-time completion of this project during October concluded construction that began in 2022. While the first train ran in October, a ribbon-cutting wasn’t held until November 14. 

The reduction in delays at this former at-grade crossing benefits some of CSX’s most competitive intermodal traffic in the Chicago market, as this former B&O Chicago Terminal, double-track route is used by all trains in and out of the 59th Street intermodal terminal. This includes Trains I135 (Suffolk, Va.-Chicago) and counterpart I136, plus Trains I168 (Chicago-Port Newark, N.J.) and counterpart I169. Also using this route are several run-through trains that operate between the western roads at Chicago and CSX’s Northwest Ohio Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in North Baltimore, Ohio. These include Trains I171/I172 with the BNSF and Trains I191/I192 with Union Pacific. The flyover also handles ethanol, oil, and grain from both UP and BNSF, plus coal trains from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin destined to West Olive, Mich., when they do not use normal routing via the Belt Railway of Chicago.

—Scott Lindsey

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Adirondack Railway Preservation Society has acquired another historic locomotive for the growing fleet of Alco diesels operated by New York’s Adirondack Railroad. Former Louisville & Nashville FA-2 No. 309 will soon depart SMS Rail Services in New Jersey for its new home in Utica, N.Y., where it will join the railroad’s seasonal passenger excursions over the former New York Central Adirondack Division to Old Forge and Tupper Lake — one of the longest tourist railroad routes in the country at 108 miles.

Although the locomotive is not original to NYC, it spent decades in commuter service on Long Island (as LIRR 602) as a cab-control car and HEP generator before being sold to a private owner and moved to New Jersey. There, SMS, ALDAC Controls, and numerous volunteers completed extensive work to return its Alco 244 prime mover to operation. Adirondack Railroad expects to finish the remaining work and place the locomotive in service by late 2026, wearing a fresh rendition of the railroad’s gray-and-green paint scheme. “ARPS thanks previous owner Bobb Losse for this tremendous opportunity to preserve this historic locomotive and return it to regular service,” said Adirondack Railway Preservation Society President Luke Irvine.

The Adirondack Railroad roster already includes an impressive collection of Alco and Montreal Locomotive Works power, including C-424s, two former New York Central RS-3s, RS-18us, and three former New York Central C-430s.

—Otto M. Vondrak

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More than 34 million passengers climbed aboard Amtrak trains during Fiscal Year 2025, the railroad announced on November 18, a new record for “America’s Railroad” and a 5.1 percent increase over the previous year. 

Amtrak also reported an adjusted ticket revenue of $2.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2025, a 10.4 percent increase over 2024, and total operating revenue of $3.9 billion, up 9.1 percent from the previous year. The fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. 

While Amtrak reports revenue, it still relies on funding from state and federal partners, as do other transportation systems, such as highways and airports. However, this year’s rise in ticket sales has helped reduce the railroad’s annual losses. Amtrak officials praised the increase in revenue and ridership as a significant achievement for the government-supported railroad. 

“Amtrak’s operational success is not just about moving more people — it’s about moving them better,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris in a press release. “These results show what’s possible when we lead with purpose. By prioritizing reliability and the customer experience, we’re laying the foundation for the next generation of passenger rail in America.”

Amtrak also released route-specific ridership figures. Ridership on the Northeast Corridor grew by 8.1 percent, while state-supported services increased by 2.4 percent, and long-distance trains rose by 4.2 percent. 

—Justin Franz 

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Shareholders of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern overwhelmingly approved a plan to merge the two Class I railroads during a special meeting held on November 14. 

The shareholder meeting took place nearly four months after UP and NS announced their plans to merge and create the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. The merger would make the largest railroad in U.S. history, but still needs approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. 

UP reported that 99.5 percent of its shareholders voted in favor of the transaction, while “nearly 99 percent” of NS shareholders approved of the deal. 

“We appreciate our shareholders’ support in reaching this important milestone on our path to building America’s first coast-to-coast railroad,” said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “Our shareholders see the value and understand this merger will unlock new opportunities to enhance service, growth and innovation. We look forward to filing our application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and detailing how the transaction will provide seamless, single-line service across the country to improve transit times, safely increase reliability and strengthen the competitiveness of U.S rail.”

—Justin Franz 

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The Heber Valley Railroad in Utah has added two stainless steel dome cars to its growing fleet of passenger cars. In late October, the tourist railroad moved two domes — Chicago, Burlington & Quincy “Silver Scene” and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 503 — from storage near Salt Lake City to Heber City, where one was about to enter regular service as of this writing. At the same time, the railroad also moved a recently acquired buffet-lounge car, Denver & Rio Grande Western 1291 “Royal Gorge.”

The three cars join a growing fleet of passenger equipment on the Utah tourist railroad, with 20 cars presently in service and another 15 waiting in the wings. Over the last few years, the railroad has put together an impressive fleet of passenger equipment to meet the demands of growing ridership. 

The two dome cars are a first for the Heber Valley, which runs on a former Rio Grande branch in the Wasatch Mountains southeast of Salt Lake City. The “Silver Scene” was once used on the California Zephyr. The car was last used on the Montana Daylight and was recently refurbished in St. Louis. Santa Fe 503 was once used on the Super Chief and has spent the last few decades in private car service across the United States. The car was most recently based in California along with the “Royal Gorge.”

Heber Valley Chief Mechanical Officer Michael Manwiller said the two domes will serve the railroad well as it increases its premium excursion offerings. In recent years, the railroad has acquired several stainless steel cars and painted a few of them into a Rio Grande-inspired livery, giving the railroad a modern-day version of the D&RGW’s Prospector. 

—Justin Franz 

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by Justin Franz/photos as noted

If any railroad was going to exploit the scenic splendor of Moab, Utah, it would have been Denver & Rio Grande Western. After all, it was the Rio Grande that brought us icons like the Silverton, the Ski Train, and the Zephyr. But despite the awe-inspiring arches, deep canyons, and red rock spires it winds through, the Cane Creek Subdivision had never once seen a regularly scheduled passenger train.

That is, until now, thanks to a Canadian company that over the past 35 years has ricocheted from the edge of bankruptcy to the top of the pack, becoming one of the most successful luxury railroad tour operators in North American history.

While some in the railroad world might dismiss it as “just another tour train,” the numbers prove that to be a mistaken view. After all, any railroad operating in two countries with more than 100 pieces of rolling stock, 1,000 employees, more than 2,000 route miles, and nearly 2.4 million satisfied passengers since its first season in 1990 is not just another tour train. In short, Rocky Mountaineer is in a league of its own. Which is why I find myself in Moab on a scorching August day. Inside the modern Hoodoo Hotel, a few blocks off Moab’s main drag, Rocky Mountaineer employees help check in last-minute arrivals. Before long, we’re gathered up to board a motorcoach for the short ride north of town to catch our train, the Rockies to the Red Rocks, which will take us east across the former Rio Grande to Denver — though, because we’re going from west to east, “Red Rocks to the Rockies” might be a more accurate moniker.

ABOVE: Sometimes, host railroads Canadian Pacific and Canadian National would have to lend a hand to the upstart Rocky Mountaineer. On September 17, 1995, the westbound First Passage to the West is seen with an RMRX B36-7 and a borrowed CP Rail GP38-2 at Ottertail, B.C., on CP’s Mountain Subdivision. —Steven J. Brown photo

Cruising through town along U.S. Route 191, our host (a Moab-based employee who will not be joining us on the rail portion of the journey) provides insightful commentary about the landscape and its cultural history. It’s a glimpse of the next 27 hours in the care of Rocky Mountaineer.

A few minutes later, a thin blue and white line appears against the red landscape. After arriving from Glenwood Springs, where the train had overnighted, the appropriately named Rockies to the Red Rocks discharged its passengers before its two GP40-3 locomotives (of Baltimore & Ohio and Seaboard Air Line heritage) ran around the consist in preparation for its eastbound trip. Our motorcoach pulls right up to the train, and we’re greeted as we walk across a red carpet embroidered with the name “Rocky Mountaineer” and onto the waiting train.

As I settle into seat 44 — checking out the food and drink menu and a newspaper that describes the journey ahead — a glass of champagne is placed on the seatback tray in front of me. After more than a decade in railroad journalism, having crawled around oily diesel shops and ridden filthy freight locomotives, I can safely say this is a first. With boarding complete, the train starts to roll north for the 21.3-mile trip to Brendel, where we’ll join the former Rio Grande (now Union Pacific) main line. As we depart, we’re introduced to the onboard crew — Train Manager Zach, Car Hosts Joey and Paul, Bartender Leigh, and Chef Carol — who lead us in a toast to the journey ahead. It’s a near-flawless introduction to how Rocky Mountaineer does business.

ABOVE: On August 29, 2024, Rocky Mountaineer’s Rainforest to Gold Rush exits a tunnel and crosses a bridge deep within in the Cheakamus Canyon at mile 55.70 on Canadian National’s Squamish Subdivision. The section of railroad was once operated by BC Rail. With CN planning to cease operations on this scenic part of its railroad in the coming years, the future of the train between Vancouver and Jasper via Prince George is uncertain. —Julien Boily photo

Big Scenery, Bigger Bet
But it wasn’t always this flawless. Rocky Mountaineer’s early years were marked by mismatched equipment, unpaid bills, and a hope that it would all work out. Luckily for the company and its backers, they had access to one of the most scenic pieces of railroad on earth.

Not long after completing the first transcontinental railroad across Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway realized it had more than just a connection to the West in its main line across the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia; it also had a way to bring people into the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Rockies. The railroad quickly sought to exploit the scenery through which it traveled, building various amenities for tourists, most notably, the Banff Springs Hotel in 1888. In later years, the government-backed Canadian National Railway also contributed to the development of areas farther north near Jasper. Both railroads promoted their transcontinental trains as the best way to access the mountains. On CP, the most popular train was the Mountaineer, which traversed the most scenic parts of the railroad in daylight.

However, by the 1960s, as CP and CN started cutting back on their passenger services, the railroad’s remaining transcontinental trains traveled through the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia at night. This practice continued after VIA Rail took over passenger train services north of the border. In an effort to attract some of the passengers who had turned to scenic motorcoach tours, VIA launched a new train in 1988 called Canadian Rockies by Daylight. The train would depart from Vancouver in the morning and spend the night in Kamloops, where passengers would stay in a local hotel before continuing to either Banff on CP or Jasper on CN. The first train left Vancouver on June 5, 1988. Among the guests on that inaugural run was a young businessman named Peter Armstrong, who had the contract to bus passengers to and from their Vancouver hotels. No one knew then that it wouldn’t be the last time Armstrong would ride the train. In fact, as former Rocky Mountaineer executive and author Rick Antonson later wrote in his book Train Beyond the Mountain, “VIA’s management may have soon regretted the invitation.”

ABOVE: RMRX GP40-3s 8021 and 8020 lead the eastbound Rockies to the Red Rocks out of Tunnel 29 just east of Pinecliffe, Colo., on May 2, 2025. On this portion of the former Rio Grande, the train will pass through two dozen tunnels in just 13 miles. —Joe McMillan photo

The train usually consisted of an F40PH-2 and ex-CN coaches, running from June through October. In 1989, it was rebranded as Rocky Mountaineer, a tribute to the former CP train that was discontinued in the 1960s. While the weekly service did bring some passengers back to the rails, it couldn’t withstand the changing political landscape in Ottawa. In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s Conservative government cut VIA’s subsidies in half, resulting in the elimination of several trains, including the famous Canadian. The name of the former CP train would live on, running on the more northern CN route, but destinations like Banff and Lake Louise no longer had regular passenger service. Another casualty was the Rocky Mountaineer. However, instead of simply discontinuing the train, which had found a small but viable market, VIA chose to sell it.

Among the bidders was the Vancouver businessman who had taken the inaugural run a few years earlier. Armstrong told friends that he enjoyed the ride but saw many ways to improve the service. He also had experience running former government-operated services, having previously privatized a public bus system. In early 1990, Armstrong left the bus company and founded Mountain Vistas Railtour Services to bid on the train route. While multiple bidders threw their hats into the ring, Armstrong’s team emerged victorious. In April of that year, he acquired the rights to operate the train, the Rocky Mountaineer brand, two baggage cars, and a dozen ex-CN/VIA coaches. The new railroad, soon renamed Great Canadian Railtour Company, was just getting its feet under itself when it had to operate a previously scheduled media train in late April. The company had hardly any employees or motive power, but the train operated as planned, using borrowed VIA F40PH-2s, and Armstrong and his friends dressed in rented tuxedos as car hosts. They also supplied a well-stocked bar to compensate for any shortcomings of the hastily organized trip.

On May 27 and 28, 1990, Rocky Mountaineer launched its inaugural season with weekly trips from Vancouver to Calgary through Banff, called First Passage to the West, and Jasper, named Journey Through the Clouds. Similar to the VIA era, the train operated as one from Vancouver to the overnight stop in Kamloops, then split into two to continue to their respective destinations. For the first few years, the motive power consisted of a pair of leased ex-Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe B23-7 locomotives. During the initial season, the two locomotives (numbers 7488 and 7498) kept their previous owner’s “bluebonnet” livery before being repainted into a blue and white scheme with Rocky Mountaineer’s goat logo prominently displayed on the nose.

ABOVE: Host Joey Torres gives commentary about the history, geography, and geology of eastern Utah and western Colorado as the eastbound Rockies to the Red Rocks rolls through Ruby Canyon on the former Rio Grande Fifth Subdivision. Today, it’s Union Pacific’s Green River Subdivision. —Justin Franz photo

That first season was widely praised as a success, which was enough for the company to announce plans to expand its service for the 1991 season. However, inside Rocky Mountaineer, things were not going smoothly. When Armstrong bid on the train, VIA had claimed it already had advance bookings for 17,000 passengers during the 1990 season. But when Armstrong and his team actually got their hands on the books, it turned out to be only 7,500 passengers. Although Rocky Mountaineer was able to sell additional tickets, the numbers were still far below the company’s initial estimates. The company lost $1 million in its first year. Its troubles worsened when a two-part documentary series titled Last Train Across Canada aired on PBS in late 1990, highlighting the cuts to VIA Rail service, including the transcontinental Canadian. Suddenly, Rocky Mountaineer representatives had to reassure American travel agents that, despite the documentary’s title, passenger trains still operated in Canada.

The following year, the company lost $2.9 million, and by the end of its third season in 1992, the railroad was more than $7 million in the red. Hotels and other contractors were demanding full payment, and the outlook was bleak. “We’d leave the office wondering if creditors would have the doors locked up when we came to work the next morning,” an employee later said…

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