David Lassen

3 days ago | trains.com | David Lassen

WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked the Surface Transportation Board to disallow some of the material Metra included in its latest filing in its request for trackage rights on UP lines in the Chicago area, saying Metra’s rebuttal included impermissible new evidence.

3 days ago | trains.com | David Lassen

Amtrak has experienced a series of train cancellations because of “equipment unavailability,” as well as due to heat issues, in the Midwest and East on Tuesday and today (June 25, 2025), according to the company’s social media feeds. In the Midwest, Wolverine Train No. 355, a 5:28 pm. departure from Pontiac, Mich., to Chicago, has been cancelled today, the third straight day that train has been cancelled. The original cancellation on June 23 was attributed to an engine failure.

3 days ago | trains.com | David Lassen

WASHINGTON — Metra has proposed that terms for its continued operation on Union Pacific lines in the Chicago area maintain the status quo until the sides reach an agreement or regulators rule in their ongoing contract dispute, according to the commuter operator’s latest filing with the Surface Transportation Board. The June 23 filing is part of Metra’s request for terminal trackage rights on three UP lines, which it says will assure its continued operation until the sides settle their dispute.

4 days ago | trains.com | David Lassen

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A coalition of nonprofit groups has officially completed its purchase of Norfolk Southern’s Saluda Grade line for conversion into a hiking and biking trail. The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy announced today (June 24, 2025) that it had finalized purchase on June 17 of the 31.5-mile trail between Zirconia, N.C., and Inman, S.C. The purchase price was $28.5 million, less than had been previously reported [see “Saluda Grade to sell …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 14, 2025].

1 week ago | trains.com | David Lassen

CHICAGO — The current heat wave in the Midwest and East is bringing operational impacts for Amtrak and commuter rail systems. Amtrak last week issued a “fact sheet” on how it responds to high heat, noting that restrictions are issued when ambient temperatures exceed 95 degrees or track temperatures reach 128 degrees.