Category: trains

The Everett Railroad Brings Back the Magic of the Steam Engine

Commentary HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pennsylvania—If you were the president of a railroad 100 years ago, you were kind of a big deal. Yet when Alan Maples became president of the Everett Railroad Company in 1983, a purchase that made him the youngest person in the history of the industry to hold that title, the Alabama native knew…


Amtrak Plan to Replace Dozens of Aging Trains: Cost $7.3 Billion

DETROIT—Amtrak plans to spend $7.3 billion to replace 83 passenger trains, some nearly a half-century old, though much of the funding must still be approved by Congress. Amtrak said Wednesday that under the contract with German manufacturer Siemens AG, some of the trains will be hybrids, able to operate on diesel fuel and electricity where…


Mitsubishi Electric CEO to Quit Over Long-Running Data Deceit

TOKYO—Mitsubishi Electric’s CEO said he will step down to take responsibility for “three decades of systematic deceit” during which the Japanese firm falsified inspection data for air conditioners and brake compressors used in trains. The admission by Mitsubishi, whose products range from air conditioners and vacuum cleaners to industrial printers and satellites, further dents Japan’s…


Public Transport Union Concerned CCTV on Trains Will Lead to ‘Big Brother Style’ Surveillance

The Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) have raised concerns over a plan to install video recording devices on all Australian trains, saying it will lead to a “Big Brother style” surveillance system. The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) is presenting the proposal to mandate the use of CCTV cameras in trains…


Victorian Government Pledges $1B to Build New 25 Trains

The Victorian Labor government has pledged almost $1 billion from the state budget to build 25 new “reliable and energy” efficient trains. Speaking in Ballarat on May 18, acting premier James Merlino said the state government’s project would create almost 750 jobs—including 150 jobs at Ballarat’s Alstom factory—in manufacturing and across the supply chain in…


Trains Collide in Southern Egypt, Killing at Least 32

CAIRO—Two trains collided on Friday in southern Egypt, apparently after someone activated the emergency brakes, killing at least 32 people and leaving 108 injured, Egyptian authorities said. Dozens of ambulances rushed to the scene in the southern province of Sohag, according to a statement by Egypt’s heath ministry. The wounded were transferred to four nearby…