There’s no need to worry yet, but it’s possible that service problems at the freight railroad CSX might endanger Pringles, McDonald’s French fries, and the production of other mundane objects that keep our economy running. [More]
trains
Amtrak Could Make Taking The Train As Uncomfortable As Flying
By 7.13.17
If there’s one thing that riding the rails has over flying, perhaps it’s comfort: Train passengers have a bit more legroom than on planes, and can get up and walk around at any time. We all may need to stretch our legs a bit more if Amtrak decides to pack in more seats. [More]
Why Does It Matter If Your Train Operator Has A Snoring Problem?
By 11.22.16
For most people, snoring is a minor annoyance — and usually for the loved one of the snorer. But if that snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, it could be a health issue that leaves you working through the day without a full night’s rest. That’s particularly problematic if your job involves controlling a massive train carrying hundreds of people at high speeds.
[More]
Report: Cord Found Wrapped Around Accelerator Of Runaway Boston Train
By 12.11.15
We knew it: the Boston commuter train that left the station with a driver yesterday didn’t suddenly become self-aware and decide to drive off all on its own. Instead, investigators reportedly found a cord wrapped around the train’s accelerator. [More]
Amtrak Allowing Pets On Busy Northeast Regional Trains For $25
By 10.9.15
Nearly a year and a half after launching a pilot program in Illinois that allowed train travelers for the first time to bring along their small pets – much like they do when traveling by plane – Amtrak will expand this option to one of its busiest routes. [More]
Amtrak Will Now Start Enforcing Baggage Limits
By 9.29.15
If you’ve been hopping on trains with big loads of luggage and gleefully stowing it Amtrak’s baggage compartments, you’re going to need to curb your tendency to over pack: starting Oct. 1, Amtrak will start enforcing its baggage weight limits, handing out fees to those hauling more than their fair share onboard. [More]
Amtrak Extends Service That Allows Passengers To Walk Bikes Onboard
By 9.14.15
When you’ve already cruised the highways and byways of your hometown, the idea of a bike trip in another state can certainly be appealing — there are new hills to vanquish, deep forests or vast deserts waiting to be discovered on two wheels and long stretches of road to zoom on. To help folks who need to travel to hook up with popular bike trails and routes, Amtrak is expanding its service that lets passengers bring their bikes onboard trains. [More]
Amtrak Funding Bill Approved By House Includes Provision Allowing Pets On Trains
By 3.5.15
After embarking on a trial allowing dogs and cats to travel on some trains along with their owners last spring, it seems Amtrak could soon have pet cars on all its trains nationwide. In a bill passed by the House that approved Amtrak funding, legislators rewrote the rules regarding furry companions riding the rails. [More]
Guy Probably Won’t Forget The Time He Left A $1.25M Piece Of Art On The Train
By 12.1.14
We’ve all had that no good, very bad commuting day, when nothing seems to go your way. But while normal woes include traffic jams, heinously crowded subway cars and missed buses, an art collector in Switzerland had the worst kind of transit trouble one might imagine — he got off a train and forgot to bring a $1.24 million piece of 13th century artwork with him. Oops. [More]
Police: Please Stop Pooping On Roofs Of Passing Trains
By 7.11.14
The police in Uxbridge, Massachusetts have a request. Someone out there is standing on train bridges and defecating on passing locomotives, and the police would like these people to stop. [More]
Amtrak Allowing Pets On Certain Trains In New Trial Program
By 4.28.14
Trains! Such adorable little vestiges of a golden era gone by, so rich in quaint customs like not allowing pets onboard, even as those young upstart airlines have accepted furry friends for decades. But Amtrak is possibly going to change that, with a new trial policy of allowing dogs and cats on trains — but just on certain routes for now. [More]
One Little Snake On A Train Means All Passengers Have To Get Off
By 4.2.14
Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of passengers on mass transportation quite like a slithery reptile, thanks to the movie that started it all, Snakes on a Plane. And because “plane” rhymes with “train,” of course a story about a train being evacuated due to a snake is going to catch the eye. [More]
Train Jumps Tracks And Climbs Escalator At Chicago O’Hare Airport, Injuring Dozens
By 3.24.14
A convenient feature of Chicago’s O’Hare airport for many travelers is the Blue Line train that runs directly to the airport, providing an easy way to get to your flight without too much hassle. But there was plenty of hassle involved yesterday when one of those trains jumped a barrier at the end of the tracks and went up the escalator that leads to the terminals, injuring dozens. [More]
Amtrak Is Now Officially Taking Applications For Its Writers’ Residency Program
By 3.10.14
What a difference a few weeks and a bunch of writers who want a free roundtrip train ride can make: After Amtrak’s initial writers’ residency stirred up interest at the end of February, Amtrak has officially unveiled its program and is now accepting applications. [More]
Being "Educated" Doesn't Mean You're Exempt From Being Polite
By 6.20.11
The best way to deal with being told to quiet down and watch your language on the phone while riding the rails is probably not to n pull out the “I’m educated so I’m not doing anything wrong” card and continue to yell and disrupt the rides of others. One woman did just that last week on a Metro North train out of New York City. [More]
Cops Remove Nonstop Cellphone Talker From Amtrak
By 5.18.11
A woman boarded one of Amtrak’s “quiet cars” – special train cars set up where cellphone use and other loud noises are verboten – and proceeded to talk loudly for 16 hours on the moving train on her cellphone before police removed her. [More]
Train Station Closes Bathroom To Public, Pisses Off Passengers
By 1.26.11
A scrawled note scotch-taped to the New Rochelle train station in New York tells passengers that they better hold it. The city has decided that’s it too expensive to keep the bathrooms open. The recession takes its toll on your toilet. [More]
