Extra Board

Welcome to Passenger Train Journal’s Extra Board! Enjoy previews and features from the pages of our magazine.

Caltrain Goes All-Electric

November 18, 2024

Caltrain Goes All-Electric

Big changes in the Bay Area as Caltrain inaugurates electric service along the historic commuter corridor between San Francisco and San Jose.

Leader of the Pack

November 18, 2024

Leader of the Pack

The self-propelled Rail Diesel Car introduced by Budd in 1949 and launched a revolution in postwar passenger service has been preserved.

Amtrak’s Doomed Trains

November 18, 2024

Amtrak’s Doomed Trains

A half-century-old experience provides lessons for the future as we look back at Amtrak routes that were cut in 1973 for appearances’ sake.

Metroliner: The Train Service That Did It

June 15, 2024

Metroliner: The Train Service That Did It

The Penn Central Metroliner of the 1960s was a success because its riders, employees, and others supporting the service, made it so.

Harley’s Hornet: Amtrak in West Virginia

January 15, 2024

Harley’s Hornet: Amtrak in West Virginia

The politics and legacy of Amtrak’s “Potomac Special” and its kin serving West Virginia and the constituents of Sen. Harley O. Staggers.

The “Utah Parks Special”

January 15, 2024

The “Utah Parks Special”

Traveling with Union Pacific Railroad to the national parks of southern Utah was a seasonal vacation attraction until 1960.

The Lure of the North: Riding the Polar Bear Express

January 15, 2024

The Lure of the North: Riding the Polar Bear Express

Now much more than a tourist train, the ride from Cochrane to Moosonee aboard Ontario Northland’s Polar Bear Express is a vital connection.

Remembering the Northlander

January 15, 2024

Remembering the Northlander

Four little trains with a European pedigree that provided upgraded passenger service on Ontario Northland between Toronto and Cochrane.

Orlando Welcomes Brightline

December 13, 2023

Orlando Welcomes Brightline

The new Brightline expansion to Orlando Airport opened on September 22, 2023, ushering in a new era for passenger rail in Florida.

Mexico’s Tren Maya

December 13, 2023

Mexico’s Tren Maya

Mexico’s Tren Maya project is opening years ahead of schedule, and its hoped to bolster tourism throughout the region.