8 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 8/18/20:

   Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad cancels 2020 season    

 
 
 
 
The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad Co. (LS&M) is the latest train excursion company to announce the suspension of its 2020 season due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
Full story
 
Cross posted in Tourist Trains and Coronavirus forums.

[CNJRoss]

Santa Fe New Mexican, 9/20/20
 

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad resuming trips out of Chama

 

 

Matt Wallace opened Local in Chama last summer to pair good wine and live music with a sense of community. Like most of the village of around 1,000 by the Colorado border, his restaurant’s clock is set to the train.

 

“They get fed lunch on the train, but we know they’ll be looking for a place to go after,” Wallace said. “So we wanted to set ourselves up to capitalize on that train business afterwards when they get off.”

 

SNIP

 

At the end of a pandemic summer that has strained businesses like Wallace’s fledgling restaurant, the train, whose newest steam engine is 95 years old, will start its first trips out of Chama in 2020 on Monday and run for a month.

 

“The fact that we haven’t been operating out of New Mexico has been devastating financially. The Chama community is dependent on the railroad to provide tourist dollars,” said railroad President and General Manager John Bush, ...

 

More here w/photo album.

[CNJRoss]

WABI-TV Bangor. ME 9/20/20
 

Belfast & Moosehead Lake Trail Railroad Resumes Rides

 

Special safety guidelines are in place to ensure the health of the passengers.

 

 

BELFAST, Maine (WABI) - People in Belfast have a chance to go on a scenic ride.

 

It was thanks to the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad, which resumed rides across waldo county today.

 

Due to COVID-19, they were only able to seat around half the passengers, while masks were reccommended for those that could not sit six feet apart

 

The railroad says that the rides are a great way for people to travel after so many months indoors.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

KOB-TV Albuquerque, NM 9/22/20

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad receives green light to depart from Chama

 

 

CHAMA, N.M. — COVID-19 restrictions are lifting just in time for people to view the peak fall colors from the train cars of the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad.

 

The train, which has been around for decades, usually departs from Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado, but due to COVID restrictions, the trains were only allowed to depart from Colorado during the summer.

 

On Monday, the railroad was given the green light to depart from New Mexico again.

 

"The business here in Chama very much depends on activity on the railroad  ...

 

Continue here w/video report.

[KevinKorell]

Orford Express website:

 

 

| Cease of Operations |

Dear Customers and Partners,

PAL+ has made the decision to cease operations of the Orford Express tourist train. The train had been inactive for the past few months due to COVID-19. This decision is the result of several factors including the growth and development of the group’s other businesses. The group offers unique experiences in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions: Espace 4 Saisons hotel | Bistro 4 Saisons | Étoile-sur-le-Lac hotel | L’Ancrage restaurant | OMG Resto | Escapades Memphrémagog’s cruise ship | Orford Express tourist train. PAL+ would like to sincerely thank all the employees and partners who have contributed to the success of this tourist attraction. Over the past 14 years, some 350,000 people have visited the Eastern Townships region aboard the train. We have much to be proud of!

Despite the context related to COVID-19, PAL+ is just as dedicated to providing memorable touristic experiences in the Magog and Sherbrooke regions through its other businesses.

We will communicate shortly with all customers who had a reservation for 2021.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you again!

The Orford Express and PAL+ team
 

info@orfordexpress.com     |     1 866-575-8081

[CNJRoss]

Trains Newswire, 2/9/21

 

Canadian cruise ship ban has White Pass & Yukon summer plans on hold

 

Provincial border closures could also affect ability to resume operations

 

 

SKAGWAY, Alaska — Narrow gauge passenger rail operator White Pass & Yukon Route never ran excursions during 2020, despite maintaining hopes into June that COVID-19 travel restrictions might be relaxed.

 

Now operations are in jeopardy for 2021 as well, in the wake of a Transport Canada decision not to allow ships carrying more than 100 people to call at Canadian ports until February 2022. Because United States maritime regulations prohibit foreign-registered vessels — which includes the majority operated by cruise lines — from traveling between two U.S. ports without an intermediate stop in a foreign country, it will be difficult for ships to include Skagway on their itineraries. And that will take a huge toll on the White Pass, which relies on cruise ship passengers’ shore excursion revenue to operate fleets of trains from Skagway docks into the mountains and back.

 

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

CTV, 7/28/20 (dated story):

 

 

   High Level Bridge Streetcar season cancelled    

 

 

The High Level Bridge Streetcar will not be running at all in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, according to the Edmonton Radial Railway Society (ERRS).

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

CTV, 6/24/21:

 

 

   Fort Edmonton Park, High Level Bridge streetcars back up and running  

 

 

Starting July, Edmonton’s streetcars will be operating again.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

CBC, 7/9/21:

 

 

   High Level Bridge streetcar back on track and coming to Whyte Avenue  

 

 

An Edmonton classic is rolling back through town after a long hiatus.

 

The Edmonton Radial Railway Society began operating its iconic High Level Bridge streetcar Friday after halting service throughout the pandemic. The Fort Edmonton streetcar also began carrying passengers again on July 1.

 

Details