TRAIN

Final preparations are underway for the Spirit of Roanoke to make its return to the rails.

The Virginia Museum of Transportation and the Virginia Scenic Railway have announced a series of 611 passenger excursions coming this fall.

More people are riding the rails this year, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority.

All aboard the Zoo Choo! The historic train is back at the Mill Mountain Zoo after almost a two-year hiatus due to renovations.

Train lovers rejoice! The famous ‘Queen of Steam’ locomotive is back in the Star City for the first time in four years.

First crew on scene were members of the Green Sulphur District Volunteer Fire and Rescue squad.

Cleanup continues after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio. Meanwhile, Roanoke officials are preparing in the event something like this happens in the Star City.

As summer approaches, travel is on the brain of so many -- especially after the last year we’ve had, cooped up and fighting COVID-19.

A salvaging crew prepares to attach chains to lift to a metro train carriage of the whale's tail of a sculpture after it rammed through the end of an elevated section of rails with the driver escaping injuries in Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)SPIJKENISSE – The front carriage of a Dutch metro train that landed on a sculpture of a whale's tail after plowing through the end of an elevated section of rails was painstakingly lifted clear of the artwork Tuesday and lowered to the ground. The train was left precariously balanced on the whale's tail 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground Monday, after plunging off the end of a metro line in Spijkenisse, a town on the southern edge of Rotterdam. Two large yellow cranes worked in tandem Tuesday, placing chains around the front and rear of the train's foremost carriage to support it. The train was empty at the time it crashed onto the sculpture and the driver escaped unhurt, thanks to the whale tail's unlikely catch.

GILES COUNTY, Va. – A train hit a car in Giles County on Wednesday, according to the Giles County Sheriff’s Office. The crash happened at the crossing on Cliffview Drive in Pembroke. The Sheriff’s Office could not comment on any possible injuries.

ROANOKE, Va. – Looking to travel in the first part of this year? Amtrak is looking to make your travel plans easier with its limited-time buy one, get one free promotion. Tickets must be bought before Jan 13. to be eligible and the offer is valid for travel from Feb. 1, through June 12, with blackout dates on April 10, April 13 and May 22 through May 25. Even if you’re looking to make a long trip, the deal is good for both coach and sleeping accommodations. Both tickets must be purchased in the same transaction and all prices will be automatically discounted from the standard fare when accessing the promotion on Amtrak’s special web page or by using the discount code V605 when booking a trip.

ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Museum of Transportation held it’s annual “Candy Cane Express” event Saturday. The event allowed families to stop by and see what the museum has to offer. It also allowed children to take a photo with Santa and ride take a train ride. Employees said the event was a way to get people in who normally wouldn’t stop by. The Candy Cane Express will run again Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(CNN) - Train travel between New York City and Washington is now faster than ever. On Thursday, Amtrak announced that starting in September it will offer a new direct route between Washington Union Station (WAS) and New York Penn Station (NYP). "The new Acela Nonstop service will have you halfway to your New York City or DC destination in the time it would take you to board a flight," Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement. "This new service will offer an ideal solution for travelers who want to save time and travel between city center DC and New York." Riders can expect to travel for two hours and 35 minutes instead of four hours with the direct service.