Illinois has secured funding to restart passenger rail service between Chicago and the Quad Cities, dormant since 1979. The Federal Railroad Administration extended access to a key 2010 grant, enabling infrastructure improvements and negotiations with freight railroads to move forward.
A Russian drone strike hit a passenger train two kilometres from the Poland-Ukraine border on September 13, 2026, narrowly missing a diplomatic train carrying former leaders. The attack caused temporary suspension of border crossing operations and intensified tensions near NATO's eastern frontier.
East Midlands Railway's planned 24-hour strike over safety faults in the new Class 810 trains was suspended following significant progress in negotiations. However, union action short of strike is planned for 20 September if safety faults persist.