CREATE’s Forest Hill Flyover project marks construction milestone

Map of CREATE rail projects in South Chicago

CHICAGO — CSX announced Tuesday (July 8, 2025) that the final girder has been placed for the Forest Hill Flyover, a landmark moment in the portion of the CREATE’s massive 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project that will separate CSX main lines in South Chicago from tracks used by Norfolk Southern, Metra, and the Belt Railway […]

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NTSB releases preliminary report on UP fatality in Texas

Diagram and aerial photo of fatal sideswipe accident at rail yard.

WASHINGTON — A conductor who made an incorrect cut during switching, fouling a main track, was killed when a car he was riding on sideswiped the car fouling the main during a subsequent move, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report on a fatal accident that occurred June 9, 2025, at Union […]

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Premiers of Alberta, Ontario call for construction of rail routes, pipelines for natural-resource development

Two people posing with government documents

CALGARY, Alberta — The premiers of Alberta and Ontario have signed agreements to pursue construction of more rail lines and pipelines to tap into natural resources including Alberta oil and Ontario’s “Ring of Fire” mineral region. At a Monday press conference in Calgary, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario’s Doug Ford announced the signing of […]

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BNSF and Union Pacific clash over new Salt Lake City intermodal service

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway wants to launch international double-stack service this week between Southern California and Salt Lake City via trackage rights over Union Pacific’s former Western Pacific route through the Feather River Canyon. Not so fast, UP says. UP says that BNSF has not provided sufficient notice so that UP can hire and train […]

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Burlington Junction Railway marks 40th anniversary

BJRYMK1500D

BURLINGTON, Iowa — Burlington Junction Railway welcomed more than 100 employees and family members to a recent event in Burlington to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the short line in 1985. The railroad began when Steve and JoEllen Hoth of Burlington began with a single locomotive, 3 miles of track, and three […]

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Trains.com Insider Interview | Jack Sommerfeld, Owner of Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies

Listen in, as Trains.com draws knowledge and hobby insights from established retailer Jack Sommerfeld, owner/operator of Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies in Butler, Wisconsin. Join staff writer Lucas Iverson as he chats with one of the top toy train dealers in the U.S., regarding the success and philosophy of his 40-year-old family-run business; his observations about […]

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Carload Considerations: Making Class I carload business near major interchanges work

Train against colorful sky at sunrise

A Midwestern grain co-op west of Chicago has an abundance of soybeans piled high into silos with a processing plant eager to buy them across the border in Indiana. It’s a 300-mile haul. The company leases covered hoppers and transit times, including the Chicago hand-off, are palatable thanks to improved velocities. But there’s the problem. […]

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Tropical storm knocks out Norfolk Southern main line in North Carolina

NS9732Selma

ATLANTA – Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Chantal has washed out Norfolk Southern’s main line between Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C., in multiple locations. NS shut down the line early on July 6 due to flash flooding, the railroad said in a service advisory today. “Access to the area has been hindered by the closure of […]

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A few disruptions mar Amtrak’s holiday weekend

Passenger train stopped at station on curve

CHICAGO—Most trains on Amtrak’s capacity-constrained network ran close to on time while handling big passenger loads throughout the Thursday-through-Sunday weekend, although some travelers’ plans were inconvenienced as a result of problems both within and beyond the company’s control. A number of challenges impacted long-distance trains in addition to those News Wire previously outlined [see “Buses […]

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CPKC takes second-quarter volume crown

Single locomotive in CPKC paint scheme crossing bridge

Canadian Pacific Kansas City was the fastest-growing railroad in the second quarter, with its overall volume up 6%. CPKC’s industry-leading growth was due to double-digit increases in intermodal (14%), grain (16%), and coal (10%). Union Pacific ranked No. 2 for the quarter, with its volume up 4% overall, led by a 31% increase in coal […]

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Wabtec to acquire Frauscher, maker of digital rail detection products

PITTSBURGH — Wabtec will further expand its digital rail inspection and detection business, announcing today (July 7, 2025) that it will acquire Austrian-based Frauscher Sensor Technology Group for €675 million ($792 million). The acquisition of Frauscher — an international supplier of rail detection, wayside object control, and axle-counting products — comes just days after Wabtec […]

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Short line derailment is third in Mississippi in three days (corrected)

Logo of Grenada Railroad

SARDIS, Miss. — Twenty-seven cars of a Grenada Railroad train derailed Sunday (July 6, 2025) in Sardis, Miss., the third significant derailment in the state in three two days. The Oxford Eagle reports the incident occurred Sunday evening and involved cars carrying corn and sulfuric acid, and occurred in a remote location difficult to access. […]

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