Metra assumes operation of trains on UP commuter lines

Commuter train passing freight train

CHICAGO — Metra has taken over operation of the three Union Pacific lines previously operated by the freight railroad under a Purchase of Service Agreement, the commuter operator has announced. The changeover took place on Friday, May 16, according to a recent filing with the Surface Transportation Board. That it occurred without fanfare was intended, […]

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BNSF yardmasters ratify new contract

FORT WORTH, Texas — Members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division (Yardmasters) have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with BNSF Railway. The five-year agreement, covering more than 320 yardmasters at BNSF, follows the national pattern along with other work rule/process modernization. “This ratification is affirmation of all […]

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Minnesota legislature withdraws funding for Twin Cities-Duluth passenger service

Map of proposed route of Twin Cities-Duluth passenger train

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota legislators have passed a bill withdrawing $77 million in funding for development of Northern Lights Express passenger service between the Twin Cities and Duluth, Minn., with one lawmaker calling the proposed rail service “effectively dead.” Along with defunding the passenger project, House File 1143 also cut special education funds by […]

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NJ Transit, engineers reach deal to end strike (additional updates)

Commuter train on multi-track main line

NEWARK, N.J. — The strike by NJ Transit locomotive engineers is over, with service to resume on Tuesday, May 20. The transit agency and members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen announced this evening (Sunday, May 18) that they reached a tentative settlement to end the walkout that began on Friday. Neither side […]

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TSB of Canada to investigate CN sideswipe incident

Canadian National logo

EDSON, Alberta — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is sending investigators to a collision of two Canadian National Railway trains described by the railroad as a sideswipe incident. The CBC reports the incident occurred about 7:15 a.m. today (May 18, 2025) near Edson, Alberta. A CN spokeswoman said several cars of grain derailed because […]

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NJ Transit, BLET resume talks

Commuter train at junction

NEWARK, N.J. — Talks between NJ Transit and striking engineers resumed today (Saturday, May 17) — a day earlier than originally indicated — but will continue on Sunday, the transit agency said. “Today’s discussions continued to be constructive,” NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said in a brief statement. “We’ve mutually agreed to adjourn formal discussions […]

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House bill would provide $80 billion for transit agency operating costs

Commuter trains at station platform with multi-story buildings in background

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) on Friday introduced a bill that would provide $20 billion annually for the next four years to bolster public transit operating budgets. The Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act would create a grant program for projects that make “substantial improvements to transit service” by increasing routes and frequencies […]

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Alstom CEO Poupart-Lafarge announces plans to step down

SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, France — Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge will step down at the end of his current term in 2027, the company’s board of directors announced today (May 16, 2025). The announcement came two days after the global rail equipment manufacturer announced what it termed “solid” results for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. The […]

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Washington legislature passes bill calling for expanded Amtrak Cascades service

White locomotive with green and brown trim on passenger train

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill calling for major expansion of Amtrak Cascades service, as well as improved travel times, is awaiting the signature of Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson after its passage by the state legislature. House Bill 1857 sets a target of a minimum of 14 daily round trips between Seattle and Portland, Ore., and […]

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Strike shuts down NJ Transit rail service

Train at station

NEWARK, N.J. — Almost two years after voting to do so, NJ Transit locomotive engineers launched a strike today (Friday, May 16) at 12:01 a.m., leaving some 350,000 daily riders without their normal way to and from work. The strike shut down the agency’s 12 commuter rail lines, serving some 166 stations. Buses and light […]

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MBTA, Keolis testing renewable fuel for commuter-rail diesels

MBTA commuter train on bridge

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its contract operator, Keolis Commuter Services, have begun a pilot program using renewable diesel fuel for some locomotives on the MBTA commuter rail network. The program, announced earlier this week, involves locomotives that layover at Newburyport, Mass., facility at the end of Newburyport branch on the MBTA’s […]

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