Amtrak and Texas commuter line seek to lease idle Northstar equipment

Blue, yellow, red, and white locomotive leads train of bilevel commuter cars with city skyline in background

MINNEAPOLIS – Amtrak and Trinity Railway Express want to lease spare locomotives and coaches from Minnesota’s beleaguered Northstar commuter operation. Amtrak would like to use a Northstar MP36PH-3C locomotive, three coaches, and a cab car in Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service. The equipment would help replace capacity lost when Amtrak sidelined its Horizon fleet due to safety […]

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U.S.-China trade war truce may uncork another container surge

The trade war truce that the U.S. and China announced on Sunday may not offer much immediate support to intermodal volume in the West, which is expected to see a sharp decline in the coming weeks as far fewer ships arrive carrying containers loaded with Chinese-made goods and materials. Under the 90-day deal, the U.S. […]

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UP remote control operator seriously injured in grade crossing collision

Union Pacific logo without slogan. UP Bailey Yard explosion appear to be accidental.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Union Pacific conductor was seriously injured in a grade crossing collision on Saturday night, according to local media reports. An eastbound UP train, being operated by remote control, was hit by a van that drove around the crossing gates at North Prospect Avenue around 9:45 p.m. The impact of the […]

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CSX and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen reach tentative agreement

Nose view of blue locomotive with One CSX lettering

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX on Friday became the first Class I railroad to reach a tentative contract agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen in this round of bargaining. The five-year, single-system agreement, which must be ratified by the rank and file, covers the railroad’s 3,400 locomotive engineers. “I want to thank the […]

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House subcommittee considers federal rail funding reform

Freight train against a background of trees

A House subcommittee hearing on May 6 focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of federal rail grants as U.S. Department of Transportation officials grapple with thousands of awarded-but-unobligated grants. Industry experts testified that reliable funding and faster regulatory processes are critical to infrastructure development. “We need reliable, predictable funding to plan decades’ worth of […]

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Layoffs hit BNSF technology services staff amid restructuring

Freight train at a grade crossing

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has laid off a portion of its technology services staff as part of a departmental restructuring effort, per the Forth Worth Star Telegram. While BNSF did not disclose specific numbers, the cuts are believed to have affected between 140 and 175 workers. The Fort Worth-based carrier is creating a […]

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Canada Supreme Court turns away bid to halt new CN intermodal terminal project

OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal request that sought to halt construction on Canadian National’s new intermodal terminal in Milton, Ontario. The justices gave no reasons for their May 8 decision, The Canadian Press reported. The $180 million Toronto-area terminal cleared a legal hurdle in October, when a panel of […]

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Union Pacific President Beth Whited stepping down

Woman with glasses

OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific President Beth Whited will step down on July 1 after a 37-career at the railroad. She will shift to a strategic advisor role through early 2026, the railroad said today. “Beth’s dedication to Union Pacific for more than three decades, leading multiple functions and teams while seeing the railroad through […]

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Trains.com Insider Interview | NMRA President Gordy Robinson talks Trainfest 2025

Hear directly from National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) President Gordy Robinson, just how enthused the organization is to now host the world-renowned Trainfest 2025 event in downtown Milwaukee, Wisc., November 1 & 2! When Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson recently chatted with Gordy, the conversation revealed numerous insights into the NMRA’s immediate and long-term objectives […]

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Amtrak returns Talgo set to Cascades service

Two cab cars of single-level train on adjacent tracks at station

SEATTLE – Starting today, the Mount Bachelor, the Talgo Series 8 trainset that has been out of service since its cab car was impaled by a tree in a November storm, is back in service with the other Talgo, the Mount Jefferson, on Cascades service linking Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Ore. The move will […]

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