Republican House members urge caution by STB in review of UP-NS merger

WASHINGTON — Republican members of Congress today urged the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a thorough review of the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern — and to reject the deal if it does not meet the high standards set by the board’s merger rules set in 2001. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South […]

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Amtrak cancels 20 trains today, Friday on Northeast Corridor

Amtrak logo.

NEW YORK — Amtrak has experienced another significant round of equipment-related train cancellations, with some 20 trains scrubbed before the start of operations today (Feb. 5) on the Northeast Corridor. The same 20 trains will also be cancelled on Friday (Feb. 6). Early today, the company announced the cancellation of seven Acela trips, 10 Northeast […]

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Shelter-in-place order continues at Connecticut derailment (updated)

Logo of the New England Central Railroad

MANSFIELD, Conn. — A shelter-in-place order remained in effect as of 4 p.m. ET near the site of a derailment of a New England Central train today (Feb. 5), but no leaks have been detected among derailed cars carrying liquid propane. The shelter-in-place order was issued shortly after the derailment at 9:22 a.m. in the […]

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Lackawanna’s great Pequest Fill

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A 4-8-4 leads a freight east across the Lackawanna Railroad’s colossal Pequest Fill. At more than 3 miles long, Pequest was a major feature of the road’s 28.5-mile cutoff across the rough terrain of northern New Jersey. The line below is the Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad. Wayne Brumbaugh photo […]

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Norfolk Southern ramps up operations at Alabama mine

Coal train on bridge in area surrounded by trees

WHITSON, Ala. — Norfolk Southern’s export metallurgical coal business is getting a significant boost with the completion of Warrior Met Coal’s Blue Creek Mine near Whitson, Ala., northwest of Birmingham. The $1 billion longwall mine and balloon loadout track has the ability to load up to 10 unit trains per week and produce up to […]

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Connecticut governor’s budget would maintain current levels of rail service

HARTFORD, Conn. — Commuter rail service in Connecticut would remain at current levels under the fiscal 2027 budget plan introduced Wednesday, Feb. 4, by Gov. Ned Lamont. The budget, which would take effect this July 1, calls for a funding increase of $19.66 million for rail service and $9.4 million for buses, as costs “continue […]

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GO Transit disruptions continue; normal service to resume Saturday (updated)

Toronto GO Transit logo

TORONTO — GO Transit’s operating problems from a Monday derailment will extend into a fifth day, with the commuter rail service continuing to run a reduced schedule through Friday, provincial transit agency Metrolinx said this afternoon (Thursday, Feb. 5). The regular schedule is now projected to resume on Saturday, Feb. 7. “Our crews are continuing […]

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Amtrak fear of competition may have torpedoed Metro-North service to Albany, MTA CEO says

Silver and blue locomotive with commuter train passing under bridge. Amtrak fear of competition may have torpedoed Metro-North service to Albany, MTA CEO says.

ALBANY, N.Y. — Plans for Metro-North Railroad to operate trains between Grand Central Terminal and Albany may have run aground because Amtrak feared competition from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA CEO Janno Lieber said in an interview this week. Appearing on public broadcaster WCNY’s Capitol Pressroom podcast during a visit to Albany to testify on […]

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New York, New Jersey sue over Hudson tunnel funds

Tunnel portals in construction area

NEW YORK — Officials in New York and New Jersey filed suit against the Trump administration on Tuesday evening, Feb. 3, over funds being withheld for the Hudson River Tunnel project, the second action in as many days to try to free funding before the project must shut down. New Jersey’s acting Attorney General, Jennifer […]

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Flaws in worker protection led MARTA employee to be struck by train: NTSB

Diagram of site of accident on rapid transit system

WASHINGTON — Insufficient track protection for a maintenance project along the right-of-way was the probable cause for an accident that saw a worker struck by a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority train in an Oct. 19, 2024, incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said in an investigation report released today (Feb. 4, 2026). The employee […]

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Legislators, union officials seek action on long-stalled rail bill

Man speaking at podium with people standing on either side

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, mayors, and union members were among those who gathered on Tuesday, Feb. 3 — the third anniversary of the Palestine, Ohio, derailment and hazardous-materials release — for a press conference pushing for passage of rail safety legislation introduced exactly one year earlier. U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mike Rulli (R-Ohio), and John […]

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