Caltrain equipment sale to Peru sparks legislation to prevent similar deals

Two commuter trains await departure at station

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California state legislator is seeking to bar resale of diesel-powered trains for reuse following Caltrain’s sale of equipment for use to launch a commuter rail service in Lima, Peru. The San Jose Mercury News reports that state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) introduced the bill on Monday. Just a single-sentence […]

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Union Pacific to tear down landmark Sparks, Nev., machine shop, will offer bricks to public

Aerial view of large brick builiding at rail yard

SPARKS, Nev. — Union Pacific is planning to tear down a 120-year-old machine shop in Sparks, Nev., to the disappointment of preservationists, but will offer residents a chance to retain a piece of the historic building. The city and railroad have announced that UP will make bricks from the structure — older than the city of […]

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New Northlander paint scheme unveiled

Front view of passenger locomotive with smaller side-view image of four-car trainset

TIMMINS, Ontario — The Government of Ontario has released the exterior design for the new Northlander passenger trains being built by Siemens Mobility, and awarded a contract for construction of new platforms and installation of shelters at stops along the train’s route. Provincial Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria unveiled the design and announced the contracts […]

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News photo: Factory fresh from Wabtec

Black locomotives in rail yard with dusting of snow

BELLEVUE, Ohio  — Three units in the latest order for AC44C6M locomotive rebuilds make a short layover in Bellevue, Ohio, today (Friday, Dec. 6). The diesels are en route from Wabtec’s Fort Worth, Texas, factory to the company’s main facility in Erie, Pa., for final testing. Norfolk Southern ordered 330 of the locomotives, rebuilt from […]

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CSX rock train derails in South Carolina

Derailed hopper cars at night

GARNETT, S.C. — Cleanup continues after 14 cars of a CSX Transportation train derailed Wednesday night, Dec. 4, in Garnett, the newspaper Bluffton Today reports. The railroad said in a statement that loaded rock hopper cars were involved, and that no injuries reported and there was no threat to the environment or surrounding community. U.S. […]

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CSX asks Supreme Court to renew antitrust lawsuit against Norfolk Southern

Five locomotives on siding

WASHINGTON — CSX Transportation has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to continue its antitrust lawsuit against Norfolk Southern. CSX sued Norfolk Southern in October 2018, claiming its competitor conspired with Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Co. to set an excessive “switch rate” on dock access to the Port of Virginia. CSX said the […]

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What Wall Street analysts are asking and railroads are saying going into 2025: Analysis

NEW YORK — Wall Street analysts are approaching 2025 with questions for railroad executives about pricing, inflation, wages, the operating ratio, and, to a lesser extent, geopolitics. Officers of Class I railroads fielded questions with these themes during the recent third-quarter earnings calls, likely their last official remarks to analysts this year. In 2024, railroads […]

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Stadler lands contract for new MARTA signal system

Illustration of subway train with wireless signal equipment

ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit System has awarded Stadler Rail a $500 million contract to replace its current signal system with a communications-based train control system. MARTA’s board voted Thursday (Dec. 5) to award the contract to Stadler, which is also building new railcars for the transit agency under a $646 million contract […]

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Caltrain to relocate headquarters to Millbrae

Exterior of modern offie building

MILLBRAE, Calif. — Commuter rail operator Caltrain will relocate its headquarters to Millbrae, near a station served by both Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit, the agency announced Thursday, Dec. 5. Caltrain currently shares headquarters space in San Carlos, Calif., with SamTrans, the San Mateo County Transit District, which  announced in March that it would […]

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Tennessee agency orders CSX to stop using river rock in Clinchfield rehab

Flood waters and debris at railroad bridge

ERWIN, Tenn. — CSX Transportation is being ordered to stop using river rock as fill material in the rebuild of its former Clinchfield Railroad line through the Nolichucky River gorge. WJHL-TV reports the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the notice to the railroad following an investigation that determined CSX was using cobble bars […]

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CPKC orders more fuel cell engines for hydrogen locomotive project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has ordered an additional 98 fuel cell engines for its hydrogen locomotive program, supplier Ballard Power Systems announced today (Dec. 5). The 98 engines each are capable of generating approximately 200 kilowatts, giving the total order about 20 megawatts of power. Ballard has previously supplied approximately 10 […]

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Dual service

20191209

St. Louis-San Francisco 4-8-2 No. 1503 works train No. 3 at Southeastern Junction just west of Lindenwood Yard southwest of downtown St. Louis in December 1942. The railroad had 30 such locomotives built by Baldwin between 1923 and 1926 that served in both freight and passenger service. William Barham photo, Don Wirth collection […]

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