OmniTRAX parent acquires Atlanta industrial development site

Logo of short line company OmniTrax

ATLANTA — The Broe Group, the parent of short line holding company OmniTRAX, has acquired a former Kellogg’s plant in Atlanta and plans to redevelop the 14-acre property that’s served by the Fulton County Railway. “This build-to-suit project bundles proximity, power, and population centers,” Broe Real Estate Group Senior Vice President Kevin Caille said in […]

Read More…

Sauer named SEPTA interim general manager

Head shot of man in coat and open-collar shirt

PHILADELPHIA — Scott Sauer has been named interim general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and assumed those duties this week, the agency has announced. Sauer joined SEPTA in 1990 as a train operator, following in the footsteps of his late father, Robert, who worked for SEPTA and the predecessor Philadelphia Transportation Co. for […]

Read More…

Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation to buy short line

Map showing rail lines in Portland area

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, caretakers for Portland-owned steam locomotives Southern Pacific No. 4449 and Spokane, Portland & Seattle No. 700, will purchase Portland-area short line Oregon Pacific Railroad, the foundation has announced. Foundation President Rick Franklin said in a press release that the acquisition “honors Dick Samuels’ remarkable legacy while securing […]

Read More…

Christmas Past: 33 years of railroad Christmas cards

Chicago Transit Authority

Christmas Past gallery For train-watchers, the holidays have an appeal all their own. Many enjoy sending and receiving Christmas cards with a railroad theme. Trains Magazine explored this tradition in its December 2009 issue and looked at one train-watcher and railroad employee who has gone to great lengths (coast to coast and across the Atlantic) […]

Read More…

Holiday leads to drop in weekly U.S. rail traffic

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — The Thanksgiving holiday once again made for a big change in U.S. weekly rail traffic statistics. This time, that change was negative. U.S. rail traffic was down 13.8% from the same week in 2023, a week after it showed a whopping 25.6% gain [see “Weekly U.S. rail traffic shows major bump,” Trains News […]

Read More…

New preservation group buys Amtrak AEM7 No. 927

A new preservation group, Northeast Rail Heritage, Inc., announced Tuesday (Dec. 3) that it has purchased former Amtrak AEM7 electric locomotive No. 927, built in 1981 for high-speed passenger service on the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor. It was retired in 2016. Using technology from ASEA-built Statens Järnvägar (Swedish State Railways) Rc4 B-B locomotives, General […]

Read More…

The decline of North America’s hump yards

Tilford

Hump yards The number of hump yards operating in North America has dropped precipitously over the decades. Today there are 36 active hump yards operated by the big six Class I systems and terminal and switching railroads. That’s down from 59 in 2002, 72 in 1993, 122 in 1985, and 152 in 1975. Yet hump […]

Read More…

Railway Association of Canada honors four operators with safety awards

Logo of Railway Association of Canada

OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian National, Genesee & Wyoming Canada, Metrolinx, and VIA Rail Canada are recipients of the Railway Association of Canada’s 2024 Safety Awards, which honor innovations and proactive measures by the nation’s railways to maintain and improve safety. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do,” Marc Brazeau, president and CEO of […]

Read More…

December 2024

The December 2024 cover of Trains magazine, which features a red and yellow locomotive moving towards the photographer in a forested setting with lush greenery on both sides of the train

In every issue News, p. 4 InnoTrans brings together the rail world’s new products Bill Stephens, p. 8 Amtrak flexes legal muscles vs. its host railroads John Hankey, p. 10 First day: You never know how things will turn out Great Railfan Roads, p. 44 Across the Canadian prairies Brian Solomon, p. 48 Cool train […]

Read More…

Colorado Railways Tour (2025)

train in mountains

Colorado Railways Tour Special Interest Tours and Trains Magazine bring you a rail excursion tour with outstanding views of the west. Get ready to enjoy exploring the best of Colorado’s railroads from June 3-9 with Trains Editor Carl Swanson on this 7-days/6-nights adventure. This all-inclusive tour will traverse the mountains on the Cumbres-Toltec line, ride […]

Read More…