VRE names new chief operations officer

Virginia Railway Express logo

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia Railway Express has named Chris Henry as its new chief operations officer, the commuter agency announced on Friday, March 13. The appointment was effective Saturday, March 14. Henry, who had been serving as VRE’s director of rail operations, becomes the first COO for the agency since 2019, when Rich Dalton was […]

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Emery Rail Heritage Trust announces 2026 grants (corrected)

Emery Rail Heritage Trust logo

The John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust has announced its restoration grants for 2026, awarding 20 projects a total of $250,000. The recipients were selected from 32 applicants seeking a total of almost  $900,000. The grants were created by John Emery, a longtime Chicago resident and rail enthusiast who rode trains worldwide. His goal was […]

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​​Lionel’s No. 9186 Conrail porthole caboose

blue and white model caboose

Railroads changed almost endlessly in 20th-century America, due to bankruptcies, mergers, and takeovers. Regional lines combined to improve efficiency, retain customers, and upgrade their rosters; larger ones blended their networks of rails and brought employees together to remain profitable and counter big rivals. Among the most significant of those changes was the formation of Conrail […]

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Ontario Northland acquires 125 miles of CN’s Newmarket Subdivision

Yellow and blue passenger equipment in yard

NORTH BAY, Ontario — The province of Ontario has purchased 125 miles of track from Canadian National for the Ontario Northland Railway as part of its preparations for the return of Northlander passenger train service, ensuring operational priority for the passenger service. The government announced on Thursday, March 13, that it is purchasing the 205-kilometer […]

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Trona tonnage tumbles, slowing rail operations

Freight train at sunset

TRONA, Calif. — The remote, unincorporated town of Trona is used to earthquakes. But not the type that hit on Feb. 3. Searles Valley Minerals President and CEO Dennis Cruise announced in a company-wide letter that the soda ash mining company would reduce its workforce by about half. Included will be many of its railroad […]

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No injuries reported as CSX trains collide in Hamlet, N.C.

CSX logo

HAMLET, N.C. — Two CSX trains collided on Saturday, March 14, in Hamlet, leading to the derailment of 18 cars and one locomotive. No injuries were reported. The incident occurred at 10:29 a.m. on Saturday near Louis Breeden Boulevard in Hamlet, the railroad said in a statement. The derailed locomotive lost a small quantity of […]

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Mudslide halts ‘Cascades;’ ‘Empire Builder’ returns after three-day pause from avalanche threat (updated)

CENTRALIA, Wash. — A mudslide south of Centralia on Friday, March 13, has triggered a BNSF-imposed ban for occupied passenger trains through the area, resulting in cancellation of all Amtrak Cascades Seattle-Portland service. Trains won’t resume until Monday, March 16, though already-ticketed Cascades and Coast Starlight passengers are being offered substitute bus transportation during the […]

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Regulators approve Union Pacific plan for new Arizona branch line

Map of proposed rail line near Phoenix-Mesa (Ariz.) Gateway Airport

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Friday, March 13, approved Union Pacific’s plans to build 6 miles of new rail line in Maricopa County, Ariz., a project that had been delayed because of concerns over damage to archaeological sites along the right-of-way. The Pecos Industrial Rail Access and Train Extension project, or PIRATE, will […]

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STB denies UP and NS requests to probe CPKC service on the Meridian Speedway

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Friday denied requests from Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific to open an investigation into Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s handling of UP-NS interline intermodal trains on the Meridian Speedway. The Surface Transportation Board said there was no need to intervene because any service problems have been resolved. The board also said […]

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Portal North Bridge pressed into service ahead of schedule

View in darkness of leaning catenary pole next to railroad track

KEARNY, N.J. — The Northeast Corridor’s new Portal North Bridge was pressed into revenue service ahead of schedule today (Friday, March 13), as trains were rerouted onto the new structure because of problems with catenary poles on the 116-year-old Portal Bridge. An Amtrak spokesman told NJ.com that trains were rerouted onto the new bridge beginning […]

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