Federal government issues final rule requiring railroads to provide hazardous-material information to first responders

Black cloud of smoke above town

WASHINGTON — The federal government has issued its final rule requiring railroads to provide real-time electronic information on hazardous material to first responders in the event of a derailment or other incident. The rule from the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is one of many regulatory actions spurred by last year’s […]

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Fewer trains, better experience for railfans?

Amtrak train pulling into station

Calling all railfans… As railfans, most of us flock to the railroad’s hotter, more congested lines. And why not? If you are going to take an hour or day in pursuit of the hobby, it is natural to want to get the most bang for the buck. Or in this case, the most trains you […]

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Jerry Angier, Bangor & Aroostook historian, dies at 82

Black and white head shot of man in coat and tie

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Jerry Angier, a prominent New England-based railroad preservationist and author, primarily involving the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad (BAR), died June 19 at his home near Portland, Maine. He was 82. Born March 1, 1942, in Washington, D.C., Gilman “Jerry” Angier Jr., attended school in Providence, R.I., summered with his family in Hyannis […]

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Rock slide blocks Durango & Silverton route

View of rock slide in mountains blocking railroad trains

DURANGO, Colo. — Trips to Silverton, Colo., on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad could be disrupted until at least Wednesday, June 26, after a rock slide was discovered Saturday morning, the Durango Herald reports. The slide, near Milepost 486 north of Needleton, was reported at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. It occurred sometime after the […]

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Travel: Riding VIA Rail’s ‘Canadian’

view from top of train out of tunnel

VIA Rail’s ‘Canadian’ Rarely have I heard such a glowing report from a fellow train rider. Recently, my friend and Conway Scenic Railroad’s bridge inspector Wayne Duffett flew from New England to Vancouver to experience the eastward Canadian. He returned delighted by the experience. Despite a few hiccups on the journey, he was impressed with […]

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BNSF Railway’s automotive facilities recognized with awards

BNSF Railway logo

FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway announced two of its automotive facilities, operated by service partner Inter-Rail Group, were recognized as some of the best in North America by the Association of American Railroads. The awards were accepted recently at the Damage Freight Prevention Convention in Minneapolis. In a news release dated June 11, 2024, […]

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad adds two Alco diesels

Dark green diesel cab unit with yellow stripe and red trim

PENINSULA, Ohio — The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad announced it has acquired an Alco FPA4 and an FPB4 from the Grand Canyon Railway, and aims to purchase one more of each unit from the Grand Canyon. The two diesels will join three FPA4 units already on the Cuyahoga Valley roster and are part of what […]

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic remains ahead of 2023 levels

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

WASHINGTON —Weekly U.S. rail traffic continued to show overall gains compared to 2023 in the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads, thanks to the strength of intermodal volume. For the week ending June 15, overall traffic was 493,138 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.4% increase over the corresponding week a year ago. That […]

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