Transportation Safety Board concerned about fire risk from distributed power units

Red diesel locomotive in the middle of a train

RICHMOND, British Columbia — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has expressed concerns about fire risks posted by distributed-power locomotives as part of its final report on a July 2021 incident involving a Canadian Pacific freight train at Elko, B.C. In a press release accompanying Thursday’s release of the final investigation report, the TSB says […]

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Toronto’s Scarborough RT line will not reopen after July derailment

Blue rail rapid transit train

TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission says it will not reopen the Scarborough RT rail line in the wake of last month’s derailment that sent five people to the hospital. The route — an orphan in Toronto’s four-line subway system because of its use of a different type of equipment — was already scheduled to […]

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Union charges CN has used company-issued tablets to track off-duty employees

Locomotive moving cars of containers with ship and dock in background

OTTAWA, Ontario — A union representing more than 5,000 Canadian National Railway employees in Canada has charged the railroad has been tracking the off-hours location of employees through company-issued computer tablets. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, in a message to members earlier this month on its website, said it had “become aware CN is utilizating […]

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First new trainset for Vancouver’s SkyTrain begins testing

Blue rail transit trainset emerges from building

NEW WESTMINSTER, British Columbia — The first set of next-generation railcars for the Vancouver-area SkyTrain system have begun testing in Ontario, transit agency TransLink has announced. The 205 Mark V cars — to comprise 41 five-car trainsets are being manufactured by Alstom and are undergoing testing in Kingston, Ont. The fully articulated trainsets, being built […]

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News photo: Not the usual end of train

Red and black locomotive and three passenger cars on end of intermodal train

HAMILTON, Ontario — Canadian National train No. 148 passes Bayview Junction on the Dundas Subdivision on Aug. 28, with AC44C6M rebuild No. 3309 serving as the distributed power unit, followed by three cars from the railroad’s business-train fleet. Reports are the business train equipment is to operate out of Montreal later this month. — Stephen […]

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British Columbia travel restrictions, fires lead to Rocky Mountaineer cancellations

Passenger train crossing bridge across wide river

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The government of British Columbia has announced new restrictions on non-essential travel because of wildfires in the province, leading to the cancellation of at least two scheduled trips of the Rocky Mountaineer luxury tour train. The government order announced Saturday restricts people from staying in hotels for non-essential purposes in several […]

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Restraining-rail issue disrupts Ottawa light rail service

Red and white light rail trainset in station

OTTAWA, Ontario — Service on Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line was reduced on Thursday, just four days after it resumed following a four-week shutdown, because of issues with a restraining rail on a curve between the Hurdman and uOttawa stations. All trains were routed onto the eastbound track between those two stations when it was […]

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Ottawa light rail expansion project to see further delays

Construction on light rail line below roadway bridge

OTTAWA, Ontario — The reopening of Ottawa’s light rail Trillium Line, the diesel-powered, north-south route which has been closed since May 2020 for expansion, has been further delayed and will not come until “the end of the year,” the Ottawa Citizen reports. The 16-kilometer (9.9-mile), eight-station southward extension of the Trillium line was supposed to […]

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Canadian National becomes title sponsor of Montreal Canadiens practice facility

Building with CN logo on one corner

MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway has become the title sponsor of the Montreal Canadiens’ training facility in suburban Brossard, which will now be known as the CN Sports Complex, the National Hockey League team has announced. “We are proud to welcome CN as a partner of the Montreal Canadiens,” France Margaret Bélanger, president, sports and […]

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Ottawa light rail set for full return

Red and white light rail train in station

OTTAWA, Ontario — Twenty-eight days after service was abruptly halted, Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line light rail was slated to resume operation today at 5 a.m. EDT, using shorter trainsets while work continues to address axle bearing issues. CTV News reports plans call for 11 single-car trains to provide service on 5-minute headways over the […]

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Court turns down class-action suit against railroads over British Columbia fire

View of railroad track from locomotive

COURTENAY, British Columbia — An effort to launch a class-action lawsuit against CPKC, Canadian National Railway, and other parties over the wildfire that destroyed the Village of Lytton, B.C., in 2021 was turned down Wednesday by the British Columbia Supreme Court. But the Vancouver Sun reports Chief Justice Christopher E. Hickson left room for the […]

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CP No. 2816 continues break-in runs

View from cab of steam locomotive

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific No. 2816 has now been run for about 700 miles since returning to operation, CPKC’s Jonathan J. Morris, manager, operating practices-steam, says in a post on the locomotive’s Facebook page, and is “running like the wind.” The locomotive was returned to steam June 18 and made its first short run June […]

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