More Monday morning rail news: With COVID-19 upswing, restart of VIA service in Western Canada not certain VIA Rail Canada plans to restart service on the route of the Canadian between Vancouver, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba, are continuing, but are not final, the Winnipeg Free Press reports. The plans to resume service on Dec. […]
Thursday morning rail news: CN should avoid layoffs unless virus causes another drop in traffic, CEO says Canadian National is likely to avoid further layoffs unless the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic causes a significant drop in rail traffic. The Canadian Press reports CEO JJ Ruest said Wednesday, after marking the 25th anniversary of […]
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports it has issued four safety advisory letters during its ongoing investigation into a June 28, 2019, derailment of a Canadian National train in the St. Clair River tunnel connecting Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Mich. In an investigation update issued Monday, the TSB reports 46 cars derailed in […]
Wednesday morning rail news: Report: MTA will present budget with dramatic service cuts, almost 10,000 layoffs A report says New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will present a budget to its board of directors Wednesday (today) calling for dramatic subway and bus service cuts, as well as the layoff of almost 10,000 workers. NY1.com reports sources […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National has unveiled a set of heritage locomotives as it celebrates today’s 25th anniversary of the initial public offering that marks its privatization from a government-owned Crown Corporation. In its 25 years as a private corporation, CN has acquired the Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; and BC Rail. Those […]
More Friday morning rail news: Montreal REM plans online unveiling of new equipment Montreal’s Réseau express métropolitain light rail project will hold a virtual unveiling of its first trainsets on Monday, Nov. 16. The event beginning at 9:15 a.m. EST will be held on the REM Facebook page. The first of the 212 Alstom trainsets […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada sees no prospect for restoring a third full Toronto-Vancouver round trip of its flagship long-distance train, the Canadian, and says the train’s current business model is “no longer sustainable,” although it does not indicate plans to discontinue service. Those assessments are part of the summary for the passenger carrier’s 2020-24 corporate […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National on Wednesday will unveil two locomotives clad in a special paint scheme saluting veterans in Canada and the United States. November 11, which falls on the day the armistice was signed to end World War I in 1918, is Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in Canada. “CN’s two […]
Monday morning rail news: Canada revises rules on cold-weather speed restrictions for hazardous-material trains Canada’s Minister of Transport on Friday issued an order modifying previous rules regarding train operation in cold weather, basing the new rule on temperatures rather than a winter date range. As with the previous rule, issued in April [see “Canada issues […]
More Thursday morning rail news: Transportation Safety Board cites sudden track failure in CN derailment A sudden track failure, likely reflecting wide-gauge conditions which developed quickly because of unit train traffic, is the likely cause of the January 2020 derailment of a Canadian National train en route to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The Transportation Safety […]
More Wednesday midday rail news: Huron Central gives employees notice of job termination, still hopes for government support Huron Central Railway, the 179-mile Genesee & Wyoming short line between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, Ontario, has given employees formal notice that their jobs will be terminated with the end of railway operations on Dec. 18. SooToday.com says […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Two rail-specific issues, and others with rail connection, are on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s Watchlist 2020 of key transportation safety issues. The agency issued the annual list, in its 10th years, on Thursday. New to the list, which includes eight items, is “unplanned or uncontrolled movement of railway equipment” [addressed in […]
