More Wednesday morning rail news: — Bombardier is suspending production at its Canadian rail and aircraft plants, sending 12,400 workers home on unpaid leave, the Canadian Press reports. The shutdown was to begin Tuesday evening and last through April 24. The Montreal-based company will idle 9,000 workers in Quebec, with the rest in Ontario, and […]
Thursday morning rail news: — A magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Salt Lake City shut down light rail service and disrupted FrontRunner commuter service Wednesday, but service has resumed today with some residual delays, the Utah Transit Authority reports. The earthquake, which struck at 7:09 a.m., caused widespread damage, but no serious injuries were reported, the […]
Passengers board a Missouri River Runner at Kirkwood, Mo., in 2014. The train could be cut from two round trips to one under a Missouri budget proposal. Bob Johnston More Monday morning rail news: — Service on Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner between St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo., could be cut from two round trips […]
More Friday rail news: — BNSF Railway is not shielded from liability in lawsuits stemming from asbestos contamination in Libby, Mont., the Montana Supreme Court has ruled. The Flathead Beacon reports that the court upheld a ruling by Montana Asbestos Claim Court Judge Amy Eddy, who concluded the claims against the railroad are not preempted […]
Friday morning rail news: — Norfolk Southern has informed customers that Pan Am Railways’ Hoosac Tunnel in Western Massachusetts is now expected to remain out of service until mid-March, following the partial collapse of a wall in the 145-year-old tunnel on Feb. 12. The closure affects the line between Mechanicville, N.Y., and Ayer, Mass.; NS […]
NORFOLK, Va. — John C. “Jack” Huffard Jr. and Christopher T. Jones have been elected directors of Norfolk Southern Corporation, effective Feb. 21, 2020, Chairman, President and CEO James A. Squires said today. Huffard, 52, brings significant technology and business operations expertise to the board. He is a co-founder of Tenable Network Security Inc. and […]
ROANOKE, Va. — More railroaders will soon be out of work after new cuts were announced today in Roanoke. According to local media reports, Norfolk Southern will close its “Roanoke Distribution Center” and move remaining locomotive shop operations to Altoona, Pa. One outlet cites a Norfolk Southern news release that attributes the workforce cuts to […]
The Canadian government has modified its rules for hazardous-material trains, raising some speed limits. TRAINS: David Lassen Tuesday morning rail news: — The Canadian government has modified its order slowing trains carrying hazardous materials, raising some speed limits and adding additional rules reflecting rail-line signaling, the CBC reports. The rules issued Sunday create two categories […]
Notable rail news for your day-after-the-Super-Bowl Monday: — The Federal Railroad Administration will hold a hearing for rural landowners to comment on the Texas Central high speed rail project. The Dallas Business journal reports that U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), who opposes the project, announced the hearing last week. No date or location has been […]
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern’s profits and revenue fell in the fourth quarter amid broad traffic declines led by a 21% drop in coal volume, the railroad reported today. For the quarter, the railroad’s operating income declined 11%, to $962 million, as revenue fell 7%, to $2.9 billion. Earnings per share slumped 1%, to $2.55. […]
Norfolk Southern SD80MAC locomotives are parked at Altoona, Pa., during a business downturn in 2009. NS is looking to sell all 29 of the units. Dan Cupper Following its recent auction of locomotives, including its four Executive F units, Norfolk Southern is continuing to pare its fleet of units that are oddballs, old, or both. […]
CORONADO, Calif. — A few final notes from last week’s National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Conference at the Hotel Del Coronado: NS communications restructuring: One unique aspect of Norfolk Southern’s “reimagining,” — its label for Precision Scheduled Railroading-style changes — is that it has spun off its communication and signals group, historically part of its engineering […]
