WASHINGTON — The pressure release valves on some of the tank cars carrying vinyl chloride in the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment of a Norfolk Southern train may have been compromised, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. The valves maintain internal pressure at safe levels by venting material to reduce the potential for a catastrophic […]
KANSAS CITY — Kansas City Southern de Mexico is battling congestion in key terminals thanks to a combination of stronger than expected traffic growth and a shortage of train crews. The congestion, which began in December, now threatens to gum up Kansas City Southern’s U.S. network less than four weeks before Canadian Pacific gains control […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the March 4 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train in Springfield, Ohio, is focusing on the performance of wheelsets, the board said in a preliminary report. Four days after the derailment NS began removing from service 517 steel coil cars made by National Steel Car […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has asked the federal government to offer its view on an effort by states to regulate how long railroads can block grade crossings. The Kansas City Star reports that the invitation means the court might address Ohio’s appeal of a lower-court ruling that blocked the state’s blocked-crossing law. The […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation has promoted Casey Albright to senior vice president of network operations and service design as part of leadership changes in the operating department. Albright, who headed service design, is taking on the network operations responsibilities that were handled by Brian Barr, who left CSX to become senior vice president of […]
CHICAGO – TTX is beginning to equip its boxcar and auto rack fleets with GPS-based telematics so that railroads and shippers can monitor car location and status in real time. The car pooling company, which is owned by the Class I railroads, aims to equip 1,700 new and existing boxcars by the end of the […]
BATAVIA, N.Y. — The move of a preserved Alco PA locomotive from Oregon to its new home at Genesee Valley Transportation’s shops in Scranton, Pa., is tentatively slated to begin in April, although exact plans have yet to be finalized, GVT President Michael D. Thomas says. Thomas, speaking Sunday with Trains News Wire, said no […]
SURREY, British Columbia — The Canadian government will provide up to C$23 million in funding to expand an agricultural shipping terminal near the U.S. border, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Friday. Money provided from the National Trade Corridors Fund will expand rail capacity at Global Agricultural Trans-Loading in Surrey, B.C., by helping to pay for […]
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Matt Johnson has been appointed to Reading & Northern’s new position of vice president-governmental affairs, the railroad has announced. Also, Christina (Tina) Muller-Levan has been appointed executive vice president-strategic planning. Johnson has been with the railroad since 2005 in roles ranging from police officer to head of the R&N police force […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific has reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance-of-Way Employees Division, the railroad said today (March 17). The new contract will cover approximately 2,600 workers. Details will not be released until the agreement is ratified. “By working collaboratively with our valued union partners, we’ve reached another negotiated […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has reached a paid sick time agreement with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the railroad announced today. BNSF said the deal was part of larger ongoing discussions about modernizing the work environment. Seven of BNSF’s 12 labor unions are now covered by paid sick leave agreements. Building upon existing […]
WASHINGTON — Two U.S. representatives from Ohio — Bill Johnson (R) and Emilia Sykes (D) — today introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives Act, or RAIL Act, the latest legislative response to the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. The companion bill to the Rail Safety Act introduced earlier this month in the Senate [see “Senators propose […]
