CHICAGO—Non-powered control unit 90200 isn’t just any former locomotive that lost its prime mover and traction motors when converted to a glorified baggage car with cab controls. Seen here outside Amtrak’s Chicago locomotive shop on June 2, 2022, coupled to an Illinois-owned Siemens SC-44 Charger, the carbody once was number 200. It is the first […]
Rail unions negotiating new national contracts with Class I railroads have again requested arbitration as talks remain stalled. Labor and the National Carriers Conference Committee have been working on joint mediated negotiations under the direction of the National Mediation Board. The talks had resulted from the unions’ request to be released from mediation after more […]
NEW YORK – CSX Transportation has lost traffic and failed to capitalize on strong freight demand due to service problems related to its ongoing train crew shortage, CEO Jim Foote says. “How much business are we missing? Lots. This is not minimal. This is not on the fringes. We’re not doing the job we should […]
Video by Mark Elias, Mark Elias Media Services JUPITER, Fla. — Florida East Coast Railway’s new Loxahatchee River drawbridge that will begin carrying frequent Brightline passenger trains in early 2023 is now being raised for boat traffic and lowered for trains. Dismantling of the former 96-year-old bridge on the site began in mid-April, when accommodations […]
WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday announced more than $368 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program funds to 46 projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia. The grants were awarded to passenger and freight projects, as well as several technology and safety development programs. The Bipartisan […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline’s plan to extend its passenger route past the Orlando Convention Center, Disney World, and down the wide median of Interstate 4 to Tampa got a public boost Wednesday with the announcement that the U.S. Department of Transportation would release a $15.875 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant. The […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic dipped 3.7% in May as both intermodal and carloads slumped compared to last year. U.S. railroads originated 928,742 carloads in May 2022, down 35,821 carloads from May 2021, the Association of American Railroads reported on June 1. U.S. railroads also originated 1,102,558 containers and trailers in May 2022, down 4.3%, […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Pan Am Railways is now a fallen flag. The New England regional officially became part of CSX Transportation on Wednesday, six weeks after the Surface Transportation Board approved the acquisition. “We are excited to welcome Pan Am’s experienced railroaders into the CSX family and look forward to the improvements we will make […]
June 1 marks 40 years since Southern and Norfolk & Western tied the knot and became Norfolk Southern. As this milestone passes, it’s important to recognize history that goes back even further – a lot further – and Norfolk Southern’s role in preserving it. Last fall, NS donated the Southern Railway archives to the Atlanta […]
RailPulse, the consortium effort to develop a remote monitoring system for freight railcars, has entered a 10-year agreement with Railinc Corp. to develop, maintain, and operate RailPulse’s technology platform. RailPulse says the agreement with Railinc, the rail-data affiliate of the Association of American Railroads, will allow it to deploy its monitoring system later this year. […]
WASHINGTON — Rail unions are again seeking to declare an impasse in negotaitions with U.S. railroads, a move which could eventually lead to intervention by President Joe Biden and Congress. Bloomberg reports that three days of meetings between the two sides with the National Mediation Board will conclude today, with labor unions renewing a request […]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Efforts by Class I railroads to hire more engineers and conductors are helping lift workforce numbers from record lows during the coronavirus pandemic. But other forms of railroad employment remain below pre-pandemic numbers, and overall employment is still dramatically lower than it was five years ago. According to the most recent Surface […]
