Loose clamp on switch led to Maya Train derailment, government official says

Diagram of tracks at train station, with photos of derailed train and close-up of track

MEXICO CITY — A loose clamp on a switch led to the Maya Train derailment at the Tixkokob station on March 25, Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense said during a presidential press conference today. The incident involved the fourth car of a train en route from Campeche to Cancún, which derailed as the train entered […]

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FRA issues rule requiring two-person train crews (updated)

BNSF crew change

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today issued its new final rule generally requiring two-person crews on trains, which it says “enhances safety” and industry group the Association of American Railroads immediately blasted as “unfounded and unnecessary.” The 223-page final rule requires two-person crews except for certain operations “that do not pose significant safety risks […]

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Philadelphia railroad bridge struck by oversized load, closing I-95, impacting NJ Transit service

Blue steel railroad bridge across highway

PHILADELPHIA — A truck carrying an oversized load struck a railroad bridge crossing over Interstate 95 on Monday, closing the northbound lanes of the highway indefinitely and shutting down a portion of NJ Transit’s Atlantic City commuter rail service. The Conrail bridge in northeast Philadelphia was hit about 1:30 p.m.; after railroad engineers assessed damage, […]

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North Carolina Railroad Co. now offering flagging, related safety services

Logo of North Carolina Railroad Co.

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Railroad Co.., the privately run, 100% state-owned business operating 317 miles of rail lines in the state, is now offering flagging and other safety services for construction, repair, and maintenance-of-way projects in its corridor. The services offer experienced Class I and Class II railroad veterans for qualified Roadway Workers-in-Charge […]

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Teamsters Canada calls for strike authorization vote by CN and CPKC train crews (updated)

CN intermodal train stopped in mountain setting

The union representing Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City engineers and conductors in Canada has authorized a strike vote as labor and management remain far apart on new contracts. Leaders of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference told their members on Thursday that a strike vote will be held from April 8 to May 1. […]

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CSX prepares to detour container and coal traffic bound for Baltimore

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX this week will begin providing international intermodal shippers with a detour around the closed Port of Baltimore. The railroad says it will launch dedicated service between Baltimore and the Port of New York and New Jersey in response to the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which fell […]

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CPKC derailment closes Louisiana highway

CPKC logo

TAYLOR, La. — A major Louisiana highway remains closed following the derailment of a CPKC train on Friday, KSLA-TV reports. Approximately 29 cars of a train derailed near the unincorporated community of Taylor about 7:30 a.m. Friday, closing U.S. Route 80 between Oscar Kilpatrick Road and Martin Pond Road in the community of Ada, according […]

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STB’s new passenger committee scope still to be defined: Analysis

Inside of passenger car with "quiet car" signs

WASHINGTON — The “Quiet Car” has become a staple on most U.S. corridor trains and many commuter operations. The innovation was first suggested in 1999 by an Amtrak volunteer organization later dissolved by CEO Richard Anderson after the former head of Delta Airlines was hired by Amtrak’s board of directors in 2017. Amtrak’s Customer Advisory […]

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Short line train derails in Oklahoma

Logo of Stillwater Central Railroad

DAVENPORT, Okla. — Twenty-two cars of a 90-car Stillwater Central Railroad train derailed Saturday afternoon near the town of Davenport, KOCO-TV reports. The derailment was reported shortly after 3 p.m. No injuries were reported, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and no hazardous materials were involved; the train was transporting rock. Some fuel was […]

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Union Pacific seeks more time to address operating questions in STB Sunset Limited case

Two silver locomotives with passenger train at station

WASHINGTON — Union Pacific is seeking more time to address one aspect of the Surface Transportation Board case regarding issues with on-time performance of the Sunset Limited. In a filing earlier this week, the railroad requested a 90-day extension to address “narrative explanations of the root cases” of specific delays of 90 minutes or more […]

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Catskill Mountain to use New York grants to extend route, upgrade locomotives, build new engine house

Black locomotive with short tourist train

KINGSTON, New York — The Catskill Mountain Railroad will use three grants from the New York State Department of Transportation to build a new engine house and connecting track, a new terminal at Basin Road, and an upgrade to reduce diesel locomotive emissions, the railroad has announced. The grants, totaling $4.485 million, were among those […]

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STB issues notice for environmental report on proposed Eagle Pass, Texas, border crossing

Map of proposed rail route in Texas

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today (March 29) announced it intended to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 1.3-mile rail line proposed as part of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge project to connect Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Green Eagle Railroad, a new short line, seeks to build a secure […]

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