Georgia, South Carolina ports closing ahead of Hurricane Dorian’s approach NEWSWIRE

As Hurricane Dorian brushes the East Coast, railroads continue to modify operations in anticipation of serious problems if the storm makes landfall. With Florida East Coast Railway shut down since Saturday, Norfolk Southern has embargoed intermodal traffic destined for FEC, along with Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., where ports are closed. NS officials are advising […]

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Union Pacific lowers volume outlook for rest of the year NEWSWIRE

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BOSTON — Union Pacific today lowered its volume outlook for the rest of the year as tougher truck competition, reduced demand for coal, and uncertainty over global trade continued to weigh on rail traffic. UP’s volumes are down 7% for the third quarter to date, Chief Financial Officer Rob Knight told an investor conference today. […]

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Ask Trains: Is that Talgo’s tilt normal?

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A Series 6 Talgo trainset is examined after 125-mph operation at the Transportation Test Center in Pueblo, Colo., in 1998. Bob Johnston Q: In the Sept. 2019 Passenger column on Page 18, I see that a Series 6 Talgo locomotive is leaning while being inspected. Was that tilt normal? — Robert Muckey, Williamson, N.Y. A: […]

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Ask Trains: What were Providence & Worcester Railroad’s colors in 2000?

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Providence & Worcester GE “Super 7” B23-7R No. 2215 leads Connecticut Southern train CSO-4 on Amtrak rails at Windsor, Conn., June 3, 2019. Scott A. Hartley Q: What were the Providence & Worcester Railroad’s colors in 2000? — Chris Carlson, Ottawa, Ont. A: In 2015, the year before Providence & Worcester was purchased by Genesee […]

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Norfolk Southern axes about 230 workers in Pennsylvania and Virginia NEWSWIRE

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ALTOONA, Pa. — At least 230 Norfolk Southern railroaders are out of work this afternoon after they’ve been told they’ve been furloughed, media outlets in Altoona, and Roanoke, Va., report. Norfolk Southern media officials confirmed a statement published by WTAJ-TV, central Pennsylvania’s CBS-affiliate, that says, in part: “In today’s rapidly changing environment, Norfolk Southern continues […]

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Railroads hunker down ahead of Hurricane Dorian’s advance NEWSWIRE

Railroads and others made preparations last week in the event of a Hurricane Dorian landfall in the southeastern U.S. Suspending service at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Florida East Coast Railway officials report they are continuing to monitor the hurricane’s path and are “taking necessary precautions to protect employees, rail traffic, and infrastructure.” As a result of […]

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AAR: Carloads and intermodal traffic, down and down NEWSWIRE

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Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 24, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 532,483 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending Aug. 24 were […]

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Scientists say freight trains could help detect earthquakes before they happen NEWSWIRE

Scientists now say that noisy freight trains could be used to help predict future earthquakes. According to information published by Physicsworld.com scientists from France, Belgium, and the U.S., say they’ve shown that the noise of a freight train — thrumming motors, squeaks, squeals, and other rolling noises — is sufficient to measure the condition of underlying […]

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Probe centers on how CSX trains collided on Ohio route with PTC NEWSWIRE

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Investigators are trying to determine why two CSX Transportation trains collided earlier this month in Ohio on a line protected by positive train control, the multibillion-dollar safety system designed to prevent collisions. The probe by the Federal Railroad Administration and CSX includes an examination of the proper activation, operation, and functioning of PTC on the […]

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Rail traffic at risk as U.S-China trade war continues to build NEWSWIRE

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A BNSF Railway intermodal train heads east through Lisle, Ill., in June 2019. Continuing escalation of the U.S.-China trade war puts more forms of rail cargo at risk. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — Large-volume customers that U.S. and Canadian railroads count on are increasingly being hit by the escalating China trade war. Agriculture and automobiles are […]

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‘Valley Flyer’ shuttles in Massachusetts’ ‘Knowledge Corridor’ to begin Aug. 30

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Starting Friday, Aug. 30, Amtrak will be extending New Haven, Conn.-Springfield, Mass., shuttles 40 miles north to and from Greenfield, Mass. The service is part of a two-year pilot program to test demand for expanded rush-hour service connecting with Northeast Corridor trains. Two weekday round trips — morning southbound and evening northbound […]

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AAR: Carloads and intermodal shipments drop again for the week of Aug. 17 NEWSWIRE

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Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads this week reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 17, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 537,617 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.2% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending Aug. 17 […]

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