MISSOULA, Mont. — BNSF Railway is appealing the results of a recent trial that found the railroad liable in the deaths of two people exposed to asbestos when mining materials were shipped from the town of Libby, Mont., delaying the start of a similar case, Montana Public Radio reports. In April, a jury found the […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Transportation has awarded a total of $9.6 million to 11 freight rail projects under the Minnesota Rail Service improvement program, the agency announced this week. Funding, approved during the 2023 legislative special session, supports economic development in regions across the state. “Improving Minnesota’s rail service gives local […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was even with 2023 levels for the week ending May 4, according to the Association of American Railroads, ending a streak of 14 straight weeks showing gains over previous-year levels. Traffic for the week was 463,106 carloads and intermodal units. That included 213,410 carloads, down 5.1% from the corresponding week in […]
WASHINGTON — An improperly aligned switch during maintenance work that had signal operation suspended led to the collision of two CSX trains in Folkston, Ga., on April 15, according to the preliminary report on the incident released today (May 8) by the National Transportation Safety Board. Three crew members were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening […]
Slightly over a year after the creation of the railroad, and more than 10 months after announcing its new paint scheme, Canadian Pacific Kansas City appears to be ready to actually unveil a locomotive wearing the livery. CPKC today (May 8) released a brief teaser video showing ES44AC No. 9375 entering a paint booth and […]
CHICAGO — Freight train operations across the U.S.-Mexican border should be as seamless as they are across the U.S.-Canadian border, Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena told a shipper group last week. Cross-border trains entering the U.S. from Canada use Canadian crews to reach the nearest rail yard — and vice versa. “I never used to […]
WASHINGTON — President Biden’s nomination last week of experienced railroad chief executive Ron Batory to Amtrak’s board of directors checked a number of boxes. But his main contribution will likely be the perspective he gained during a stint as Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration that provided a ringside seat to Amtrak management’s business practices […]
PITTSBURGH — East Ohio Valley Railway, one of the seven railroads of Transtar LLC, will more than double its operating mileage through a long-term lease of rail lines in the Powhatan Point, Ohio, area, Transtar has announced. The East Ohio Valley, currently 12.2 miles, will add a total of 18 miles through lease from Norfolk […]
CHICAGO — BNSF Railway would have to reconsider its plans to build the $1.5 billion Barstow International Gateway if California’s zero-emissions locomotive mandate is allowed to move forward, CEO Katie Farmer says. The California Air Resources Board’s in-use locomotive rule went into effect on Jan. 1. It bans the operation of any locomotive that is […]
DUNKIRK, Md. – The Surface Transportation Board’s reciprocal switching rule for inadequate rail service is a “missed opportunity,” the National Industrial Transportation League says. The final rule, adopted last week, is designed to incentivize Class I railroads to maintain service levels or face the possibility that a sole-served shipper in a terminal area will seek […]
HENDERSON, Ky. — Railmark Industrial Railway Inc. will operate and develop an 11-mile rail line at an industrial park in Mississippi’s Tishomingo County, the company announced today. The line, which interchanges with Norfolk Southern and a barge port on the Tenn-Tom Waterway, was built in 1982 for NASA. Railmark plans to restore and upgrade the infrastructure, […]
WASHINGTON — Neil Moyer has been appointed director of the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Passenger Rail, STB Chairman Martin J. Oberman announced Monday. The office, established in October 2022, is responsible for investigating and analyzing issues regarding Amtrak on-time performance. Moyer has coordinated the STB’s responsibilities in this area since mid-2021, assisted the board […]
