WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today adopted a final rule to amend its emergency service regulations in order to provide immediate relief for shippers in certain situations. The rule, adopted unanimously, clarifies that the board may act on its own initiative to direct emergency rail service. It also establishes an accelerated process for review […]
Five Alco locomotives no one wanted: In the annals of locomotive history, there are a great many success stories. The GP7, the U25B, and the SD40-2 spring to mind for many railfans. But among these successes, there are of course failures, models forgotten to time. This article highlights five locomotives from the famed manufacturer Alco […]
WASHINGTON — For the first time in more than eight years, the Amtrak board of directors has new members. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nominations of Christopher Koos, Anthony Coscia, and Joel Szabat to serve on the board, the first time the Senate has confirmed board members since 2015. Koos, the mayor of […]
CANCÚN, Mexico — Ticket sales for the Maya Train passenger rail operation have been halted barely three weeks after service was inaugurated between Cancun and Palenque on Jan. 1, the Cancún Sun reports, following “significant technical issues” on Friday, Jan. 19. Operations have been stopped indefinitely while workers perform inspections to determine the cause of […]
MONTREAL – Canadian National expects traffic to bounce back this year due to a combination of an improving economy and the railway’s own growth projects, executives said today while announcing fourth-quarter results that included lower volume, revenue, and profits. “Through 2023, our team of dedicated railroaders leveraged our scheduled operating model to deliver exceptional service […]
WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Bison Transport has reached an agreement with Canadian Pacific Kansas City to provide cross-border intermodal service linking Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. “Our relationship with CPKC positions Bison to be the leading multimodal freight solutions provider that can service Canada, the United States, and Mexico,” Rob Penner, Bison Transport President and CEO, […]
WASHINGTON – The $12 billion Brightline West high-speed passenger rail project got a boost today in the form of $2.5 billion in private activity bonds, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced. Brightline West aims to build a 218-mile dedicated passenger railroad between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Trains would operate at speeds of up […]
Sketching with Steve Introduction to track templates Learning to use a track template was among the first tasks I gave myself as a model railroader. You may have seen one of them hanging next to the register in your local hobby shop. Perhaps, in these days of point-and-click track-planning software, you thought it was a […]
Imagine that you’re the head of the Federal Railroad Administration. A railroad proposes inspecting brakes with wayside detectors that find 10 times more defects than carmen can see during an inspection in a yard. It’s a significant improvement in safety. Rail labor’s on board, and your own safety experts back the proposal, too. You’d give […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX has taken the wraps off of its ninth heritage locomotive at the Waycross, Ga., paint shop: No. 1897 representing the Monon. “Here is a sneak peek of our ninth ONE CSX Heritage locomotive … another great job by the team in Waycross,” CEO Joe Hinrichs wrote in a LinkedIn post today. […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In the wake of a difficult 2023 for Southern California’s struggling Surf Line route, the Senate Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN (Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo) Rail Corridor Resiliency is requesting a formal partnership and shared goals with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) in a leadership role. The […]
France’s 1949 Merci Train left a legacy of European rail equipment displays throughout the U.S. During the period around World War I and II a number of European railroads utilized a small boxcar — small by American standards. The cars rode on four wheels and carried all of 20 tons. In France, such […]
