CPKC touts its premium cross-border intermodal service linking Chicago and Mexico

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – Canadian Pacific Kansas City Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel today touted the benefits of the railway’s flagship single-line Mexico Midwest Express service linking Chicago and Mexico. Yesterday Union Pacific announced that it had shaved a day off of its rival cross-border Falcon Premium intermodal trains run in conjunction with Canadian National […]

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Parallel Systems unveils its second-generation prototype autonomous battery-electric railcar

LOS ANGELES – Parallel Systems today introduced its second generation battery-electric autonomous container car system, which the company hopes will see pilot testing on Genesee & Wyoming short lines in Georgia as well as with international customers. Parallel says the new prototype is undergoing testing to verify the system’s ability to operate on the conventional […]

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Vena’s growth formula at Union Pacific: Great safety plus operations and service excellence

Freight train with two yellow locomotives with small town in distance

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – New Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena says his strategy for the railroad is a simple one: Grow through great safety and excellence in operations and service. Vena, in his first public remarks since becoming chief executive last month, told an investor conference today that UP wants to grow with its customers. […]

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Union Pacific improves cross-border Mexico intermodal schedules by a full day (updated)

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – In one of his first moves as Union Pacific’s new CEO, Jim Vena took a full day out of the railroad’s premium cross-border interline intermodal service with Ferromex, including the new Falcon Premium service that connects the Canadian National intermodal network with Mexico via Chicago. Since the schedules were improved shortly […]

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Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena asks FRA for rolling stock inspection data

Numerous yellow locomotives parked in service area. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena asks FRA for rolling stock inspection data.

OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific says the results of the Federal Railroad Administration’s focused inspections of its freight cars and locomotives raised more questions than answers. “Typically, inspections by the FRA include a focused audit close out with clear findings and action steps, as well as a meeting to discuss any findings and mitigation approaches,” […]

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NTSB documents reveal events leading up to fatal Union Pacific collision

Train wreck scene. NTSB documents reveal events leading up to fatal Union Pacific collision

WASHINGTON – The track circuit for a California siding where Union Pacific had stored empty well cars for more than eight months shifted between occupied and unoccupied nearly two dozen times in the nine hours before a stack train was routed into the siding with fatal results [see “UP train in fatal collision hit cars […]

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FRA issues safety bulletin after conductor loses leg in switching accident

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety bulletin to ensure that railroads are aware of a Sept. 1 switching accident that resulted in the amputation of a conductor’s leg. The FRA is investigating the incident, which occurred on a railroad that the agency did not identify. “A switching crew, comprised of a […]

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Progress Rail files antitrust suit against Wabtec, seeks divestiture of GE Transportation

Two yellow diesel locomotives pulling a coal train. Progress Rail files antitrust suit against Wabtec

Progress Rail has filed an antitrust suit against Wabtec, arguing that the rival locomotive maker has engaged in anticompetitive behavior and should have to divest its acquisition of GE Transportation. The 2019 GE acquisition, Progress Rail says in its lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Delaware last week, tipped the competitive balance in […]

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CN, Norfolk Southern announce new cross-border domestic intermodal service

Canadian National and Norfolk Southern have teamed up for new cross-border domestic interline intermodal service that will link Atlanta with six Canadian locations and Kansas City, Mo., with Toronto and Montreal. The service, announced today, will launch on Oct. 2 with new steel-wheel interchanges in Detroit and Chicago, the railroads said. The service will connect […]

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The Trains Interview: A Q&A with Stefan Loeb, Norfolk Southern’s VP of first and final mile markets

Smiling man in blue polo shirt. first-mile, final-mile markets

Last month Trains sat down with Stefan Loeb, Norfolk Southern’s vice president of first and final mile markets, to discuss how local service can help the railroad grow. The position was created in April, when Loeb joined NS from shortline holding company Watco, where he was chief commercial officer [see “Norfolk Southern names intermodal and […]

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FRA: Union Pacific’s rolling stock inspection practices pose a safety risk

Numerous yellow locomotives parked in service area. Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena asks FRA for rolling stock inspection data.

WASHINGTON — Union Pacific’s freight car and locomotive inspection and maintenance practices pose a “significant risk to rail safety,” the head of the Federal Railroad Administration said in a letter sent Friday to top railroad executives. FRA Administrator Amit Bose said the agency conducted a focused inspection of UP’s mechanical operations and rolling stock in […]

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Canadian National MLW RSC24 diesel locomotives

RSC24 diesel locomotive in yard with highway overpass

  Montreal Locomotive Works RSC24 diesel locomotives were “conceived of cannibalism.” So went a claim in the April 1977 issue of Trains. Montreal Locomotive Works had encouraged Canadian National to upgrade its older, 1,600 hp road switchers with new 12-cylinder, 251-type prime movers. Four of its 244-type prime movers were recycled into the new RSC24 […]

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