WASHINGTON – OmniTRAX will take over operations of the South Branch Valley Railroad, a 52.4-mile state-owned short line in West Virginia, on or after Sept. 13, the shortline holding company said in a regulatory filing this week. The former Baltimore & Ohio line is currently owned and operated by the West Virginia State Rail Authority. […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked federal regulators to toss out a complaint that Canadian Pacific Kansas City filed this month that would allow it to route grain trains to the ports of Houston and Galveston using trackage rights over UP south of Beaumont, Texas. CPKC told the Surface Transportation Board that UP is blocking […]
NEW YORK — The departure of two key operations executives this year won’t affect CSX’s service, Chief Financial Officer Sean Pelkey said at an investor conference today. “We’re six years into the scheduled railroading journey. It’s in our DNA. And you’ve got a team of leaders across the operations group who understand what that plan […]
Why horseshoe curves work better in N scale: Caliente, Calif., is a little town on the Union Pacific between Bakersfield and Tehachapi. Fans of the railroad’s Tehachapi Pass know Caliente for its horseshoe curve; the rest of the world likely has never heard of it. If you’re modeling Tehachapi Pass, as I am, Caliente will […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — A year-old partnership between BNSF Railway and three of its labor unions has dramatically reduced injuries and derailments. The Transportation Safety Agreement between BNSF and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, SMART-TD, and Transportation Communications Union was ratified early in 2022 and mostly covers southern portions of the railway. The […]
WASHINGTON — NJ Transit was honored as the Outstanding Public Transportation System with 50 million or more annual passenger trips when the American Public Transportation Association announced its 2023 Public Transportation Awards on Monday. The organization also announced six new members for the APTA Hall of Fame and individual awards in four categories. “The achievements […]
POCAHONTAS, Tenn. — An estimated 15 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Sunday evening in southwest Tennesseee, WBBJ-TV reports, citing information from Hardeman County Sheriff John Doolen. No injuries were reported. The derailment occurred about 7 p.m. in a remote area near the Hardeman and McNairy county lines in the Pocahontas area. A photo […]
WASHINGTON – The Surface Transportation Board, in a 3-2 decision today, rejected BNSF Railway’s request for a partial stay of the board’s order requiring the railroad to haul Navajo Transitional Energy Co. coal from Montana to export at tidewater in British Columbia. In a 3-2 decision in June, the STB ordered BNSF to handle 23 […]
OMAHA, Neb. — New Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena shared his vision for the railroad in a letter to employees today, his first day back at the railroad. “My vision and focus are clear: Safety, Service and Operational Excellence will equal Growth. Together, we will achieve the best safety record in the industry, be known […]
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern (formally, the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad) has painted GP38-2 No. 2023 to commemorate the railroad’s 40th anniversary. R&N began as the Blue Mountain & Reading in 1983, operating a 13-mile former Conrail Branch, and has grown to a 400-mile route with some 300 employees and a […]
Norfolk Southern’s heritage locomotive fleet will get a refresh in the coming years, the railroad announced when it shared a video of a shiny Virginian SD70ACe No. 1069 rolling out of the paint shop at Juniata, Pa. “Drumroll pleaseeee….. the Virginian restoration is complete! It took 10 carmen 550+ hours to restore and repaint NS1069. […]
CROTON-ON-HARMON, N.Y. — The Metro-North Railroad has released the second in its series of heritage locomotives celebrating the railroad’s 40th anniversary and honoring its predecessors, this time with a scheme worn by Conrail FL9 units between 1976 and 1982. Conrail granted Metro-North permission to apply its name, logo, and colors to the unit in March. […]
