New York Senate passes package of rail regulations

ALBANY, N.Y. — Following a nationwide legislative trend in the wake of February’s derailment and toxic-chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio, the New York state Senate has passed a series of bills seeking to regulate the way railroads operate in the state. The wide-ranging bills address everything from crew size for a mandate for positive […]

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Canadian government to fund short line project at Port of Windsor

Two yellow end-cab switchers moving cars with city skyline in distance

WINDSOR, Ontario — The Essex Terminal Railway will receive up to C$12.5 million for construction of a new warehouse and expansion of the shore wall at the Port of Windsor, Canada’s transport minister announced Friday. The funding announced by Minister Omar Alghabra, from the National Trade Corridors Fund, is intended to help shift cargo traffic […]

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Teamsters Canada Rail Conference ratifies CN agreement

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MONTREAL — The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, representing approximately 6,000 Canadian National locomotive engineers, conductors, and yard workers, has ratified its new contract with the railroad, CN announced Friday. Some 70.7% of those voting were in favor of the contract, the union said. “I want to graciously thank the members who took the time to […]

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Aberdeen Carolina & Western E9A debuts

Aberdeen Carolina & Western E9A The short line, Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway Company, debuts its rebuilt and repainted former Union Pacific E9A locomotive, No. 103, on an equipment ferry move on May 25. Then E9A leads former Norfolk Southern F9A and F9B locomotives between the company’s headquarters and main shops at Candor, N.C., and […]

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CSX ranked among America’s climate leaders

CSX train with orange and blue intermodal containers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation has been recognized by USA Today as one of America’s Climate Leaders, ranking among U.S. companies that have achieved the greatest reduction in emissions intensity between 2019 and 2021. “As the most fuel-efficient mode of freight transportation on land, railroads can play a significant role in the nation’s climate strategy, […]

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STB chairman: Class I railroad strategies are inviting stronger regulation

Man climbing on front steps of orange locomotive

CHICAGO – Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman told a shipper conference that Class I railroad behavior over the past few years – mass layoffs, crew shortages, and poor service – may require a new approach to regulation. “It may be time to say 2023 is not 1980 and we need to rethink some […]

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Laredo and Houston concerns prompted Union Pacific lawsuit over STB’s Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger decision

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CHICAGO – Union Pacific is suing the Surface Transportation Board because the agency’s approval of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger didn’t fully protect cross-border competition at the Laredo, Texas, gateway or address the potential for congestion in Houston, UP CEO Lance Fritz told a shipper conference today. “In their approval they identified our concerns […]

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Union Pacific and BLET reach tentative agreement on engineer scheduling

Two men standing by train watch as another train goes by

Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a tentative agreement that will provide engineers with more predictable schedules. The deal, which the union and railroad called “historic,” will provide engineers with an 11 days on, four days off schedule. UP and the BLET said the tentative agreement announced today will […]

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Norfolk Southern and unions team up to focus on safety improvements

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern and the 12 unions that represent the railroad’s employees have agreed to work more closely together to improve safety. “Today, national labor leaders and Norfolk Southern management are committing to work together to enhance rail safety for our people and the communities we serve,” they announced in a letter to employees […]

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Acela first-class menu upgraded: Analysis  

High speed train passing through station

NEW YORK—Amtrak has enlisted the STARR Restaurant Group to enhance food choices aboard its Acela first-class service between New York and Boston. STARR’s corporate umbrella covers 32 separately-branded restaurants representing a wide variety of cuisines. Of these, 19 are located in the Philadelphia area, which is home to the group. The remaining locations are in […]

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Tacoma Rail ends service to Frederickson, Wash.

Red and white contemporary diesel locomotive. Tacoma Rail Ends Service to Frederickson Washington

Another little piece of the Milwaukee Road is fading away in Tacoma, Wash. Tacoma Rail aka Tacoma Municipal Belt Line Railway consisted of three divisions. The Tidelands Division, the Mountain Division and the Capitol Division, now known as the Lakewood Division. The Capitol Division included lines in the Olympia, Wash., area and industries in South […]

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BNSF and J.B. Hunt work on ways to improve service, convert loads off highway

Editor’s Note: This is an abridged version of a feature that will run in the October issue of Trains Magazine that will examine intermodal developments on both BNSF Railway and Union Pacific. It’s not easy for railroads’ domestic intermodal customers to jump ship, which is why their partnerships tend to endure for decades. Yet change […]

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