COLUMBUS, Ga. — A Georgia city’s lawsuit claiming ownership of most of a Norfolk Southern rail yard landed in federal court on Wednesday (Feb. 25), where a judge will now determine if that is the proper venue for the dispute. Neither the railroad nor the City of Columbus believe it is. WRBL-TV reports Judge Clay […]
TISHOMINGO, Miss. — An unprecedented January ice storm has complicated the efforts of a start-up short line railroad looking to restore freight service in rural northern Mississippi. Jeremy Funderburk, president of the North Mississippi & Alabama Railroad, and his work crew and equipment, have been putting in 10-hour workdays to chew through thousands of downed […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has reached a tentative five-year agreement with members of the Transportation Communications Union Intermodal group, the railroad announced on Friday, Feb. 20. “This new tentative agreement reflects the vital role our TCU intermodal team members play in our operation,” BNSF CEO Katie Farmer said in a press release. “Open, […]
MEMPHIS — Three passengers were injured on Sunday (Feb. 22) in a low-speed collision between Amtrak’s City of New Orleans and a Canadian National freight train. Amtrak said in a statement that the incident occurred about 11 a.m. in New South Memphis, Tenn., when southbound train No. 59, which was stopped, was “contacted by a […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline today unveiled its “Freedom Express” trainset, which wraps 10 cars with designs marking key moments in American history. The train will be regular service through July. The design was created in partnership with America250, the nonpartisan organization established by Congress to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration […]
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Locomotive manufacturing newcomer Integral dx has completed its third unit for the U.S. military, a rear-cab switcher for the U.S. Air Force. The SWR18, a 130-ton, four-axle, 1,800-hp switcher, has been delivered to the Air Force at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., joining center-cab switchers delivered to the Navy in March 2025 […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida commuter operator SunRail has decorated one of its trainsets to mark America’s semiquincentennial, with the Florida Department of Transportation saying the move is one way the agency is “showcasing the state’s contributions to the Republic and the importance of the state’s transportation system.” The locomotive, an MPI MP32PH-Q, features a predominantly […]
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is appealing for public assistance after funds in the museum’s donation box were stolen on Feb. 3. In a Facebook post, Tabitha Lusk, the museum’s food and beverage director, posted photos and videos related to the break-in and is asking that anyone who can provide information contact […]
WHITSON, Ala. — Norfolk Southern’s export metallurgical coal business is getting a significant boost with the completion of Warrior Met Coal’s Blue Creek Mine near Whitson, Ala., northwest of Birmingham. The $1 billion longwall mine and balloon loadout track has the ability to load up to 10 unit trains per week and produce up to […]
WASHINGTON — Insufficient track protection for a maintenance project along the right-of-way was the probable cause for an accident that saw a worker struck by a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority train in an Oct. 19, 2024, incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said in an investigation report released today (Feb. 4, 2026). The employee […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has extended cancellations on a number of Midwestern routes for several days following a week of well-publicized ice storms and heavy snows. Those conditions caused thousands of airline cancellations nationwide, as well as the suspension of the City of New Orleans and Texas Eagle for days through the central U.S. [see “Amtrak […]
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum announced that former Southern Railway No. 4501 will return from its annual inspection wearing the railroad’s classic passenger green paint scheme. The locomotive will appear as it did when it entered excursion service 60 years ago, in 1966. “In a year when we’re celebrating [the museum’s] 65th […]
