Digest: Vancouver rail system reaches deal with union, averts strike

SkyTrain Canada Line logo

Wednesday morning rail news: Vancouver rail line averts strike with labor agreement The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Line of the SkyTrain rail transit system has averted a strike after workers reached a tentative contract agreement with operator Protrans BC. Global News reports the BC Government & Service Employees Union said the agreement came after more than 40 […]

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Digest: Second Colorado County joins agreement on legal fees for Tennessee Pass fight

Chafee County seal

Additional Wedesday morning rail news: Chaffee County, Colo., joins group sharing legal fees over Tennessee Pass fight Chaffee County, Colo., has agreed to join a group which will split legal fees resulting from an effort to block reactivation of Union Pacific’s Tennessee Pass rail line. The Vail Daily reports Chaffee County commissioners voted Tuesday to join […]

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Digest: Canadian short line train derails after reported runaway

Goderich Exiter logo

Tuesday morning rail news:   Ontario short line train derails, demolishing vehicles, shed A reported runaway situation led to the derailment of a Goderich-Exeter Railway train on Monday in Goderich, Ontario, CTV News reports, demolishing a tractor-trailer, pickup truck, and shed before coming to a halt. An officer of the Ontario Provincial Police told the news […]

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Federal regulators delay lease of Union Pacific’s Tennessee Pass line

NTSB logo

WASHINGTON – The Surface Transportation Board will review several issues surrounding Colorado, Midland & Pacific’s proposed lease of Union Pacific’s long-dormant route over Tennessee Pass. The board’s decision, released today, indefinitely postpones what is normally a 30-day clock that covers deals between short lines and Class I railroads. Under U.S. law, railroad transactions fall into […]

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Digest: Conservation groups ask STB for full environmental review of Tennessee Pass revival

American Whitewater logo

Monday midday rail news: Conservation groups ask for full environmental review before Tennessee Pass operations can resume Conservation group American Whitewater, joined by seven other organizations and almost 700 individuals, have asked the Surface Transportation Board to require a full Environmental Impact Statement for the resumption of rail service on Tennessee Pass. The Friday filing asks the […]

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NTSB: Brake and end-of-train device problems led to deadly Sherman Hill runaway (updated)

Overhead view of derailed train

WASHINGTON — A brake system failure — which included an air flow restriction and the failure of an end-of-train device to respond to an emergency brake command — was the probable cause of the October 2018 runaway and subsequent collision that killed two Union Pacific crewmen on Sherman Hill in Wyoming, the National Transportation Safety Board […]

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Digest: Biden executive order requires masks on trains, other forms of transportation

Masked people wait for train

Friday morning rail news:   Executive order requires masks on trains, transit, other modes of transportation President Joe Biden has signed an executive order mandating use of face coverings on trains, public transit, planes, intercity busses, and in airports, the Washington Post reports. The newspaper says that order and one signed Wednesday requiring masks on federal […]

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Union Pacific expects volume growth in 2021

Freight train on curve

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific expects volume to increase by 4% to 6% this year as vaccines are rolled out, the economy recovers, and trucking capacity remains tight. Railroad executives gave their cautiously optimistic outlook Thursday morning during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. Other than energy-related traffic segments, UP has a positive view on volume. […]

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Rochelle, Ill. — a Midwest railroad hotspot for train watching

An orange painted diesel locomotive leads a train over a double-diamond.

Join Trains editors on a short tour of the best parts of Rochelle, Ill., for rail fans — the places where train horns sound often.  Rochelle is the crossroads of Union Pacific and BNSF Railway mainlines in the middle of Illinois, in the middle of the Midwest — ensuring dozens of a train a day […]

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Rochelle, Ill. — a Midwest railroad hotspot for train watching

An orange painted diesel locomotive leads a train over a double-diamond.

Join Trains editors on a short tour of the best parts of Rochelle, Ill., for rail fans — the places where train horns sound often.  Rochelle is the crossroads of Union Pacific and BNSF Railway mainlines in the middle of Illinois, in the middle of the Midwest — ensuring dozens of a train a day […]

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Class One Motive Power–an overview

Class One Motive Power Review Chapter 1

Kansas City Southern hasn’t purchased new locomotives since 2014 as the company has had ample power for its traffic levels with coal deliveries down across its core north-south mainline south of Kansas City. The railroad continues to upgrade its existing power, converting six (confirm) GP38-2s and GP40-2s to GP32ECOs using kits supplied from EMD. KCS […]

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Class One Motive Power–an overview

Class One Motive Power Review Chapter 1

Kansas City Southern hasn’t purchased new locomotives since 2014 as the company has had ample power for its traffic levels with coal deliveries down across its core north-south mainline south of Kansas City. The railroad continues to upgrade its existing power, converting six (confirm) GP38-2s and GP40-2s to GP32ECOs using kits supplied from EMD. KCS […]

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