Rapido HO EMD GP40 diesel locomotive

A Rapido Trains HO scale  (1:87.1) Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP40 diesel locomotive arrives in Model Railroader magazine’s workshop for review and testing! With cameras rolling, Senior Editor Cody Grivno takes a close look at the real-life EMD GP40, including the history of Western Pacific no. 3511, built by EMD in April 1967. The model features […]

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Rapido Trains HO EMD GP40

A Rapido Trains HO scale  (1:87.1) Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP40 diesel locomotive arrives in Model Railroader magazine’s workshop for review and testing! With cameras rolling, Senior Editor Cody Grivno takes a close look at the real-life EMD GP40, including the history of Western Pacific no. 3511, built by EMD in April 1967. The model features […]

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Proxy details Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger talks timeline, trims synergies

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George first broached the possibility of a transcontinental merger during an otherwise routine phone call on Dec. 18, the railroads disclosed in a preliminary shareholder proxy filed on Tuesday. The proxy form provides a detailed timeline for their merger discussions, including the […]

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Proposed cross-border short line urges regulators to dismiss UP concerns

WASHINGTON — Green Eagle Railroad, which aims to build a cross-border rail and truck corridor through the Eagle Pass, Texas, gateway, has urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject Union Pacific’s request that the project face a full regulatory review. Last month, UP argued that construction of the 19-mile cross-border line is unnecessary and would […]

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Rail Customer Coalition warns regulators of potential impacts of UP-NS merger

Freight train passes under bridge as it rounds gentle curve on three-track main line.

WASHINGTON — The Rail Customer Coalition, which represents the manufacturing, agriculture, and energy industries, has told federal regulators that Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern will stifle rail competition and drive up costs. “Past rail mergers have shown what happens when consolidation goes unchecked: service suffers, costs increase, and jobs disappear,” the coalition wrote […]

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UP and NS to team up on domestic intermodal service

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern today became the latest railroads to partner on new interline intermodal service. UP and NS today said they would launch domestic service linking Louisville, Ky., with Los Angeles and Lathrop, Calif.; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City and Houston beginning in mid-October. The railroads will exchange the traffic via steel-wheel […]

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Union Pacific CEO advises Trump on National Guard deployments

President Donald Trump, in an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, praised Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and said the railroader offered suggestions on where the administration should call up the National Guard to fight urban crime. Vena met with Trump and other administration officials at the White House on Tuesday regarding UP’s $85 […]

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CN and CSX tout railroad collaboration

Intermodal train with one red and black locomotive on curve

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — Canadian National and CSX executives today touted cooperation — not combination — as the best way to convert freight from highway to rail. While Union Pacific has proposed an $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern to create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S., CN CEO Tracy Robinson says interline partnerships […]

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Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern say rival alliances bolster their merger case

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George say the interline partnerships that BNSF, CSX, and Canadian National have announced recently are proof that the proposed UP-NS merger will boost railroad competition. “Just the mere idea of having a transcontinental railroad has already enhanced competition … And I […]

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Union Pacific sues Metra over operating fees

Commuter train and freight train meet on three-track main line

CHICAGO — The ongoing dispute between Union Pacific and Metra over Chicago-area commuter operations has a new twist: Union Pacific has filed suit seeking to collect more than $2 million from Metra that it calls “overdue compensation owed under a binding contract.” The suit filed on Monday in U.S. District Court argues that Metra, by […]

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IBEW ratifies new agreement with Union Pacific

Logo of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which includes lighting bolts held by a fist

WASHINGTON — Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have overwhelmingly approved a new contract with Union Pacific, the union announced today. IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper said the agreement “reflects a new era of partnership and progress that recognizes the important contributions of IBEW-represented railroad electricians while embracing the challenges and opportunities […]

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Chemical producers say UP-NS merger would hurt shippers, consumers

WASHINGTON — The trade group representing chemical manufacturers says a Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger would reduce rail competition and increase freight rates, which in turn will contribute to inflation that will harm American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers. “The additional costs that are the likely result of this merger are ultimately going to hit everyday Americans,” […]

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