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CHICAGO — BNSF Railway and CREATE have announced the completion of a CREATE project on the Western Avenue Corridor, the fourth of eight projects completed on that section of the project to improve Chicago rail traffic flow. Overall, 30 projects are now complete of the 70 that make up the entire program. The newest project, […]
NEW YORK — Railroads need to take advantage of their investments in positive train control, but the industry likely will move slowly toward one-person crews and autonomous operations, CSX Transportation CEO Jim Foote says. Foote likens PTC to the advent of wayside detectors and end-of-train devices that allowed railroads operate more safely, while eliminating cabooses. […]
On May 25, 2019, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad opened its season with doubleheaders, departing from Chama, N.M., and Antonito, Colo. The 64-mile route goes through the scenic Toltec Gorge and climbs the 10,000-foot Cumbres Pass. It is one of the most beautiful scenic railroads in the United States as voted by the 2018 […]
Friends of the 261 President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Sandberg poses with former Milwaukee Road E9 No. 32A in St. Paul on May 29. Sandberg’s grandfather was a Milwaukee Road engineer who operated 32A many times on passenger trains between the Twin Cities and La Crosse, Wis. The unit will make its debut at […]
Four Maine steam icons, including Monson No. 3, will be featured in an early 2020 event. Stephen Hussar ALNA, Me. — A grand reunion of two-foot gauge locomotives and rolling stock is set for two weekends in early 2020. This photographic event will take place on Jan. 18-19 and Feb. 8-9 at the Wiscasset Waterville […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate has passed a budget amendment to fund a study of electrification of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fairmount commuter rail line, the Bay State Banner reports. Electrification is one of the alternatives proposed by the MBTA in its Rail Vision program to evaluate the future of its commuter rail system. Electrification […]
ST. LOUIS — The suspension of Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner service has been extended to at least Sunday, June 2. Flooding elsewhere in the Midwest has led Union Pacific to divert freight traffic onto the route, leading to the suspension of the passenger service. Chartered bus service is providing substitute transportation, stopping at all stations […]
James “Jim” Foote, CSX Transportation CEO CSX Transportation NEW YORK — CSX Transportation is leading the industry in merchandise traffic growth this year due to its faster and more reliable service, CEO Jim Foote says. “We are the leader in growing that business at about 2.5% so far this year,” Foote told an investor conference […]
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 25. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 527,966 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.7 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending May 25 were […]
Passengers board a Missouri River Runner at Kirkwood, Mo., in 2014. Passengers at many stations must still board trains from platforms which are below the rail; Amtrak’s “Customer Now” program will address this at many stations. Bob Johnston CHICAGO — After investing $19 million on station improvements in fiscal 2018, Amtrak announced Tuesday that it […]
Equipment at Nippon Sharyo’s closed Rochelle, Ill., plant — shown in May 2014 — will be auctioned off in June. Bob Johnston ROCHELLE, Ill. — A June auction will sell off equipment from Nippon Sharyo’s former railcar manufacturing facility in Rochelle, which closed in July 2018 after eight years of operation. The plant, which built […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr is detouring between Chicago and Omaha today via the Union Pacific’s former Chicago & North Western mainline, as will the eastbound train that arrives Thursday and Thursday’s departure from Chicago. The detour off of the normal BNSF Railway route is because of ongoing flooding problems in the Midwest, according […]
