WASHINGTON — A number of U.S. agricultural shippers are raising concerns about inadequate capacity on Mexican railroad Ferromex, which they say has struggled to handle grain trains since late last year as cross-border rail traffic has grown. A coalition of agricultural groups yesterday asked Surface Transportation Board Chairman Robert Primus, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and […]
Learning the route Because trains have a maximum speed, most people assume they move at that speed constantly. Not so. You can’t simply set the cruise control at 79 mph and forget it. With the exception of very flat, sparsely populated terrain, you’re constantly applying or releasing the brakes and manipulating the throttle. There are […]
CHICAGO — Manufacturer FreightCar America will enter the tank car conversion market, having entered into an agreement to upgrade more than 1,000 DOT-111 cars to DOT-117R cars over the next two years, the company announced today. The cars will receive new exterior valve jackets, thermal protection, full-height head shields, top fittings protection, and upgraded bottom-outlet […]
MILWAUKEE — The Justice Department needed to file a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern for its poor handling of Amtrak’s Crescent because Class I railroads routinely ignore the law that gives passenger trains preference over freight traffic, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Trains on Wednesday. The suit, filed Tuesday, July 30, in the U.S. District Court […]
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail volume showed a solid increase for the seven days ending July 27, with overall traffic up 5.3% over the same period a year earlier. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show railroads moved 508,496 carloads and intermodal units for the week. That includes 228,845 carloads, down 0.5% from the […]
MONTREAL – Canadian National is confident that it has the resources necessary to handle this year’s grain harvest in Canada – which is expected to be larger than average – but says it has concerns about several issues that could crimp capacity. In its annual grain plan released today, CN warns that its main grain-hauling […]
Railroad History Railroading exists everywhere we look, and in our travels we often get a glimpse into railroad history in places we least expect — like the half-dozen U-turns I’ve performed in ranch country where rust boxcars have been repurposed for storage. It’s an encounter with railroad history beyond the right-of-way. Drier climates in the […]
As a teacher in Oklahoma, the sharing and showcasing of history is nonstop for 25-year-old David Weston. This includes serving as a seasonal conductor for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad during the summer break, while also documenting the life and times along the narrow gauge line through Instagram with approximately 45,000 followers digitally going […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s latest extended maintenance shutdown led to the elimination of nine speed restrictions — two more than originally planned — on the rapid-transit Red Line, the MBTA said on Tuesday. The work was conducted between Alewife and Kendall/MIT July 12 and 15-26; from Alewife to JFK/UMass July 13-14 and […]
Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is once again facing cancellations on the central portion of its route because of a freight train derailment, according to the Amtrak Alerts feed on X.com. The westbound train that departed Chicago today will be canceled between Kansas City and Albuquerque, with no alternate transportation provided, while the eastbound train that left […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City had a gangbuster second quarter as merger-related traffic synergies kicked in faster than expected and boosted revenue and profits, executives said on Tuesday. Although freight demand remains soft, CPKC has been able to create its own opportunities thanks to last year’s combination of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City […]
CALGARY, Alberta – With labor negotiations at a standstill, a Canadian rail strike is likely to occur in late August, Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel said today (Tuesday, July 30). CPKC and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are still talking but remain far apart on a new contract, Creel said on the railway’s […]
