Montana Rail Link’s main line was put back into service on Saturday after the rebuilt Reed Point bridge over the Yellowstone River was reopened more than a week ahead of estimates. The bridge collapsed on June 24, sending 10 cars into the river and derailing an additional seven cars. Asphalt was released into the river […]
Type of Train: Freight
Indiana man arrested following CN derailment
VAPARAISO, Ind. — A 39-year-old Indiana man has been arrested on charges related to the derailment of a Canadian National train in Valparaiso early Saturday, WBBM-TV reports. James Rockhill, of Kouts, Ind., was being held at the Porter County Jail on charges of railroad mischief, criminal recklessness, and leaving the scene of a crash. He […]
Canadian National main line to Halifax washed out by flooding
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Canadian National’s main line to the Port of Halifax, Canada’s fourth-largest port, has been washed out as a result of flooding that caused “unimaginable” damage, according to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. Reuters reports a storm that arrived on Friday left more than 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period […]
11 cars of BNSF train derail in Montana
HAVRE, Mont. — Eleven cars of a 25-car BNSF intermodal train derailed Friday afternoon about 8 miles east of Havre, blocking the railroad’s Northern Transcon route. The derailment occurred at 4:39 p.m., the Havre Daily News reports, quoting a BNSF spokeswoman. Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel said one car was carrying […]
BC port workers to vote Tuesday on tentative agreement
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Port workers on Canada’s West Coast will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to accept a tentative contract agreement, and union leadership said Friday it will recommend members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada accept the deal. A brief notice from ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton said union members […]
High winds derail BNSF train in Oklahoma
FAIRMONT, Okla. — High winds are being blamed for the derailment of a BNSF train today (July 21) near the town of Fairmont. BNSF said 29 cars derailed while the train was stopped because of high winds, according to the Associated Press. The railroad said no one was injured and no hazardous materials were involved. […]
FRA wants Class I railroads to report monthly train length and tonnage data
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed requiring the Class I railroads to provide monthly data that tracks train length and tonnage as well as the number of reportable accidents for trains over and under 7,500 feet. The FRA, in a notice published in the Federal Register today, says it wants to use the […]
Missouri utility praises BNSF’s coal service
WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has been in hot water with federal regulators over the level of service it’s providing to a Montana coal mine. But now BNSF has found an ally in a Missouri utility cooperative that has praised the railroad’s service. “BNSF Railway provides unit coal train rail service from Wyoming Powder River Basin […]
Deal may be in place to end BC port labor dispute
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A tentative agreement may be in place that would end the labor dispute at British Columbia ports. A posting on the website of International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canada Local 502, representing workers along the Fraser River, says a tentative agreement between the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association […]
Senate appropriations bill seeks to maintain funding for Amtrak, grant programs
WASHINGTON — Amtrak and funding for rail-related grant programs fared far better with Senate appropriators on Thursday than they did last week with those in the House of Representatives. Transportation spending for fiscal 2024 in a bill approved by the Senate Committee on Appropriations includes some $2.45 billion for Amtrak operations and state-of-good repair funding, […]
CSX earnings slump as intermodal volume drops
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation’s quarterly profits slumped due to a combination of higher costs and lower traffic volume, the railroad reported today. “The ONE CSX team continued to build momentum this quarter as our merchandise and coal businesses continued to demonstrate significant volume gains,” CEO Joe Hinrichs said on the railroad’s Thursday earnings report. […]
Weekly U.S. rail traffic still down, but by less
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed its smallest single-week drop since February in the week ending July 15, with traffic down 2.4% compared to the same week in 2022. Total volume was 478,153 carloads and intermodal units. The 225,609 carloads were an increase of 0.9%, while the 252,544 containers and trailers represented at 5.3% decline. […]