Blue Ridge conqueror Norfolk & Western 2-8-8-2 No. 2174 climbs Blue Ridge Mountain east of Roanoke, Va., on Sept. 11, 1958. The railroad had 227 locomotives of the wheel arrangement in 10 classes. Ken Murry photo […]
Blue Ridge conqueror
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Major CN investor calls for ouster of CEO and chairman after KCS decision (updated)
MONTREAL – Canadian National’s second-largest investor today urged the railway to drop its bid for Kansas City Southern and called for the resignation of board Chairman Robert Pace and CEO JJ Ruest. TCI Fund Management recommends that Jim Vena – a former CN chief operating officer who most recently headed operations at Union Pacific – be […]
Federal regulators reject CN plan to put KCS in voting trust (third update)
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators Tuesday rejected Canadian National’s request to put Kansas City Southern into a voting trust, dealing a serious blow to the first merger between Class I railroads in two decades. The Surface Transportation Board’s decision that placing KCS into a voting trust was not in the public interest may prompt the railroads […]
News photo: VIA Renaissance cars return
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada further increased service in its Windsor, Ont.-Quebec City corridor as of Monday, Aug. 30, bringing corridor service close to 100% of pre-pandemic levels. The schedule restorations mean VIA’s British-built Renaissance trainsets are back in operation in Ottawa-Quebec City service for the first time in a year and half, as seen […]
Amtrak to continue New Orleans cancellations through at least Sept. 3
NEW ORLEANS — With track damage still being assessed and electric power to activate highway grade crossings out over much of the region, Amtrak has cancelled the City of New Orleans to Chicago and Crescent to New York scheduled to arrive or depart New Orleans through at least Friday, Sept. 3. Those trains will continue […]
Charlotte opens extended streetcar Gold Line
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The second phase of Charlotte’s CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar has begun operation, adding 11 stations and expanding the line from 1.5 miles to 4 miles. The expanded route began operation Monday. It connects Johnson C. Smith University, on the city’s west side to Elizabeth, on the east side. Eventual plans call for […]
Government report questions Army’s preparedness for rail moves in major mobilization
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army needs to act to ensure it is able to move equipment by rail in case of a large-scale mobilization, the Government Accountability Office says in a report issued earlier this month, and also needs to address widespread track issues with Army-controlled rail lines. A summary of the report is here, […]
Fire destroys former Rio Grande Burnham Shops building
DENVER — A fire Monday has gutted the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Burnham Shops coach building. The Denver Fire Department reports it responded “an abandoned warehouse fire” early Monday. The building was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation. The building had […]
Activist investor to seek changes at Canadian National (updated)
MONTREAL — A London-based activist investment firm has amassed 5.2% of Canadian National’s shares and says it will seek to influence how the railway is run. TCI Fund Management — which in May asked CN to call off its proposed merger with Kansas City Southern — is now CN’s second-largest single shareholder, behind only Cascade […]
New York governor orders review of major NYC subway system failure
NEW YORK — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has ordered an independent review of a Sunday night failure that shut down about half of the New York City subway system, seeking to determine what happened and what changes are needed to avoid a recurrence. amNY.com reports that a brief power dip by electricity provider Con […]
Germany faces third national rail walkout
BERLIN — Germany will face a third nationwide rail strike in less than a month, as the union representing train drivers said it would stage a one-week strike beginning Wednesday. TheLocal.de reports the GDL union will strike freight services as of Wednesday afternoon, with passenger traffic targeted as of 2 a.m. Thursday. The strike will […]
MBTA returns second new CRRC trainset to service; two more to follow
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has returned a second new Orange Line rapid transit trainset to service, and two more should be back in operation in September. But the single new train that had been operating on the Red Line won’t be back before the end of the year. Boston.com reports MBTA spokesman […]
