WASHINGTON —The Surface Transportation Board has called for Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Port of Mobile, Ala., to provide “detailed information regarding the status of the implementation of the settlement agreement” agreed to in November 2022 to allow Amtrak service to begin between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. — and scheduled a February hearing […]
Train Topic: Rail Industry
Florida East Coast Railway unveils multiple paint schemes
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The new year brings two new looks for the Florida East Coast Railway. A paint scheme unveiling for employees and invited guests took place at the Class II’s locomotive facility on Jan. 18, 2024. GE ES44C4 Nos. 816 and 820 debuted in what is to be the new official look […]
G&W outlines locomotive rebuilding and fuel-conservation efforts
DARIEN, Conn. – Genesee & Wyoming’s latest sustainability report outlines how locomotive modernizations and other fuel-saving efforts will help reduce the carbon footprint of its more than 100 short line railroads. “We are committed to upgrading our locomotives and improving the performance of our existing fleet to reduce carbon emissions,” says the report, which was […]
Customers name CSX as top-performing intermodal railroad
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX is touting its top ranking in a recent survey of railroad intermodal customers. The railroad was named the intermodal service “top performer” in a survey by the Journal of Commerce. The survey, conducted between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, involved shippers and intermodal marketing companies. Among the four U.S. Class I […]
U.S. carload volume sinks, intermodal grows in 2024’s second week
WASHINGTON – Rail traffic declined 4.1% in the U.S. last week compared to the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported yesterday. Total carloads for the week ending Jan. 13 were down 10.2% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was up 1.9% compared to 2023. Three […]
Wabtec’s Trip Optimizer surpasses the billion-mile mark
PITTSBURGH – Wabtec’s Trip Optimizer has reached a new milestone: Railroads have racked up more than a billion miles using the locomotive smart cruise control system that was introduced in 2009. “This billion-mile accomplishment is a tribute to our customers and our team of innovators,” Nalin Jain, president of Wabtec Digital Intelligence, said in a […]
CSX trained more than 6,000 first responders in 2023
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX trained more than 6,000 first responders in communities across its network last year. The railroad held more than 60 sessions covering hazardous materials handling and incident response tactics, ensuring that first responders, contractors, and local government officials are informed and prepared to handle potential emergencies on and around railroad property. “CSX […]
JB Hunt elects former KCS President and CEO Patrick Ottensmeyer as new board member
LOWELL, Ark. — J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced the addition of Patrick Ottensmeyer to its board of directors. Effective Jan. 12, 2024, the former Kansas City Southern CEO will serve on the board’s Compensation Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee, according to a recent news release. Beginning in 2006, Ottensmeyer held multiple leadership roles […]
Metra to launch Access Pilot Program, reducing fares systemwide for low-income riders
CHICAGO — Metra, the Regional Transportation Authority, and Cook County, Ill., on Tuesday announced the Access Pilot Program, which extends reduced fares for low-income riders across the entire six-county Metra system as of Feb. 1. The new program, an 18-month pilot program, is a successor to and expansion of the Fair Transit South Cook program, […]
FRA seeks public comment on proposed autonomous railcar test program
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration is seeking public comments on Genesee & Wyoming short lines’ request to test Parallel Systems autonomous, self-propelled battery-electric freight cars. The FRA, in a decision published in the Federal Register today, said it has accepted the Georgia Central Railway and Heart of Georgia Railroad petition for a test program […]
NTSB to investigate rail worker death in Ohio
JEWETT, Ohio — The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation after a railroad worker was killed Monday in Jewett, the agency announced Monday. WOIO-TV reports the worker was an employee for the Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road, a Genesee & Wyoming property, and quoted a statement from the parent company said its […]
Kenosha, Wis., council to consider resolution supporting commuter line to Milwaukee
KENOSHA, Wis. — The Kenosha City Council will consider a resolution on Wednesday in support of a long-discussed commuter rail line to Milwaukee, the Kenosha News reports. City councils in Racine, Milwaukee, and South Milwaukee have already approved resolutions supporting federal investment toward the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Regional Rail Corridor. The resolution to be considered by Kenosha […]