McNEIL, Ark. — A member of a Union Pacific work crew was killed Thursday while repairing a washout on the railroad, KSLA-TV reports. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reports Danny Brent Wilkins, 43, of Rison, Ark., was struck and killed by machinery during repairs after two days of heavy rains. He was declared dead at […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
Class I railroads should thank FRA for two-person crew rule: Analysis
The industry would never admit it, but the Federal Railroad Administration has given the Class I railroads a gift in the form of its proposed two-person train crew rule. Debate over the controversial rule has been framed almost entirely in safety terms. Having two people in the locomotive cab, the rule’s advocates say, is vital […]
Four-mode trains enter service in Europe
Italian national rail company Trenitalia launched its latest hybrid passenger trains earlier this month on the scenic route from Taranto to Reggio Calabria on the nation’s southern coast. The trains, built by Hitachi in Italy, are claimed to be the world’s first four-mode hybrid trains — and while they are the first to enter service, […]
Free named Long Island Rail Road president
NEW YORK — Rob Free, who has served as acting president of the Long Island Rail Road since last October, was named to the position permanently by Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber on Thursday. Free, who began his career with the LIRR as a station cleaner 31 years ago, climbed the ranks to become […]
East Broad Top 2-8-2 No. 16 out of service through summer
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – East Broad Top Railroad 2-8-2 engine No. 16 is out of service until the end of August due to a cracked driving-wheel center, the railroad announced today (Thursday, April 11). In its place, the narrow gauge EBT will substitute its General Electric 55-ton center-cab diesel switcher M-7, the same unit that […]
Railroads file suits to block two-person crew law
Four railroads have filed lawsuits in federal court to block the Federal Railroad Administration’s requirement for two-person crews for most freight trains, the Associated Press reports. Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, the Indiana Rail Road, and Florida East Coast Railway filed individual suits this week in different appellate courts, all saying the rule is arbitrary, capricious, […]
Activist investor’s Norfolk Southern CEO candidate touts his UPS experience
Former UPS executive Jim Barber Jr., an activist investor’s candidate to replace Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, says his experience at the parcel giant is directly applicable to a railroad. UPS’s package network relies on the very same principles as the low-cost Precision Scheduled Railroading operating model that Ancora Holdings wants to fully implement at […]
Grand Canyon No. 4960 operates first of three April excursions
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — In its second round trip of the 2024 season, Grand Canyon Railway No. 4960 performed well on Saturday, April 6, with its first of three April excursions. Along the rugged line between Williams and the South Rim, the 2-8-2 and F40 diesel-helper No. 4128 lugged the 16-car train with 900 passengers aboard, […]
Amtrak filing in Sunset Limited case says UP has failed to preserve key information
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific is not preserving dispatching information relevant to its handling of the Sunset Limited, Amtrak has claimed in a new filing with the Surface Transportation Board that asks the board to order UP to show cause why the railroad is not complying with an STB order to do so. The “petition to […]
Colorado bill to protect mountain rail lines for passenger service takes first step
DENVER — A bill that includes provisions to protect rail lines for Colorado’s proposed Denver-Craig rail service, even if coal traffic drops below sustainable levels, has cleared its first step in the state Senate. SB24-190, sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco), also enhances the ability of the state to sell the Moffat Tunnel, which it […]
Metra sees surge in bikes on trains following change in policy
CHICAGO — Metra has seen a 70% increase in bicycles brought onto its trains since it made its more bike-friendly policy permanent on Feb. 1, Streetsblog Chicago reports. Metra had relaxed its policy, which previously restricted bikes to non-peak trains, during the COViD-19 pandemic, when it also began introducing its fleet of bicycle cars [see […]
Saskatoon report sees merit in shift of Canadian’s route through Saskatchewan
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — A report by city staff members has advised the Saskatoon city council that there is merit to a proposal by a group of Saskatchwan mayors seeking to reroute VIA Rail Canada’s Canadian from its current route to a less-trafficked line north of the city, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports. The mayors say that […]
