CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific says its investigation into the disappearance of 30 tons of a chemical from a hopper car earlier this year indicates the material was lost in transit because of a leak during the trip from Cheyenne to California, KGWN-TV reports. The hopper loaded with ammonium nitrate — used as a fertilizer […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Wabtec: Hydrogen is the locomotive fuel of the future (updated)
As the railroad industry searches for ways to reduce and ultimately eliminate its greenhouse gas emissions, Wabtec sees hydrogen as the locomotive fuel of the future, whether it’s burned in internal combustion engines or used to power fuel cells. “We think this is going to be an impactful technology. We’re not seeing this as a […]
Additional work scheduled on Stuart, Fla., rail bridge (updated)
STUART, Fla. — Additional time has been added for rehabilitation work on the St. Lucie River Drawbridge in Stuart, Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway have announced. While intermittent closures were scheduled to continue today (Wednesday, Aug. 30) and Thursday, Aug. 31, an additional extended full closure has now been added on Thursday from 5:30 […]
Grain cars overturn in UP derailment in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas — Approximately 13 cars of grain derailed on a Union Pacific train in central El Paso this afternoon, closing an exit of Interstate 10, KFOX-TV reports. Three of the cars overturned, spilling a load reported to be soybean meal. No injuries are reported and no hazardous materials are involved, El Paso Fire […]
NTSB pinpoints close clearance in accident that killed CSX conductor trainee
WASHINGTON — A National Transportation Safety Board report on the Aug. 6 accident that claimed the life of a CSX Transportation conductor trainee in Cumberland, Md., found that there was only 7 inches of clearance between the well car the trainee was riding and a locomotive parked on an adjacent track. “The conductor trainee was […]
It’s official: Berkshire & Eastern to take over Pan Am Southern operations on Sept. 1
New Genesee & Wyoming shortline Berkshire & Eastern will begin operating New England regional Pan Am Southern on Sept. 1. Berkshire & Eastern’s startup date has been pushed back several times due to delays in obtaining the necessary labor agreements. But a G&W spokesman today confirmed that the railroad will begin operations on Friday, replacing […]
Metra Rock Island service disrupted by morning derailment
CHICAGO — No injuries were reported when a Metra Rock Island District train derailed Monday morning as it approached LaSalle Street Station, halting service on the route to Joliet, Ill., for almost five hours. The Chicago Sun Times reports inbound train No. 704 derailed near 14th Street, less than a mile from its destination, about […]
Approaching tropical storm leads to Amtrak, SunRail cancellations (updated)
ORLANDO, Fla. — Amtrak has cancelled or abbreviated routes for a number of trains in the Southeast as a result of Tropical Storm Idalia, now approaching Florida’s Gulf Coast. Orlando-area commuter operator SunRail will also suspend operations as of Tuesday, Aug. 29, until further notice. Tri-Rail and Brightline operations in South Florida are not affected. […]
Norfolk Southern system outage delays freight, passenger, and commuter trains (updated)
ATLANTA — A technology glitch that affected several Norfolk Southern systems — including positive train control and its freight yard operating system — caused delays across the railroad today. “Earlier today, Norfolk Southern experienced a technology hardware outage that impacted some operations. At this time, we have no indication that this was a cybersecurity incident. […]
News Photo: Montreal’s Exo testing long-awaited bilevel cars
MONTREAL — Montreal commuter rail operator Exo is stepping up testing of new but long-delayed rolling stock, built by China’s CRRC under a C$196 million order placed in 2017. A set of the new bilevel cars is shown en route to Montreal on Saturday, Aug. 26, after a stop at Montreal West. The first cars […]
Union Pacific asks federal court to resolve CPKC trackage rights dispute
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked a federal court to declare that the railroad has no obligation to handle Canadian Pacific Kansas City grain trains via trackage rights between Beaumont, Texas, and the ports of Houston and Galveston. UP, which filed the complaint on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of […]
How Amtrak services fared with summer travel surge: Analysis
WASHINGTON — Though Amtrak ridership for June and July 2023 did not reach pre-pandemic levels for the same months in 2019, a review of company statistics shows systemwide revenue beat the total for those months thanks to strong performance from Northeast Corridor and long-distance service. Frequency and capacity played a part in the performance shown […]