BNSF Railway is now testing Kawasaki’s Locomotive-Mounted Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System, Kawasaki has announced. The system uses sensors and cameras to provide near-real-time track geometry data for track maintenance planning, Kawasaki says in a press release. Production units of the system have been in use since 2021 and have provided over 500,000 miles of […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
CSX parts ways with chief operating officer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jamie Boychuk, CSX Transportation’s executive vice president of operations, is leaving the railroad, the company announced this morning. In a statement, CEO Joe Hinrichs thanked Boychuk for his role in implementing scheduled railroading and cited CSX’s depth of operational experience that will ensure operational continuity while the company seeks a successor. No […]
LIRR operations continue to be affected by Thursday derailment
NEW YORK — Long Island Rail Road operations continue to see some delays and cancellations during the morning rush hour today (Aug. 4) following Thursday’s derailment of a train at Hall Interlocking near the Jaimaica station in Queens. Thirteen people were injured, two seriously, when eastbound train No. 722 derailed at 54 mph about 11:15 […]
Ottawa official ‘confident’ light rail line will reopen Aug. 14
OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa’s transit service manager now says she is “very confident” that the light rail Confederation Line will resume operation on Aug. 14, after initially hedging on that estimate. The Ottawa Citizen reports Renée Amilcar said Thursday that she holds that view “based on the work done by RTG [system operator Rideau Transit […]
Canadian National releases 2023-24 grain plan
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway this week released its 2023-24 Grain Plan, outlining its initiatives for handling Canada’s upcoming grain harvest. Efforts to handle grain traffic include deliver of another 750 new grain hoppers in 2024 and the recently announced expansion of the railroad’s locomotive modernization program [see “CN orders 60 more modernized diesels …,” […]
Missouri DOT unveils plans to improve grade crossings along state’s passenger routes
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The grade crossing near Mendon, Mo., that was the site of the fatal 2022 collision and derailment involving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is among 52 included in plans for upgrades, closures, or other changes released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The Kansas City Star reports the plan, with an estimated […]
Chicago Hub project vies for big chunk of federal grant money
CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker led an entourage of local and national political firepower Thursday in touting Amtrak’s application for federal funding for the Chicago Hub project, a more than $1.1 billion plan to improve Chicago Union Station and routes into the city. The request to the Federal Railroad Administration for an $872.8 million Federal-State […]
Six months after East Palestine wreck, NS reiterates long-term commitment to Ohio town and safety improvements
ATLANTA – Six months after the disastrous hazardous materials derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has penned a letter to area residents outlining the railroad’s ongoing commitment to the community and to improving its safety culture. “We promised to make things right for you and your neighbors, and we’ve made a […]
LIRR train derails near Jamaica station, injuring 13 (updated)
NEW YORK — Thirteen people are reported to have been injured after a Long Island Rail Road train derailed today (Aug. 3) east of the LIRR’s Jamaica station in Queens. The website amNY reports the train involved had left Grand Central Madison at 10:43 a.m. bound for Hempstead, and derailed about 11:15 a.m. FDNY Commissioner […]
Norfolk Southern claims CSX violations of Pan Am Railways agreements hurt competition and service in New England
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern, in a lawsuit filed this week in Delaware, accuses CSX Transportation of hampering its access to New England by repeatedly violating the operating agreements related to CSX’s 2022 acquisition of regional Pan Am Railways. The agreements became conditions for the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the June 1 Pan Am acquisition. […]
Classic Genesee & Wyoming EMD units in Northwest near retirement
ELMA, Wash. — Shortline powerhouse Genesee & Wyoming has begun removing older locomotives from its roster as part of a consent decree reached with the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year. Part of the agreement requires G&W to disable or upgrade more than 70 locomotives to address Clean Air Act violations [see “Genesee & Wyoming agrees to […]
FTA involved in investigation of SEPTA accidents: news report
PHILADELPHIA — The Federal Transit Administration will play a part in the investigation of a recent rash of incidents involving Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority trolleys and buses, WTXF-TV reports. SEPTA vehicles were involved in five incidents in a week in late July, including a collision of two buses that killed a 72-year-old woman and an […]