Thursday morning rail news: Capitol Corridor to require reservations Nov. 23-30 Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service in Northern California is, like Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner, instituting a temporary reservation requirement for travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period, Nov. 23-30. Reservations will be required to manage capacity and distancing. Those who use monthly, six-ride, or 10-ride tickets […]
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NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern will idle the hump at its yard in Macon, Ga., next week and close several local yards around Atlanta as part of a redesign of its carload and intermodal networks in the South. Macon will be the sixth hump NS has idled since 2019 under its shift to a Precision […]
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WASHINGTON — Eleven projects in nine states have received grants totaling more than $291 million under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program. Awards were announced this morning. The program is intended to improve intercity passenger rail performance with repair or replacement of publicly owned assets; many of the projects receiving […]
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Wednesday afternoon rail news: Groundbreaking for South Shore project features first ‘commuter train’ to Dyer, Ind. Arriving on a South Shore Line train using parallel CSX tracks, officials at a groundbreaking Wednesday in Munster, Ind., for the commuter railroad’s West Lake Corridor project touted the significance of the 8-mile, $945 million branch line that will […]
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Still more Wednesday morning rail news: BNSF to resume taconite payments to Superior, Wis., homeowners BNSF Railway will resume taconite-dust cleaning payments to homeowners near its taconite loading facility in Superior, Wis., after having stopped some of the payments earlier this year. Wisconsin Public Radio reports the payments, which the company has paid out for almost 50 […]
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NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern’s third-quarter revenue and profits sank due to pandemic-related traffic declines, but CEO Jim Squires says the railroad is picking up the pace of Precision Scheduled Railroading improvements. “As we continue rolling out PSR, our team sees additional opportunity for efficiency and growth that will close the [operating ratio] gap with […]
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Former Norfolk Southern and Amtrak CEO Charles “Wick” Moorman and retired NS executive Deborah Butler Painter are among members of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority board of directors, which held its first meeting Monday to begin its efforts to improve rail transportation in the state. Created by a law passed earlier this year, the […]
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OMAHA, Neb. — Outgoing Union Pacific Chief Operating Officer Jim Vena, who accelerated Precision Scheduled Railroading operational changes across the system, will not rule out popping up at another Class I railroad. Vena was asked last week about his plans once his stint is up at UP, which the Canadian National veteran joined in January […]
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Friday morning rail news: LIRR workers credited with saving life of passenger who fell onto tracks Five Long Island Rail Road maintenance workers are being credited with saving the life of a passenger who fell onto the tracks at a Brooklyn station during Wednesday morning’s rush hour. A Metropolitan Transportation Authority press release says the man fell […]
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More Thursday midday rail news: NJ Transit board approves $2.6 billion operating budget NJ Transit’s board has approved a $2.6 billion operating budget for 2021 — a figure representing a 10% increase made possible by coronavirus relief funds. NorthJersey.com reports some $955 in federal CARES act funding will help offset $860 million in revenue losses from decreased […]
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Thursday morning rail news: Kentucky Steam facility to be centerpiece of development effort A former CSX Transportation rail yard in Estill County, Ky., owned by Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. will be turned into a multipurpose development featuring food, arts, music, and a heritage rail facility. With the help of a $120,000 contribution by the Commonwealth […]
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CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific aims to control its own destiny by purchasing the Detroit River Rail Tunnel, a key link in its route connecting Chicago with Toronto, Montreal, and Eastern Canada. The $312 million deal, announced last week and subject to regulatory approval, will for the first time give CP full ownership of the […]
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