WASHINGTON — Amtrak and funding for rail-related grant programs fared far better with Senate appropriators on Thursday than they did last week with those in the House of Representatives. Transportation spending for fiscal 2024 in a bill approved by the Senate Committee on Appropriations includes some $2.45 billion for Amtrak operations and state-of-good repair funding, […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
CSX earnings slump as intermodal volume drops
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation’s quarterly profits slumped due to a combination of higher costs and lower traffic volume, the railroad reported today. “The ONE CSX team continued to build momentum this quarter as our merchandise and coal businesses continued to demonstrate significant volume gains,” CEO Joe Hinrichs said on the railroad’s Thursday earnings report. […]
New York MTA approves fare increases for subway, commuter rail, buses
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will increase fares on subways, commuter trains, and buses effective Aug. 20, following approval of the new fares by the MTA board on Wednesday. The fare increases are the first since 2019. They are notable because they end a period in which most transit agencies have been reluctant […]
LIRR Far Rockaway service restored after Wednesday derailment
FAR ROCKAWAY, N.Y. — Long Island Rail Road service has been restored this morning on the Far Rockaway Branch after a derailment during Wednesday evening’s rush hour. WABC-TV reports the lead car of an eastbound train derailed while entering the Far Rockaway station about 6:30 p.m. Some 50 passengers were on board, but no injuries […]
Ottawa still awaiting estimate when light rail service will resume
OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa’s transit agency will increase the number of buses replacing light rail service along the shuttered Confederation Line as of today (July 20), but it still has no estimate when rail service will resume. OC Transpo General Manager Renée Amilcar said that operator Rideau Transit Group was “developing a plan” for resuming […]
Resumption of British Columbia port strike on hold (updated)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The strike at British Columbia ports, which was halted by a tentative settlement, resumed, then halted by a government ruling, now appears to be in limbo. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union today provided a 72-hour notice of intent to strike, which set the stage for their walkout at […]
NTSB issues preliminary report on CSX conductor trainee death
WASHINGTON — A CSX Transportation conductor trainee was killed when he fell from a railcar during a shoving move and was hit by the train, according National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on a fatal accident June 26 at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore. The accident occurred about 8:05 p.m. and involved a yard […]
Arcade & Attica acquires Alco RS3, will relegate center cabs to lesser roles
ARCADE, N.Y. — The Arcade & Attica Railroad is set to replace its distinctive GE center-cab locomotives, a hallmark of the railroad for almost 80 years, with the arrival of Alco RS3U No. 406. The Alco, acquired earlier in the year from the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad in Olean, N.Y., arrived on the […]
No timeline set for reopening of Ottawa light rail line
OTTAWA, Ontario — No timeline has been set for resuming service on Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line, officials said during a Tuesday press conference. The line was shut down Monday afternoon because of equipment concerns [see “Ottawa light rail line shut down …,” Trains News Wire, July 18, 2023]. Discovery of a bearing issue on […]
MBTA completes repair work at Tufts Curve, long-time trouble spot on Orange Line
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed work on a section of the Orange Line known as the Tufts Curve, concluding one of the Corrective Action Plans addressing issues raised by the Federal Transit Administration in 2022 and eliminating a long-running speed restriction. The FTA officially closed the corrective plan in writing, confirming […]
BNSF appeals STB decision ordering railroad to haul more coal for Montana mining company
WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway is seeking a judicial review of the Surface Transportation Board’s preliminary injunction that orders the railroad to haul more export coal from a Montana mine to tidewater in British Columbia. Last month in a 3-2 decision the STB ordered BNSF to handle 23 trains per month from Navajo Transitional Energy Co.’s […]
CP 4-6-4 No. 2816 to embark on Canada-U.S.-Mexico tour in 2024
CALGARY, Alberta – Mark your calendars for April 2024. That’s when Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2816 will embark on a celebratory tour of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City system from Calgary to Mexico City. The Final Spike Steam Tour will depart Calgary on April 14, the one-year anniversary of the merger of CP and Kansas […]