COLUMBUS, Ohio — The city of Cincinnati’s plan to sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern — which had been in jeopardy — has been revived by the state legislature. WXIX-TV reports that, after the state House and Senate passed versions of a transportation bill with conflicting language regarding the sale, a conference committee […]
Type of Train: Freight
Union Pacific reopens Cima Subdivision after derailment of runaway iron ore train
KELSO, Calif. — Union Pacific reopened its Cima Subdivision today less than 26 hours after part of an iron ore train ran away and derailed on the 2.2% Cima Hill grade near Kelso. “Union Pacific crews worked around-the-clock to rebuild the tracks in the Mojave National Preserve, east of Barstow, where 55 railcars and two […]
Illinois report finds few railcar violations, details rail hazardous-material incidents
CHICAGO — The Illinois Commerce Commission found violations on just 1.3% of the 8,549 railcars inspected in 2022, the commission said in its annual report on accidents and hazardous-material incidents, released last week. When the inspections began in 1981, violations exceeded 12%. “The disaster in East Palestine has rightfully turned attention to our nation’s rail […]
Judge rules BNSF oil trains violated tribal agreement
ANACORTES, Wash. — BNSF Railway violated terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community by running 100-car trains of crude oil across the Swinomish reservation in Anacortes for years, a federal judge ruled Monday. The Seattle Times reports that U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik said in a written order Monday that […]
CN, logistics, shipping firms to open new Calgary transload facility
CALGARY — Canadian National, logistics firm Kaptan and Montship Inc., Canada’s largest steamship agency, have announced plans for an intermodal transload facility to be built in CN’s Calgary Logistics Park. The facility, announced Monday, is expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2024. It will provide a location to transload imports into 53-foot […]
Gulf & Atlantic buys three Midwestern short lines
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gulf & Atlantic Railways will acquire three railroads operating in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio — the Chesapeake & Indiana, Vermilion Valley and Camp Chase — from Midwest & Bluegrass rail, the company announced Monday. The railroads involved are: — The Chesapeake & Indiana (CKIN), a 28-mile line in northwest Indiana, with connections […]
CP derailment in North Dakota spills hazardous materials (updated)
WYNDMERE, N.D. — Thirty-one cars of a 70-car Canadian Pacific train derailed late Sunday in rural North Dakota, spilling liquid asphalt, KVRR-TV reports. Richland County Emergency Manager Brett Lambrecht told the station 31 cars derailed and that while the liquid asphalt is flammable, it cools and solidifies in the snow at the derailment scene, decreasing […]
Runaway UP ore train derails in California desert (updated)
KELSO, Calif. — Two locomotives and 55 cars of a runaway Union Pacific train carrying iron ore derailed near the Mojave Desert community of Kelso today (Monday, March 27), officials from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District reported. Union Pacific spokesman Mike Jaixen has confirmed that there was “uncontrolled train movement” of the southbound […]
News & Products for the week of March 27th 2023
News & Products for the week of March 27th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 27th 2023. […]
Letters of opposition trigger hearing on Lac-Mégantic land acquisitions
MONTREAL — A coalition opposed to construction of the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass has delivered almost 1,500 letters contesting the Canadian government’s expropriation of land for the project to the agency in charge of the process. The French-language newspaper La Presse Canadienne initially reported the protest in an article published in English by the Montreal Gazette. […]
Nebraska legislature won’t take action on two-person-crew bill
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Legislature is placing on hold a bill that would require trains to have two-person crews while federal regulators consider the issue, the Omaha World-Herald reports. Legislative Bill 31 was introduced in January by state Sen. Mike Jacobson (R-North Platte) and was awaiting action by the legislature’s Transportation and Telecommuncations Committee. […]
UP, union reach agreement to maintain two-person crews on much of railroad (updated)
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has reached an agreement with General Committee 953 of the SMART-TD union to maintain two-person crews, the railroad announced, confirming an earlier report by the North Platte Telegraph. General Committee 953 covers workers in a 13-state area on the Union Pacific and four short lines, and in its current form […]