WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration issued two safety advisories last week: One covering crossing gates and another regarding the operation of track maintenance machines. The grade crossing advisory notes that crossing gates attached using a king pin system could fail suddenly. King pin assemblies came into use in the early 1990s as railroads shifted […]
Train Topic: Rail Industry
Canadian container port expansion gets approval from British Columbia, with conditions
DELTA, British Columbia — The British Columbia government has provided environmental clearance for expansion of the container port at Roberts Bank, B.C., the Canadian Press reports, saying it could not prohibit the project from going forward in light of earlier federal approval. The C$3.5 billion Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project was approved by the Canadian […]
Norfolk Southern again hit by technology issues
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern operations were disrupted by an outage at its data center on Friday night, the railroad reports, the second time in little more than a month that technical issues have affected rail operations. The railroad said in a statement that the issue, which affected dispatching, train movements, and its terminal operating system, […]
No injuries reported when DC Metrorail train derails near Reagan Airport
WASHINGTON — No injuries were reported after a DC Metrorail train derailed Friday morning near Reagan International Airport, an incident Metro officials said was caused when the train struck an object that fell off a preceding train. The derailment occurred about 10:45 a.m. and involved a southbound train heading toward the Franconia-Springfield station, the Washington […]
BNSF, SMART-TD reach agreement on scheduling, sick days
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) have reached an agreement to allow for more predictable scheduling and paid sick days for all ground service employees, the parties have announced. Thursday’s announcement says the tentative agreement, after several months of negotiations, follows […]
NTSB calls for new gasket standards for tank cars as a result of 2022 BNSF derailment and fire (updated)
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has called for development of new standards for gaskets used by tank cars in flammable-liquid service as a result of investigation into a January 2022 derailment and fire involving a BNSF Railway Train in Oklaunion, Texas. The NTSB released a synopsis of its final report on Thursday. [The […]
Maryland officials offer new route options for Baltimore Red Line project
BALTIMORE — The Maryland Transit Administration has released maps showing three potential routes for its east-west Red Line transit project, an approximately 15-mile route between the western community of Woodlawn and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center via downtown. All three routes include both light rail and bus rapid transit options; the ultimate form of […]
Norfolk Southern names first director of public engagement
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has named Will Miller as its first director of public engagement, who the railroad said “will help marshall resources to improve railroad infrastructure and engagement with local leaders and their citizens.” Miller’s job will be to serve as point person for issues such as grade crossings, public events that cross railroad […]
Norfolk Southern, Florida East Coast to expand interline intermodal service to Florida
ATLANTA — Norfollk Southern and Florida East Coast Railway will expand their domestic interline intermodal services in Florida, the railroads announced Wednesday. As of Oct. 2, NS will add service to FEC’s Fort Pierce and Fort Lauderdale facilities, joining existing service to FEC terminals in Titusville and Miami. The additions will add flexibility for their […]
CPKC trains collide in Ontario, derailing 13 cars
MacTIER, Ontario — Thirteen cars of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City freight train derailed about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday after a reported collision with another train, CTV News reports. CPKC said in a statement to the network that no injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved. Two of the cars were carrying plastic pellets […]
NTSB increases staffing, cuts time to complete investigations
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has hired a record number of employees this year, which it says is leading to a significant decrease in the time needed to complete investigations. The agency said it will have 433 employees on staff at the end of the current fiscal year, up from a previous high […]
Weekly U.S. rail traffic up for a second straight week
WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic showed gains over 2022 figures for the week ending Sept. 23, the second consecutive week of improvement after traffic has been below year-earlier figures for most of 2023, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. The week saw 493,232 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.8% increase over […]