WASCO, Calif. — BNSF has reopened its main line on the Bakersfield Subdivision in the San Joaquin Valley, the railroad reports in a service update to customers. The route, closed since approximately 1:30 p.m. PST on Saturday because of a washout, was reopened at 12:07 a.m. PDT today (Monday, March 13). There was no immediate […]
Type of Train: Freight
Union Pacific train derails in central Kansas
McPHERSON, Kan. — Thirteen cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Sunday morning, starting a small grass fire and leading to a leak of denatured alcohol from two of the cars, KSN-TV reports. The derailment was reported about 9:40 a.m. McPherson Fire Chief TJ Wyssman told the station crews from Union Pacific, hazmat teams, and […]
Start of expanded Altamont Corridor Express service pushed back
MODESTO, Calif. — Planned expansion of the Altamont Corridor Express commuter rail service into Stanislaus and Sacramento counties will be delayed by two years, with the first trains not running until 2026, the Modesto Bee reports. The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which manages the service currently running between Stockton, Calif., and San Jose, attributes […]
STB names two members to railroad-shipper advisory council
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has named Richard Erstad and James (Leggett) Kitchin to the board’s Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council, the board announced Friday. Erstad, the vice president, general counsel, and secretary of Hawkins Inc., a chemical and ingredients company, joins the board representing small shippers. Kitchin, vice president for industrial products and coal […]
BNSF line in California closed by washout
WASCO, Calif. — BNSF’s main line on the Bakersfield Subdivision in the San Joaquin Valley has been closed by a washout, the railroad informed customers in an advisory on Saturday. The washout was reported about 1:30 p.m. PST near Wasco, about 27 miles northwest of Bakersfield. BNSF’s initial estimate to reopen the route between Bakersfield […]
Norfolk Southern reaches paid sick time agreements with two more unions
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has reached agreements with two more of its labor unions to provide their members with up to seven paid sick days per year. These agreements provide four new days of paid sick leave while also offering flexibility to use up to three additional days of existing paid time off as sick […]
STB names nine members to Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has named nine new members to its Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, which advises the board on issues regarding rail movement of coal, ethanol and other biofuels, and other energy resources. Newly appointed are: — Adam Anderson, CEO of Western Fuels Association, appointed as a representative of private railcar […]
AAR urges railroads to sideline new cars that may have caused NS derailment in Springfield, Ohio
WASHINGTON — In the wake of a Norfolk Southern derailment in Springfield, Ohio, railroads should take certain new steel coil cars out of service until their wheelsets can be replaced, the Association of American Railroads says. “Yesterday, Norfolk Southern identified loose wheels on a series of cars that presents an increased risk of an out […]
Norfolk Southern train derails in Alabama
PIEDMONT, Ala. — Thirty-seven cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed this morning (Thursday, March 9) in rural Calhoun County near the town of Piedmont, shortly before the railroad’s CEO began testimony before Congress on the railroad’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. No hazardous materials were involved in the Alabama incident, which occurred about 6:50 […]
BNSF Railway reaches paid sick time agreements with three more unions
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has reached paid sick time agreements with three more unions. The railway said today that it reached agreements with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW); the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS); and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical and Engineering Department […]
See the Lionel Union Pacific rocket train in action
The Lionel Union Pacific rocket train has caused quite a stir in the toy train world! Chris Montagna has another exclusive product review of it for Classic Toy Trains and Trains.com. It comes in a great big, nicely decorated box weighing 24 lbs.! Inside are 13 cars and a modern locomotive. The set, formally known […]
Senate committee grills Norfolk Southern CEO about East Palestine derailment
WASHINGTON — Members of a Senate committee today grilled Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw and environmental officials over the response to the Feb. 3 toxic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Shaw repeated his promise that the railroad will do whatever it takes to make things right in East Palestine, now and over the long term. […]