WASHINGTON — Amtrak is considering the use of semi-permanent coupling in its next generation of long-distance trainsets, and as a result will seek regulatory approval to address accessibility requirements through accommodations throughout those trainsets, rather than in individual cars. That proposal is included in a website the passenger operator has launched as it seeks public […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s second-quarter earnings slumped 24% as volume and average revenue per car both declined, the railroad’s corporate parent, Berkshire Hathaway, said on Saturday. BNSF’s operating income fell 24%, to $1.6 billion, as revenue declined 11.6%, to $5.7 billion. The railway’s operating ratio increased five points, to 68.2%. Overall volume was down […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A CSX Transportation conductor trainee was killed in the Cumberland, Md., yard early this morning, with the accident prompting the railroad to impose a safety stand down for its 350 conductor trainees. “CSX confirms that an employee was fatally injured in the course of working early this morning in Cumberland, Md.,” the […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The labor dispute at British Columbia ports is over after port workers voted on Friday to accept the tentative deal reached earlier this week. A message posted Friday night on the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada website said that 74.66% of the union’s members had voted to accept the deal. […]
BNSF Railway is now testing Kawasaki’s Locomotive-Mounted Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System, Kawasaki has announced. The system uses sensors and cameras to provide near-real-time track geometry data for track maintenance planning, Kawasaki says in a press release. Production units of the system have been in use since 2021 and have provided over 500,000 miles of […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific now has paid sick-leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions following SMART-TD’s ratification of its tentative agreement this week. “We are proud to be the second railroad in the industry to reach this milestone,” UP said in a LinkedIn post. Norfolk Southern on June 5 became […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jamie Boychuk, CSX Transportation’s executive vice president of operations, is leaving the railroad, the company announced this morning. In a statement, CEO Joe Hinrichs thanked Boychuk for his role in implementing scheduled railroading and cited CSX’s depth of operational experience that will ensure operational continuity while the company seeks a successor. No […]
BUTTE, Mont. — Federal railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose and Surface Transportation Board Vice Chair Karen Hedlund are among scheduled speakers at the third annual conference of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, set for Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the Hotel Finlen in Butte. The conference will bring together passenger advocates, government officials, railroad representatives, […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway this week released its 2023-24 Grain Plan, outlining its initiatives for handling Canada’s upcoming grain harvest. Efforts to handle grain traffic include deliver of another 750 new grain hoppers in 2024 and the recently announced expansion of the railroad’s locomotive modernization program [see “CN orders 60 more modernized diesels …,” […]
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The grade crossing near Mendon, Mo., that was the site of the fatal 2022 collision and derailment involving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is among 52 included in plans for upgrades, closures, or other changes released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The Kansas City Star reports the plan, with an estimated […]
CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker led an entourage of local and national political firepower Thursday in touting Amtrak’s application for federal funding for the Chicago Hub project, a more than $1.1 billion plan to improve Chicago Union Station and routes into the city. The request to the Federal Railroad Administration for an $872.8 million Federal-State […]
ATLANTA – Six months after the disastrous hazardous materials derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has penned a letter to area residents outlining the railroad’s ongoing commitment to the community and to improving its safety culture. “We promised to make things right for you and your neighbors, and we’ve made a […]
