Amtrak asks STB to dismiss Gulf Coast case

WASHINGTON — Amtrak has asked the Surface Transportation Board to dismiss its petition asking the board to compel freight railroads to allow operation of Gulf Coast service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., saying the terms of an agreement between the passenger operator, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Alabama State Port Authority have been fulfilled […]

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Announcements of 2024 CRISI grants begin

Steel girder bridge over river

WASHINGTON — Elected officials across the country have begun announcing recipients of federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement, or CRISI, grants ahead of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of the full list of grant recipients. Officeholders generally have the opportunity to announce the grants to their constituents ahead of the U.S. DOT announcement. […]

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FRA proposes automated track inspection regulations

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration this week proposed its first regulations on automated track inspection — but has left untouched the regulations that cover traditional visual track inspections. The rule itself would have little impact on Class I and II railroads: They’re already meeting or exceeding the proposed inspection frequency with their various track […]

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Canadian union calls for CN to prioritize passenger operations

Passenger train on multi-track main line adjacent to highway

OTTAWA, Ontario — Unifor, Canadian’s largest private-sector union, is calling on Canadian National Railways to prioritize passenger operations — and for more government oversight of the relationship between freight and passenger service — in the wake of restrictions CN has placed on VIA Rail Canada corridor trains in Ontario and Quebec. “This is about CN […]

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MBTA Orange Line project eliminates 20 speed restrictions

Machinery working on underground rail line

BOSTON — A 13-day suspension of service for maintenance on a portion of the Orange Line led to the lifting of 20 speed restrictions, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced. The ongoing, year-long Track Improvement Program has now reduced the amount of the MBTA rail transit system under speed restrictions to 1.8 miles, or […]

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Denver Union Station: Gem of the West

The façade of Denver Union Station on a sunny day

Denver Union Station’s predecessor established the city as the transportation hub of the West and the primary gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Opened on June 1, 1881, where 17th Street dead-ends into Wynkoop Street, Denver Union Depot was 504 feet long and 65 feet wide, the largest structure in the West. Within a decade, 100 […]

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Union Pacific reports higher volume, revenue, and profits

Yellow locomotives leading train of double-stacked containers over bridge

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s third-quarter financial results – with volume, revenue, and profits all on the upswing — are proof that the railroad’s strategy is working, CEO Jim Vena says. UP this morning (Oct. 24) reported that operating income increased 11%, to $2.46 billion, as revenue grew 3%, to $6 billion. Earnings per share […]

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Bridge collapses on flood-damaged Norfolk Southern line

Bridge over river, bent in middle of span

NEWPORT, Tenn. — A trestle on Norfolk Southern’s storm-closed AS Line in Tennessee collapsed Wednesday, leading to a series of road closures, Newport police reported. Three roads are closed until further notice as a result of the collapse of the bridge over the Pigeon River, the police said in a Facebook post. The NS line […]

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