ARLINGTON, Texas — The Heartland Flyer passenger service has received a one-year funding reprieve, thanks to a decision by the federally designated planning organization for the Dallas-Fort Worth area to divert funding from regional highway tolls to cover the Texas portion of the train’s operating grant. The Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas […]
NEW YORK — A majority of railroad shippers would support a transcontinental merger so long as it included concessions such as full reciprocal switching, according to the latest TD Cowen shipper survey. “For the first time, we asked rail shippers if they would support a transcontinental merger; 47% answered that they would support it, a […]
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — If Class I railroads truly want to grow carload traffic — well, they have a lot of work to do to improve their service. That was the loud-and-clear message from two presentations Wednesday (July 9) at the summer meeting of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers, where Aaron Girard of Seneca Foods […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board is seeking candidates to fill vacancies on two of its advisory groups, the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee and the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council. There are nine vacancies on the energy committee, the board said: one each for a representative from CPKC, CSX, and a Class II or Class III […]
GREENCASTLE, Ind. — Cleanup continues more than 20 cars of a CSX train derailed Tuesday night (July 8, 2025) in Greencastle, Ind. The derailment was reported to first responders about 8 p.m. Putnam County Emergency Management Director Sarah Owen told the Putnam County Post that there were no injuries, no hazardous materials involved, and the […]
COLDWATER, Mich. — The Little River Railroad is pulling out all the stops to commemorate its 20th season operating out of Coldwater. An anniversary celebration, scheduled July 26 and 27, will include steam-powered excursions to Quincy, Mich., family-friendly activities, and a guest appearance by Nickel Plate Road No. 765. The 2-8-4 will be at the […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic was up 5% for the week ending July 5 compared to the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads reported on Wednesday. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 443,049 carloads and intermodal units, up 5% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads were […]
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — If a transcontinental rail merger is proposed — as has been a subject of speculation in recent months — it would be up to the Surface Transportation Board to approve or deny the request. But the STB, like most government agencies, is now smaller than it was before the start of […]
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — CSX says its crew members are uninjured following a grade-crossing collision and fire this afternoon near Atlanta — contrary to local news reports that said the crew members were among four people with significant injuries. A WAGA-TV report quoted local police as saying the collision between a train and tractor-trailer rig […]
STAUNTON, Va. — Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 is poised to return to the Buckingham Branch Railroad this fall. Beginning on Sept. 26, 2025, the 4-8-4 will lead the Virginia Scenic Railway’s Shenandoah Valley Limited for five weekends. The locomotive operated these trips in 2023, but sat out for 2024 due to essential […]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Michelle Bouchard, executive director of Caltrain, has been elected chair of the Commuter Rail Coalition’s board of directors as part of a new leadership team announced this week by the national advocacy group for commuter rail agencies and operators. Bouchard, who previously served as the coalition’s vice chair, helped lead Caltrain’s $2.4 […]
CHICAGO – A federal court has tossed out the Surface Transportation Board’s 2024 reciprocal switching rule that would have allowed shippers who suffer from inadequate rail service to gain access to a second railroad. The STB exceeded its authority when it adopted the rule, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit said in […]
