MERCER, Mo. — No injuries were reported in the derailment of 70 cars of a Union Pacific train in north-central Missouri, near the Iowa border, on Thursday. The derailment occurred about 7:30 a.m. Union Pacific spokeswoman Kristen South told the Kansas City Star that no hazardous materials were involved. A video on the Star website […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
Amtrak says it can’t reach agreement with Metra, asks STB to settle Union Station rent dispute NEWSWIRE
The Surface Transportation Board is once again being asked to settle a dispute between Amtrak and Metra over rent at Chicago Union Station. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Declaring the matter at an impasse, Amtrak has asked federal regulators to determine compensation and terms over Metra’s lease at Chicago Union Station. In a filing with the […]
Duluth plan would allow for preservation of tourist railroad NEWSWIRE
DULUTH, Minn. — A proposal released Monday by the city of Duluth would allow for the preservation of a tourist railroad which had faced the prospect of being shorted to accommodate a recreational trail. The Duluth News Tribune reports that the plan deals with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s clean-up of toxic waste at a former […]
BNSF Railway is high and dry after recent Midwest flooding NEWSWIRE
Midwest flooding map BNSF Railway OMAHA, Neb. — Plagued with weather-caused outages since mid-March, BNSF Railway reports all service is restored. Operations were slated to resume over the July 20 to 21 weekend on the 80-mile Napier Subdivision, along the Missouri River from near Omaha to near St. Joseph, Mo. It was BNSF’s hardest hit […]
CN, CP to argue Chicago interchange dispute before federal regulators NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has ordered Canadian National and Canadian Pacific to participate in oral arguments next month to settle their simmering dispute over the location of their interchange in Chicago. In a decision late Friday, the board directed CN and CP to participate in an Aug. 6 oral argument in Washington. The […]
Springfield in spring
Illinois Central train No. 22, the Green Diamond, led by E7 No. 4016, rolls north from Springfield, Ill., headed for Chicago on May 7, 1966. Thomas Hoffmann photo […]
Racing rivals
Pennsylvania Railroad’s Broadway Limited, left, and New York Central’s 20th Century Limited race each other from Englewood on Chicago’s South Side to Gary, Ind., in the 1930s. Both trains shared stations at each location. Classic Trains collection […]
General reborn
Western & Atlantic General of Great Locomotive Chase fame departs Detroit’s Michigan Central Station in August 1964 on a promotional tour for Louisville & Nashville. After restoration in the railroad’s Louisville, Ky., shops, the locomotive was something of a celebrity during the 1962 centennial celebration. Lowell Bush photo […]
UP confirms shutdown of Proviso yard hump; consolidation of other yards NEWSWIRE
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific confirmed today that it has shut down the hump at Proviso Yard in Chicago and curtailed operations at several other yards across its system as the railroad reduces the number of times cars are handled en route. “Proviso, in particular, was a very old and inefficient hump yard, still using […]
Wisconsin announces plans for more ‘Hiawathas’ NEWSWIRE
A northbound Amtrak Hiawatha passes the closed tower at Rondout, Ill, on June 2, 2019. TRAINS: David Lassen MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin officials announced plans to add three Amtrak Hiawatha round trips to the Chicago-Milwaukee route over the next five years, and should be able to add two of those trains with or without cooperation from […]
Metra preps for extreme heat NEWSWIRE
CHICAGO – Metra officials say Wednesday the commuter rail agency is taking safety precautions due to extreme heat expected over the next few days, and is being proactive to prevent last summer’s “hot car” problems. The agency started the day with an announcement via Twitter that trains will operate at reduced speeds due to the […]
MBTA Needham line to shut down on Saturdays for PTC work NEWSWIRE
BOSTON — Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service on the Needham commuter rail line will be suspended on Saturdays beginning Aug. 3 for installation of positive train control infrastructure. The MBTA announced that the suspension of service is scheduled to continue through Oct. 12. Bus and subway alternatives for Needham line travelers are outlined in the […]