Norfolk Southern to sell Saluda Grade for conversion to trail

Green and white diesels at crest of mountain pass

LANDRUM, S.C. — Norfolk Southern has agreed to sell 31 miles of right-of-way for its dormant Saluda Grade — formerly the steepest main line in America — to the Saluda Grade Trail Conservancy for conversion to a trail, the Spartanburg Post and Courier reports. Three non-profit groups — Conserving Carolina, Upstate Forever, and PAL: Play, […]

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Reading & Northern makes marketing changes

Reading and Northern logo

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern has announced two changes in its marketing department, promoting James Raffa to senior vice president-petrochemicals and minerals, and naming Rian Nemeroff senior vice president-consumer products. Raffa, who rejoined R&N two years ago, was instrumental in developing a Marcellus Shale transload terminal in Tunkhannock, Pa. The railroad handled more […]

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U.S. rail traffic slump continues

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus total intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads experienced their biggest single-week traffic drop of the year, compared to the comparable week in 2022, with overall traffic down 7.6% for the week ending March 11, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Intermodal traffic — at 229,383 containers and trailers, down 13% from the corresponding week in […]

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Canadian government to help fund Winnipeg-area rail industrial park

Aerial illustration of planned rail-served industrial park near Winnipeg, Canada

ROSSER, Manitoba — The Canadian government will contribute up to C$18 million toward development of a rail-served industrial park near Winnipeg, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Wednesday. Funds for the CentrePort Canada project will help pay for an additional switch connecting to the adjacent Canadian Pacific main line, several kilometers of track within the park, […]

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Amtrak, Southern Rail Commission welcome news of CP-KCS merger

Canadian Pacific freight train meets Amtrak train

WASHINGTON — The merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern may be a union of two freight railroads, but it is likely to matter for passenger railroading, as well. Amtrak had formally supported the railroads’ merger application before the Surface Transportation Board. That reflected CP’s backing for passenger operations between New Orleans and Baton […]

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Metra, Chicago suburbs see few concerns addressed in merger decision

People walk across railroad tracks as trains meet in background

WASHINGTON — Commuter rail operator Metra and a group of Chicago suburbs received few of the conditions they had sought when the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger was approved on Wednesday. But that doesn’t mean their concerns couldn’t be addressed later, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman said during a Wednesday press conference, thanks […]

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