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AAR seeks FRA permission to scale back visual track inspections where automated systems are used to find defects

By | May 23, 2025
Boxcar equipped with scientific instruments for railroad track inspection.

WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads has asked the Federal Railroad Administration to allow less frequent visual track inspections in territory where automated track inspection systems are used. “The primary benefit of using automated inspection technologies is earlier detection of track defects enabling railroads to switch from reactive to preventative maintenance practices. A strictly […]

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Virginia court rules for Norfolk Southern in case over broadband installation

By | May 23, 2025
Container train rounds curve in rural area

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Norfolk Southern in a fight over broadband companies’ ability to build across rail lines. In a decision released Thursday, the court found that a 2023 law allowing broadband companies to “take railroad property for nonpublic use” violates a provision in the state constitution and […]

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What switch crews know

By | May 23, 2025
Railroaders pose with caboose at night

What do switch crews know? If you want to know how trains operate smoothly, ask the experts — the railroaders themselves. Things happen for a reason in the real world. Take switch-stand locations. Railroads hate to have brakemen crossing and recrossing tracks. It’s dangerous. It’s far safer to put all the switch stands on one […]

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Aurora Miniatures HO Transcona Shops boxcar

By | May 23, 2025
Color photo of HO scale boxcar painted oxide red with silver roof and white graphics

Aurora Miniatures HO Transcona Shops boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $59.99 Era: 2003 to present Manufacturer: Aurora Miniatures North America Inc., na.auroraminiatures.com Aurora Miniatures HO Transcona Shops boxcar features: 10-foot wide single plug door 36” metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour All-new model Aurora-designed 100-ton Barber roller-bearing trucks with bolster and center plate detail, brake beams, […]

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Amtrak board meeting reveals strong performance metrics but sidesteps upcoming challenges: Analysis

By | May 22, 2025
View of constructiion equipment on platform above water

WASHINGTON — Overall revenue is up, costs are being contained, expansion plans remain on track, and Amtrak is taking detailed steps to ensure summer 2024 problems on the Northeast Corridor in New Jersey won’t happen again. That’s a summary of issues covered in the live-streamed public portion of an Amtrak board meeting held today (May […]

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Amtrak on-time performance remains a struggle

By | May 22, 2025
Passenger train in late afternoon lighting

WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s overall customer on-time performance improved in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the previous quarter, according to the latest report from the Federal Railroad Administration. But the 72% overall figure is down from 77% in the same quarter a year ago, and none of the company’s three business segments (long distance, […]

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