WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern’s proposed abandonment of the Saluda Grade in North and South Carolina will not need to undergo an environmental impact statement process, the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Assessment has determined in a decision released today (Monday, Nov. 25). The railroad filed for abandonment of 31.3 miles of the long-dormant route […]
Railroad: Norfolk Southern
Alstom, Norfolk Southern awarded CRISI grant for battery-diesel locomotive project
KANONA, N.Y. — Alstom and Norfolk Southern are collaborating on a project that converts two locomotives from traditional diesel engines into battery-powered hybrid locomotives that rely on a smaller Tier 4 diesel engine for battery charging. The project is made possible by a $15.9 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and […]
Amtrak marks completion of Keystone Line track project
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Amtrak marked the completion of major track reconstruction and restoration of full service on its Keystone Line on Monday, capping an eight-month project to replace more than 43 miles of track between Harrisburg and Lancaster, Pa. The work also included installation of more than 113,000 concrete ties. The $122 million project required […]
Railroads have turned the corner on service and resiliency, analysts say
NEW YORK — The U.S. Class I railroads have turned the corner on service and resiliency and are poised for volume growth for the first time in years. That’s the view of a trio of analysts – Anthony B. Hatch, Rick Paterson, and Larry Gross – who spoke at the RailTrends conference last week. Paterson, […]
Atlas Norfolk Southern SD60E in N scale
The Norfolk Southern SD60E diesel locomotive is making its debut in the Atlas Model Railroad Co. N scale product lineup. Features on the Master Line model include a Scale Speed motor, operating front and rear ditch lights, and body-mounted Accumate couplers. Prototype history Norfolk Southern rebuilt 136 Electro-Motive Division SD60 diesel locomotives of various lineages […]
Norfolk Southern to add new board member as part of agreement with Ancora Holdings
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will add a new member to its board of directors — the 14th overall and 13th independent director — under a “cooperation agreement” with shareholder Ancora Holdings, NS announced today. NS and Ancora will work together to identify the new board member, who is expected to add to the board’s gender […]
Railroads ask federal courts to order FRA to take action on waylaid safety waivers
WASHINGTON – BNSF Railway, CSX, and Union Pacific filed lawsuits against the Federal Railroad Administration today for its failure to act on a half dozen safety waiver requests that in some cases would allow railroads to scale back visual inspections in areas where they have deployed new high-tech train and track inspection systems. The litigation […]
Horseshoe Curve funicular reopens after $150,000 overhaul
ALTOONA, Pa. – The trackside park at America’s oldest train-watching site – Horseshoe Curve, on Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line in west-central Pennsylvania – is again accessible to all visitors. Closed since the end of the 2019 season by a seemingly endless cycle of mechanical, operational, electronic, and software issues, the funicular or inclined-plane railway that […]
Norfolk Southern names Carpenter as vice president law
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has appointed Joseph H. Carpenter IV as vice president law, the company announced on Monday (Nov. 4). Carpenter will lead the company’s law department, guiding legal efforts and advancing regulatory initiatives. He will report to Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Jason Morris, who was named to that position in […]
FRA slows Class I railroad implementation of improved track and train inspections
WASHINGTON – In the wake of the disastrous hazardous materials derailment last year in East Palestine, Ohio, the Federal Railroad Administration has repeatedly said it’s doing everything it can to improve rail safety. Yet under Administrator Amit Bose the FRA has stymied Class I railroad efforts to combine automated track and equipment inspections with traditional […]
Norfolk Southern files for abandonment of Saluda Grade
WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern has filed a notice to abandon 31.3 miles of the long-inactive Saluda Grade in North and South Carolina, a prelude to previously announced plans to sell that section of the route to a consortium of groups who plan to create a biking and hiking trail. The abandonment would be effective […]
Norfolk Southern nominates four railroads for next heritage locomotive
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will add another heritage locomotive to its original 20-unit fleet. “We’ve narrowed it down to four iconic railroads, but only one will get to roll out of Altoona,” the railroad said in a recent LinkedIn post, referring to its paint shop in Pennsylvania. The railroad has selected four predecessor railroads as […]