BERLIN — Progress Rail will provide up to four EMD Joule battery-electric locomotives to BNSF for testing in Southern California, the company has announced today at InnoTrans. The trial, to be supported in part by government grants, will also see Progress provide two charging stations for the locomotives. The SD70J units will have 8 Megawatt-hours […]
Train Topic: Rail Industry
Two biggest rail unions won’t tally contract votes until the middle of November
The two biggest rail unions don’t expect to tally members’ votes on their tentative contract agreements with the Class I railroads until the middle of November. The SMART-TD union that represents conductors and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen that represents engineers both outlined ratification vote timelines this week in updates to their members. […]
Wabtec planning for transition from diesel
BERLIN — Wabtec has presented a range of new technology at the InnoTrans trade fair intended to enable rail operators to reduce fuel bills while offering shippers more efficient and predictable service. In a series of exclusive interviews with Trains News Wire, Wabtec executives outlined the likely transition from diesel to alternative fuel types for […]
New Strasburg GM packs experience, skills
STRASBURG, Pa. – Jim Hager brings a host of skills and experience to his new job as general manager of the 190-year-old Strasburg Rail Road, America’s oldest short line and now one of the country’s busiest and longest-running steam tourist railroads. A New Jersey native, he started hanging around the Black River & Western, another […]
Shippers, railroaders, and analysts praise CSX’s selection of an outsider as new CEO
PITTSBURGH – Shippers, railroaders, and analysts welcomed CSX Transportation’s decision to hire its next CEO from outside the industry. The railroad announced last week that former Ford President Joe Hinrichs would replace the retiring CEO Jim Foote on Sept. 26. Hinrichs brings experience as a rail shipper who once ran logistics for Ford. The auto […]
Speakers, schedule set for hearing on CP-KCS merger
WASHINGTON — A broad range of representatives of railroads, unions, shippers, environmental organizations, and opponents are scheduled to testify during the Surface Transportation Board’s three-day hearing on the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, set for next Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 28-30. The STB released the full list of scheduled speakers today (Sept. 22) along […]
Railroads need to cooperate and think long term if they are to grow, short line executive says
PITTSBURGH — Railroads need to collaborate and take a long-term view if they are to make the most of their traffic growth opportunities, Michael Miller, president of Genesee & Wyoming’s North American operations, told a shipper conference on Wednesday. “We as an industry have always looked at it as ‘What’s in it for me? What’s […]
Intermodal volume drags down weekly U.S. rail figures
WASHINGTON — A significant drop in intermodal traffic was the catalyst for a decline in weekly U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Sept. 17, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Overall traffic was 490,654 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.9% from the same week in 2021. That included 251,126 containers and […]
U.S., Canadian, and European rail supply groups agree to increase collaboration
BERLIN — The Railway Supply Institute and its Canadian and European counterparts have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish future collaboration between the rail supply industry groups. The agreement between RSI, the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers, and the European Rail Supply Industry Association, or UNIFE, was announced Tuesday at the InnoTrans trade fair. The […]
Stadler unveils first hydrogen train for U.S., announces order for up to 29 more
BERLIN — The first hydrogen-powered trainset for use in the U.S. has been presented to its owners at the InnoTrans trade fair by manufacturer Stadler — which also announced an order for more of the equipment for use in Amtrak California intercity service. The two-car trainset was ordered by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority […]
Progress Rail to offer diesel-battery hybrid locomotives
BERLIN — Progress rail will begin offering diesel-battery-electric hybrid locomotives, with the first two such units to be delivered this year to Rumo, a Brazilian railway and logistics company. The company announced the addition of the hybrid locomotive to its offerings on Tuesday at the InnoTrans rail trade fair. Rumo will begin testing two GT38H […]
Rail workers’ group calls for Wednesday picketing
An ad-hoc rail workers’ group is calling for informational picketing on Wednesday to address what it calls “the staffing shortages and lack of a decent quality of life” for employees as railroads, employees, and customers wait to see if unions will ratify tentative agreements that averted a strike last week. Meanwhile, the International Association of […]