German rail network operators will be able to override existing contracts to prioritize the transport of oil and coal for power generation — potentially delaying passenger and other freight service — under a draft emergency law published last week by the German government. The rule also covers moves of heavy equipment, such as transformers, needed […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Operating issues continue for state-supported Amtrak trains serving Chicago
CHICAGO — Amtrak continues to have difficulty operating its full slate of state-supported trains from its Chicago hub, although the reasons for the issues vary. On Sunday, train No. 364, the Blue Water to Port Huron, Mich., and Chicago-Pontiac, Mich., Wolverine No. 354 were combined between Chicago and Battle Creek, Mich. The trains departed Chicago […]
Fourteen states and five steaks on Amtrak
Fourteen states on Amtrak I’ve been riding on trains since I was 2 years old. Although those trips were short and on scenic railroads, my love for trains increased as I got older. From watching high-speed Acela and Northeast Regional trainsets fly by while visiting the Northeast Corridor to watching videos of the stunning views […]
SEPTA opens new station, introduces new Regional Rail schedules
MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has begun service to its newest Regional Rail Station, at the same time it has introduced new schedules. The new Wawa Station at 1490 W. Baltimore Pike in Media, Pa., is the southwestern endpoint of what is now the Media/Wawa line (formerly Media/Elwyn), and carries the […]
News photos: Reading & Northern 4-8-4 sees freight action
READING, Pa. — As promised, Reading & Northern’s restored Reading Co. T-1 4-8-4, No. 2102, saw action in freight service on Friday, Aug. 19, hauling a 28-car train (plus caboose) from Tamaqua to Reading after a light-engine move from Port Clinton, Pa., to Tamaqua. Photographer Gary Pancavage provides two shots of the action. […]
Despite historically poor rail service, J.B. Hunt remains bullish on intermodal growth
NEW YORK — Domestic intermodal service is running at historically low levels, with trains routinely arriving a day or two behind schedule, J.B. Hunt executives say. “We never saw numbers like this before the pandemic,” Darren Field, J.B. Hunt’s intermodal president, told an investor conference this week. “It’s really a labor and crew issue for […]
CSX and NS optimistic as operations slowly improve with new conductors entering service
NEW YORK — Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation executives say their railroads are slowly on the mend as more conductors begin active duty and start to ease the crew shortages that have caused widespread service problems. Neither railroad has been able to handle freight demand and both have lost traffic to trucks as on-time performance […]
FRA looking into Southern California tank car incident
PERRIS, Calif. — The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating last week’s incident involving a leaking tank car that led to evacuations and closure of an interstate highway for about a day. The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports the FRA’s Hazards Materials Division will look at preparation and loading of the tank car, the car’s move from origin […]
Boston braces for ‘chaos’ as Orange Line shutdown begins
BOSTON — With the 30-day closure of a primary rail rapid transit line set to begin this evening, the mayor of Boston has warned it will be “impossible to avoid chaos altogether.” The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Orange Line will close Friday at 9 p.m., leaving commuters to use a patchwork of commuter rail, other […]
Spain expands its high-speed network, adds competition
Spain has added to its high-speed rail mileage this summer and is on track to reach 2,500 miles within the next year, maintaining its position as home of the world’s second-largest high speed rail network. China is No. 1 with a network eight or nine times bigger. As the Spanish network has grown, the government […]
New-equipment initiatives highlighted in Amtrak sustainability report
WASHINGTON — Building on the environmental benefits of rail travel, Amtrak has released its Fiscal 2021 Sustainability Report, outlining its efforts to improve sustainability by addressing greenhouse gas emissions and use of diesel fuel and electricity. Those efforts include the introduction of new Siemens Charger locomotives on long-distance routes, Tier-4-compliant units that emit 89% less […]
BNSF to end California traffic embargo in September
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway on Sept. 4 will end its embargo on certain types of carload traffic bound for California, saying that the restrictions enabled the railway to reduce traffic backlogs on its Southern Transcon. “BNSF is terminating our California permit embargo on Sunday, September 4. As anticipated, our weekly number of permits continued […]