Chicago suburbs express concerns over CP-KCS merger (updated)

Locomotive next to wood station building

ROSELLE, Ill. — Eight Chicago suburbs are forming a coalition to voice concerns over the potential increase in rail traffic through their communities if the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger is approved. The suburban Daily Herald reports Roselle, Elgin, Barlett, Hanover Park, Schaumburg, Itasca, Wood Dale and Bensenville are asking residents to submit comments to […]

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STB clears path for Uinta Basin Railway project

Map showing proposed rail route in Utah

WASHINGTON — A Surface Transportation Board decision has cleared the way for construction of Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway. In a decision issued Wednesday, the board granted the exemption sought by the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition to construct the 85-mile line to connect oilfields in western Utah to the national rail network at a junction with […]

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Letter from Brightline CEO says car modifications are easiest solution to clearance issues at station

Train descends ramp from station

MIAMI — Tri-Rail and Brightline are each suggesting the other party is at fault after Tri-Rail management told the agency’s board last week that the commuter agency’s trains would not clear the platform at Brightline’s MiamiCentral station [see “Tri-Rail service to Brightline’s Miami station faces clearance issues …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 13, 2021]. The […]

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Greenbrier joins Rail Pulse technology consortium

Greenbrier Companies logo

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — Railcar manufacturer The Greenbrier Companies has joined the Rail Pulse coalition, becoming the first company beyond the five founding members to join the effort to develop GPS and telematic technology for railcar tracking and other applications. Norfolk Southern, Genesee & Wyoming, Watco, GATX Corp, and TrinityRail formed Rail Pulse in 2020. […]

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Winds blamed for BNSF derailment in Oklahoma

BNSF Railway logo

ENID, Okla. — High winds are being cited as the cause of a derailment of a BNSF Railway intermodal train near Enid on Wednesday. KWTV reports the accident occurred about 1 p.m., and reports 21 cars carrying a total of 32 containers derailed. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation. The Weather […]

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Amtrak shifts vaccination policy, will avoid service reductions

Passenger train passes station

WASHINGTON — Amtrak will revert to its original COVID-19 vaccination policy, which allows testing as an alternative to vaccination, in light of a court ruling halting a federal executive order blocking enforcement of a vaccination mandate. As a result, the passenger railroad does not anticipate that it will need to make any service reductions in […]

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Kansas City Southern enters voting trust

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern’s sale to Canadian Pacific has officially been completed, allowing the KCS shares to be placed into a voting trust while the deal is reviewed by federal regulators. The $31 billion deal sees KCS stockholders receive 2.884 shares of CP common stock and $90 in case for each share […]

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Canadian National, Google Cloud announce seven-year partnership

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National has announced a seven-year deal with Google Cloud to modernize the railroad’s technology infrastructure and improve customers’ ability to ship and track cargo moves. CN says the move will use Google Cloud’s expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to provide customers and supply-chain partners with planning, shipping, tracking, […]

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New York MTA sets farewell for long-serving subway equipment

Stainless steel subway train in station

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced plans for a series of celebratory final runs as it retires subway equipment that it says are some of the world’s oldest active subway cars. The R32 cars, nicknamed Brightliners, were built by the Budd Co. in Philadelphia, with the first of the cars making their […]

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