FORT WORTH, Texas — Federal regulators this summer questioned whether BNSF Railway would be ready to handle this year’s fall harvest. Today the railway reported that it carried a record level of agricultural traffic last month, with ag volume and velocity both up 7% from last year. “We at BNSF are proud to support the […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
Canadian railways seek solutions to frequent labor disruptions
NEW YORK — If there’s a silver lining to the spate of labor disruptions that have affected Canadian railways and ports over the past 15 months, it’s that Ottawa now recognizes there’s a problem. “That’s the first step in fixing it,” Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson told the RailTrends conference last week. CN executives were […]
Whitewater advocates sue federal government over CSX’s Clinchfield repairs
ERWIN, Tenn. — Whitewater rafting advocates have filed lawsuits claiming the federal government has unlawfully allowed CSX Transportation to rebuild its former Clinchfield through the Nolichucky River Gorge and that the railroad’s repairs are environmentally disruptive. CSX has been rebuilding 40 miles of its Blue Ridge Subdivision between Erwin, Tenn., and Spruce Pine, N.C., after […]
BNSF wraps up Kansas double-tracking project, reaching milestone for Southern Transcon
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has reached a major milestone: The completion of the remaining section of double track on its Southern Transcon in Kansas. “Monday was a big day for BNSF’s Emporia Subdivision! The last 3.5 of approximately 51 miles of new doubletrack were cut over, about halfway across our Southern Transcon route,” […]
Caltrain equipment will be used to launch new commuter operation in Peru
LIMA, Peru — A signing ceremony has transferred 19 F40PH-2 locomotives and 90 bilevel gallery cars from Caltrain to the transit authority in Lima, setting the stage for the launch of a new commuter rail operation serving Peru’s capital. The ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 16, was held at Monserrate rail station. It brought together U.S. […]
Trump nominates Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation
WASHINGTON — President-elect Trump has chosen former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy as his nominee for Secretary of Transportation. Duffy, 53, currently serves as a co-host of Fox Business’ The Bottom Line broadcast and is a frequent contributor to the network. He left politics in 2019 to care for his newborn daughter. Duffy served as a […]
MTA board approves congestion tolling plan for Manhattan
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has approved the revised congestion tolling plan announced last week by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. In a meeting on Monday, Nov. 18, the board approved a plan that will launch the toll plan for lower Manhattan with a basic peak-hours toll of $9, while raising it […]
REMSA elects two new board members
WASHINGTON — The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association, or REMSA, has elected two new members to its board of directors. Elected at the Nov. 6 membership meeting are Bob Coakley, sales director, Ballast Tools Equipment, and Matt Violin, vice president of sales, NARSTCO. They will join the board for two-year terms as of Jan. 1, 2025. […]
Floridian travel tips: Plan for delays, massage Corridor connections, seek quirky pricing — Analysis
WASHINGTON — Anything can, and generally does, happen to impede trains on Amtrak’s network. On Sunday, Nov. 17, for instance, Norfolk Southern emergency repairs to an elderly drawbridge south of Chicago delayed the Miami-bound Floridian (and two trains headed to Michigan) more than 2 hours, 20 minutes. The setback was typical of timekeeping hiccups the […]
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 […]
Union Pacific chief legal officer to retire
OMAHA, Neb. — Craig Richardson, Union Pacific’s executive vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary, will retire March 31, 2025, the railroad has announced. UP said in a post on its website that, in anticipation of Richardson’s departure, Christina Conlin will join the railroad as of Dec. 2 as senior vice president and deputy […]
At RailTrends, CPKC and UP CEOs talk about higher levels of service
NEW YORK — The RailTrends conference in New York has been called the greatest single collection of rail investors in one place, and has featured in recent years a level of introspection by an industry that hasn’t grown much despite regular promises to do so. But the event this year wrapped up Friday with presentations […]