BNSF touts $4.2 billion of customer investments along its lines in 2024

FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway says its customers invested more than $4.2 billion along its lines in 2024. Significant investments were made from customers including CJ Logistics America, Hudson Asphalt Terminal, and Bakersfield Renewable Fuels. As a result of these and other customer investments, BNSF projects supported the creation of more than 1,000 new […]

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Milwaukee’s Trainfest to return in November 2025

The logo for Trainfest 2025, which reads "Trainfest" in red lettering

MILWAUKEE — America’s largest operating model railroad show is set for 2025. In a press release sent to Firecrown Media Inc., the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) announced Milwaukee’s Trainfest will return to the Baird Center Nov. 1-2, 2025. This marks the second-consecutive year the event will be held at the downtown venue. The NMRA, […]

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IBEW ratifies contract with rail carriers

Logo of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which includes lighting bolts held by a fist

WASHINGTON — The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has ratified a five-year agreement with the National Carriers Conference Committee, bargaining group for Class I and other railroads. The union represents about 3,500 freight rail workers nationwide. “This agreement reaffirms our commitment to securing strong contracts that provide economic stability for our members and their families,” […]

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Rail earns relatively high marks on latest infrastructure report card

Rail line dangling along river bank

The latest Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives rail a B- grade, which was above the C average given to American infrastructure overall. The report recommends that railroads continue to harden their physical plants to better resist increasingly frequent, longer duration, and more powerful natural disasters. “Rail lines face considerable […]

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CSX, signalmen reach tentative contract agreement

Logo of the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX announced it has reached a five-year tentative contract agreement with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen, which represents 1,215 workers at the railroad. In addition to wage increases, the agreement includes health and welfare benefits, vacation improvements, and improvements to seven local work rules, the union said on its website. The agreement […]

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New Jersey ‘Merci Train’ car found, to be restored

BOONTON, N.J. — The long-lost New Jersey car from the post-World War II “Merci Train” has been rediscovered and will be returned to the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey for restoration. The URHS reports the car has been donated by the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City. It was […]

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Sound Transit board to vote on new CEO

Head shot of smiling man in suit

SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s board will vote on the appointment of Dow Constantine as its new CEO at its meeting on Thursday, March 27. The agency announced Monday (March 24) that Constantine, currently King County Executive and part of its 18-member board, was its preferred candidate. The board had selected that top candidate at meeting […]

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News & Products for the week of March 24th 2025

The cab of a model locomotive in black, gray, yellow and red

News & Products for the week of March 24th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 24th, […]

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Union Pacific to serve new Hyundai steel mill in Louisiana

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

WASHINGTON – Union Pacific will serve the $5.8 billion steel mill that Hyundai Motor Group will build in Louisiana. The electric arc furnace facility, announced today during a White House ceremony, will supply steel coils for U.S. Hyundai and Kia plants as well as U.S. automakers, Hyundai said. The mill will be built at the […]

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