WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has granted Land Rush Rail Corp., part of Farmrail, permission to lease and operate 37.26 miles of track in Oklahoma and Kansas previously operated by the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad. The route, from Wellington, Kan., to Blackwell, Okla, is owned by the Blackwell Industrial Authority and the Oklahoma Department […]
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota’s Senate has voted down a bill calling for support for introduction of Amtrak service in the state. House Concurrent Resolution 6008 calls for state’s congressional delegation and the Trump administration to work for development of a route through the state connecting Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul [see “South Dakota resolution …,” […]
WASHINGTON — All service between New York Penn Station and Newark, N.J., was suspended for about an hour today (Saturday, March 1) after debris apparently fouled electrical transmission wires over the tracks at Newark, according to an advisory on Amtrak’s website. Meanwhile, “ongoing switch and signal issues” at Washington Union Station has primarily affected trains […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has initiated a two-step process to seek a “delivery partner” for the Dallas-Houston high speed rail project, the former Texas Central effort it joined in 2023. A notice on the company’s procurement website says that partner “will be responsible for facilitating Amtrak’s delivery of the project.” The company selected “will provide advice, […]
PIERRE, S.D. — A resolution in the South Dakota House is calling for support of the state’s congressional delegation and the Trump Administration for Amtrak service in the state. House Resolution 6008 is sponsored by Rep. Tim Goodwin, a Republican who represents the 30th District, in the state’s southwestern corner. It was introduced on Feb. […]
Missouri Pacific locomotives, both steam and diesel, display a variety typical of their era. The “MoPac,” as it was called, merged several railroads during the diesel era, notably the International-Great Northern and St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico in 1956, the Texas & Pacific (which it had long controlled) and Chicago & Eastern Illinois […]
One of the fascinating aspects of being actively involved in firing and running steam locomotives was discovering that each one had its own personality. In the case of a class of engines, sometimes the entire group would demonstrate similar characteristics, but seemingly there would always be one or more in the class that were […]
KIRBY, Texas — Approximately 15 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed today (Feb. 15, 2025) in Kirby. No injuries or hazardous materials spills were reported. The derailment occurred about 1 p.m., a Union Pacific representative told KSAT-TV. The city said in a Facebook post that Gibbs Sprawl Road on the city’s northeast side will […]
DIX, Nebraska — Two Union Pacific trains derailed today about 150 miles apart on the railroad’s Overland Route main line in Nebraska, with a fire resulting from one of the incidents. KNOP-TV reports that several fire departments responded to a derailment in Dix, about 30 miles from the Wyoming state line, at 6:50 a.m. The […]
CHICAGO — In the latest round of Amtrak operating issues, fallout from days of late trains has again inconvenienced passengers along the Empire Builder’s Chicago-Seattle/Portland, Ore., route, causing cancellation of one round trip. Other significant disruptions befell Southwest Chief and Lake Shore Limited departures, and reports say VIA Rail Canada’s westbound Canadian encountered snow-covered frozen […]
OKLAHOMA CITY — A vote on sales tax to support a proposed commuter rail line connecting Edmond, Oklahoma City, and Norman, Okla., will be pushed back to at least 2026, according to the head of the transit agency involved. Brad Henry, chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma, told the Oklahoman newspaper that […]
LAREDO, Texas — Canadian Pacific Kansas City today (Feb. 6, 2025) held the official opening ceremonies for the new Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge, the second span crossing the Rio Grande at the busiest rail gateway between the U.S. and Mexico. “The name Patrick J. Ottensmeyer will forever be a part of the proud […]
