SEATTLE, Wash. — A union official told a BNSF Railway hearing that sabotage was responsible for a fiery derailment of a crude-oil train last December in Custer, Wash., a Seattle public radio station is reporting. National Public Radio affiliate KUOW reports Korey McDaniel, part of the safety team with the International Association of Sheet Metal, […]
WASHINGTON — The association representing fertilizer shippers says federal regulators should put CSX Transportation under the microscope due to widespread service problems that stem from a shortage of train crews. “For the past several months, CSX has had serious rail service problems, hindering the fertilizer industry’s ability to serve its farmer customers,” Corey Rosenbusch, chief […]
JACKSONVILLE — Executives Mark K. Wallace, Kevin S. Boone, and Sean R. Pelkey will move into new roles in changes announced today by CSX Corp. Wallace, who had been executive vice president of sales and marketing, becomes executive vice president, a role focusing on special projects and initiatives supporting CEO James M. Foote. Wallace is […]
At least 40 dead after passenger train derails, is hit by another train in Pakistan At least 40 people are believed dead after a rail accident today in southern Pakistan. The BBC reports the accident in Sindh province saw one train derail onto an adjacent track, where it wsas then hit by a second train. […]
Illinois EPA seeks action on tank car incident in Wood River, Ill. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said it has asked the state’s Attorney General’s Office to pursue legal action against the Phillips 66 refinery in Roxana, Ill., over the venting of sulfuric acid from four tank cars in Wood River, Ill., that began last […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn says the company opposes CSX Transportation’s acquisition of New England regional Pan Am Railways, saying the deal in its current form “represents a significant threat to the American traveling public” and “will negatively impact current passenger train service and future routes in Massachusetts and Northern New England.” Amtrak has […]
Legislation to create Front Range Passenger Rail District passes Colorado House The effort to create a special district to help fund proposed passenger rail service along Colorado’s Front Range neared success on Thursday as the state’s House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday. Colorado Public Radio reports the state Senate has already approved its […]
Intermodal is having a moment in the sun thanks to the impact of the pandemic. Consumers are buying goods faster than retailers can refill their shelves and warehouses, so imports are surging and ports are clogged. Parcel shipments are soaring as a decade’s worth of e-commerce growth was crammed into the past year. U.S. […]
CSX Transportation remains confident that it will receive regulatory approval to acquire New England regional Pan Am Railways despite two setbacks at the Surface Transportation Board. “We’re just in the early stages of seeking authority to complete the transaction from the Surface Transportation Board,” CEO Jim Foote told an investor webcast today. “And I’m confident […]
ASLRRA honors 346 railroads for safety with Jake Awards The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has honored 346 member railroads with its “Jake Awards,” recognizing safety performance above the industry average in 2020. Of those, 316 will be honored “with distinction” for injury-free performance based on Federal Railroad Administration standards. The honorees include […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic in May saw carload traffic at its highest level in more than 18 months, based on weekly averages, according to the latest press release from the Association of American Railroads. Overall, carload traffic in May 2021 was up 30.4% over the same month in 2020, while intermodal traffic was up […]
Rock Island resourcefulness The Rock Island converted an old flatcar to a ramp in Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1961. One truck and coupler is still in place (note the wheel stops on the track just to the right of the ramp). D. E. Winter photo […]
