Cleanup continues after NS derailment in Pennsylvania

Norfolk Southern logo

NEWBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Cleanup continued Tuesday after 33 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Monday afternoon midway between Harrisburg and York, Pa. The York Daily Record reports plastic PVC pellets spilled from one car, and hazmat teams were part of the initial response to the derailment because some of the cars involved displayed […]

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Center of commerce

Rail yard with cars in front of large brick structure

Center of commerce A Pennsylvania Railroad Geep pulls a string of express cars in front of railroad’s Polk Street freight station near Chicago Union Station. Polk was the country’s largest freight terminal when built in 1918. Ed DeRouin photo […]

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Canadian National touts additional support for proposed KCS merger

Canadian National and Kansas City Southern logos

MONTREAL – Canadian National and Kansas City Southern note that their proposed combination continues to gain support, with letters from customers, suppliers, elected officials, and other stakeholders being filed with the Surface Transportation Board. Nearly 200 additional letters have been sent to CN and KCS and filed with the STB, bringing the total number of […]

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BNSF coal train derails on recently reactivated line

BNSF Railway logo

BENNET, Neb. — Ten cars of a BNSF coal train derailed Friday evening on a recently reactivated line southeast of Lincoln, Neb. The Lincoln Journal Star reports portions of the train still on the tracks initially blocked traffic on Bennet Road, but crews were able to separate the train to allow traffic flow to resume. […]

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Union Pacific derailment in Iowa leads to brief propane leak

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

AMES, Iowa — Twenty-seven cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Thursday afternoon in Ames, briefly leaking propane from one car. KDSM-TV reports the derailment occurred about 1:30 p.m., with Ames Fire Chief Rich Higgins saying he did send an evacuation notice to nearby industrial plants after the propane leak was discovered. A Union Pacific […]

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Pandemic accelerates operational changes at BNSF Railway

Intermodal train snakes through curves

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s increasing use of longer trains is the most visible element of a broader effort to boost efficiency and productivity. Since the onset of the pandemic BNSF has been combining trains, blending different types of traffic in the same trains, and operating more double-length loaded unit trains of grain and […]

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Howard Street Tunnel project receives final environmental clearance

CSX logo

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Baltimore’s Howard Street Tunnel project has received final environmental approval, ending years of effort and clearing the way for construction to begin later this year. The project will increase clearances in the 1.4-mile tunnel, completed by the Baltimore & Ohio in 1890, allowing CSX to operate double-stack container trains to the Port […]

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Digest: Canada increases fines for rail trespassing, interfering with operations

Transport Canada logo

Canadian government stiffens fines for rail trespassing, interfering with operations The Canadian government is increasing fines for trespassing onto railroad property and interfering with railway operations. Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced Wednesday that fines for trespassing will increase from $100 to $500, while the fine for not giving way at railway crossings will increase […]

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U.S. rail traffic continues to outpace 2020 figures

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic remains ahead of the pandemic-depressed levels of 2020, while the most recent week’s traffic shows a slight decline from the preceding seven-day period. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show U.S. railroads moved a total of 514,112 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending June 19, a 12.5% […]

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Safety first

Man climbing between two coal hopper cars

Safety first Tethered at the waist to the car for safety, a mine employee rides a string of coal hoppers it coasts from the tipple down to yard. The cars will travel from Wharton No. 2 Mine near Barrett, W.Va., to Newport News, Va. W. A. Akin photo […]

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BNSF Railway working to clear congestion on Southern Transcon

Double-stack container train passing maintenance equipment

FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway says it’s working to clear a backlog of traffic on its busy Southern Transcon route linking Southern California and Chicago after a series of extreme weather events and a derailment. The weather included record high temperatures around 120 degrees and high winds on the western end of the Transcon, and […]

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