GARDEN CITY, Kansas — An apparently minor BNSF Railway derailment has led to cancellations of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. Images on the KSNW-TV website show a small number of covered hoppers, perhaps as few as a half-dozen, involved in the derailment. The viewers who provided the photos said the incident was 15 to 20 miles east […]
Type of Train: Freight
Mobile reaches agreement with Amtrak on funding, lease at station site
MOBILE, Ala. — Amtrak appears to be on the verge of an agreement with the City of Mobile that finally will allow Gulf Coast passenger service to move forward. WALA-TV reports that a spokeswoman for Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the city and Amtrak had finalized language for a funding agreement for Mobile-New Orleans service and […]
CN reopens main lines to key British Columbia ports while monitoring Alberta wildfires (updated)
MONTREAL — Canadian National was able to reopen its main line through Jasper, Alberta, this afternoon while keeping a close eye on a pair of wildfires that have been threatening the resort town. “CN resumed rail operations at approximately 12 Noon MST on Wednesday, July 24, through Jasper. In collaboration with the Unified Incident Command […]
Wabtec earnings surge on higher freight and transit revenue
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec sales and profits increased in the second quarter thanks to growth in its freight and transit divisions, the company announced today. Wabtec also disclosed that it has received a $600 million, multiyear order for Tier 4 locomotives from a North American railroad. It did not name the railroad, and no Class I […]
Railroads are hiring in MOW, mechanical, but headcount is down from 2019: Analysis
Second of two parts. Part one is available here. CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. railroads are hiring to meet future freight demand after years of furloughs and cutbacks that only worsened during the pandemic. At the same time, railroads have grappled with steep declines in coal and macroeconomic conditions. Now railroads appear to be rebalancing headcount […]
House rail safety hearing highlights new legislation
WASHINGTON — Legislators used a House subcommittee hearing on railroad safety today (Tuesday, July 23) to highlight a new rail safety bill, while committee members and witnesses including regulators, union representatives, and the House member representing East Palestine questioned the rail industry’s own safety efforts. The revised bill, the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 8996), […]
Threat of Canadian rail strike hurts Canadian National’s quarterly earnings
MONTREAL — Canadian National today (Tuesday, July 23) lowered its financial outlook for the year as volume growth slowed during the second quarter, due to slumping lumber traffic and the impact of shippers diverting international intermodal containers to U.S. ports in anticipation of a potential rail strike in Canada. CN’s second-quarter operating income declined 3%, […]
CSX unveils heritage locomotive celebrating Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad
CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs today unveiled the railroad’s 17th heritage locomotive, which pays homage to the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. “Another great job by our ONE CSX team in Waycross, Georgia. Founded in 1877, C&EI Railroad connected Chicago with southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville, IN. In the 1960’s C&EI was purchased by both […]
Wildfire shuts down CN main line through Jasper, Alberta (updated)
MONTREAL – The busiest section of the Canadian National main line is shut down today due to a fast-moving wildfire in Jasper, Alberta. Officials ordered an evacuation of Jasper as well as visitors to Jasper National Park overnight as the fire spread and left only a westbound escape route out of town, according to Canada’s […]
MxV Rail first responder training center expands to include scenarios involving alternative fuels and electric vehicles
PUEBLO, Colo. — MxV Rail’s Security and Emergency Response Training Center is expanding to include first responder training for incidents involving alternative fuels and electric vehicles. SERTC will begin offering the new training in November thanks to funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, MxV Rail announced on Monday. SERTC recently broke ground on a […]
T&E headcount is up from a year ago, but below 2019 as railroads dial in performance, growth: Analysis
First of two parts. CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Navigating macroeconomic headwinds and steep declines in coal, three of the big four U.S. railroads now employ more engineers and conductors than they did a year ago, but headcount is still mostly below pre-pandemic 2019. Railroads are =using new hires to improve service performance and grow future business […]
Locomotive derails, destroys garage — for the second time
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Apparently, trains vs. garages is the latest trend in derailments. A CSX locomotive overran the end of a wye at the railroad’s Niagara Falls Yard, derailed, and leveled a brick garage on Monday, July 22, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports, spilling up to 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel. It was […]