OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The North County Transit District will increase the frequency of Coaster commuter train service between San Diego and Oceanside in October after the agency’s board approved increased weekday and weekend service. Changes will include four additional round trips Monday through Thursday; 16 round trips on Fridays (a change from the current 13 […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
CSX coal train derails in Richmond, Va.
RICHMOND, Va. — Thirteen cars of a CSX Transportation coal train derailed in Richmond on Friday afternoon, reportedly sending some of the coal into the nearby James River. WRIC-TV reported the derailment occurred about 1:30 p.m. There were no injuries. Initial reports said the waterway was not affected, but drone footage on Saturday showed coal […]
Union Pacific plans to end container embargo after one week
LOS ANGELES — Union Pacific will resume international container shipments to Chicago from the West Coast at the end of its current seven-day suspension of such service, CEO Lance Fritz told Reuters on Thursday. “We’re starting to see containers clear, so I anticipate in the seven-day period … we should get back down to a […]
Reading & Northern acquires 11 ex-San Luis & Rio Grande cars
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern Railroad has purchased 11 passenger cars from the fleet formerly owned by the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, the Colorado operation of bankrupt Iowa Pacific Holdings. Among the cars bought at auction are several notables, including the former Southern Railway steam program open-air coach Lookout Mountain […]
North County Transit District reaches new agreement on Del Mar fencing
DEL MAR, Calif. — The North County Transit District has reached agreement with the city of Del Mar and the California Coastal Commission on plans for safety fencing on the rail line along the Del Mar bluffs, postponing and perhaps ending the NCTD’s request for action by the Surface Transportation Board. The San Diego Union-Tribune […]
STB chairman wades into intermodal terminal congestion issues
WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman today asked the Class I railroads to provide information on congestion at inland intermodal terminals, where international containers are stacking up faster than customers can receive them. “I am particularly concerned about significant increases in container congestion at key U.S. terminals, and substantial charges being levied by […]
Europe looks to rail to move parcels and small-volume freight
Spurred by the growth in home delivery during the pandemic, the desire by legislators to reduce goods vehicle use in cities, and a shortage of drivers in several countries, rail operators in Britain, Italy, and Germany are looking at offering new services with rebuilt equipment for parcels and light freight. Two different projects in the […]
Analysis: Former BNSF executive Matt Rose’s 2019 warning comes true
The railroad industry’s chickens have come home to roost. Before he retired in 2019, BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose warned that the other Class I railroads were inviting regulatory risk by adopting Precision Scheduled Railroading, reducing service, and demarketing some types of traffic in pursuit of higher profits. “We have this common-carrier obligation to […]
Illinois town, BNSF square off in lawsuits over sewer fees, storm runoff
CICERO, Ill. — The Town of Cicero is suing BNSF Railway, which operates a major intermodal rail yard in the facility, claiming the railroad has intentionally acted to ensure rainwater runs off its property into the community — after the railroad sued the city over a stormwater ordinance the railroad says is “discriminatory and unlawful.” […]
Union Pacific reports record financial results
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific reported record financial results on Thursday, including new marks for operating income, net income, earnings per share, and operating ratio. “We pulled all three profitability levers simultaneously: volume, price, and productivity,” CEO Lance Fritz told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call. The railroad improved its outlook and now expects […]
Amtrak, regional agency agree on study of Scranton-NYC service
SCRANTON, Pa. — Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority have reached agreement on a study to assess a potential route between Scranton and New York City. The Pocono Record reports Amtrak will look at the route’s infrastructure and estimate possible ridership and revenue, with the authority covering the $400,000 cost of the study. […]
CSX intermodal train derails in Indiana (corrected)
AUBURN, Ind. — An estimated 15 cars of a CSX Transportation intermodal train derailed Wednesday morning in Auburn. No injuries were reported. The Kendallville Star reports the accident occurred on the south side of Auburn, a community of 12,000 about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne. Firefighters from Jackson Township and Auburn responded to the […]