Wednesday morning rail news: Vancouver rail line averts strike with labor agreement The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Line of the SkyTrain rail transit system has averted a strike after workers reached a tentative contract agreement with operator Protrans BC. Global News reports the BC Government & Service Employees Union said the agreement came after more than 40 […]
Type of Train: Freight
Cordele, Ga., opens viewing platform for busy, three-railroad diamond
CORDELE, Ga. — An average of 80 trains a day cross the diamond in the south central Georgia community of Cordele, making it one of the busiest rail crossings in the Southeast. Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and the Heart of Georgia Railroad, a Genesee & Wyoming short line, all use the crossing. “The activity rivals […]
Digest: LA Metro CEO Washington to step down
Wednesday afternoon rail news: LA Metro CEO Phillip Washington to step down in May CEO Phillip A. Washington will step down in May after six years leading the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LA Metro board chair Eric Garcetti announced. Washington recently informed the board he would not seek a new contract or extend […]
Digest: Second Colorado County joins agreement on legal fees for Tennessee Pass fight
Additional Wedesday morning rail news: Chaffee County, Colo., joins group sharing legal fees over Tennessee Pass fight Chaffee County, Colo., has agreed to join a group which will split legal fees resulting from an effort to block reactivation of Union Pacific’s Tennessee Pass rail line. The Vail Daily reports Chaffee County commissioners voted Tuesday to join […]
Digest: Amtrak, NJ Transit remain on modified schedules after storm
More Wednesday morning rail news: Rail service continues to dig out from Northeast storm Rail systems continue to recover from Monday’s major snowstorm in the Northeast. Amtrak will continue modified Acela, Northeast Regional, and Keystone Service today on the Northeast Corridor;. see Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app, and the Amtrak Alerts and NEC Alerts Twitter feeds for more information. Most NJ […]
U.S. railroads end January with 5.3% increase in traffic
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic in January showed a 5.3% increase over the same month in 2020, while traffic in the week’s final month was up 2.1%, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads. “We are encouraged by rail volumes in January,” AAR Senior Vice President John T.Gray said in a […]
Digest: TSB of Canada investigation of fatal CP derailment enters final phase
More Tuesday morning rail news: TSB investigation of fatal CP derailment enters final phase The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has entered the report phase of its investigation of the fatal Feb. 4, 2019, runaway and derailment of a Canadian Pacific grain train near Field, B.C., the final stage in the investigative process. In a notice […]
Biden administration pipeline restrictions may benefit crude by rail
The Biden administration’s efforts to kill key oil pipeline projects may boost crude by rail volumes, railroad officials say. President Joe Biden last month revoked a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline that was under construction to carry oil sands crude from Canada to refineries in the U.S. “The pipeline was not going to be […]
Digest: Canadian short line train derails after reported runaway
Tuesday morning rail news: Ontario short line train derails, demolishing vehicles, shed A reported runaway situation led to the derailment of a Goderich-Exeter Railway train on Monday in Goderich, Ontario, CTV News reports, demolishing a tractor-trailer, pickup truck, and shed before coming to a halt. An officer of the Ontario Provincial Police told the news […]
Digest: South Carolina port agency seeks funds to improve rail access to Port of Charleston
Tuesday midday rail news: S.C. Ports Authority seeks funds to improve rail access to Port of Charleston The South Carolina Ports Authority is seeking $550 million in funding from state legislators to improve rail and barge access to the Port of Charleston, the only major East Coast port without near-dock rail access. The State newspaper reports the […]
Denman McNear, last CEO of Southern Pacific, dies at 95
Denman McNear, the chairman and CEO of Southern Pacific during its unsuccessful effort to merge with Santa Fe, and when it was acquired by Rio Grande Industries, died Jan. 5 at an assisted living residence in Bethesda, Md. He was 95. A career SP employee, he joined the railroad in 1948 after graduating from the […]
Digest: CP, controllers union reach tentative agreement on three-year contract
Monday midday rail news: Canadian Pacific, rail traffic controllers reach agreement on three-year contract Canadian Pacific and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference-Rail Canada Traffic Controllers have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract. The union represents approximately 300 rail traffic controllers in Canada. “This is positive news for these important members of our […]