BNSF Railway is now testing Kawasaki’s Locomotive-Mounted Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System, Kawasaki has announced. The system uses sensors and cameras to provide near-real-time track geometry data for track maintenance planning, Kawasaki says in a press release. Production units of the system have been in use since 2021 and have provided over 500,000 miles of […]
Read More…
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific now has paid sick-leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions following SMART-TD’s ratification of its tentative agreement this week. “We are proud to be the second railroad in the industry to reach this milestone,” UP said in a LinkedIn post. Norfolk Southern on June 5 became […]
Read More…
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jamie Boychuk, CSX Transportation’s executive vice president of operations, is leaving the railroad, the company announced this morning. In a statement, CEO Joe Hinrichs thanked Boychuk for his role in implementing scheduled railroading and cited CSX’s depth of operational experience that will ensure operational continuity while the company seeks a successor. No […]
Read More…
NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — The Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society has donated Monon business car No. 2, also known as the Lynne, and Monon wide-vision caboose No. 81532 to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, the two organizations have announced. Plans call for operating the business car in excursion service as an upscale experience, with a portion […]
Read More…
NEW YORK — Long Island Rail Road operations continue to see some delays and cancellations during the morning rush hour today (Aug. 4) following Thursday’s derailment of a train at Hall Interlocking near the Jaimaica station in Queens. Thirteen people were injured, two seriously, when eastbound train No. 722 derailed at 54 mph about 11:15 […]
Read More…
CHICAGO — As Trains News Wire has been reporting, a dearth of serviceable Superliners on Amtrak’s long-distance trains has limited mobility options in a year that has seen a significant surge in travel demand. Sellouts in coaches and sleeping cars for at least one segment of a route have been the rule, not the exception. […]
Read More…
OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa’s transit service manager now says she is “very confident” that the light rail Confederation Line will resume operation on Aug. 14, after initially hedging on that estimate. The Ottawa Citizen reports Renée Amilcar said Thursday that she holds that view “based on the work done by RTG [system operator Rideau Transit […]
Read More…
BUTTE, Mont. — Federal railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose and Surface Transportation Board Vice Chair Karen Hedlund are among scheduled speakers at the third annual conference of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, set for Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the Hotel Finlen in Butte. The conference will bring together passenger advocates, government officials, railroad representatives, […]
Read More…
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway this week released its 2023-24 Grain Plan, outlining its initiatives for handling Canada’s upcoming grain harvest. Efforts to handle grain traffic include deliver of another 750 new grain hoppers in 2024 and the recently announced expansion of the railroad’s locomotive modernization program [see “CN orders 60 more modernized diesels …,” […]
Read More…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The grade crossing near Mendon, Mo., that was the site of the fatal 2022 collision and derailment involving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is among 52 included in plans for upgrades, closures, or other changes released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The Kansas City Star reports the plan, with an estimated […]
Read More…
CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker led an entourage of local and national political firepower Thursday in touting Amtrak’s application for federal funding for the Chicago Hub project, a more than $1.1 billion plan to improve Chicago Union Station and routes into the city. The request to the Federal Railroad Administration for an $872.8 million Federal-State […]
Read More…
A newly tooled Gunderson 6,276-cubic-foot capacity 50-foot hi-cube boxcar is the latest release from Aurora Miniatures North America. The HO scale model, offered in six road names, features injection-molded plastic construction, prototype-specific trucks, and many freestanding details. The prototype The 6276 50-foot hi-cube boxcar has been a part of the Gunderson (Greenbrier) product lineup since […]
Read More…