Federal regulators delay lease of Union Pacific’s Tennessee Pass line

NTSB logo

WASHINGTON – The Surface Transportation Board will review several issues surrounding Colorado, Midland & Pacific’s proposed lease of Union Pacific’s long-dormant route over Tennessee Pass. The board’s decision, released today, indefinitely postpones what is normally a 30-day clock that covers deals between short lines and Class I railroads. Under U.S. law, railroad transactions fall into […]

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Digest: CP derailment knocks out power to Field, B.C.

Canadian Pacific beaver logo

More Wednesday morning rail news: CP derailment knocks out power in Field, B.C. The community of Field, B.C., was at risk of running out of electricity Tuesday night after a Canadian Pacific grain train derailed earlier in the day, knocking out power. The CBC reports the train derailed about 1:40 a.m., taking out a power line. CP […]

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New Siemens ‘Venture’ cars test in Michigan

Passenger train in snow

NILES, Mich. – The new Siemens Venture cars for Amtrak Midwest service made their first test run on Monday, operating from Chicago to Pontiac, Mich., on the schedule of Wolverine Service train No. 350, suspended since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trainset, with four of the new coaches separated by former heritage sleeper […]

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NJ Transit CEO discusses agency’s turnaround (corrected)

NJ Transit commuter train

NEWARK, N.J. — “It’s NJ Transit’s 3rd summer of hell,” read an August 2019 headline on NJ.com, a New Jersey local news website. For years, commuters endured overcrowded trains, late trains, canceled trains, and creaky 40-year-old Arrow III electric multiple-unit cars. Frustration reached a boiling point, with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy feeling the heat. […]

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Digest: BNSF train derails in Arizona, prompting lengthy ‘Southwest Chief’ delay

BNSF logo

More Monday morning rail news: BNSF intermodal train derails in Arizona, stopping Southwest Chief No injuries were reported when a BNSF intermodal train derailed Sunday afternoon near Joseph City, Ariz., KPHO-TV reports. Photos show several double-stack well cars off the tracks, with containers overturned. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office says the accident was reported about 1 […]

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Short Line Railroads

Train coming out of a tunnel

    You got it. Railroads covered most of the country with branches, and sidings and house tracks, where one and two car loads of freight could be loaded or unloaded. The local brought coal for the school boilers, fuel for the local distributor, and carried away raw materials that fed industry, and hauled off […]

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Short Line Railroads

Train coming out of a tunnel

    You got it. Railroads covered most of the country with branches, and sidings and house tracks, where one and two car loads of freight could be loaded or unloaded. The local brought coal for the school boilers, fuel for the local distributor, and carried away raw materials that fed industry, and hauled off […]

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Intermodal and the Long-Haul Market

Intermodal car containers

    Yes it is, Brian. In fact, intermodal passed coal in 2013 as railroads’ biggest revenue source. In 2014, U.S. railroads tacked more than a half million intermodal loads onto their 2013 totals, notching a record 13.5 million shipments. Intermodal is likely to become even more significant in coming years as the industry spends […]

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