MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador said Thursday that that the government had extended a concession of rail operator Grupo Mexico’s Ferrosur unit for 8 years to compensate the company for the government’s seizure last month of a section of railway operated by Grupo Mexico. BNAmericas reports the extension covers the Medias […]
REDBANK, Queensland — Australia’s largest freight rail company, Aurizon, has contracted with Progress Rail to build what the companies are calling the first zero-emission-capable freight locomotive to be constructed in Australia, a battery-electric unit. Progress Rail will retrofit one of Aurizon’s existing 4000-class diesel locomotives, Clyde Engineering units built by Walkers, at the Progress Rail […]
WASHINGTON — The 164th car of a Norfolk Southern train triggered a critical hot box detector alert before a May wreck in Pennsylvania, but the train continued on its journey for 15.34 miles before derailing because neither the crew nor the railroad’s network operations center received the warning that would have required the train to […]
Meet Bill Barnwell In a paragraph, how did you get started in the hobby? I got started in trains at the age of six with a Lionel 027 steam freight set and an oval of track under the Christmas tree. I still remember the smell of electric ozone in the air, laying on the rug at […]
Preview Model Railroader June and July 2023 content We’re always adding new content to our website! Here are some recent stories you may have missed, and a look at some items coming in July. Short Amtrak consists of the 1980s Amtrak’s business model relies heavily on supply and demand, so when a route has […]
LANCASTER, Minn. — Approximately 27 cars of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City train, some carrying hazardous materials, derailed near the Canadian border Wednesday afternoon, closing a 7-mile stretch of U.S. Route 59 as a precautionary measure. CNN reports the cars involved included eight tank cars, with some carrying an unspecified flammable liquid. The Grand Forks, […]
STAMFORD, Conn. — One person was injured when a portion of a ceiling collapsed at the Stamford station served by Amtrak and Metro-North trains on Wednesday afternoon, the Stamford Advocate reports. Kafi Rouse, director of communications for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, told the newspaper a portion of the ceiling liner collapsed in a tunnel […]
First of two parts WASHINGTON — While the U.S. Transportation Security Administration reported a record 2.7 million passengers processed at the nation’s airports on Friday, May 26, a lack of capacity means intercity passenger rail travel was not a Memorial Day weekend travel option for many Americans served by Amtrak long-distance trains. The problem is […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Locomotive contractor RELCO of Albia, Iowa, has completed repainting Minnesota Transportation Museum’s Great Northern Railway SDP40 No. 325 into GN’s simplified orange and green color scheme. The only remaining work is application of Great Northern logos on the cab sides. In February the museum announced a member had agreed to fund […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has reached a tentative labor agreement with its largest union after a month of negotiations, the two sides have announced. The three-year contract includes a compounded raise of 9.8%. The New York Daily News reports that the approximately 40,000 members of Transit Workers Union Local 100 would receive […]
WASHINGTON — Growth of carload traffic was insufficient to offset sagging intermodal volume as U.S. rail traffic continued to lag behind 2022 levels, according to the latest statistcis from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending May 27, 2023, overall traffic was 480,998 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8% from the same week […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Bay Area commuter rail operator Caltrain launches its “Summer of Caltrain” today (June 1), a series of events running through Aug. 31 to engage with riders at stations throughout the system. Planned for today are Customer Appreciation Day events at the San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Hillsdale stations, including free Philz […]
