OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved House Bill 2472, a Republican-backed measure to allow law enforcement to fine railroads up to $10,000 for blocking grade crossings for more than 10 minutes. The bill, which enjoys large bi-partisan support, passed by a vote of 92-5, and will now move forward to […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
CSX’s sharply reduced capital spending is in line with railroad’s needs, CEO says NEWSWIRE
MIAMI — CSX Transportation’s capital spending is perfectly in line with the railroad’s current maintenance and growth needs, CEO Jim Foote says. The railroad will spend about $1.6 billion this year to maintain its network and embark on a handful of modest intermodal terminal expansion projects, down from $2.7 billion in 2016 — about a […]
New Mexico State Legislature Considers Amendment Mandating Two-Man Crews NEWSWIRE
The New Mexico state legislature is considering an amendment to Section 63-2-2 of NMSA 1978, which would require two-man crews to operate freight trains. The amendment “HB 244” would require two crew members to be in the cab during operations of freight trains with the exception of hostling and remote-control locomotives in railyards. During a […]
Province of Alberta reaches crude-by-rail deal with CN and CP NEWSWIRE
Canadian National power leads a westbound empty oil unit train through River Forest, Ill., on the Union Pacific on Aug. 25, 2018. TRAINS: David Lassen EDMONTON, Alberta — The government of Alberta has reached a $3.7-billion deal with Canadian National and Canadian Pacific to haul landlocked crude oil out of the province. The government will […]
Railroad executives: Blame Old Man Winter for traffic downturn NEWSWIRE
Harsh winter weather — from extreme cold in the Midwest and Canada to record-breaking snowfall in the Pacific Northwest and flooding along the Mississippi River — is a major culprit in the decline of rail traffic this year, executives said this week. Rail traffic in North America had a strong final three months of 2018, […]
AAR: Petroleum and lumber are lone stand-outs in a sea of declining carload traffic NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 16. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 523,915 carloads and intermodal units, down 3 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week […]
For Norfolk Southern, a 180-degree turn on Precision Scheduled Railroading NEWSWIRE
Jim Squires, NS CEO Norfolk Southern NORFOLK, Va. — It would be an understatement to say that Norfolk Southern’s views on Precision Scheduled Railroading have evolved. In November 2015, Jim Squires had been chief executive for barely six months when the wolf — dressed as Canadian Pacific CEO E. Hunter Harrison — came banging on […]
FRA issues national trespass prevention strategy NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration has issued to Congress the first National Strategy to Prevent Trespassing on Railroad Property. The report examines the causal factors that contribute to trespassing incidents on railroad property, and responds to a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations request. “Almost every trespasser death or injury is preventable and […]
KCS sees service as key to growth and shift to Precision Scheduled Railroading NEWSWIRE
Kansas City Southern MIAMI — Kansas City Southern will stay true to its roots amid implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading, a term that CEO Patrick Ottensmeyer says often raises concerns among employees, customers, and regulators alike. “There’s nothing about the way we’re going to move forward that is inconsistent with our values and culture,” Ottensmeyer […]
Low-level platforms
A track-level platform at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport station near Baltimore enables the use of the middle track, at bottom, for passenger boarding and detraining. Note the yellow step box behind the railing, for use with the lower platforms. Brian Schmidt Q I live near Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and see short track-level platform extensions at […]
AAR: Crude oil ascends while other commodities level off NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads on Wednesday reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 9. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 519,779 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the […]
Utility to shutter rail-served, coal-fired power plants in Tennessee and Kentucky NEWSWIRE
The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved closing the Bull Run Fossil Plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Paradise Fossil Plant Unit 3 in Western Kentucky on Feb. 14, 2019. Chattanooga, TENN. — A major Tennessee utility provider has approved closing two rail-served, coal-fired power plants, alluding to a changing landscape in electricity […]
