InnoTrans show wraps up in Berlin with record numbers

Red and gray passenger car inside building

BERLIN — The global InnoTrans trade fair closed Friday evening, and the organizers have reported record numbers of visitors: at least 170,000 from 133 countries, according to provisional figures, visiting the 2940 exhibitors from 59 countries. Organizers report that about 600 new exhibitors took part – some representing countries never previously never represented, such as […]

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Thinking about Appalachia’s railroaders: Commentary

CSX train passing through small town

ERWIN, Tenn. — Railroaders take pride in the work they do. They provide for their families. They play an irreplaceable role in the movement of goods in the U.S. economy and they re-invest their hard-earned wages into the communities they live and work — building homes, shopping local, and supporting small communities where railroads have […]

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Union requests conciliation in negotiations with Canadian National

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

MONTREAL — Unifor, the union representing about 3,600 Canadian National Railway mechanical, clerical, and intermodal employees in Canada, has filed a Notice of Dispute with the Canadian government regarding its negotiations with the railroad, CN has announced. The move on Friday, Sept. 27, came just three days after Unifor — Canada’s largest private-sector union, with […]

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New feed mill opens on Pennsylvania’s North Shore Railroad

Short train passes in front of silos at new feed mill

NEW COLUMBIA, Pa. — A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 27, marked the completion of a new feed mill to be served by the North Shore Railroad’s Union County Industrial Railroad. The $47 million mill for Country View Family Farms, a division of Clemens Food Group LLC, was completed following two years of construction. The […]

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CSX’s former Clinchfield largely unrecognizable after historic flood

Town and rail line showing flood damage

ERWIN, Tenn.  — CSX Transportation’s ex-Clinchfield Railroad mainline has seen devastating impacts from Hurricane Helene’s once-in-a-generation flood. It is still too early to determine the full extent of damages, but photos along the famed Clinchfield route are revealing extensive damage exacerbated by the region’s remoteness. High waters are prohibiting emergency responders and railroad officials from […]

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Herrmann named as Amtrak’s general counsel

Man in suit with white shirt and tie

WASHINGTON — Amtrak has named Byl Herrmann as execute vice president and general counsel, responsible for the long-term priorities and annual operating plan for the company’s legal department. “Byl has helped guide the evolution of Amtrak’s Law department and corporate development over many decades and brings a comprehensive and deep knowledge of all facets of […]

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Once-in-a-generation floods hit North Carolina mountain railroads (additional update)

Flood waters and debris at railroad bridge

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Communities along the former Southern Railway and Clinchfield Railroad in western North Carolina have seen record-setting rainfalls in the days prior to Hurricane Helene. Now, tropical weather is pouring additional rainfall into the area, creating what local meteorologists are calling a once-in-a-generation storm. Places along NS’ former Southern S-Line on the French […]

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From the Cab: Amtrak calendar paintings

picture of calendar watercolor of train

Gil Reid’s prized Auto Train watercolor Wall calendars have always been an effective business advertising tool, and some of the most memorable and collectable have been products of the public relations departments of America’s railroads. Anxious to make establish the branding of its role as the newly formed National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak began producing […]

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Mt. Rainier Scenic acquires cars from North Carolina museum

Side view of green heavyweight passenger car

ELBE, Wash. — The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has purchased three ex-Reading Co. passenger cars from the North Carolina Transportation for use in its steam heritage rail operations. Mt. Rainier Scenic said in a press release that the museum determined the cars, built between 1922 and 1927 by the Standard Steel Car Co. and Bethlehem […]

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