Mexican government to begin work on two passenger rail lines

Map showing planned passenger rail projects in Mexico

MEXICO CITY — Construction of two passenger rail lines — Mexico City-Querétaro and Mexico City-Pachuca — will begin in April, the Mexican government’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) announced this week. The announcement confirmed a portion of plans announced in November by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who had previously said three routes would see […]

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Electrical workers, rail carriers announce tentative agreement

Logo of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which includes lighting bolts held by a fist

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the National Carriers Conference Committee, the bargaining group for major railroads, the two sides have announced. The union said terms are comparable to those in separate deals it has ratified with BNSF Railway and CSX Transportation, including a wage increase compounded to […]

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Vermont Rail System moves to restore portion of Maine Central line

Orange locomotives with green stripes lead frieght train past small station

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Trains could return to a long-dormant section of the former Maine Central Mountain Subdivision in New Hampshire and Vermont, according to the president of Vermont Rail System. The company operates 56-mile short line New Hampshire Central in the northwest corner of the Granite State. “There are transload opportunities on the route,” says […]

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New South Shore route to South Bend airport advances

Train at station platform

CHESTERTON, Ind. — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District board has agreed to commit $6 million in capital funding for the new South Shore Line route to the South Bend, Ind., airport. Approval came at a board meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, WBAA radio reports. The long-discussed project was also the subject of an open-house […]

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Union Pacific begins demolition of Sparks, Nev., machine shop

Aerial view of large brick builiding at rail yard

SPARKS, Nev. — Union Pacific has begun demolition on the former Southern Pacific machine shop in Sparks, a building that predates the city, KTVN-TV reports. The railroad and city have also updated plans for when community members can claim bricks from the historic structure as a keepsake. The bricks will now be available while supplies […]

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Joint SunRail-Brightline Sunshine Corridor gets more support

Locomotive with two bilevel passenger cars rounding curve

ORLANDO, Fla. — A rail corridor that would enable Brightline to extend service to Tampa while allowing commuter operator SunRail to link Orlando International Airport and area theme parks has received a funding boost. Commissioners in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, this week voted to contribute $500,000 to a $6 million feasibility study for […]

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New York rail ridership up since start of congestion tolling

EMU train arrives at station

NEW YORK — Rail ridership — both on the subways and the commuter rail network — is up in the first three weeks of congestion-zone tolls, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board was told in a presentation on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Overall, the agency said the number of vehicles entering the congestion pricing zone — […]

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Weekly U.S. rail volume shows slip from 2024 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic has experienced its first drop of 2025, with traffic for the week ending Jan. 25 down 2.5% compared to the same week in 2024. According to the Association of American Railroads, volume for the week consisted of 454,797 carloads and intermodal units. That included 189,125 carloads, a decline of […]

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News photos: Former Metrolink diesels set to join GO Transit

TORONTO — A group of F59 locomotives from LA-area commuter operator Metrolink will be used for operational support for GO Transit and as spare parts for GO Transit’s existing F59 fleet, provincial transit agency Metrolinx has announced. Ontario Northland will refurbish the locomotives, Metrolinx said in a press release that focused primarily on planned renovations […]

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