CHICAGO — Amtrak trains on some routes are experiencing cancellations or delays today (Friday, March 24) as a result of a nationwide server issue that is keeping the positive train control initialization process from taking place. “It is a back-office issue, and we have been working with our [PTC] vendor to resolve it,” Amtrak spokesman […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Board is now providing online information on speed restrictions on its rail transit network through on online tool launched on Thursday. The Speed Restriction Dashboard provides information on the location, speed limit, date a restriction was put in place, and the reason for the restriction, on the Red, Orange, […]
CASS, W.Va. — Cass Scenic Railroad operator Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad has announced that the 2023 Parade of Steam will take place June 17 at the Cass depot. In previous years, this increasingly popular event has featured five of Cass Scenic’s geared steam locomotives, in various combinations, under steam. However, if all goes as […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is considering a request from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to expand its current investigation of Norfolk Southern safety practices to cover all Class I railroads, the Capitol Hill news site Roll Call reports. Schumer (D-N.Y.) made the request earlier this month in a letter to NTSB Chair […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada says it will work with the National Council of Canadian Muslims to improve its diversity training following an incident in which a Muslim man was told by a security guard not to pray at VIA’s Ottawa station. In a press release, the passenger operator said it had met with […]
WASHINGTON — Matt Walsh will become board chairman of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the organization announced Thursday, filling the position vacated by the departure of Stefan Loeb. Loeb, who had been executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Watco, has accepted a position with Norfolk Southern [see “Norfolk Southern names […]
CHICAGO — CEOS of four of the six Class I railroads are currently scheduled to appear at the annual meeting of the North America Rail Shippers, set for May 24-26 in Chicago. Katie Farmer of BNSF Railway, Joe Hinricks of CSX Transportation, Alan Shaw of Norfolk Southern Railway, and Lance Fritz of Union Pacific Railroad […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three people suffered minor injuries Thursday when a Sacramento Regional Transit light rail train derailed today (Thursday, March 23), the Sacramento Bee reports. The derailment occurred on the light rail Green Line at the intersection of 7th and B streets, north of downtown Sacramento in the Railyards neighborhood, about 12:30 p.m. Two […]
NEW YORK — Former New York City Transit President Andy Byford will join Amtrak in a newly created role, senior vice president of high speed rail development programs. The new job, first reported by Streetsblog NYC, was announced in an Amtrak email to employees today (Thursday, March 23). He will join the company April 10. […]
Norfolk Southern and the SMART-TD union have ended negotiations over redeploying conductors to ground-based positions. The railroad and union instead will focus on implementing other immediate quality of life improvements, NS said today. “Over the next year, SMART-TD and Norfolk Southern have the opportunity to work together to implement important predictability improvements for our conductor […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has added two new marketing vice president positions for its intermodal and carload business segments. Yannik Thomas was named vice president of intermodal and automotive operations, while Stefan Loeb was named vice president of first and final mile markets. Both appointments are effective on April 2. “At Norfolk Southern, our goal […]
WASHINGTON – A federal agency has issued a safety advisory recommending that shippers and tank car owners stop using DOT-111 tank cars in the wake of the February derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio. “The safety advisory re-emphasizes concerns with the survivability of DOT-111 tank cars and encourages tank car owners […]
