Railroads shut out of 250 best-managed companies list

Coal train passes interlocking tower in snow

No railroads landed on the Wall Street Journal’s ranking of the 250 best-managed companies of 2024. The annual Management Top 250 list measures corporate effectiveness by considering performance in five areas, including customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. The ranking, developed and compiled by the Drucker Institute, is based on data […]

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10 must-visit historic railroad towns

Passenger train with Chicago skyline in background

Visiting a railroad town can take you on a journey through not only the town itself, but also its railroading’s past, present, and even future. Whether you’re just passing through or have an opportunity to stay for an extended getaway, consider these 10 must-visit historic railroad towns that’ll range from the OG of railroad towns […]

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Atlas O Premier VIA Rail F40PH-2

close up of model locomotive

Watch a video of the Atlas O Premier custom-run VIA Rail F40PH-2 locomotive, as offered by Mr. Muffin’s Trains. This locomotive packs in a lot of detail and features like Proto-Sound 3.0 and O-36 operation. Read the product review of this engine from Contributing Editor Bob Keller. […]

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Charlotte council approves financing for purchase of rail line

Map of rail line between Charlotte and Mt. Mourne, N.C.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte’s city council has approved financing to purchase 22 miles of a Norfolk Southern rail line for a proposed commuter rail operation. WCNC-TV reports the council unanimously approved a plan not to exceed $93 million to finance purchase of the NS O-Line from Charlotte to Davidson, north of the city, along with […]

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UP says Metra will take over commuter operations in April

Two commuter trains meet on curve

OMAHA, Neb. — The slow-moving process transferring operations of three Metra commuter lines from Union Pacific to the commuter operator is projected to take place in mid-April, UP said on Monday. Transfer of some engineering services would follow, UP said. Mechanical and station agent services, along with some management, have already been transferred. Financial aspects […]

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Maya Train budget slashed by Mexico’s president

Pasenger train in shadows at station

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Maya Train project has been hit by a major budget cut, while at least one other rail infrastructure program has seen a significant boost as President Claudia Sheinbaum shifts priorities, the news site La Verdad Noticias reports. Funding to complete the tourism-oriented Maya Train, meanwhile saw a 70.7% cut, from 125.9 […]

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Amtrak announces winter-storm cancellations on Tuesday, Wednesday

Passenger train in snow

WASHINGTON — Amtrak has begun another round of weather-related train cancellations, announcing three cancellations for Tuesday, Feb. 11, and seven for Wednesday, Feb. 12, because of a pair of winter storm forecasts. According to an advisory posted today (Feb. 10, 2025) at 4:20 p.m., cancelled on Tuesday are: — The eastbound Empire Builder scheduled to […]

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News & Products for the week of February 10th 2025

An image of two gray model locomotives with red, white, and blue striping

News & Products for the week of February 10th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 10th, […]

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CSX seeks systemwide agreement with conductors

yellow and blue train on track

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX wants to create a single, systemwide contract covering conductors represented by the SMART-TD union. The railroad currently has three regional contract agreements with the union. In a notice to conductors, CSX says that consolidating those contracts into one “will allow CSXT to better utilize trainmen employees throughout CSXT’s system, improve train […]

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Trains.com Insider Exclusive | Interview with Stephen Nelson, Owner of Mr. Muffin’s Trains

Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson chats with Stephen and Liz Nelson, owners/operators of Mr. Muffin’s Trains in Atlanta, Ind. Throughout this remote-video interview, you’ll glean behind-the-scenes insights into the past, present, and future of the growing online operation with an intriguing brick-and-mortar location too! You can also read the transcript of this insightful interview with […]

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