NEWARK, N.J. — An Amtrak employee has pleaded guilty to participation in a health-care scheme that defrauded the passenger operator’s health plan of more than $11 million. Rodolfo Rivera, 41, of Clayton, Del., pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of […]
WASHINGTON — While Amtrak’s string of weather-related cancellations in the Midwest is officially over, the company continues to deal with a pattern of equipment issues on the Northeast Corridor. Six Acela trains have been cancelled to begin today (Jan. 24, 2025) because of “equipment unavailability,” while a seventh has been scrubbed because of mechanical issues. […]
THOMASTON, Conn. — The Naugatuck Railroad has purchased three former Santa Fe Hi-Level railcars for its excursion operations, the short line has announced. The cars, two lounges and one coach, were acquired from the Steam Railroading Institute of Owosso, Mich., operator of Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225. The Institute acquired the cars in 2019 and […]
FRESNO, Calif. — Despite federal funding uncertainty, California High-Speed Rail Authority officials say they “remain committed and aggressive in moving this historic project forward while actively pursuing additional funding.” The authority made that assertion in a statement to Trains News Wire following a board of directors meeting Thursday (Jan. 23, 2025) at the authority’s Fresno […]
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — The Dollywood theme park has parted with a steam locomotive that had been on display at the park, and has aided hurricane victims in doing so. Former Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 107, built by Baldwin in 1887, had long been on display at the Dollywood entrance. Now, the engine is on […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway plans to spend $3.8 billion on capital projects in 2025, with the vast majority for network maintenance, the company announced today (Jan. 23, 2025). “Our 2025 capital plan reflects BNSF’s ongoing commitment to investing in our network to support our customers’ growth and operating a safe, efficient and reliable […]
BOSTON — A former official for Keolis Commuter Services, operator of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter trains, has pleaded guilty to defrauding Keolis of $8 million. John P. Pigsley, 59, the former assistant chief engineer of facilities at Keolis, also pleaded guilty of defrauding the Internal Revenue Service. He will be sentenced in April. Pigsley […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX revenue and profits declined in the fourth quarter as growth in merchandise and intermodal traffic was not enough to overcome sharp declines in coal and fuel surcharge revenue. The impact of a pair of hurricanes — both of which affected traffic bound to and from Florida, the railroad’s highest-volume state — […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain’s electrified equipment is performing far more efficiently than expected, the agency announced at its month board meeting, which could result in $3 million annually in electric savings. The regenerative braking on Caltrain’s Stadler trainsets is sending approximately 23% of the energy consumed by the system. Electric use is averaging 207 […]
WASHINGTON — Widespread support for a federal grade-crossing safety program emerged during a lengthy House subcommittee hearing, a session which also saw representatives of the railroad industry and rail labor lay down markers for their priorities in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill. The two-hour, 45-minute session today (Jan. 23) of the Transportation and Infrastructure […]
WASHINGTON — A shuffling of congressional committee assignments has led to a new chairman for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) was named the subcommittee chair on Tuesday, Jan. 21, following the reassignment of Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), who will now head the Highways […]
PITTSBURGH — TRANSAP, a rail-based logistics company in Chile, has ordered four C30ACi locomotives, Wabtec has announced. The locomotives will be the company’s first with AC traction. They will be used to fulfill a long-term contract with forestry company ARAUCO on Chile’s Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado rail network. “This order is a critical step […]
