MONTREAL — The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference is refusing to take no for an answer. The union, which represents 9,300 locomotive engineers and conductors on Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, has filed appeals challenging the decisions that led to binding arbitration being imposed on their failed contract talks with the railways. The union […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
Government seeks comment on proposed land sale for BNSF Barstow project
BARSTOW, Calif. — The federal government is seeking comment on a proposed sale of land to BNSF Railway as part of the railroad’s planned Barstow International Gateway project. The Victorville Daily Press reports the Bureau of Land Management published a Notice of Realty Action in the Federal Register on Wednesday, Aug. 28, on the proposed […]
Young Guns in Preservation: Cameron Stefan
Cameron Stefan serves as the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s operations mechanic with vast responsibilities: Diesel engineer, conductor, dispatcher, fireman and track laborer when out on the main line, plus craftsman at the shop facility in Ridgeley, W.Va. From this prosperous position at the tourist line has been growth in confidence and family for the 25-year-old. […]
MBTA eliminates six speed restrictions in latest track maintenance project
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority eliminated six speed restrictions as a result of its latest major track project, a suspension of service between the Red Line’s JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT stations Aug. 19-26. Plans were to address five slow orders, but a sixth identified during the service suspension was also taken care of. “We […]
Residents seek to fight BNSF plan for Phoenix-area logistics hub
WITTMANN, Ariz. — Residents of the unincorporated communities of Wittmann and Circle City say they oppose BNSF Railway’s efforts to build a new intermodal and carload logistics hub northwest of Phoenix. BNSF said earlier this year it would build the project on more than 4,300 acres in northwest Maricopa County, 36 rail miles from downtown […]
East Broad Top 2-8-2 No. 16 is back in service
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – After being out of service for eight months, East Broad Top Railroad narrow-gauge 2-8-2 Mikado engine No. 16 (Baldwin Locomotive Works, 1916) will resume hauling tourist passengers tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 30). The engine will pull regularly scheduled EBT trains on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Oct. 27, plus additional special runs […]
NTSB determines probable cause of fatal UP collision near Salton Sea in Southern California
WASHINGTON — The probable cause of a fatal September 2022 collision on Union Pacific’s Sunset Route was the routing of an intermodal train into a passing siding that was occupied by 74 empty intermodal cars, a move that was made possible by the inappropriate removal of a computer-aided dispatching system block on the siding, the […]
CN renames Woodcrest Shops in honor of two-time COO Ed Harris
HOMEWOOD, Ill. — Canadian National has named its Woodcrest Shops after former Chief Operating Officer Ed Harris, who began his railroad career at the Illinois Central facility outside Chicago. “We were thrilled to welcome recently retired CN COO and railroading veteran Ed Harris back for a very special visit and surprise, as we renamed our […]
Train engineers agree to deal in long-running British dispute
LONDON — A breakthrough in the long-running series of British rail engineer strikes was announced in mid-August, when talks led by the new government agreed a pay raise of around 5% for each of the last three years for engineers at 16 English passenger rail companies which have government contracts. The trade union representing train […]
Appeals court judge clears CPKC of contempt charge in hours-of-duty case
OTTAWA, Ontario — A Canadian judge has overturned a lower-court ruling that found CPKC in contempt of court in a case regarding excessive hours worked by train crews. The Canadian Press reports Federal Court of Appeal Justice Donald Rennie acquitted the railroad, writing in his ruling that it is “impossible to rationalize a finding of […]
Tornado derails cars of BNSF train in North Dakota
STEELE, N.D. — More than 40 cars of a stopped BNSF Railway train were derailed when struck by a tornado near Steele, N.D., on Wednesday night. A BNSF spokeswoman told KFYR-TV that 43 cars empty coal gondolas were derailed at approximately 8:19 p.m. The train had been stopped because of reported tornado activity in the […]
U.S. weekly rail traffic climbs again
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic saw another surge in the week ending Aug. 24, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. U.S. railroads handled 516,807 carloads and intermodal units, a 9.5% increase over the same week in 2023. That included 228,858 carloads, up 1.2%, and 287,949 containers and trailers, up 17.1%. This followed […]