LOS ANGELES — Alstom will become contract operator of Metrolink commuter rail operations, expanding on the company’s current maintenance role and replacing Amtrak, which has provided Metrolink’s crews since 2010. The initial five-year contract, valued at approximately $515 million, begins Jan. 1, with Alstom taking over operations on July 1, 2025. It will run through […]
MONTREAL— VIA Rail Canada has issued a formal “Request for Qualification” for prospective carbuilders to replace long-distance, regional, and remote-service passenger cars that date from the mid-1950s. This follows a November RFQ for locomotives to power the new single-level equipment. The request issued today (Monday, Dec. 9) follows a commitment earlier this year by the […]
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Carriers Conference announced today that the Transportation Communications Union and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen have ratified new five-year agreements. “These ratified agreements are a win for employees and the freight rail industry,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NCCC at its parent, the National Railway Labor Conference. “Employees will […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — Over the weekend BNSF Railway set a new annual on-dock container record at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., when it surpassed 1.5 million lifts for the year. “Last week, we surpassed the previous annual record of 1,480,727 lifts, set back in 2017,” BNSF said on social media […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern today named Ann A. Adams as its chief human resources officer, with responsibility for human resources and labor relations. In addition, PC Bryant has been named vice president of human resources. Adams joined Norfolk Southern in 2001 as a Manager in Human Resources. From there, she progressed through roles of increasing […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway and Canadian labor union Unifor have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract, the railroad has announced. CN said no details will be released publicly until the agreement is ratified. The union represents about 3,300 mechanical, clerical, and intermodal employees, CN said; Unifor recently placed the number about […]
It’s not uncommon for a trainee to become a trainer in the world of rail preservation. Tyler Chipman has taken on this path himself, beginning as a volunteer student conductor and engineer at Chattanooga’s Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Today, the 25-year-old is both training and educating others in his part-time role at the museum. How […]
LAGOS, Nigeria — The commuter rail service in Lagos using Talgo trainsets built for but never used by the state of Wisconsin has been suspended indefinitely because of mechanical issues, the Nigerian newspaper The Nation reports. The trains experienced breakdowns last Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 2-3, the newspaper reports, after which the operator posted a […]
MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will open the long-delayed final segment of the Maya Train project on Dec. 15, she said during a press conference last week. Sheinbaum will visit the state of Quintana Roo to open the segment between Palenque and Chetumal. The last portions to be opened were two small segments […]
Rail travel often involves changing trains. I’ve always delighted in the transition from one train to another. These can be great moments to observe the railroad in action, make photos, and perhaps chat with railroaders and fellow passengers. I’ve sometimes planned changes to include a short layover. For many travelers changing trains represents unwanted stress […]
BALTIMORE — The driver of an SUV was injured when the vehicle was hit by falling concrete from an Amtrak bridge today (Sunday, Dec. 8), WBAL-TV reports. First responders were called about 11:28 a.m. about the incident that saw debris fall from a bridge over North Point Road. Police said the driver — the only […]
SANTA PAULA, Calif. — Sierra Northern Railway, partnering with nonprofit Operation Toy Train, ran a pair of Santa trains Saturday, Dec. 7, on its Ventura Division between Ventura and Piru, about 30 miles. The first train, consisting of Genset locomotive No. 2666, an open-air car, and heavyweight business car No. 409, left Ventura at 10:30 […]
