Railfan Road: Pennsylvania’s
 U.S. 22

Black and white locomotives with an old steel mill in the distance

Pennsylvania’s
 U.S. 22 It takes less than 6 hours to drive across Pennsylvania using Interstate 80 (boring) or the Pennsylvania Turnpike (expensive and boring). Instead, drive through Pennsylvania on U.S. Route 22 for a plethora of really interesting railroad sites and plenty of trains. Even on a multi-day trip there is almost too much to […]

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SEPTA to expand Regional Rail service on Sept. 8

SEPTA train near sunset with Philadelphia skyline in background

PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will expand Regional Rail schedules as of Sept. 8, adding 99 weekday trains and 24 on weekends, the agency announced today (Monday, Aug. 26). The additional trains will increase weekday service to 80% of pre-pandemic levels (up from 77%) and weekend operation to 84% (up from 63%). Ridership […]

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A rail enthusiast’s top 10 hot spots

city buildings with train on bridge

Top 10 hot spots I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively during my almost 60 years of rail photography, and have been able to see and photograph railroads throughout the continent. In addition, I’ve lived in the Midwest, the Northeast, Texas, Georgia, and in Virginia for the past 25 years. Here are 10 of […]

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BNSF donates turntable to Railroad Heritage of Midwest America

Heavy equipment lifts turntable out of pit

SILVIS, Ill. — BNSF Railway will donate the turntable from its Cicero, Ill., yard to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America for use at the group’s Silvis, Ill., shop complex, RRHMA has announced. The 135-foot former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy turntable will become the largest preserved U.S. turntable in the U.S., and is needed to handle […]

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CN, CPKC preparing to restart Canadian operations; union declines to return Sunday (updated)

Red locomotives of CN and CP in yard

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are moving toward restarting operations early Monday following a Saturday ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board ending the work stoppages at both railroads. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, however, continues to take issue with the CIRB decision sending the dispute between the union and railroads to binding […]

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Union announces tentative deal for conductors with Amtrak

Passenger train at grade crossing

WASHINGTON — The union representing Amtrak conductors and assistant conductors announced it had reached a new tentative agreement with the passenger operator for a seven-year contract covering more than 2,100 employees. The agreement with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) will include a “substantial general wage increase,” the […]

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Crew members injured in BNSF derailment in Colorado

BNSF Railway logo

BOULDER, Colo. — Two crew members were treated at a hospital and released after a BNSF train derailed Thursday night, KDVR-TV reports. The incident was originally reported by Boulder police as a collision of two trains, but BNSF subsequently confirmed a single train was involved. At least one report says the train hit a group […]

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CSX adds more union agreements

Intermodal train navigating switches

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation announced late today (Friday, Aug. 23) it had reached tentative agreements on new contracts with seven additional unions, after agreeing to pacts with five unions the previous two days. The new contracts shortly after Norfolk Southern and BNSF said they had negotiated similar early contracts with a number of their […]

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