A second example of Union Pacific’s new paint scheme, the first on an EMD locomotive, is now roaming the railroad. Photographer James Hickey captured SD70ACe No. 8620 leading manifest MNPRO-26 at Buffalo Bend/Point of Rocks, Neb., near the town of Sidney, on July 27, 2022. The new standard paint scheme features a larger UP shield […]
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NEW YORK — With post-pandemic ridership remaining below levels forecast in 2020, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority could face a “fiscal cliff” — the inability to balance its budgets — as soon as 2025, a year earlier than previously forecast, the MTA board was told Wednesday. Chief Financial Officer Kevin Willens told the board the agency […]
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MELBOURNE, Fla. — In another small step forward for Brightline’s planned expansion of service north to Orlando, one of the passenger operator’s trains reached a top speed of 79 mph Wednesday afternoon on an approximately 20-mile stretch of Florida East Coast Railway track between Melbourne and Rockledge, Fla. Florida Today reports Brightline spokeswoman Katie Mitnzer […]
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WASHINGTON — U.S. carload traffic moved back above 2021 levels for the week ending July 23, while overall traffic was down by a small margin, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Total volume was 498,901 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.8% compared to the corresponding week a year […]
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FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt will begin serving a new intermodal terminal at the Port of Tacoma, Wash., next month. BNSF and the Northwest Seaport Alliance said the terminal will meet increased demand for intermodal service in the Seattle region. The new terminal, on 16 acres leased from the port authority, […]
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PARIS — A Quebec pension fund which has been active in Canadian rail infrastructure projects is reportedly the front-runner to purchase a Paris-based locomotive leasing firm. Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and a possible alternative purchaser, U.S. investment bank J.P. Morgan, both outbid potential French purchasers for leasing firm Akiem. The transaction […]
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WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has released its long-anticipated rule proposal to require two-person crews for trains, drawing predictable, and strong, reactions from railroads (which are opposed), and unions (which are in favor). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would require two-person crews except for “certain low risk operations and circumstances where mitigating measures are […]
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ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern set quarterly revenue, operating income, and earnings per share records despite lower volume and service problems related to ongoing crew shortages. “In the second quarter we stabilized service levels, expanded our pipeline of conductor trainees, and launched the next evolution of our operating plan, TOP | SPG, with our signature no […]
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FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s embargo of certain types of carload traffic bound for California has been extended into August as its Southern Transcon remains congested in the Southwest. The embargo, which took effect on June 27, applies to automotive shipments as well as specific agricultural and industrial commodities. “In response to our temporary […]
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WASHINGTON — A failure to follow rules prohibiting employees from moving between moving railcars during coupling was the probable cause of the death of a Pan Am Railways conductor, according to the National Transportation Safety Board report on the fatal May 2021 accident. The accident in Newington, N.H., on the afternoon of May 19, 2021, […]
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SKAGWAY, Alaska — One berth at the White Pass & Yukon Railway’s cruise-ship dock in Skagway has been closed because of concerns over rockslide risk, forcing Princess Cruises to change plans for some scheduled visits by its ships. Travel Weekly reports the forward berth on the Railroad Dock has been closed following a report by […]
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NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced plans to expand cellular coverage to include all 418 track miles of New York City Transit subway tunnels, as well as all 191 above-ground subway tunnels and the 21 stations of the Staten Island Railway. Cell and wi-fi service is currently available at the subway system’s […]
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