SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ian Choudri will be the new CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the agency’s board of directors announced after a closed-session meeting today (Aug. 8, 2024). Choudri, currently senior vice president for consulting firm HNTB, has more than 30 years in transportation, including work on high speed rail projects in France […]
MOUNT UNION, Pa. — East Broad Top Railroad’s last remaining standard-gauge 0-6-0 switcher, a 1923 Baldwin Locomotive Works engine, on Wednesday left the only place it has called home for 101 years aboard a specialized heavy-haul low-boy trailer. The 68-ton locomotive is destined for display at a park in Red Bay, Ala., more than 800 […]
RED OAK, Iowa — The driver of a crew transport vehicle was injured today (Aug. 8, 2024) when his vehicle was hit by a railcar from a BNSF derailment. The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency reports that the county communications center received a report of a derailment at 6:05 a.m. Emergency crews that responded found […]
WASHINGTON — On-board workers with Florida’s Brightline have filed to form a union, the Transport Workers Union of America has announced. The workers made the filing today (Thursday, Aug. 8) with the National Mediation Board, the government agency that handles labor relations with railroads and the airline industry under the Railway Labor Act. Workers involved […]
Lionel has released their Base3 control system, and CTT unboxes and tests the product. Editor Rene Schweitzer and Contributing Editor Bob Keller offer some tips and tricks for operation, and demonstrate the Polar Express engine on the CT&T in-house layout. Read a review from Chris Montagna about the Base3. Learn more about this system at control.lionel.com Find […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada’s “Lumi” trainset — a Siemens Venture train painted yellow in homage to the passenger operator’s TurboTrain equipment of the past — is now in operation in Ontario-Quebec corridor service. The one-of-a-kind trainset was introduced at a media event last month [see “VIA Rail Canada unveils specially painted corridor trainset,” Trains […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — Air Canada has joined one of the consortia bidding for Canada’s High Frequency Rail project, raising concerns about conflict of interest and transparency in the bidding process. The Canadian airline and SNCF Voyageurs, the operating arm of the French national railways, were both late additions to the Cadence consortium, Global News reports, […]
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. — BNSF Railway is planning to use controlled blasting for the demolition of the bridge over the Big Sioux River that collapsed in flooding in June, KTLV-TV reports. The railroad has obtained the necessary local permits to conduct the blasting, but still needs a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of […]
NORTHAMPTON, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society/Railroad Historians of the Lehigh Valley are hosting an “Alco Seminar” on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Northampton Event Center. The event will feature speakers who had a hand in the design and operation of Alcos, officials from railroads with Alco power, and […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was up in July compared to the same month in 2023, the sixth straight month of gains in volume, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week ending Aug. 3 was also ahead of the same week a year ago. The monthly figures show U.S. […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has completed its multiyear project to add track and fueling capacity on the approach to its yard in Belen, N.M., where trains stop to change crews, undergo inspection, and have their locomotives’ fuel tanks topped off. “Belen, New Mexico, is really the heartbeat of our Southern Transcon, accounting for […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern Chief Operating Officer John Orr has named three veteran officials to lead the railroad’s transportation team. Tim Livingston, who worked with Orr at Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, joins NS as senior vice president of transportation and network operations. Reporting to Livingston will be Rodney Moore, vice president […]
