BNSF derailment, fire close Interstate 40 (updated)

Aerial image of burning railcars

GALLUP, N.M. — A BNSF Railway train derailed and caught fire near the Arizona-New Mexico state line at midday Friday, forcing the closure of Interstate 40, KOB-TV reports. The derailment on BNSF’s Gallup Subdivision about 12:42 p.m. Mountain Time, according to an initial BNSF report to customers. BNSF places the incident near Lupton, Ariz., approximately […]

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Norfolk Southern loses support of engineers’ union in proxy battle with activist investor (updated)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is now backing activist investor Ancora Holdings and its call for management change at Norfolk Southern. The union’s decision, announced today, is the second in as many days: The union representing maintenance of way workers yesterday swung its support to Ancora. The unions represent 41.5% […]

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The Trains Interview: A Q&A with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena

Trains News Wire spoke with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena after the railroad’s first quarter earnings call this morning. [See Union Pacific profits improve despite drop in coal.] UP introduced a Service Performance Index that showed how well the railroad met customer commitments during the quarter. The Intermodal Service Performance Index was 95%, while the […]

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BNSF dispatchers join FRA’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s train dispatchers will participate in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System under an agreement announced today. BNSF becomes the second Class I railroad to participate in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System, or C3RS. Norfolk Southern joined the program in March. The American Train Dispatchers Association, […]

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Union Pacific profits improve despite drop in coal traffic

Two yellow diesel locomotives pulling a coal train. Progress Rail files antitrust suit against Wabtec

OMAHA Neb. — Union Pacific’s first-quarter profits rose despite flat revenue and lower freight volume. “We are pleased to be able to report earnings growth in a tough environment,” CEO Jim Vena told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call this morning. Operating income rose 3%, to $2.3 billion, on flat revenue of $6 […]

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Activist investor wins backing of union representing Norfolk Southern maintenance of way employees (updated)

CLEVELAND – The union representing Norfolk Southern’s maintenance of way employees has thrown its support behind activist investor Ancora Holdings. The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said today that a change in leadership is necessary at NS. The union is backing Ancora’s full slate of director candidates […]

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BNSF found liable in Montana asbestos deaths

BNSF Railway logo

HELENA, Mont. — A federal jury found earlier this week that BNSF Railway contributed to the death of two people who were exposed to asbestos when mining material was shipped through the town of Libby, Mont., and awarded $4 million each in compensatory damages to the estate of the two plaintiffs, who died in 2020 […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic narrowly ahead of 2023 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume.

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic remained above 2023 levels for the 13th straight week, but the margin is narrowing. For the week ending April 20, total U.S. volume was 474,544 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.8% increase over the corresponding week a year earlier, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. That includes […]

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Mixed freight

20190424

Seaboard Air Line train No. 280 heads northbound near Aberdeen, N.C., with several piggyback trailers in 1962. Trailers include Pennsy, Fruit Growers Express, and Chesapeake & Ohio. J. David Ingles collection […]

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Michigan mine to use Intramotev autonomous freight cars

ST. LOUIS – Intramotev, which retrofits freight cars with autonomous, self-propelled battery electric technology, today announced a partnership with global mining company Carmeuse Americas to deploy its TugVolt cars at a limestone mine in Cedarville, Mich. “We couldn’t have asked for a better partner to deploy our technology in Michigan than Carmeuse,” Intramotev CEO Tim […]

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FRA issues safety bulletin following death of maintenance-of-way worker

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety bulletin today in the wake of a fatal accident involving a maintenance-of-way worker who was pinned by an excavator’s bucket. “FRA is actively investigating this accident, and is issuing this bulletin to remind railroads, railroad employees, and railroad contractors of the importance of ensuring proper safety […]

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