BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board of directors today approved a $54 million plan to introduce battery-electric train service on the commuter rail Fairmount Line. The first train could enter service as early as 2028. Keolis Commuter Services, the contract operator of MBTA’s commuter rail lines, submitted the proposal to introduce battery-electric multiple […]
JASPER, Alberta — Two of tourist operator Rocky Mountaineer’s three Canadian itineraries that originate or terminate in Jasper have been cancelled until further notice as the western Alberta town continues to be ravaged by wildfires. A message late today (Thursday, July 25) on the company website says, “Tragically, there are reports of significant structural damage […]
ATLANTA – Operational improvements helped Norfolk Southern win back service-sensitive intermodal and automotive traffic while driving down costs and boosting the railroad’s profitability in the second quarter. “While our work continues, our second-quarter results represent an encouraging inflection point in our operating performance,” CEO Alan Shaw said on the railroad’s earnings call on Thursday afternoon. […]
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority today awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail for 200 new railcars for its Market-Frankford Line rapid-transit fleet. The contract is worth $724.3 million, not including an option for up to 40 additional cars. Delivery of the cars is scheduled to begin in 2029 with completion by the end […]
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad has received 100 new coil steel cars from two manufacturers, each of which built 50 of the cars. The 48-foot, 115-ton capacity cars were built by The Greenbrier Cos. and National Steel Car, and expand the CSS car fleet to nearly 700 railcars. […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National’s main line through Jasper, Alberta — which opened briefly on Wednesday afternoon — remains shut down in the wake of a wildfire that burned at least some sections of the resort town to the ground overnight. Firefighters were unable to contain the wind-whipped wall of fire, which quickly advanced on the […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s profits rose in the second quarter despite a sharp drop in coal traffic. “When you remove coal, our total volume was up 3% in the second quarter. This demonstrates that even in a tough freight environment, we are winning with our customers to bring new business to the railroad,” CEO […]
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has named a three-member Presidential Emergency Board to address the labor dispute between NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Biden established the board in an executive order released Wednesday and effective today (July 25). An accompanying statement notes that appointment of the board is required under […]
PARIS — The French capital hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, its third turn as host and first in a century. The Opening Ceremony this Friday, July 26, will be held beside the River Seine in the center of the city, with events running through to the end of the Paralympics on Sept. […]
NEWARK, N.J. — The NJ Transit board of directors on Wednesday approved the purchase of 36 Multilevel III electric multiple-unit railcars from Alstom Transportation, increasing to 174 the number of the new railcars ordered since 2018. The order is part of an option of an existing contract with Alstom, at a cost not to exceed […]
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Last Saturday’s derailment of CSX railcars that damaged garages at a Fredericksburg apartment complex involved runaways, a CSX representative said at a community meeting on Wednesday, July 24. “One section of the train was tied down improperly,” CSX State Relations Director Randy Marcus told the meeting, according to a WUSA-TV report. Those […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was again ahead of 2023 levels for the week ending July 20, 2024, with overall volume up 1.4% compared to the same week last year, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Railroads handled 480,083 carloads and intermodal units. That included 214,348 carloads, a 3.4% decrease from the […]
