CLARENDON HILLS, Ill. — A truck struck by a Metra commuter train was rotated by the impact, causing substantial damage to the train’s cab car and resulting in the death of a passenger, according to a preliminary report issued Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The preliminary report sets out basic facts of the […]
WASHINGTON — Rail traffic’s general downward trend continued in the latest weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending June 11, U.S. railroads reported 510,295 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.6% decline from the corresponding week in 2021. That included 234,942 carloads, down 2.8%, and 275,353 containers and trailers, down 4.4%. […]
BIG VALLEY, Alberta — The Canadian Northern Railway Society, which is commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Canadian National predecessor with a series of events, will hold its marquee commemoration with a celebration on July 9, 2022, in the community of Big Valley. The event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include tours of […]
CHICAGO — Water spray splashing the wheels of Lincoln Service train no. 300 coming off the Chicago River bridge Wednesday morning has nothing to do with Amtrak’s need to wash Windy City trains, and everything to do with making sure hot weather doesn’t sideline them. With temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees as they did […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked federal regulators to dismiss a shipper’s complaint that claims the railroad violated its common-carrier obligations by providing unreliable service and unilaterally reducing local service from five days per week to three. The shipper, Sanimax, brought the case to the Surface Transportation Board in November 2020. It asked the board […]
Longtime model and prototype railroad publisher and author Don Heimburger died June 10, 2022, at his home in the Chicago area. He was 75. An avid model railroader, the Urbana, Ill., native started S Gaugian magazine when he was 15 years old. He worked as a newspaper reporter while earning a journalism degree from the […]
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WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration has issued four special directives to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, giving the transit agency periods ranging from 24 hours to 30 days to address safety concerns. Those concerns address procedural issues revealed by a series of five runaway-train incidents in yards since February 2021; maintenance procedures and programs; […]
WASHINGTON — The National Mediation Board will end mediation between railroads and their unions over the long-running negotiations for a new national contract, moving the contract process closer to intervention by President Joe Biden. The organization representing railroads in the negotiations, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, said in a press release that it was “disappointed […]
CHICAGO — Higher interest rates may not be significantly pulling back inflationary pressure thus far, but they are cooling down lumber prices, returning them to near pre-pandemic norms in an inadvertent sacrifice of Class I railroad carloads. According to rail carload data, so far this year the country’s seven Class I railroads have hauled approximately […]
WASHINGTON — An engineer’s failure to operate his train in accordance with restricted speed rules, and his prohibited use of a personal electronic device, were the probable cause of a fatal collision with track maintenance equipment on the Alabama Export Railroad in November 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board said in an accident report issued […]
BOSTON — A new company has announced plans to provide locomotive leasing for commuter rail agencies, saying it will offer proven, like-new units on flexible lease terms. Rolling Stock Solutions announced the venture last week, with initial plans to lease fully overhauled F40PH locomotives. “Having spent two decades at the intersection of government operations and […]
