Gotthard Base Tunnel repairs may take until September 2024

Freight train with two red electric locomotives in mountains

BERN, Switzerland — The Gotthard Base Tunnel will not fully reopen to passenger and freight traffic until September 2024, Swiss Federal Railways announced today (Thursday, Nov. 2), saying ongoing repairs from an Aug. 10 derailment in the tunnel have found much more severe damage than initially believed. The Aug. 10 incident caused damage for more […]

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CN acquires stake in G&W’s Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway

Canadian National logo

Canadian National has acquired a stake in Genesee & Wyoming short line Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway, which operates the easternmost trackage in North America. Under the deal announced on Wednesday, CN will manage interline shipments for customers on the 145-mile CBNS. G&W will continue to operate the railroad, which connects with CN […]

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House vote still to come on transportation appropriations; Senate passes bill

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives’ vote on appropriations for the Department of Transportation, which would include a 64% cut in Amtrak funding as well as a prohibition on federal funds for California’s high speed rail project, is still pending. It had originally been reported as on the schedule for Wednesday [see “House set to […]

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NTSB calls for improvements to PTC technology

National Transportation Safety Board logo

WASHINGTON — In a new report, the National Transportation Safety Board calls on the Federal Railroad Administration to incorporate new technologies into existing positive train control systems and address issues with PTC in its current form. The 51-page report, available here, says safety issues remain in existing PTC systems in the form of: — Insufficient […]

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U.S. rail traffic sees notable increase in October

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

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic reached its highest level in 28 months in October, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, while weekly traffic figures ended their run of increases over 2022 levels. The month saw railroads originate just under 2 million carloads and intermodal units — 921,591 carloads, down 0.3% from October […]

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Young Guns in Preservation: Nick Ozorak

Young individual posing in the cab of a steam locomotive.

Everyone has a story worth sharing. Nick Ozorak uses that as a guiding philosophy for his digital media and marketing agency, Streamliner Media, as well as his railroading podcast, The Roundhouse. Streamliner Media produces high-quality videos for the freight and rail preservation industries, with clients ranging from the Iowa Interstate Railroad to the East Broad […]

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Louisiana highway closed by CPKC derailment

Stack of derailed freight cars next to highway

RODESSA, La. — At least 10 cars of a CPKC train derailed near Rodessa this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 1), leading to the closure of State Route 1 while heavy machinery assists in cleanup at the scene. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office reports the derailment occurred about 6 a.m. Caddo Fire District 8 responded to the […]

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Canadian National train derails in rural Wisconsin

Canadian National logo

STANLEY, Wis. — Approximately 10 cars of a Canadian National Railway train derailed early this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 1), the Stanley Police department said in a press release posted on Facebook. The derailment occurred about 1:07 a.m. No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved, police said. Stanley, population 3,378, is about 30 […]

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Variable pricing begins on Amtrak Hiawathas

Train with four matching Siemens Venture passenger cars

MILWAUKEE — Amtrak’s Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service will now feature variable ticket pricing, ending a flat fare of $25 that had been in effect since 2016. The new sliding fares of $19 to $31, based on demand and advanced purchase, are effective today (Nov. 1). They follow Amtrak’s nationwide adoption of a two-tiered pricing system; as […]

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Reading T-1 No. 2100 will debut in Freedom Train paint scheme, restoration group says

Black and white view of 4-8-4 steam locomotive

CLEVELAND — The group restoring Reading Co. T-1 4-8-4 No. 2100 has announced the locomotive will wear an American Freedom Train paint scheme nearly identical to that worn by another T-1, No. 2101, during the 1975-76 Freedom Train tour. “Our initial plan was to debut the 2100 in the original black Reading freight scheme, and […]

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Union Pacific announces management layoffs in bid to speed decision making

OMAHA, Neb. — A round of layoffs are under way today at Union Pacific headquarters as new CEO Jim Vena aims to streamline management and speed up decision making at the sprawling railroad. “Union Pacific is changing its culture and announced organizational changes to reduce layers, expand spans of control and focus on empowering employees […]

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