Followers of railroading in the Deep South — especially in Louisiana and Mississippi — are mourning the loss of rail historian Louis Saillard, a Louisiana native who died unexpectedly Nov. 13 at age 75. A prolific writer and photographer, Saillard wrote several articles for Trains and Railfan magazines and had numerous picture credits in a […]
By caboose to Silverton and back
It does not matter how many times you have traveled the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad between its namesake cities. Every time you ride is a new adventure. The scenery evolves over time and is dependent on the season at hand. The people you ride with change. The purpose of the ride is different. […]
Short line CEO says railroads must embrace Uber-like technology to secure future
NEW YORK — The largest operator of shortline railroads has a clear message about the future of the industry. “It’s time to get off our asses,” declared Michael Miller, chief executive of Genesee & Wyoming, at the annual RailTrends conference last week. While G&W is celebrating its 125th anniversary, Miller said in a presentation to […]
CRISI grant to enhance wheel bearing monitoring with integrated wayside, on-board tech
WASHINGTON — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen is joining forces with rail tech company Hum Industrial Technology Inc. and the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley’s Center for Railway Safety, to research and develop technology to enhance wheel bearing condition monitoring. The project will integrate railcar sensors with wayside infrastructure capable of transmitting wheel […]
Two arrested in derailment of Union Pacific train
BARTONVILLE, Ill. — Two Bartonville men were arrested Monday for allegedly derailing a Union Pacific locomotive, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office announced. Caleb Finley, 18, and Jimmy Johnson, 20, were arrested for criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to property, reckless conduct, and placing an object on railroad tracks, the Sheriff’s Office said in a […]
BNSF reports record agricultural shipments in October
FORT WORTH, Texas — Federal regulators this summer questioned whether BNSF Railway would be ready to handle this year’s fall harvest. Today the railway reported that it carried a record level of agricultural traffic last month, with ag volume and velocity both up 7% from last year. “We at BNSF are proud to support the […]
Canadian railways seek solutions to frequent labor disruptions
NEW YORK — If there’s a silver lining to the spate of labor disruptions that have affected Canadian railways and ports over the past 15 months, it’s that Ottawa now recognizes there’s a problem. “That’s the first step in fixing it,” Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson told the RailTrends conference last week. CN executives were […]
Whitewater advocates sue federal government over CSX’s Clinchfield repairs
ERWIN, Tenn. — Whitewater rafting advocates have filed lawsuits claiming the federal government has unlawfully allowed CSX Transportation to rebuild its former Clinchfield through the Nolichucky River Gorge and that the railroad’s repairs are environmentally disruptive. CSX has been rebuilding 40 miles of its Blue Ridge Subdivision between Erwin, Tenn., and Spruce Pine, N.C., after […]
BNSF wraps up Kansas double-tracking project, reaching milestone for Southern Transcon
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has reached a major milestone: The completion of the remaining section of double track on its Southern Transcon in Kansas. “Monday was a big day for BNSF’s Emporia Subdivision! The last 3.5 of approximately 51 miles of new doubletrack were cut over, about halfway across our Southern Transcon route,” […]
Caltrain equipment will be used to launch new commuter operation in Peru
LIMA, Peru — A signing ceremony has transferred 19 F40PH-2 locomotives and 90 bilevel gallery cars from Caltrain to the transit authority in Lima, setting the stage for the launch of a new commuter rail operation serving Peru’s capital. The ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 16, was held at Monserrate rail station. It brought together U.S. […]
Trump nominates Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation
WASHINGTON — President-elect Trump has chosen former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy as his nominee for Secretary of Transportation. Duffy, 53, currently serves as a co-host of Fox Business’ The Bottom Line broadcast and is a frequent contributor to the network. He left politics in 2019 to care for his newborn daughter. Duffy served as a […]
MTA board approves congestion tolling plan for Manhattan
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has approved the revised congestion tolling plan announced last week by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. In a meeting on Monday, Nov. 18, the board approved a plan that will launch the toll plan for lower Manhattan with a basic peak-hours toll of $9, while raising it […]