Ukraine war leads to coal shortage for British heritage steam

Small steam locomotive operating through field

Several of the largest steam heritage railways in Britain have announced reduced schedules or postponed special events involving multiple locomotives. The reason: a shortage of suitable coal because of transport or supply problems following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Britain once boasted the world’s largest coal export ports. Railways around the world relied on coal […]

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Unions turn to arbitration in effort to strike down BNSF attendance policies

Logos for BLET, SMART-TD unions

CLEVELAND — The two unions who were blocked from striking over new BNSF Railway attendance policies imposed by BNSF Railway seek to overturn those rules through arbitration. In a statement Wednesday, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division said they would “proceed as […]

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Genesee & Wyoming touts business development efforts for 2021

Genesee & Wyoming logo

DARIEN, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming says its business development efforts in 2021 led to 69 projects totaling $1.5 billion in customer development and expected to generate more than 1,000 news jobs. “Based on last year’s customer investments, G&W’s freight transportation services continue to be critical to companies’ logistics strategies and the greater supply chain,” […]

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Union Pacific makes major donation for Ukrainian relief

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

OMAHA — Union Pacific will donate $500,000 to humanitarian relief in Ukraine, its largest-ever corporate donation for disaster relief, the company announced today. The funds will be split between the American Red Cross and Save the Children. The company had previously announced a 2-1 match for employee donations to six organizations providing direct support in […]

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CSX asks regulators to toss NS request for trackage rights over CPKC

Map of eastern U.S. highlighting route between Meridian, Miss., and Shreveport, La.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators should toss out Norfolk Southern’s request for trackage rights over Kansas City Southern from Shreveport, La., to the Dallas area as part of the proposed Canadian Pacific-KCS merger, CSX Transportation says. NS sees Canadian Pacific Kansas City as a threat to its Meridian Speedway intermodal traffic. And so NS says it may […]

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CP asks federal regulators to resolve key CN Chicago interchange question

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific logos

WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific has asked federal regulators to determine whether the Belt Railway of Chicago’s Clearing Yard is a reasonable location to interchange traffic with Canadian National. It’s the latest twist in the Canadian railways’ long-running dispute over where to exchange traffic in Chicago. The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in December vacated […]

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Wabtec donates AC6000 locomotive to Lake Shore museum

Pink and gray locomotive between two blue and yellow locomotives

NORTH EAST, Pa. — One of just two remaining General Electric AC6000 locomotives, demonstrators for the company’s 6,000-horsepower, A.C.-traction locomotives, has been donated to the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North East. Wabtec donated GECX No. 6002, built in 1998 for Union Pacific as its No. 7511, and returned to GE to serve as part […]

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Federal judge allows BNSF suit over Cicero sewer rates to proceed

Metra_Cicero_Lassen

CHICAGO — A federal judge has brushed off efforts by Cicero, Ill., to block a BNSF Railway lawsuit over a $1 million increase in sewer rates, saying the ordinance targeted at the railroad’s yard “does not simply impact railroads — it effectively holds them hostage.” The Cook County Record reports that U.S. District Judge Steven […]

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Wabtec to modernize 330 locomotives for Norfolk Southern

Black locomotives lead train through curve

PITTSBURGH — Wabtec will modernize 330 locomotives for Norfolk Southern, upgrading D9-44CW units that are more than 20 years old into AC44C6M models, under an agreement announced Wednesday. It is the third major modernization order by NS, which will give it a fleet of more than 950 such locomotives when the work is completed in […]

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