Rail traffic slump continues despite slight gain in weekly carload volume

Association of American Railroads logo

WASHINGTON – U.S. weekly rail traffic fell 1.7% for the week ending Sept. 9, with carload up 0.6% and intermodal volume down 3.8% compared to last year, the Association of American Railroads says. Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2022. They included motor vehicles and […]

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A lengthy UAW strike would curb railroads’ US auto volumes

UAW strike A potential United Auto Workers strike against the Big Three automakers would put a dent in railroads’ motor vehicle and parts volume – the traffic segment that’s shown the most growth this year as overall rail volume has declined. The UAW has set a midnight deadline tonight for a strike at Ford, GM, […]

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Santa Fe No. 3751 stars at LA Union Station Train Festival

Steam locomotive on a turntable

LOS ANGELES. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751’s appearance at last weekend’s Los Angeles Union Station Train Festival 2023 saw multiple firsts. It was the first public outing for the locomotive this year, the first visit to the passenger terminal since 2017, and the first public night photo session since returning to service in […]

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CPKC touts its premium cross-border intermodal service linking Chicago and Mexico

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – Canadian Pacific Kansas City Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel today touted the benefits of the railway’s flagship single-line Mexico Midwest Express service linking Chicago and Mexico. Yesterday Union Pacific announced that it had shaved a day off of its rival cross-border Falcon Premium intermodal trains run in conjunction with Canadian National […]

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CSX, NS cited for 99 bridge, property violations

Norfolk Southern train crossing lift bridge. CSX, NS cited for 99 bridge, property violations.

CLEVELAND – The city handed CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern 99 first-degree misdemeanor violations for falling concrete, high weeds, and graffiti issues on railroad-owned bridges and other property within the city, reports WEWS-TV. Cleveland residents have complained about the railroad property conditions previously to the point that Justin Bibb, Cleveland mayor, asked residents to report […]

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Brightline Orlando to launch service Sept. 22

black and yellow high-speed train. Brightline Orlando to launch service Sept. 22.

MIAMI — Brightline announced today that service to Orlando International Airport will begin on Sept. 22, 2023. The new service will offer connections between Orlando and South Florida (Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach), the company stated in a press release. “Opening Orlando fulfills our ultimate business model. We have seen incredible […]

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WalthersMainline HO Trinity 4750 covered hopper

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper on white background.

Arriving in hobby shops now is the Walthers Trinity 4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper. The newly tooled model, based on a Burlington Northern prototype, is part of the manufacturer’s Mainline series and features injection-molded plastic construction. Prototype history Our sample is decorated as Burlington Northern 466071, part of the railroad’s 466000 through 466999 series built […]

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Wisconsin Great Northern places ‘Mark Twain Zephyr’ back on its trucks

Two cranes lifting a shovel-nosed locomotive. Wisconsin Great Northern places 'Mark Twain Zephyr' back on its trucks.

TREGO, Wis. — A rainbow formed in the sky as work neared completion on putting the five-car set of the shovel-nose streamliner Mark Twain Zephyr back on its rebuilt truck sets at the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad yards Monday. When the power car Injun Joe, No. 9903, was trucked here 3 years ago, after the […]

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Parallel Systems unveils its second-generation prototype autonomous battery-electric railcar

LOS ANGELES – Parallel Systems today introduced its second generation battery-electric autonomous container car system, which the company hopes will see pilot testing on Genesee & Wyoming short lines in Georgia as well as with international customers. Parallel says the new prototype is undergoing testing to verify the system’s ability to operate on the conventional […]

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