WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic slumped 4.3% in August, with both carload and intermodal volume showing declines, according to the Association of American Railroads. “August was the third straight month in which total year-over-year U.S. rail carloads have fallen,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “A major reason why is that other than […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General on Wednesday released a report detailing the steps the company says it is taking to use, account for, and report on the $22 billion it is slated to receive directly from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding [see “Infrastructure bill addresses Amtrak priorities, congressional requirements,” News Wire, […]
CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar has released the schedule for its Sugar Express steam-powered excursion trains for the 2023-2024 season, which runs between October 2023 and January 2024. Trains will mainly be powered by U.S. Sugar’s former Florida East Coast 4-6-2 No. 148. The Pacific was built by American Locomotive Co. in 1920 for FEC. […]
WASHINGTON – Shippers who suffer from inadequate railroad service would be able to gain access to a second carrier under a new reciprocal switching rule that the Surface Transportation Board proposed today. The board unanimously voted to approve the 51-page notice of proposed rulemaking, which it said would provide a streamlined path for access to […]
ELBE, Wash. — Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has begun offering a limited excursion schedule for September and October as stated on its website. The train trips come at least a year or two ahead of the railroad’s timeline for returning to operation [see “Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad scheduled to reopen by 2025,” Trains, December 2022]. […]
Cabooses (no, not cabeese) were a common occurrence on freight trains throughout most of the 1900s, yet we rarely see them today. Why is that? When did they stop operating? Where did they go? And lastly, how can I model the last days of the caboose on my layout? Why? In one word: technology. Advances […]
MINNEAPOLIS — Chromatic 3D Materials has begun providing 3D-printed components to be used on rail equipment in Europe. A partnership with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) resulted in the production of bellows, grommets, cable glands, and valve covers, according to a recent statement from Chromatic. “At Chromatic, we take pride in the durability of our […]
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ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern has invested $8 million in DrayNow as part of a joint venture to improve the intermodal drayage experience for truckers and customers. DrayNow’s app for mobile devices provides customers with real-time shipment tracking and connects small fleet owner-operators with brokers who need first- and last-mile drayage service – in much the […]
LOCARNO, Switzerland — The trains are new, modern, run on time, and everyone uses them to go everywhere. Clearly, I’m not at home. In fact, and as the dateline has given away, I am in Switzerland. This is night two of my second trip here, this time a three-week adventure. And while I am badly […]
BOSTON – CSX Transportation still expects to see growth in revenue ton miles this year despite declines in several key commodity segments, CEO Joe Hinrichs told an investor conference today. While the railroad’s automotive, coal, minerals, and metals business has been strong, its chemicals, forest products, and international intermodal traffic are all down year over […]
CHICAGO — Eastbound California Zephyr passengers crossing eastern Nevada late Sunday suffered the same fate as an estimated 70,000 Burning Man Festival attendees 100 miles north of Reno over Labor Day weekend: they couldn’t go anywhere. Heavy rains had turned festival grounds into a highly-publicized sea of mud, making all roads impassable. Further east, debris […]
