WASHINGTON — Equal accessibility to onboard amenities for passengers with disabilities is the goal of potential new long-distance railcar designs Amtrak unveiled Wednesday at an in-person and online hearing. Amtrak held the gathering to obtain feedback prior to procurement from the accessibility community regarding plans to replace its existing Superliner and single-level fleet with new […]
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has suspended BNSF Railway and Union Pacific from its Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program. The railroads’ certification was suspended for 90 days effective Aug. 22, BNSF and UP said in customer advisories. “We continue to work with our partners to ensure safety procedures are followed and that […]
GRENADA, Miss. — After more than nine years of repairs and upgrades and millions of dollars in federal, state, and private investment, community leaders gathered Tuesday, Aug. 29, to celebrate the return of the 235-mile Grenada Railroad line that runs north and south along the I-55 corridor between Memphis and Canton, Miss. Now owned by […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — The start of Brightline service to Orlando has been further pushed back, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The passenger operator has yet to announce an official first date of service but has been selling tickets for dates in September. It is now offering refunds, upgrades to premium seats, and discounts on Avis rental […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific says its investigation into the disappearance of 30 tons of a chemical from a hopper car earlier this year indicates the material was lost in transit because of a leak during the trip from Cheyenne to California, KGWN-TV reports. The hopper loaded with ammonium nitrate — used as a fertilizer […]
As the railroad industry searches for ways to reduce and ultimately eliminate its greenhouse gas emissions, Wabtec sees hydrogen as the locomotive fuel of the future, whether it’s burned in internal combustion engines or used to power fuel cells. “We think this is going to be an impactful technology. We’re not seeing this as a […]
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired seven cars built in 1941 for New York Central’s Empire State Express from New York’s Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum for use in its Indiana Rail Experience operation and future excursion use. Estimated cost of restoring the entire fleet of cars is […]
WASHINGTON — Virginia Passenger Rail Authority officials will seek $829 million in federal funding for the project to build a new bridge over the Potomac River, a key portion of the plan to greatly expand passenger rail service by creating separate passenger and freight main lines south of Washington. But the Washington Post reports that, […]
STUART, Fla. — Additional time has been added for rehabilitation work on the St. Lucie River Drawbridge in Stuart, Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway have announced. While intermittent closures were scheduled to continue today (Wednesday, Aug. 30) and Thursday, Aug. 31, an additional extended full closure has now been added on Thursday from 5:30 […]
EL PASO, Texas — Approximately 13 cars of grain derailed on a Union Pacific train in central El Paso this afternoon, closing an exit of Interstate 10, KFOX-TV reports. Three of the cars overturned, spilling a load reported to be soybean meal. No injuries are reported and no hazardous materials are involved, El Paso Fire […]
WASHINGTON — A National Transportation Safety Board report on the Aug. 6 accident that claimed the life of a CSX Transportation conductor trainee in Cumberland, Md., found that there was only 7 inches of clearance between the well car the trainee was riding and a locomotive parked on an adjacent track. “The conductor trainee was […]
New Genesee & Wyoming shortline Berkshire & Eastern will begin operating New England regional Pan Am Southern on Sept. 1. Berkshire & Eastern’s startup date has been pushed back several times due to delays in obtaining the necessary labor agreements. But a G&W spokesman today confirmed that the railroad will begin operations on Friday, replacing […]
