WAUKESHA, Wis. — Trains, Trains.com, and the rest of Kalmbach Media will begin an extended New Year’s break at the close of normal business hours today (Wednesday, Dec. 29). Our offices will reopen on Monday, Jan. 3. Trains News Wire will continue featuring Trains’ Top 10 stories of 2021 through Dec. 31; otherwise, expect limited […]
News Wire Top 10, No. 3: A snarled supply chain
Pandemic-related economic upheaval tangled the global supply chain in 2021, leading to unprecedented congestion at ports and intermodal terminals. At the onset of the pandemic, imports were reduced to a trickle because Chinese factories shut down. American consumers shifted their spending from experiences to goods, which increased demand and depleted retail inventories to historically low […]
Rail projects among those receiving $241 million in port improvement grants
WASHINGTON — Six projects with a rail component have received funds under a U.S. Department of Transportation program announced last week. In all, 25 projects in 19 states received a total of $241 million under the Maritime Adminstration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. The program, in its third year, awarded $492 million for 32 projects in […]
Canadian Pacific extends contract with retailer Canadian Tire
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific and Canadian Tire Corp Ltd. have signed a multi-year agreement for the railroad to continue moving the retailer’s goods in Canada. As part of the agreement, and to support Canadian Tires’ desire for efficient transportation and to reduce carbon emissions, CP will begin serving Ashcroft Terminal in Ashcroft, British Columbia. This […]
STB sets details for hearing on reciprocal switching
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has released details on its previously announced hearing on proposed reciprocal switching regulations, to be held March 15-16. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. each day at the board’s headquarters in Washington, and will be streamed online on the board website. The board will announce no later than […]
What’s in that gondola?
John Martin has seen gondolas with Fiberglas hoods, and he wants to know what they’re transporting. Those cars also roll through Model Railroader’s hometown. Cody Grivno offers some ideas on what those gondolas are carrying. […]
News Wire Top 10, No. 4: East Broad Top’s revival continues
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — The narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad plans to celebrate 2022 as another milestone – the 150th anniversary of the start of construction in 1872 — with more track restoration and a return to steam-locomotive operation. If 2020 was the year of a miraculous rebirth for the historic south-central Pennsylvania line, […]
CSX, NS documents offer harsh rebuttal to Amtrak filing in Gulf Coast case
WASHINGTON — In filings that maintain if not elevate the level of acrimony between the two sides, CSX and Norfolk Southern have attacked almost every aspect of Amtrak’s response to their initial argument in the dispute over Gulf Coast passenger service that is before the Surface Transportation Board. The main document filed by the two […]
Two Mississippi ports receive federal funds for rail projects
WASHINGTON — Two ports in Mississippi have received more than $8 million in U.S. Department of Transportation grants for rail projects, the state’s congressional delegation has announced. Port Bienville, near Bay St. Louis in Hancock County, and the City of Aberdeen Port in Monroe County, have received funding under the Port Infrastructure Development Program, U.S. […]
Fillmore & Western equipment comes to Illinois museum
VOLO, Ill. — The first of seven pieces of equipment from the defunct Fillmore & Western have arrived at the Volo Auto Museum, which plans to open a railroad attraction in 2022. The Lake Zurich Patch website reports a 4-4-0 locomotive and passenger cars featured in the movie “The Lone Ranger,” along with cars from […]
Does cab interior green have a name?
James Dudzik is looking for the name of the green used on locomotive cab and caboose interiors. Well, it actually goes by a few different names, as Cody Grivno explains in this episode of AskTrains.com. […]
COVID surge leads to New York subway cuts
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New York City Transit has reduced subway service this week as staffing feels the effect of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. In a series of Twitter messages on Sunday, NYC Transit said subway trains would run less frequently Monday through Thursday, as the system reallocates train crews where they […]