PHOENIX — Along with participation by six Class I railroads and a number of other entities, the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association Conference that concluded Saturday featured presentations from three major short line companies. Here’s an overview. Genesee & Wyoming The largest of the short line holding companies, with 116 properties in North America […]
PHOENIX — The start of construction on of a long-delayed intermodal facility will highlight Canadian National capital work in 2022, after the railroad completed several major projects in 2021. Martita Mullen, the railroad’s senior manager, design and construction, provided a review of the 2021 work and preview of 2022 on Friday at the National Railroad […]
WASHINGTON – Railroads have not been immune to the skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases across the U.S. as the more contagious Omicron variant spreads nationwide. The number of railroad employees infected with COVID-19 reached its highest point of the pandemic in the week ending Jan. 1, according to Federal Railroad Administration data released on Friday. […]
GLEN RIDGE, N.J. – Famed steam photographer Michael A. Eagleson, who traveled the world in search of steam power as it retreated from service, died of complications of COVID-19 Jan. 6. He was in his late 70s. Eagleson was famous in the railway and steam locomotive enthusiast community, having traveled worldwide to witness and photograph […]
PHOENIX — Extreme weather and natural disasters took a broad toll on railroads in 2021, and BNSF Railway was certainly not exempt. “All of us in the industry,” said Craig Rasmussen, BNSF’s assistant vice president, engineering services and structures, “have realized that Mother Nature is not a nice lady. Sometimes she is really tough to […]
PORTLAND, Ore. – Heavy rains in the Pacific Northwest caused a mudslide near Kelso, Wash., on Thursday morning that temporarily shut down BNSF Railway’s main line between Portland and Seattle. BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent tells Trains News Wire, “The mud slides north of Kelso have impacted both freight and passenger service. Our crews have been […]
DENVER – Alpenglow Rail, a Denver-based firm specializing in investment, operating, and growing rail businesses, in partnership with Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure, will acquire Orange Rail Inc. from LJA Investments, Inc. Orange Rail is a newly constructed rail terminal in Orange, Texas, with access to Union Pacific and BNSF Railway. Orange Rail consists of a […]
NEW HAVEN, Vt. – The former Rutland Railroad depot in New Haven will begin the first leg of its journey to a new home in the city Jan. 12, the Addison County Independent reported. “Everything is looking good to go,” selectboard member Steve Dupoise told the Independent, noting that the town had obtained all the […]
NEW YORK – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Wednesday announced plans to move forward with the Interborough Express as part of her 2022 State of the State address. The Interborough Express project would use the existing right-of-way of the Bay Ridge Branch, a freight rail line that runs through Brooklyn and Queens, connecting the neighborhoods […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — David McKenna has been named president and chief executive officer of Rocky Mountaineer. McKenna began his new duties Jan. 4. McKenna has extensive experience in Canada’s tourism industry. Prior to joining Rocky Mountaineer, he was president of the Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit where he led tourism expansion and acquisition projects […]
PERTH, Australia — Fortescue Metals Group announced today it has purchased two new battery-operated locomotives from Progress Rail to haul ore from mine to port in northwest Australia. The new eight-axle locomotives will have an energy capacity of 14.5 megawatt-hours and will be built at Progress Rail’s facility in Sete Lagoas, Brazil. Fortescue Chief Executive […]
PHOENIX — Siding extensions and intermodal-terminal upgrades highlight the capacity-improvement aspects of Norfolk Southern’s 2022 capital spending plan, as outlined Thursday by the railroad’s vice president of engineering, Ed Boyle. The railroad has not yet announced its full capital spending plan for 2022, after spending about $1.6 billion in 2021. But plans for infrastructure work […]
