WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Human Resources department does not have sufficient staff to handle the company’s plans to add up to 3,500 employees this fiscal year, the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General says in a report issued Thursday. In another report, the Office of Inspector General said Amtrak should become more involved in local efforts […]
Events in Manitoba, Alberta to mark 125th anniversary of Canadian Northern predecessor
BIG VALLEY, Alberta — The Dauphin Rail Museum and Canadian Northern Society will hold events Dec. 14-15 to commemorate the opening of a railroad that became the Canadian Northern Railway, Canada’s second transcontinental railroad. Dec. 15 will mark the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Lake Manitoba Railway & Canal Co.; the company’s first […]
Amtrak sticks to employee vaccine mandate, prepares to announce reductions
WASHINGTON — Amtrak President Stephen Gardner’s presentation Thursday at a House committee hearing included justification for potential service cuts, related to the passenger railroad’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement, that may be announced next week. Gardner was taking part in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rail Subcommittee hearing, “Leveraging Infrastructure and Jobs Act: Plans for Expanding […]
News Photos: Amtrak heritage electric debuts (updated)
Shades of the AEM7: Amtrak’s newest heritage locomotive, ACS64 No. 662, made its debut on Thursday, handling Northeast Regional train No. 176 from Washington to Boston. The first trip came shortly after Amtrak released photos on Twitter of the Siemens locomotive wrapped in a recreation of the paint scheme worn by the earlier electric locomotives […]
Seven injured as SEPTA trolley, CSX train collide
DARBY, Pa. — Seven people have been injured, one critically, after a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority trolley collided with a CSX freight train on Thursday morning, KYW-TV reports. The Philadelphia Inquirer, which earlier had reported six injuries — to the operator and five passengers — reports an eastbound trolley on Route 11, from Darby to […]
U.S. Steel, NS, Greenbrier announce new lighter-weight gondola design
LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — U.S. Steel, Norfolk Southern, and carbuilder Greenbrier have combined on a new gondola car design which will reduce the weight of each car by up to 15,000 pounds through use of a high-strength, lighter-weight steel. NS will receive 800 of the cars in an initial order. The new steel has the […]
East Broad Top gets $1.1 million from state for restoring track, other projects
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. – East Broad Top Railroad has been awarded a $1.1 million state grant to rebuild 7.8 miles of track between the company’s headquarters in Rockhill Furnace and the towns of Three Springs and Saltillo, and to support related EBT projects. The grant awarded Wednesday, Dec. 8, is the first step toward reopening […]
Glenn Hulcher, founder of contractor Hulcher Services, dies at 85
DENTON, Texas — Glenn Hulcher, founder of multi-faceted railroad contractor Hulcher Services, has died, the company announced. Hulcher died on Nov. 23 after a battle with cancer. “Glenn was a pioneer, an innovator and our friend and we will miss him daily, but his legacy will live on through the company and those whom he […]
News Photos: Historic Ohio tower demolished
FOSTORIA, Ohio — Fostoria’s historic Jackson Street Tower, which housed the nation’s first Centralized Traffic Control equipment, has been demolished. The former New York Central structure was torn down as part of an ongoing effort by CSX Transportation to remove old, unused structures along its routes. It was the operator in the Jackson Street Tower […]
Sugar Express to operate steam Santa Train special on Saturday
CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express will operate a Santa Train powered by ex-Florida East Coast 4-6-2 No. 148 this Saturday, delivering toys for the Toys for Tots programs in Moore Haven, Clewiston, Belle Glade, and Martin County. The trip will begin with a 7:30 a.m. arrival in Belle Glade, Fla. The train will […]
Calgary-Banff rail proposal sees price rise, seeks funds from province
BANFF, Alberta — The company seeking to build a rail connection between Calgary International Airport and Banff National Park now says the project will cost C$1.5 billion, and is seeking financial contributions from the province of Alberta. But the CBC reports Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says that while he believes the project has merit, the […]
U.S. weekly rail traffic continues to lag compared to 2020
WASHINGTON — The months-long trend in U.S. rail traffic — with increased carload volume more than offset by lagging intermodal movements — continues in the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Dec. 4, 2021, railroads originated 255,044 carloads, a 3.9% increase over the same week in 2020, but the […]