CHICAGO — The family of a Georgia couple killed in last year’s derailment of the Empire Builder near Joplin, Mont. — while on a trip celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary — filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court on Monday alleging Amtrak and BNSF were responsible for the fatal accident. The suit was filed […]
Railroader, photographer, and rail historian Roger Holmes of Hudson, Ill., died Saturday, Feb. 19, after a six-week battle with COVID-19. He was 73. Holmes was a former Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway dispatcher, and had worked for the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad and the Chicago & North Western. He had recently worked with younger […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will hold a meeting this week with South Florida rail operators, as well as government and law-enforcement officials, to discuss safety efforts in the wake of ongoing fatal accidents involving Brightline passenger service. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports Brightline, Amtrak, CSX, and commuter agency Tri-Rail will be part of […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Bay Area Rapid Transit’s planned extension to San Jose could take four years longer to complete than currently estimated and cost substantially more than the original and current estimates, according to a federal report. The Bay Area News Group, which obtained the Federal Transportation Administration document through a Public Records act […]
SPENCER, Mass. — Three people were injured when a Loram rail grinder collided with a stopped CSX freight train early Sunday morning, requiring some of the injured to be freed by first responders. WCVB-TV reports a CSX statement indicated the accident occurred about 1:30 a.m. Spencer Fire and Emergency Services wrote on Facebook the three […]
CHAMA, N.M. — After weathering the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns of 2020 and 2021, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad ridership rebounded to within 11% of 2019 ridership, railroad President Scott Gibbs tells Trains News Wire. With most restrictions lifted by July 1, 2021, the railroad carried 37,735 riders for the year versus 42,451 in 2019, Gibbs […]
ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern has recalled 18 laid-off workers at its Juniata Locomotive Shop, the Altoona Mirror reports. Citing information from Bob Kutz, president of the Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council, the newspaper says the railroad has brought back eight machinists, four boilermakers, three electricians, two pipefitters, and a carman. The recalls mean approximately 318 […]
MITCHELL, S.D. — A South Dakota company has announced plans to build a new soybean processing plant, a facility to be served by BNSF Railway and capable of processing about 35 million bushels of soybeans per year. The Mitchell Republic reports South Dakota Soybean Processors will build the facility about 2 miles south of Mitchell […]
PITTSBURGH — Railroad Development Corp. has named Nathan M. (Nate) Asplund as executive vice president. In his new role, Asplund will be responsible for support and business development for RDC operations worldwide. Asplund will join RDC on March 1. Most recently, he was partner and president of Columbia Strategic Consulting Group, a Fort Worth, Texas-based […]
These ten unusual locomotive paint schemes are a sight to behold. Railroads usually spend a lot of money and time to create an image. Lettering, a paint scheme, a “look” is all important for consistency and brand identification. So, here are a few examples of locomotive paint schemes that were either derivations of the original […]
PITTSBURGH — Norfolk Southern and the state of Pennsylvania are finalizing an agreement for up to $170.8 million in infrastructure improvements that will allow a second daily Amtrak train between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, a route currently served by the Pittsburgh-New York Pennsylvanian. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the deal was announced at a Friday press conference […]
PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — After more than two years of planning and development, the Port Jervis Transportation History Center is set to celebrate its grand opening Memorial Day Weekend with the first Port Jervis Transportation Festival. Also, the Dining Car Society has announced it will move its collection of seven historic passenger equipment from Scranton, […]
