Metra to add trains on BNSF line

Overhead view of commuter train

CHICAGO — Metra will make major changes to the weekday schedule on the BNSF line, historically its most-used route, with a net increase from 86 to 91 trains as the route moves closer to its pre-pandemic level. The new schedule, effective March 28, will include four new trains, restoration of three trains dropped in November […]

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STB seems likely to move ahead with a new reciprocal switching rule

Woman with glasses in office

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators seem likely to impose a new reciprocal switching rule that would open up more carload traffic to competition between Class I railroads. During two full days of hearings that wrapped up on Wednesday night, the Surface Transportation Board was sympathetic to shipper complaints about a combination of high rates and poor […]

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Metra opposes CP-KCS merger in regulatory filing

Passenger train passing wooden passenger station

WASHINGTON — Chicago-area commuter rail operator Metra has come out against the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, telling the Surface Transportation board in a 946-page filing that the merger would bring delays, prevent expansion of service, raise safety issues, and increase Metra’s infrastructure costs. The communter operator also says its traffic modeling indicates the operating […]

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Union Pacific road-switcher cab ride

Yellow locomotive on tracks with two people on the pilot and one person next to tracks

My first road-switcher cab ride started with the wub, wub, wub, wub, wub sound of the engine at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill. After a full-body experience aboard Frisco 1630 earlier that day, I settled into the cab of Union Pacific road-switcher No. 1848. (For the details folks, this is a diesel- electric, […]

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CP train derails in Saskatchewan

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

ROULEAU, Saskatchewan — A Canadian Pacific freight train derailed Wednesday morning near the town of Rouleau, the second such incident in the region in less than a week. Canadian Pacific said the accident occurred between the towns of Rouleau and Wilcox at about 7:45 a.m., CTV News reports. No injuries were reported and no hazardous […]

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Canadian National donates more than $1 million for Ukraine relief

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National will make donations totaling C$1.1 million to two organizations — the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, and U.S. non-profit Razom — to support Ukrainians displayed by the war in Ukraine. The railroad will also match donations made through the CN Employees’ and Pensioners’ Community Fund. “Our Company’s history is tied to the settlement of […]

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic again below 2021 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity, plus intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — Overall U.S. rail traffic remained below levels of a year earlier for the week ending March 12, 2022, according to Association of American Railroads statistics. Weekly traffic included 496,134 carloads and intermodal unites, down 4.7% from the corresponding week in 2021. That included 232,388 carloads, a 0.9% increase, and 263,746 containers and trailers, […]

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