LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Sound Transit’s next addition to its light rail system — the Lynnwood Link extension of Line 1 — will debut on Aug. 30, the agency announced Thursday. The 8.5-mile addition into Snohomish County will add four stations to the north of the current endpoint of Line 1 at Seattle’s Northgate station. In […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Ed King’s book canonizes N&W steam
Rumors of the death of railroad fiction are greatly exaggerated. The veteran railroad journalist Fred Frailey made that clear a year ago with his “Seldom Willing,” an absorbing tale of an ambitious 1980s Midwestern regional railroad that outmaneuvered a far larger rival. When Fred told me his novel was coming out soon, I wasn’t sure […]
Metra gears up for 2024 construction season
CHICAGO — With spring having arrived, at least according to the calendar, commuter operator Metra on Wednesday outlined plans for capital projects planned for the 2024 construction season. The Metra budget calls for $332.4 million in projects this fiscal year, including $140.7 million for bridge projects; $81.6 million for station and parking improvements; $66.2 million […]
Intramotev battery-electric hopper debuts on isolated Pennsylvania coal mine railroad
ST. LOUIS – Intramotev, which is converting standard freight cars into autonomous rail vehicles, says it has successfully deployed the world’s first self-propelled battery-electric railcar in a traditional freight train. In what Intramotev called a major step forward for sustainable freight transportation, the company’s ReVolt hopper has run more than 1,000 miles making trips between […]
Norfolk Southern begins detour moves of coal that normally moves through Port of Baltimore
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern today delivered the first coal train diverted from the closed Port of Baltimore to the railroad’s Lambert’s Point coal terminal in Norfolk, Va. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge following a March 26 strike by a container ship blocked access to the NS-served Consol coal terminal. “At Norfolk Southern, […]
Reading & Northern lines up special excursions from Reading for 2024 season
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern’s primary passenger execursion routes may lead to Jim Thorpe, Pa., but the company is also offering trips this year to destinations including Pottsville, Tamaqua, and Minersville from its Reading Outer Station. Pottsville excursions are set for April 13, May 11, June 8, Aug. 17, and Sept. 14. Those trips […]
Loose clamp on switch led to Maya Train derailment, government official says
MEXICO CITY — A loose clamp on a switch led to the Maya Train derailment at the Tixkokob station on March 25, Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense said during a presidential press conference today. The incident involved the fourth car of a train en route from Campeche to Cancún, which derailed as the train entered […]
FRA issues rule requiring two-person train crews (updated)
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today issued its new final rule generally requiring two-person crews on trains, which it says “enhances safety” and industry group the Association of American Railroads immediately blasted as “unfounded and unnecessary.” The 223-page final rule requires two-person crews except for certain operations “that do not pose significant safety risks […]
Philadelphia railroad bridge struck by oversized load, closing I-95, impacting NJ Transit service
PHILADELPHIA — A truck carrying an oversized load struck a railroad bridge crossing over Interstate 95 on Monday, closing the northbound lanes of the highway indefinitely and shutting down a portion of NJ Transit’s Atlantic City commuter rail service. The Conrail bridge in northeast Philadelphia was hit about 1:30 p.m.; after railroad engineers assessed damage, […]
North Carolina Railroad Co. now offering flagging, related safety services
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Railroad Co.., the privately run, 100% state-owned business operating 317 miles of rail lines in the state, is now offering flagging and other safety services for construction, repair, and maintenance-of-way projects in its corridor. The services offer experienced Class I and Class II railroad veterans for qualified Roadway Workers-in-Charge […]
Teamsters Canada calls for strike authorization vote by CN and CPKC train crews (updated)
The union representing Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City engineers and conductors in Canada has authorized a strike vote as labor and management remain far apart on new contracts. Leaders of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference told their members on Thursday that a strike vote will be held from April 8 to May 1. […]
CSX prepares to detour container and coal traffic bound for Baltimore
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX this week will begin providing international intermodal shippers with a detour around the closed Port of Baltimore. The railroad says it will launch dedicated service between Baltimore and the Port of New York and New Jersey in response to the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which fell […]