Court turns down bid for injunction to end German rail strike

Deutsche Bahn logo

FRANKFURT, Germany — A labor court rejected national rail operator Deutsche Bahn’s effort to end a strike by train drivers on Thursday evening, turning down DB’s bid for an injunction to halt the third strike by the GDL union in less than a month. The strike began Wednesday by freight operators and widened to passenger […]

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Amtrak’s New York tunnels withstand Ida’s deluge

Train in rain

NEW YORK — Despite more than 7 inches of rain that shut down New York’s subway system late Wednesday, the Amtrak tunnels connecting the Northeast Corridor to Manhattan survived tropical storm Ida without the debilitating damage that occurred as a result of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy. But other damage and power outages caused cancellation of all […]

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Federal regulators seek comments on railroads’ local service

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today said it is seeking comments on whether railroads should be required to report performance metrics that measure their local service. Class I railroads are required to report weekly performance data to the STB, including average train speed and average terminal dwell. But those measures do not include how railroads […]

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One injured as CN trains collide in Ontario (updated)

Smashed locomotives and other wreckage

PRESCOTT, Ontario — One person is reported injured in a collision between two Canadian National trains Thursday morning, the Ontario Provincial Police report. The collision occurred about 10:30 a.m. near an overpass at Edward Street in Prescott, about 65 miles northeast of Kingston, Ont., and just across the St. Lawrence River from Ogdensburg, N.Y. CTV […]

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Norfolk Southern reports flooding issues in Northeast

Norfolk Southern logo

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern is experiencing storm-related disruptions to freight service in the Northeast even as it and other railroads continue to recover from the effects of Hurricane Ida in New Orleans. In a service alert, the railroad said several NS facilities and lines are experiencing flooding and in some cases are inaccessible because […]

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Analysis: Merger hopes dashed, CN now faces fierce backlash

JJ Ruest standing in front of trains

There is no joy in Mudville – er, Montreal – today because the mighty CN has struck out. Canadian National suffered a stinging defeat on Tuesday when U.S. federal regulators effectively killed its proposed merger with Kansas City Southern. CN won’t get to create the first railway connecting Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. And it […]

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Milwaukee, Racine & Troy HO scale freight car kits

Artwork for transition era Milwaukee, Racine & Troy HO scale 41-foot gondola.

In 2022, the Kalmbach Hobby Store will be offering four new HO scale freight car kits decorated for our freelanced staff layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T). The injection-molded plastic cars, made in the U.S. by Accurail, will be offered in one road number per scheme. The kits are priced at $27.99 each. We’ve […]

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Remnants of Ida cause major rail disruptions (updated)

Rail signal rising above large area of water

Rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida is causing major havoc with travelers in the Northeast, with Amtrak service halted between Philadelphia and Boston, major disruptions to New York subways and commuter rail service, and NJ Transit cancelling almost all rail service. Amtrak has now cancelled all Northeast Corridor service between Washington and Boston for […]

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German rail operator seeks injunction to end strike

German_Trains_Lassen

FRANKFURT, Germany — National rail operator Deutsche Bahn is seeking an injunction to end the third strike in a month by German train drivers, saying the action is not within “the relevant legal framework.” TheLocal.de reports the Frankfurt am Main labor court will hold a hearing on the injunction Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. local […]

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ASLRRA honors four railroads for business development

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association logo

WASHINGTON — The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association is honoring four railroads with its Business Development Award for excellence in growing traffic in partnership with customers and local economic development authorities. The railroads, to be recognized at the annual ASLRRA Convention and Exhibition in Phoenix in November, are Iron Horse Resources’ Santa Teresa […]

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August rail traffic falls from 2020 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic by commodity type

WASHINGTON — Carloads were up and intermodal traffic was down in August, compared to the same month in 2020, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. The month saw U.S. railroads originiate 934,762 carloads in August, an increase of 36,815, or 4.1%, over 2020. The 1,085,345 containers and trailers moved in the month, […]

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