WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appears to be willing to find for supporters of the Uinta Basin Railway in their appeal of a decision blocking construction of the Utah rail line — even if they have some issues with the method suggested by a lawyer for determining the adequacy of environmental reviews at the heart […]
Genesee & Wyoming short line Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad will take over local service from Union Pacific’s Eugene Yard in Oregon, in a move the railroads said will improve service for local customers. The change allows UP to reduce the number of times a railcar is handled and create greater efficiencies, while providing more […]
Yesterday’s news out of Montreal was a stunner: VIA Rail Canada will re-equip its long-distance, regional, and remote-service trains with new single-level equipment — including dome cars for its flagship, the Vancouver-Toronto Canadian. VIA Rail’s 70-year-old Budd-built stainless steel fleet is a testament to durability and design. But nothing lasts forever, and despite all their […]
Railfanning California’s Central Valley offers diverse operations, wide-open vistas, and plenty of action. Even so, the Central Valley gets no respect. Fresno, Bakersfield and even Sacramento are the butt of jokes by Los Angeles and Bay Area citizens. Railfans make trips to Cajon, Donner and Tehachapi passes but seldom celebrate the tabletop-flat topography of the […]
CHESTERTON, Ind. — The group that has preserved a former Norfolk & Western business car is now seeking to save and restore former N&W sleeping car Hollins College. The N&W Business Car 300 Preservation Society says it is working with Norfolk Southern, the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, and the Morristown & Erie Railway to preserve […]
“Scratching” the surface Originating from the Italian word “graffiato” (scratched), graffiti is a practice as old as time. Its root word is Italian in origin because it dates back to the heyday of Rome, over 2,500 years ago. Looking back even further, the same concept — petroglyphs — have been dated to well over 40,000 […]
WASHINGTON — November rail traffic is signaling a positive outlook for the broader economy heading into 2025. Resilient consumer spending helped intermodal continue to lead all categories in November and year to date, according to the Association of American Railroads’ Freight Rail Index (FRI) released Monday, Dec. 9. Continued strong consumer demand and port activity […]
NOVI, Mich. — Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference have ratified agreements at three railroads, the union announced. Union members at the Colorado & Wyoming Railway unanimously voted in favor of the agreement, while those at the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis and Norfolk & […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Kevin Corbett, president and CEO of NJ Transit since 2018, has resigned to take a university position. The resignation is effective Jan. 15, just short of seven years after he was appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Feb. 14, 2018. Murphy announced the resignation in a press release earlier today (Monday, Dec. […]
LOS ANGELES — Alstom will become contract operator of Metrolink commuter rail operations, expanding on the company’s current maintenance role and replacing Amtrak, which has provided Metrolink’s crews since 2010. The initial five-year contract, valued at approximately $515 million, begins Jan. 1, with Alstom taking over operations on July 1, 2025. It will run through […]
MONTREAL— VIA Rail Canada has issued a formal “Request for Qualification” for prospective carbuilders to replace long-distance, regional, and remote-service passenger cars that date from the mid-1950s. This follows a November RFQ for locomotives to power the new single-level equipment. The request issued today (Monday, Dec. 9) follows a commitment earlier this year by the […]
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Carriers Conference announced today that the Transportation Communications Union and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen have ratified new five-year agreements. “These ratified agreements are a win for employees and the freight rail industry,” said Jeff Rodgers, chairman of the NCCC at its parent, the National Railway Labor Conference. “Employees will […]
