WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was up in July compared to the same month in 2023, the sixth straight month of gains in volume, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week ending Aug. 3 was also ahead of the same week a year ago. The monthly figures show U.S. […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has completed its multiyear project to add track and fueling capacity on the approach to its yard in Belen, N.M., where trains stop to change crews, undergo inspection, and have their locomotives’ fuel tanks topped off. “Belen, New Mexico, is really the heartbeat of our Southern Transcon, accounting for […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern Chief Operating Officer John Orr has named three veteran officials to lead the railroad’s transportation team. Tim Livingston, who worked with Orr at Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, joins NS as senior vice president of transportation and network operations. Reporting to Livingston will be Rodney Moore, vice president […]
ESSEX, Conn. — The Valley Railroad Co. will be the site of a two-day photography event Oct. 8-9 featuring the heritage railroad’s steam locomotives. Steam Charters, hosted by Dak Dilon Photography, is organizing the event. Plans for Oct. 8 call for a freight train from Old Saybrook to Goodspeed station to be pulled by Valley […]
Rail shipper groups say the poor on-time performance of all 15 Amtrak long-distance trains — which prompted the Justice Department to file a lawsuit last week against Norfolk Southern for its handling of the Crescent — is merely a reflection of Class I railroad freight operations. “This is a symptom of freight rail network capacity […]
Across Ireland I like relatively short rail journeys — trips of less than 3 hours or hops where multiple short trips are combined. I’ve also made all-rail escapades that have gone on for weeks. To make the most of our recent rail-themed trip to Ireland, my wife Kris and I mixed it up; we traveled […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans at Caesars Superdome on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. Mardi Gras’ Fat Tuesday celebration, perhaps the biggest event in both Mobile and the Crescent City, happens to be late next year: March 4. The race is now on to begin Amtrak Gulf Coast service […]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Railroads’ success is often defined by service metrics like car dwell, velocity, or the operating ratio. These measurements are snapshots documenting how long railcars idle or how quickly trains move between points. Better velocity means more profitability. These subjects have been a growing part of the conversation since Precision Scheduled Railroading was […]
CAMPOBELLO, S.C. — The organizations seeking to turn the Saluda Grade, once the steepest rail main line in the U.S., into a 31-mile trail, has signed a contract with Norfolk Southern to purchase the right-of-way. The Greenville Journal reports the Saluda Grade Trail Conservancy announced it signed the contract on Monday, Aug. 5. Terms of […]
CONNERSVILLE, Ind. — The Whitewater Valley Railroad, a museum and heritage railway in Connersville, has debuted restored 1949 Lima-Hamilton LS1000 switcher in excursion service. The locomotive spent its career at Armco Steel Corp.’s Middletown and Miami Works before being donated to the museum by Armco in 1987. It operated at the Whitewater Valley until 1989, […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile, Ala., city council today (Aug. 6) approved a long-sought funding agreement to support Amtrak Gulf Coast service, as well as a lease for use of city land for Amtrak’s stop in Mobile. Those agreements, as well as approval of a deal with the Alabama Port Authority regarding funding, passed by […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has named Anil Bhatt to lead its technology endeavors. Bhatt will become executive vice president and chief information and digital officer, reporting to CEO Alan Shaw, when he joins the railroad on Aug. 19, NS announced today. “Anil has a successful track record and reputation for working across teams to deploy […]
