WASHINGTON — One victim was found to be intoxicated while moving outside of a yard walkway was a factor in the death of another, and according to National Transportation Safety Board reports on fatal accidents on CSX Transportation in 2019 and the Port Authority Transit Corp. in 2020. In the first incident, on April 13, […]
Canadian construction firm forms partnership for Alberta high speed rail line
EDMONTON, Alberta — A major Canadian construction firm has announced formation of a partnership to pursue construction of an Edmonton-Calgary high speed rail line, an estimated $C9 billion, seven-to-nine year project. The CBC reports Mississauga, Ontario, firm EllisDon announced the project to connect the two cities via Red Deer, Alta., with a line to be built […]
Remote Canadian First Nation-owned railway to receive C$55 million for modernization
TORONTO — The Canada Infrastructure Bank and governments of Canada and Quebec will provide some C$55 million to modernize the remote Tshiuetin railway, Canada’s first Indigenous owned and operated rail operation. The infrastructure bank will provide $50 million in a long-term, fully repayable loan, while Quebec will provide $5 million, repayable in two years. Transport […]
Former rail historical society official gets jail time for theft of funds
PORT HURON, Mich. — The former treasurer of the Port Huron & Detroit Railroad Historical Society has been sentenced to 93 days in jail for theft of funds from the organization, the Port Huron Times Herald reports. Steve Harvey of Mount Vernon, Ohio, pleaded guilty to larceny less than $200, reduced from embezzlement between $1,000 […]
Canadian National main line remains closed after British Columbia wildfire (second update)
Canada’s busiest railroad corridor remains hobbled nine days after a devastating wildfire in Lytton, British Columbia. Lytton, which was virtually destroyed by the June 30 fire, is in the heart of the directional running zone Canadian National and Canadian Pacific use in the rugged Thompson and Fraser river canyons. Westbound traffic flows over CN’s single-track […]
Riding, eating, or lounging in an Amtrak Superliner
CHICAGO — More than 40 years after their debut, Amtrak’s bilevel Superliners remain essential to its long-distance operations in the western U.S., along with a handful of other routes. This article offers a look at what passengers can expect when they ride in Superliner coaches, eat in superliner diners, or enjoy scenery from a comfortable […]
Sleeping in Amtrak’s Superliners
Introduction CHICAGO — Amtrak’s Superliners are double-decked, stainless steel, window-loaded passenger cars — among the most modern available to the traveling public in the United States today. Trains offers passengers a look at what they can expect when they book tickets to ride these cars. This article looks at Superliners’ history and offers a review […]
News report says Biden administration will seek to address consolidation, pricing by rail and ocean shipping industries
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration wants U.S. regulatory agencies to address consolidation and what it considers to be anticompetitive pricing by railroads and ocean shipping firms, the Wall Street Journal reports in a paywalled article. The Journal — citing a source familiar with the situation — says the administration will issue an executive order this […]
Kansas City Southern stockholders to vote on merger Aug. 19
MONTREAL and KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern has scheduled an online special meeting of its stockholders for Aug. 19 to vote on the proposed merger with Canadian National. Those holding stock as of July 1 will be entitled to vote on the agreement, under which stockholders will receive $200 cash and 1.129 shares […]
Santa Clara VTA begins five-stage process to restore light rail service
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority could resume light rail service by the end of July under a five-point plan begun by the agency KTVU-TV reports VTA fulfilled the first stage of the plan last week when employees were able to return to the Guadalupe rail yard in San Jose, the […]
June rail traffic well ahead of 2020 levels
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic remained strong in June, with overall carload and intermodal traffic running 14.5% ahead of the same month in 2020. Year-to-date traffic at the end of the second quarter was up 13.7% compared to pandemic-depressed totals for the first half of 2020, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. […]
UP releases full schedule for 2021 Big Boy tour
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has released the full schedule for Big Boy No. 4014’s 2021 tour, an almost month-long, 10-state tour which begins Aug. 5 and concludes Sept. 7, and includes one opportunity to ride behind the locomotive. The railroad also said the locomotive will have a break-in run this Thursday and Friday. The […]