News Photos: CSX traffic in Kentucky halted by tornado damage

Debris on railroad tracks

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — Damage from what has subsequently been identified as a small tornado halted CSX Transportation traffic on New Year’s Day in Hopkinsville, the second time in less than a month that a tornado has affected the railroad’s operations in the area. WZTV in Nashville reports the damage, initially attributed to high winds, was […]

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CSX train derails in Michigan

Wheels from derailed railroad cars

ROMULUS, Mich. — Efforts to clean up the derailment of a CSX train early on New Year’s Day knocked out power in the area, the Romulus Fire Department reports. The train carrying steel derailed about 1:37 a.m., near Eureka Road and Interstate 275, according to a fire department Facebook post; WWJ Radio reports about 15 […]

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Cleburne, Texas, set to open expanded rail museum

Logo of the Cleburne Railroad Museum

CLEBURNE, Texas — The remodeled and expanded Cleburne Railroad Museum is set to open Jan. 13, the Cleburne Times-Review reports. The museum traces a railroading history that dates to 1881 and includes more than a century when the Santa Fe Railway was the community’s largest employer, thanks to a major shop facility. The expanded museum […]

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Progress Rail sells part of EMD La Grange property

Progress Rail logo

LA GRANGE, Ill. — Progress Rail has sold 88 acres of the former Electro-Motive Division property in La Grange, the company informed La Grange-based employees in a December email. The land was bought by Bridge Industrial, which specializes in acquisition and development of industrial properties, and will be redeveloped. Progress will maintain its existing offices […]

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Airborne Challenger

Union Pacific Railroad 4-6-6-4 Challenger wheels

Union Pacific’s 4-6-6-4 Challengers were too long for the turntable at North Platte, Nebr., but they could still use it. Wedges were clamped to the table’s rails at one end, then a 4-6-6-4 was backed on, leaving the rear four wheels of the tender hanging in mid-air. Art Stensvad photo […]

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Explosion damages CSX coal facility in Baltimore

Smoke rising from coal facility

BALTIMORE — No injuries have been reported after an explosion Thursday morning at a CSX coal silo in South Baltimore’s Curtis Bay. The facility sustained significant damage after the blast that residents reported feeling miles away. The explosion occurred about 11:30 a.m. The Baltimore Sun reports the explosion occurred on a conveyer belt and resulted […]

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DC Metrorail 7000-series cars again removed from service

WMATA (DC Metro) logo

WASHINGTON — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has again been ordered to remove Metrorail’s 7000-series railcars from service, after only a few had been restored to operation. The website DCist reports the independent Washington Metrorail Safety Commission ordered the cars to be sidelined after it found five cars that did not meet the inspection […]

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Metra plans significant hiring push in January

Electric commuter train arrives at station

CHICAGO — Commuter rail agency Metra says it is planning a “major hiring effort” in January in anticipation of schedule changes during the first quarter of 2022 as more workers return to downtown offices. Jobs to be posted will fill a variety of positions that have been left open during reduced pandemic operations, as well […]

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U.S. rail traffic sees slow week

Weekly table showing carload rail traffic by commodity, plus intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — In a week when overall traffic dropped because of the Christmas holiday, U.S. railroads saw intermodal traffic approach 2020 levels for the first time in months. The latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads, for the week ending Dec. 25, U.S. rail traffic totaled 201,222 carloads — up 8.7% over the same […]

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