WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to enhance its methodology for determining the railroad industry’s cost of capital by incorporating an additional model, called “Step MSDCF,” into the calculation. Each year, the Board determines the railroad industry’s cost of capital. This figure, which the Board calculates as […]
SEATTLE — The Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission said it has approved close to $1.5 million in grants over a two-year period for improvements to grade crossings in the state, with an emphasis on those where crude oil trains pass. The Olympia, Wash.-based commission has the authority to approve new crossings and the inspect, close, […]
SECAUCUS, N.J. — The U.S. Coast Guard has made permanent its ban on opening Amtrak’s troublesome Portal Bridge during rush hour. A six-month trial period, banning the opening of the more-than-century-old bridge over the Hackensack River during peak periods on the Northeast Corridor, began in March. [See “Coast Guard will no longer allow rush-hour openings […]
CHICAGO — A groundbreaking ceremony Monday marked the planned construction of a new, long-delayed station on Metra’s Rock Island District. The station near 79th Street and Lowe Avenue in the Auburn Park neighborhood was originally planned in 2009, but state funding was held up and eventually cut in 2017. That funding was restored earlier this […]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The annual open house for Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2926 was held in Albuquerque, N.M., on Sept. 28 at the restoration site near downtown. New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society members log many hours to work toward their goal to once again operate the largest 4-8-4 Northern-type […]
PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, has leased nearly a half-dozen railcars from Maryland Transit Authority’s MARC Train service to accommodate anticipated ridership increases on its regional rail network because of long-term construction projects on Interstate 95. According to a recent statement from SEPTA, the agency was to begin using five MARC railcars […]
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A supply chain hall of fame will be established in Rogers, Ark., based on a vote by the board of directors of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, according to officials at the University of Arkansas. Rogers is located near the headquarters of J. B. Hunt, and Johnelle Hunt, who with […]
HAGENBERG, Austria — Track Machines Connected (TMC) launched its business today, taking over the former Plasser & Theurer Connected subsidiary of maintenance-equipment firm Plasser & Theurer. The new company will add additional services for collection and processing of rail infrastructure data to those offered by P&T Connected, which since its launch in 2017 had worked […]
Tickets for the 2020 season of the Winter Park Express, shown at Denver Union Station, are now on sale. Service has expanded to include all Fridays during its January-through-March run. Justin Franz DENVER — Amtrak and Winter Park Resort will again operate weekend ski train round trips from Denver Union Station to a platform located […]
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Today YRC Freight announced that by the end of this year YRC and BNSF Railway will have onboarded more than 600 branded intermodal containers. These new containers are part of the YRC commitment to acquire 1,000 branded intermodal containers by the end of 2020. Most of the containers will travel between […]
Join Trains for Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014’s journey through the U.S. Southwest with this video from Wyoming! Big Boy is headed to California for excursion between the Los Angeles basin on Cajon Pass before heading through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Route information is available online. […]
Big Boy No. 4014 takes Track 3 across Sherman Hill at Speer, Wyo., on Sept. 27, 2019, on the start of its 60-day journey across the southwest and south. TRAINS: Jim Wrinn ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 begins the third day of its exhaustive Southwestern tour today with a trip […]
