Minnesota state senator introduces bill to fund rail improvements for second daily Amtrak train The president of the Minnesota state Senate has introduced a bipartisan bill to fund rail infrastructure improvements needed for the addition of a second daily Chicago-Twin Cities passenger train. The bill introduced by Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) would provide the state […]
Digest: LA Union Station to be one of two sites for Academy Awards
LA Union Station to host part of Oscars ceremony Los Angeles Union Station will be one of the two venues for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, Variety reports. The station, built in 1939, is a frequent setting for films, but has never been part of the Oscars. It will be used this year, along with […]
Digest: Union ratifies new contracts with VIA
Union ratifies new agreements with VIA Rail Canada Unifor, the union representing more than 1,600 VIA Rail Canada employees, has ratified tentative agreements with the passenger carrier reached in January. The two-year agreements include a 2% wage increase, benefit improvements, and a review of several work rules. “We are delighted by the ratification of the […]
Company seeking Tennessee Pass lease asks regulators to prohibit hazardous materials
WASHINGTON — In an unusual move, the company seeking to lease Colorado’s Tennessee Pass line from Union Pacific is asking that shipment of hazardous materials be prohibited from the line. In a filing Monday with the Surface Transportation Board, Colorado, Midland & Pacific Railway — the affiliate of holding company Rio Grande Pacific which has […]
Six hospitalized when Phoenix light rail train derails after collision with vehicle
Six hospitalized when Phoenix light rail train derails after collision with vehicle Six people were hospitalized Sunday evening after a Phoenix light rail train derailed following a collision with a vehicle. KNXV-TV reports the accident occurred about 4:45 p.m., and a photo appears to show the light rail vehicle hit one of the supports for […]
Digest: Plymouth, Minn., derailment could be cleaned up in weeks, CP says
CP says Minnesota derailment could be cleaned up in weeks Just days after city officials said cleanup of a March 7 Canadian Pacific derailment in Plymouth, Minn., could last into the summer, a new estimate says the work could be done in about four weeks. The Sun Sailor newspaper reports the change reflects a determination […]
Digest: Maryland county to take over Western Maryland Scenic track work
Allegany County, Md., to take over track repairs needed by Western Maryland Scenic Allegany County, Md., is taking over track maintenance of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from the heritage line, the Cumberland Times-News reports. The move comes after the Federal Railroad Administration in February ordered the replacement of 50,000 ties before the railroad — […]
BNSF Railway locomotives reviewed
The motive power fleet of BNSF Railway, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020, has come a long way since Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Burlington Northern merged in 1995. The railroad has transformed its roster from one of the most eclectic in modern times to a more refined fleet of locomotives with a […]
Digest: Union requests arbitration with Long Island Rail Road in contract negotiation
Union representing train operators requests arbitration with Long Island Rail Road The union representing Long Island Rail Road train operators have requested mediation in a contract impasse that could eventually lead to a work stoppage. Newsday reports the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which represents 500 LIRR crew members, applied to the National Mediation […]
Digest: Corporations exit consortium overseeing railway, port serving Churchill, Manitoba
Financier, ag firm exit consortium for Churchill, Manitoba, railway and port Two major corporations have given away their stake in the railway and port serving remote Churchill, Manitoba, but the local group overseeing both say their region will be better served by having full control. The Winnipeg Free Press reports Toronto financing firm Fairfax and […]
News Photos: Talgos’ final resting place
Two Amtrak Cascades Talgo Series VI trainsets’ final resting place before scrapping is Coast Rail Services in Anaheim, Calif., as seen on March 6, 2021. The distinctive passive-tilt equipment, owned by Washington, was removed from service at the end of June 2020, along with two trainsets owned by Amtrak. The Amtrak Series VI trainsets were […]
CN acquisition of CSX Massena Line remains in limbo
Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of CSX Transportation’s Massena Line linking the Syracuse, N.Y., area with Montreal remains in limbo, two weeks after the Surface Transportation Board refused to reconsider a condition it placed on the deal. The railroads have declined to comment and they have not updated U.S. regulators. The railroads previously said they would […]