LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — The negotiation period to purchase land for the planned Lac-Mégantic rail bypass has been extended a second time, allowing public consultation on hydrology of the route. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the negotiation period between landowners and Public Services and Procurement Canada will run through Nov. 4, following the consultation on hydrology […]
HARTFORD, Wis.— Soo Line No. 1003, the 1913-vintage Alco 2-8-2 operated by the Steam Locomotive Heritage Association, made a rare weekend trip to Chicago for a Metra Family Days event at the commuter operator’s Western Avenue yard. The locomotive and its short train headed south on Friday, April 5, beginning its trip in Metra territory […]
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman says railroad service is suffering for one simple reason: The big four U.S. Class I systems aren’t paying enough to retain and recruit train crews. BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific are experiencing ongoing crew shortages that since last year have caused widespread congestion and […]
DAVENPORT, Iowa — A former mayor of Davenport is urging the city to turn down its tentative $10 million agreement with Canadian Pacific and organize a regional effort to block the railroad’s proposed merger with Kansas City Southern. Meanwhile, the city of Muscatine, some 30 miles southwest along the Mississippi River, has approved a $3 […]
DAVENPORT, Iowa — The city of Davenport has reached an agreement with Canadian Pacific that will bring the Mississippi River community as much as $10 million to mitigate impacts of the proposed CP merger with Kansas City Southern. The Quad Cities Times reports Davenport’s aldermen will vote next week on the deal, which is contingent […]
Working mountain Alco locomotives: Nestled in the wide rolling hills on the western edge of New York’s Southern Tier lies the formerly two-railroad town of Olean, N.Y. A quaint, unsuspecting town of 13,000 residents located along the placid Allegheny River was once a railfanning destination, that is — until the formation of Conrail. Dozens of […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern continue to test interline moves linking Canada, the U.S., and Mexico as a prelude to eventual single-line service once their proposed merger is approved. The railroads have operated six or seven international intermodal trains from the Port of Lazaro Cardenas, on Mexico’s west coast, to Chicago, […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific posted higher quarterly revenue and operating income despite a decline in volume that was largely driven by the small Canadian grain crop. Operating income rose 6%, to $868 million, as revenue rose 7%, to $2.1 billion, CP announced on Thursday morning. Earnings per share, adjusted for the impact of one-time items, […]
OTTAWA — The Canadian government will require railroads to revise rules regarding inspection and maintenance of air brakes and develop a winter operating plan under a ministerial order announced Monday. The move is one of several undertaken by Transport Canada as a result of Transportation Safety Board findings into the February 2019 runaway of a […]
Amtrak Hiawatha Chicago day trip: Chicago is indisputably the heart of American railroading. Represented by six Class I railroads, Amtrak, Metra, the South Shore Line, Chicago Transit Authority, and a long-list of short line and regional railroads, the city offers a magnitude of rail focal points and it’s little surprise that access to Chicago’s greatest […]
Amazon has begun soliciting business from shippers interested in using space in the company’s fleet of 53-foot intermodal containers. The move, touted in a YouTube video posted this month, puts Amazon in direct competition with intermodal providers such as J.B. Hunt, Hub Group, and the intermodal marketing companies that fill rail-owned containers. “With intermodal for […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern is increasing conductor trainee pay to $25 per hour, with a minimum of $200 in earnings per shift, the railroad has announced. Trainees will also be eligible for an on-the-job training incentive of $300 per biweekly pay period, provided they make themselves available to work. “We are committed to ensuring our […]
