Investigating the fatal February 2019 runaway train incident in the Canadian Rockies, Transport Canada says Canadian Pacific failed to properly identify safety hazards involved in operations on Kicking Horse Pass — a finding CP disputes — and given the railroad until today to fix the problems. The CBC reports that if the problems are not addressed, […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
Digest: Long Island Rail Road workers hailed for saving passenger who fell from platform
Friday morning rail news: LIRR workers credited with saving life of passenger who fell onto tracks Five Long Island Rail Road maintenance workers are being credited with saving the life of a passenger who fell onto the tracks at a Brooklyn station during Wednesday morning’s rush hour. A Metropolitan Transportation Authority press release says the man fell […]
Digest: Dallas man enters guilty plea for fake bomb on rail line
More Friday morning rail news: Dallas man could get five years in prison in fake-bomb case A Dallas man could face up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of false information and hoaxes for an incident in which he placed a fake bomb on railroad tracks in Dallas. The Fort Worth […]
80-year-old former London Tube equipment to be replaced on Isle of Wight
RYDE, England — Railcars originally built for London’s “Tube” subway during World War II but still in service are about to be retired. The 80-year-old trains are used on the railway on the Isle of Wight — a large island just off England’s south coast near the naval port city of Portsmouth. In January 2021 […]
Union Pacific posts record operating ratio despite traffic, revenue declines
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s third-quarter revenue and earnings declined, but cost-cutting and efficiency gains — particularly from running longer trains — helped the railroad produce a new record-low operating ratio. Operating income fell 9%, to $2 billion, as revenue declined 11%, to $4.9 billion, UP announced on Thursday morning. Earnings per share declined 9%, to $2.01. […]
Railroads, carbuilders announce effort to create advanced railcar monitoring
NORFOLK, Va. — A consortium of railroads and freight car companies are combining on a new venture to create advanced monitoring of the North American railcar fleet through GPS and other technologies. Rail Pulse is an effort involving Norfolk Southern, GATX Corporation, Trinity Rail, and shortline holding companies Genesee & Wyoming and Watco Companies. A Norfolk […]
Digest: NJ Transit approves $2.6 billion operating budget for 2021
More Thursday midday rail news: NJ Transit board approves $2.6 billion operating budget NJ Transit’s board has approved a $2.6 billion operating budget for 2021 — a figure representing a 10% increase made possible by coronavirus relief funds. NorthJersey.com reports some $955 in federal CARES act funding will help offset $860 million in revenue losses from decreased […]
Digest: Kentucky Steam facility to anchor 40-acre arts and entertainment development
Thursday morning rail news: Kentucky Steam facility to be centerpiece of development effort A former CSX Transportation rail yard in Estill County, Ky., owned by Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. will be turned into a multipurpose development featuring food, arts, music, and a heritage rail facility. With the help of a $120,000 contribution by the Commonwealth […]
Digest: InnoTrans off until 2022
Thursday midday rail news: InnoTrans trade show scraps rescheduled event, will return in 2022 InnoTrans, the world’s largest rail trade fair, has scrapped its rescheduled 2021 event, citing the constantly changing coronavirus situation and resulting lack of certainty for planning. The every-other-year event in Berlin will next be held on its regularly scheduled dates of […]
VIA Rail Canada to resume service between Vancouver, Winnipeg
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada will resume service on the Vancouver-Winnipeg portion of the route of its flagship train, the Canadian, as of Dec. 11. In a Tuesday press release announcing the service, the passenger operator said it would offer one round trip per week between those cities, while observing health and safety measures including social distancing, […]
Intermodal traffic remains up, carloads still down, AAR statistics show
WASHINGTON — Overall U.S. rail traffic continues to show an increase over 2019 thanks to intermodal volume, while carload traffic remains down, according to figures released Wednesday by the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Oct. 17, combined traffic was 518,763 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2% compared to the same week in 2019. There […]
Four Republican congressmen question Amtrak role in Biden campaign train (updated)
Four Republican Congressmen have sent a letter to Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn questioning whether the September campaign train of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden “redirected Amtrak’s scarce resources” and requesting — by the day before the Nov. 3 presidential election — details on what the train cost Amtrak to operate and what the Biden campaign […]