Canadian National expects recession to put a dent in traffic volume

Train with red locomotive approaching curve

MONTREAL — Canadian National met all of its financial targets for 2022, but the railway issued a cautious outlook for this year with the expectation of a mild recession and soft traffic volumes. “Without a doubt we are in an uncertain economic time,” CEO Tracy Robinson told investors and analysts on CN’s earnings call on […]

Read More…

Louisville and Indiana Railroad profile

Louisville and Indiana Railroad logo

Louisville and Indiana Railroad summary The Louisville and Indiana Railroad (LIRC) is a Class III short line railroad that operates in Indiana and Kentucky. It’s owned by Anacostia Rail Holdings, a privately held firm that manages multiple short lines throughout the United States. Headquartered out of Jeffersonville, Ind., a 106-mile standard-gauge main line connects Indianapolis […]

Read More…

Union Pacific reports record revenue and profits for 2022

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific generated record revenue and profits last year despite the impact of crew shortages that snarled operations, hurt service, and limited traffic growth. “The fourth quarter and 2022 overall were challenging for Union Pacific and our employees. The lengthy labor negotiations tested our workforce, while customers felt the impact of our […]

Read More…

MTA to begin service to Grand Central Madison on Wednesday

Interior of new station

NEW YORK — More than a decade after it was first projected to begin — and after more than three weeks of ventilation-fan issues that delayed a final effort to open before the end of 2022  — New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will open its East Side Access project on Wednesday, bringing Long Island Rail […]

Read More…

CSX train derails in Ohio

CSX logo

GREENWICH, Ohio — Twenty cars of a CSX Transportation freight train derailed around midday Monday in Greenwich. There were no reports of injuries or of incidents involving cargo, but a power outage was reported in the area. WYKC-TV reports about 100 people were left without power. Images on the station’s website show the incident occurred […]

Read More…

Pacific Surfliner to resume weekend service between LA, San Diego on Feb. 4

Passenger train next to ocean

ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service between Los Angeles and San Diego, suspended since Sept. 30 because of an unstable hillside in San Clemente, Calif., will be restored on weekends beginning Feb. 4. In announcing the partial restoration of service, the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Corridor Agency said tracks in the San Clemente […]

Read More…

Montreal, Quebec to spend more than $500 million to begin upgrades to Metro train control system

Two Montreal Metro trainsets meet in tunnel

MONTREAL — The city of Montreal and the province of Quebec will spend more than C$565 million to begin operational upgrades on the city’s Metro system. CTV News reports the money will equip the Metro Blue Line with a new train control system, better managing spacing between trains, train speed, and track changes. Similar improvements […]

Read More…

Amtrak offering scholarship to high school, college students

Amtrak logo.

WASHINGTON — Amtrak will award 11 scholarships to “advance the future of rail” through the Amtrak Scholarship Program, intended to help full-time undergraduate and graduate students who are passionate about rail. “As we continue to revolutionize the Amtrak experience, hiring to address significant demand is essential,” Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Qiana Spain […]

Read More…

‘Tracks to the Future’ high school rail engineering program sets summer 2023 dates

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Tracks to the Future, the summer railroad transportation and engineering program for high school students, has set the dates for two sessions of its program to be held at six college campuses across the country. The program is free to students thanks to sponsorship by the Federal Railroad Administration through a workforce […]

Read More…

RINA, multinational certification and engineering firm, acquires Patrick Engineering

Logo of certification and consulting firm RINA

GENOA, Italy — RINA, a multinational inspection, certification, and engineering consulting organization, will enter the North American infrastructure market following its acquisition of Patrick Engineering Ltd., a Chicago-based engineering consulting company specializing in infrastructure, transport, and renewable energy. The acquisition announced Monday brings RINA an organization with 19 offices and 340 employees, mostly in the […]

Read More…

SP’s gambit to abandon its commuter trains

Exterior of diesel locomotive in passenger station

  Of all the railroads that tried various gambits to get out of the passenger business in the 1960s, perhaps none attracted as much vitriol as Southern Pacific. Not that SP downgraded or got rid of the most trains — that honor probably goes to New York Central — but its 1966 substitution of an […]

Read More…