ANTONITO, Colo. — The Durango Railroad Historical Society and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad will perform the Federal Railroad Administration-required 15-year inspection on D&RGW C-18 locomotive No. 18, the 2-8-0 built by Baldwin for the Florence & Cripple Creek. The work will be performed in the Cumbres & Toltec’s Antonito shops, with historical society volunteers […]
Freight forecasters expect intermodal growth, slow going for carload traffic in 2021
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Intermodal traffic will grow in 2021 but carload traffic will continue to struggle to recover from the pandemic in the new year, according to a freight forecasting firm’s outlook. Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR Transportation Intelligence, projects that intermodal volume will grow by 5.4% next year. […]
Digest: Metra places second bike car in service
Metra adds second bike car to Milwaukee North line Chicago’s Metra has introduced a second bike car on the Milwaukee North Line, expanding the program to offer bike car service on 14 weekday trains and eight on weekends. The bike cars, with a distinctive blue and gray paint scheme, can accommodate 16 bicycles rather than […]
Digest: FRA issues new brake rules
FRA issues new rule on brake inspections The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a new rule increasing the amount of time freight equipment can be left “off-air” (stopped with the air brake system depressurized) before requiring a new brake inspection. In a press release, the agency says the rule should reduce the number of idling […]
Digest: Virginia legislators working to acquire federal land needed for Long Bridge project
Legislators seek transfer of federal park land for Long Bridge project Virginia’s Congressional delegation is attempting to get a small section of National Park Service land transferred for use in the Long Bridge project that is an essential part of the state’s plan to ease rail congestion, with the state’s senators considering a move to […]
California corridors ask Congress to revise Amtrak cost formulas
WASHINGTON — The agencies overseeing state-sponsored Amtrak trains in California have asked Congress to address the national passenger railroad’s method of charging them for operations, focusing new attention on a long-simmering dispute. A Nov. 30 letter by San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Executive Director Stacey Mortenson, obtained by Trains News Wire, urges “that states only […]
East Broad Top plans spring reopening for regular operation
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — Regularly scheduled tourist passenger service is set to resume on the East Broad Top Railroad for the first time since the historic narrow-gauge line shut down in 2011. This will occur in May or June 2021 “with or without steam (locomotives)” said Brad Esposito, the railroad’s general manager, in an interview […]
Digest: MBTA to cut commuter rail service because of COVID-related worker shortage
COVID-related staff shortages prompt significant MBTA commuter rail cuts Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail operations will be cut by more than half as of Monday, Dec. 14, because of employee shortages resulting from COVID-19 absences. The contract operator of MBTA commuter trains, Keolis Commuter Services, said in a press release that the reduced schedules, […]
NTSB report finds train building method, use of hand brakes on empty cars led to 2017 CSX derailment (updated)
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a half-dozen safety recommendations as a result of its investigation into an Aug. 2, 2017, CSX Transportation derailment in Hyndman, Pa. Thirty-three cars of a 178-car train derailed, resulting in an evacuation order covering about 1,000 residents and damage estimated at $1.8 million. The report […]
Railroads ride intermodal surge, with strong demand expected to continue
BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, and Union Pacific all set intermodal volume records in November as imports surged, retailers continued to restock depleted inventories, and consumer spending and e-commerce remained strong. The other big Class I systems — Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and Norfolk Southern — were handling intermodal volumes at near-record levels. “It’s a perfect […]
West Virginia rail agency buys former Buffalo Creek & Gauley
By Alan Byer The West Virginia Rail Authority will purchase all 18 miles of the storied Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad, ending a 20-year saga to preserve the route that began in 1999 when the Elk River Railroad — which included the BC&G right-of-way — ended operations. The authority’s purchase will be effective on or […]
Digest: Report recommends combining VRE, MARC commuter operations
Report recommends combining VRE, MARC commuter rail operations A new report recommends integrating Washington, D.C., commuter railroads Virginia Railway Express and MARC into a single operation, to reduce travel times and improve economic development. The website Inside NoVa reports the Greater Washington Partnership’s “Capital Region Rail Vision” report makes the recommendation; in a news conference […]