Thursday midday rail news: Five MTA employees charged in overtime fraud scheme Five current and former employees of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority have been charged for participation in an overtime fraud scheme that made them some of the agency’s highest-paid workers. The New York Times reports acting U.S. attorney Audrey Strauss said the scheme involved claims […]
Section: News & Reviews
Digest: CP announces plans for Vancouver-area transload, logistics facility
Thursday morning Canadian Pacific and Canadian National news: CP announces plans for new Vancouver-area transload and logistics facility Canadian Pacific plans to build a transload and logistics facility adjacent to its intermodal rail facility in Pitt Meadows, B.C. The proposed facility, CP Logistics Park: Vancouver, is in the early stages of design and is subject […]
Digest: Burlington, Iowa, council to help fund short line relocation project
Still more Thursday morning rail news: City council to help fund Burlington Junction line relocation The Burlington, Iowa, city council will pay $170,000 to help fund a Burlington Junction Railway project to relocate part of its line, helping the city save on the cost of a floodwall project. The Hawk Eye newspaper reports the railroad will move […]
Digest: Amtrak will pay $2.25 million, fix stations to settle ADA discrimination claims
Tuesday morning rail news: Amtrak to pay $2.25 million, repair stations to meet ADA standards Amtrak will pay $2.25 million to settle claims it discriminated against disabled passengers by failing to accommodate those passengers at its stations. The Washington Post reports the passenger railroad will also fix dozens of stations over the next decade to accommodate people […]
CSX says Pan Am acquisition targets growth
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation sees the potential for growth through its planned acquisition of New England regional Pan Am Railways. “If you look historically, they’ve been able to grow a little bit faster than what we’ve been able to achieve. So we think the growth profile is attractive for us,” Chief Financial Officer Kevin […]
New model trains for the week of December 3, 2020
Electro-Motive Division GP38 and GP40 diesel locomotives. New numbers. GP38: Norfolk Southern (thoroughbred scheme, two numbers) and RJ Corman (red, silver, and white scheme). GP40: Baltimore & Ohio (blue and yellow) and Southern Pacific (speed lettering). New paint schemes. GP38: Conrail (American Revolution Bicentennial scheme in one road number, blue with white sill stripe in […]
Digest: Two hurt as BNSF train derails in New Mexico
Wednesday midday rail news: Two hurt as BNSF train derails in New Mexico Two BNSF Railway crew members were injured in a derailment Wednesday morning in Vado, N.M., KVIA-TV reports. The station says the derailment caused millions of dollars in damage and will require weeks of cleanup, according to the New Mexico State Police. The derailment […]
Rail traffic stats show continuing rebound from pandemic slump
The continued strength of intermodal traffic lifted overall U.S. rail volume for November to a 3.1% increase over that of November 2019, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, while traffic for the week ending Nov. 28 was up 3.7% over the same week a year earlier. “U.S. rail traffic continued to make […]
Digest: Senate virus relief bill would provide $15 billion for transit, $1 billion for Amtrak
Wednesday morning rail news: New Senate bill would provide virus relief funding for transit, Amtrak Transit systems would receive $15 billion and Amtrak would get $1 billion under a new $908 billion, bipartisan Senate COVID-19 relief proposal introduced Tuesday. Reuters reports that in all, transportation — including airlines, airports, and private buses — would receive $45 billion […]
Digest: San Francisco Muni to begin operation of one light rail line this month
More Wednesday morning rail news: San Francisco Muni to resume service on parts of two lines, but underground routes to remain closed San Francisco Muni will resume light rail service on one line later this month, and add another line in January, but the underground portion will remain closed into spring 2021. The San Francisco Chronicle […]
Digest: Preliminary investigation of DC Metro separation finds loose bolts
More Wednesday midday rail news: Investigation of DC Metro train separation finds loose bolts Preliminary investigation of a Nov. 24 incident in which a DC Metro train separated while in motion has found five bolts were loose on top of the coupler assembly at the point of separation. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, in a […]
Digest: Women charged with terrorist attack on railroad in Washington state incident
Tuesday morning rail news: Two women charged with terrorist attack after disrupting BNSF signaling in Washington Two Bellingham, Wash., women have been charged with a terrorist attack and other violence against a railroad carrier after allegedly placing a shunt on BNSF Railway tracks near a Bellingham grade crossing, disrupting crossing gates. The Bellingham Herald reports Samantha […]