Friday afternoon rail news: CP announces artists for ‘Holiday Train at Home’ concert Canadian Pacific has announced that Serena Ryder and The Trews will be the headline performers for the “Holiday Train at Home” online fundraising concert, to be held Dec. 12 and streamed online at CP’s Facebook page. JoJo Mason, Logan Staats, and Kelly […]
Onboard analysis: ‘Coast Starlight’ is busy overnight
Third in a series OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight was a 1971 Amtrak concoction cobbling together three trains: Southern Pacific’s Coast Daylight and overnight Cascade, even though the SP trains hadn’t connected at the time, and the unnamed Portland, Ore.-Seattle Burlington Northern or Union Pacific “pool trains.” Originally, and ambitiously, the south […]
Pacific Harbor Line to test new Progress Rail battery locomotive
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Pacific Harbor Line, which serves the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, will become the first U.S. railroad to take delivery of Progress Rail’s EMD Joule battery-electric locomotive. The six-axle, zero-emission locomotive will develop 3,200 hp and will be tested in all forms of service on PHL as part of […]
Digest: SunRail shut down because of tropical storm
Thursday morning rail transit news: SunRail shut down because of tropical storm Orlando-area commuter railroad SunRail will suspend operations today in preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Eta, which is expected to make landfall today along Florida’s west coast after meadering around the Gulf of Mexico for several days. Watch the SunRail website or […]
Digest: ‘Rhythm of the Rails’ concert lifts locomotive restoration project past matching-funds milestone
More Thursday morning rail news: Concert helps NC&StL No. 576 project reach matching-funds goal The “Rhythm of the Rails” online concert featuring Marty Stuart, Harry Stinson, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Cristina Vale has been viewed more than 50,000 times and has put the fundraising effort for Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis No. 576 over […]
Digest: Illinois short line conductor killed in accident
Thursday midday rail news: Decatur & Eastern Illinois conductor killed in switching accident A Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad conductor was killed during a switching accident on the grounds of Cabot Corp.’s silica plant in Ficklin, Ill., on Wednesday morning. The Douglas County Sheriff was called to the scene at 9:44 a.m. Wednesday where officers found the […]
CSX and CN expect strong intermodal traffic to continue into 2021
CSX Transportation and Canadian National see strong intermodal volumes continuing through March as retailers across North America look to replenish their inventories. Intermodal traffic, which tanked along with the rest of rail volume at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has bounced back faster than carload volumes and is currently running ahead of last year’s […]
CN sees one-person crews, autonomous operation as ways to compete with driverless trucks
MONTREAL — Canadian National is closely watching autonomous truck developments but says the long hauls of its intermodal network should help protect the railway from much of the competitive challenge posed by lower-cost driverless trucks. “We’re blessed with a long length of haul,” Chief Financial Officer Ghislain Houle says, noting that the typical international container […]
VIA Rail Canada five-year plan says third ‘Canadian’ trip won’t be restored, casts doubt on train’s future
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada sees no prospect for restoring a third full Toronto-Vancouver round trip of its flagship long-distance train, the Canadian, and says the train’s current business model is “no longer sustainable,” although it does not indicate plans to discontinue service. Those assessments are part of the summary for the passenger carrier’s 2020-24 corporate […]
UP temporarily activates idled eastbound hump in North Platte, Neb.
MAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has temporarily resumed operations over the idled east hump at Bailey Yard in North Platte, Neb., while it makes improvements that will make switching more efficient. The hump — one of two at the world’s largest classification yard — was idled in September. “We’ve temporarily backed off having the one hump […]
MRL honors veterans, essential workers with special locomotives
MISSOULA, Mont. – In honor of veterans across Montana, Montana Rail Link has unveiled a special locomotive thanking veterans for their service. In the coming weeks, the railroad will unveil a second locomotive thanking all essential workers for their many contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both locomotives serve as symbols of our appreciation for veterans and […]
Digest: DC Metro plan to fix safety issues sent back for more work
Wednesday morning rail news: DC Metro safety plan needs more work, oversight group says DC Metro’s effort to address its safety issues in its rail operations center was turned down by the agency which oversees the transit system’s safety because of a lack of benchmarks to show the problems have been fully addressed. The Washington […]