R.J. Corman breaks ground on Kentucky infrastructure project

Line of people holding shovels

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Federal, state, and local officials were on hand as R.J. Corman Railroad Group held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 6, for its Bluegrass Multimodal Freight Improvement Project at the company’s yard in Frankfort. The $12.3 million project to upgrade infrastructure of the R.J. Corman Central Kentucky Lines will include construction of […]

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U.S. weekly rail volume jumps

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic showed its biggest gain in seven weeks over the period ending Nov. 2, boosted by a double-digit increase in intermodal traffic. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, weekly volume was 516,743 carloads and intermodal units, a 6.6% gain over the same week in 2023. That was […]

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Challenges ahead for passenger rail under Trump, GOP Senate: Analysis

Man speaking with passenger train in background

WASHINGTON — The election of Donald Trump could significantly reduce future financial support for Amtrak, transit, and high speed rail projects, although expected cuts could be tempered if Democrats are able to capture enough still-undecided House of Representatives races to gain a majority in that chamber. That’s the consensus of sources Trains News Wire contacted […]

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Germany’s premier steam railway to replace steam?

Steam engine under large plume of smoke with passenger cars

BERLIN — Germany’s famed Harz Mountain Railway — a 140-kilometer (87.5-mile) meter-gauge network run by the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB) — has announced plans to make long-term changes to its operation including the future “decarbonization of the popular steam locomotives.” The announcement came as part of a funding deal for this year (providing around $20 million) […]

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Ballot measures with rail component pass

Denver_RTD_Cuts_Lassen

Four ballot initiatives with at least some rail transit component all appear to have passed on Tuesday, based on results available this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 6). — In Maricopa County, Ariz., which includes Phoenix, voters appear to have approved an extension of a half-cent sales tax for transit, the Arizona Republic reports. The tax, introduced […]

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STB grants dismissal requests by Amtrak, San Diego commuter agency

Passenger train next to ocean

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday (Nov. 5) granted requests by Amtrak and Southern California’s North County Transportation District to dismiss long-running cases before the board. Amtrak had requested that the board dismiss its request for an order requiring CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern to allow operation of Gulf Coast service between New […]

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Horseshoe Curve funicular reopens after $150,000 overhaul

Funicular cars pass on hillside

ALTOONA, Pa. – The trackside park at America’s oldest train-watching site – Horseshoe Curve, on Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line in west-central Pennsylvania – is again accessible to all visitors. Closed since the end of the 2019 season by a seemingly endless cycle of mechanical, operational, electronic, and software issues, the funicular or inclined-plane railway that […]

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Chicago’s CTA returns rail service to pre-pandemic level

Elevated train with fall foliage and city skyline in background

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority has returned to pre-pandemic levels of rail service, with a 20% increase in weekly train trips, the agency said on Monday, Nov. 4. The change means more than 1,200 additional rail trips per week compared to the spring 2024 schedule, according to the CTA, and covers all eight rail […]

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