Class I operating ratios reach another new low despite pandemic

Train passing under a bridge in the winter

Canadian Pacific won the Class I railroad operating ratio crown for 2020, the first year that three of the big seven systems reported operating ratios below 60%. CP’s operating ratio, the closely watched measure of railroad efficiency, improved 2.8 points compared to 2019. Following closely behind CP were Union Pacific, at 58.5%, and CSX Transportation, […]

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Digest: Metrolink receives funding for grade crossing improvements

Metrolink logo

Additional Monday morning rail news: Metrolink receives $13.6 million for grade crossing projects Metrolink has been awarded $13.6 million in Federal Highway Administration funds for grade crossing improvements along its Antelope Valley line in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, Calif. The commuter railroad will work with Union Pacific and the two cities to design […]

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Digest: Endangered-species listings forces update to California high speed rail plan

California High Speed Rail Authority logo

Monday morning rail news: Endangered-species listings force California high speed rail to revise environmental report Listing of the Southern California and Central Coast mountain line and monarch butterfly as candidates for endangered species lists have added to the complications faced by the California High-Speed Rail Authority in planning the Bakersfield-Palmdale section of its route. The […]

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News & Products for the week of March 4, 2021

Track cleaner car

Large scale locomotives  Track cleaning locomotive. Union Pacific. Model of track laying machine with two cleaning wheels. Wheelsets and cleaning wheels are each driven by ball bearing Bühler motor. Includes mfx/Digital Command Control decoder with light and sound functions. Cleaning function and running sounds will also work in analog operation. $709.99. Second quarter 2021. LGB […]

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Toy train locomotive, freight car, detail, and book announcements for March 4, 2021

Electrical station

O scale details and accessories  Electric substation. Factory-assembled and painted with control building and modeler-installed signs. Additional factory-applied details include insulators, cables, and circuit breaker. Measures 12-1/8” x 7-15/16” x 8-1/8”. $189.99. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, woodlandscenics.com Books Heisler Locomotives Vol. 1: Geared & Fireless Locomotives. Reproductions of Catalog 123 (information on selecting an industrial locomotive […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, detail, and book announcements for March 4, 2021

Locomotive from the front, side, and back

Product news  Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 4, 2021. HO scale locomotives  General Electric Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive. […]

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FRA issues emergency order requiring train crews to wear masks

FRA logo

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued an emergency order requiring train crews to wear face masks, effective Monday, March 1. The order, to be published in Monday’s Federal Register, is to bring employees into compliance with an executive order requiring masks to be worn on trains and most other forms of transportation, as […]

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BNSF sees 2020 revenue and earnings decline because of pandemic

Train yard

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s revenue and profits fell in 2020 due to the pandemic-related declines in traffic volume, the railroad’s corporate parent, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. Pre-tax earnings declined 6.3%, to $6.8 billion, as revenue fell 11.3%, to $20.2 billion. The railroad’s net income fell 5.8%, to $5.2 billion. BNSF’s operating ratio for […]

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