ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s third-quarter earnings fell sharply due to the mounting toll of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, lower volume, and higher costs related to carrying more train crews as part of the railroad’s service resilience strategy. “We are making smart investments in safe, reliable, and resilient service,” CEO Alan Shaw told investors and […]
Type of Train: Freight
NTSB report on conductor fatality calls for new rule on shoving moves
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for new rules regarding crew members riding shoving moves through grade crossings as a result of a fatal October 2021 accident in Houston, Texas. The board has recommended that crew members be prohibited from riding such moves through crossings equipped only with warning lights or passive […]
CN earnings fall on lower volume, but executives say traffic rebound is under way
MONTREAL — Canadian National’s third-quarter profits tumbled on lower freight volume, the railway reported today, but most business segments are bouncing back. “I believe we’ve seen the bottom on volumes,” CEO Tracy Robinson told investors and analysts on the railway’s earnings call this afternoon. CN’s third-quarter operating income sank 21%, to $1.5 billion, as revenue […]
Meet Master Model Railroader Gerry Leone | Trains.com EXCLUSIVE Interview
You’ve likely thumbed his articles in Model Railroader magazine. Maybe you’ve even seen him in front of the camera on Trains.com Video and MRVP before that, showing you tips and techniques while building his signature Bona Vista layout. Perhaps you even spotted him live broadcasting at Trainfest. Now, get to know the story behind how […]
TSA extends rail cybersecurity directives for one year
WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration announced that it has extended by one year a set of three cybersecurity directives regarding railroad infrastructure that were scheduled to expire today (Oct. 24, 2023). The directives, developed with input from the industry and government agencies including the Federal Railroad Administration and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, […]
STB appoints six to Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Monday announced appointment of six new members to the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, which advises the board on matters regarding rail movement of coal, ethanol, and other energy resources by rail. New to the board are: — Bryan Boaz, rail operations field supervisor of ExxonMobil, an at-large […]
CN inks new 5-year deal for propane export through Port of Prince Rupert
MONTREAL — Canadian National has reached a new five-year deal to haul AltaGas propane to the export terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the railway said today. AltaGas opened the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal — Canada’s first — in 2019. The terminal receives 50 to 60 tank cars per day from […]
News & Products for the week of October 23rd 2023
News & Products for the week of October 23rd 2023 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of October 23rd […]
Construction begins on export transload center at Port of Prince Rupert
PRINCE RUPERT, British Columbia — The Prince Rupert Port Authority has begun construction on the Ridley Island Export Logistics Project, a 108-acre facility that will transload carload commodities into international containers at the Port of Prince Rupert. The $750 million project, set to open in the third quarter of 2026, will be able to handle […]
CSX reports lower earnings but says improved service will lead to growth
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation earnings declined alongside a third-quarter volume slump, the railroad said today, but executives are confident that improved service will lead to long-term growth. “We have seen great progress with our ‘One CSX’ initiatives, which are helping to build a focused, collaborative culture that enables all of our employees to feel […]
The Trains Interview: Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena talks service, growth, competition, and steam
Trains spoke with Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena today after the railroad’s third-quarter earnings call. Vena, who served as UP’s chief operating officer in 2019 and 2020, rejoined the railroad as its chief executive on Aug. 14. Vena has pledged to make Union Pacific the safest railroad in North America and to grow volume faster […]
CREATE partners outline bid for Mega Grant to advance 75th Street project
CHICAGO — It’s a measure of how large CREATE’s 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project is that, even having been divided into more manageable parts, it’s still too big, from a financial standpoint, for one of those parts to be fully funded through the federal government’s Mega Grant program. So, when CREATE — the Chicago Region […]