WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will nominate Patrick J. Fuchs to serve another term on the Surface Transportation Board, the White House announced this week. Fuchs joined the board in January 2019. Previously, he was a staff member for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he worked on legislation including 2016’s first […]
MIAMI — Beginning this Saturday, Jan. 27, South Florida’s West Palm Beach-Miami International Airport Tri-Rail service will be connected to downtown Miami with 13 weekday round-trip shuttle trains and 12 round trips on the weekends. Since the service’s Jan. 13 launch, the commuter authority has been gradually ramping up service to Brightline’s MiamiCentral facility [see […]
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern service and safety improved in the fourth quarter, but higher operating costs, lower revenue, and the impact of ongoing expenses related to the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment dragged down earnings. “Last year was historically challenging, with a major derailment to start off the year, followed by network disruptions and compounded by […]
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa legislators are considering a bill requiring defect detectors on the state’s branch line, the latest example of state actions to regulate railroads in the wake of last year’s derailment and toxic-chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio. Senate File 512, introduced by state Sen. Tom Shipley (R-Corning, Iowa) requires defect detectors […]
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. – Cruise-ship passengers will soon be riding Conway Scenic Railroad’s trains over its Mountain Division through picturesque Crawford Notch in New Hampshire’s 6,000-foot-high White Mountains. Service is expected to begin in June. The railroad will offer ship patrons another option for shore excursions when they debark at Portland, Maine, a popular port […]
BOSTON — A 10-day shutdown of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Red Line between the Alewife and Harvard stations is the centerpiece of MBTA’s plans for major maintenance projects in February, the latest phase in a more than year-long effort to eliminate the accumulated slow orders on the agency’s rail transit system. Also, an 18-day […]
ABILENE, Kan. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3415 and its home, the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, are in consideration for state recognition in Kansas. The locomotive has been out of service following the 2023 season for a federally mandated 1,472-day boiler inspection and overall rebuild, currently estimated at $600,000 [See “Santa Fe No. […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern told employees today that it will eliminate 7% of its management and staff positions as a cost-cutting move. The railroad is set to publicly announce the cutbacks during its fourth-quarter earnings call on Friday morning. NS is offering voluntary severance packages to eligible employees, according to people familiar with the matter. […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Railroad executives will meet with U.S. and Mexican customs officials next month to discuss how they can work together to keep vital rail border crossings open amid the surge in migrants crossing the Rio Grande. The railroad bridges linking Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, with Mexico were shut down for four […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today announced a final rule requiring railroads to provide emergency escape breathing apparatuses for train crew members and other employees who could be at risk in the event of a hazardous material release — a regulation stemming from last year’s incident in East Palestine, Ohio. The rule is scheduled […]
WASHINGTON — A supervisor operating an out-of-service train lost radio communication with his flagger and did not receive a message to stop, passing a red signal and colliding with another train in a Jan. 4 incident involving two trains on New York City Transit’s No. 1 subway line, according to the preliminary accident report issued […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific expects muted traffic volume this year due to a combination of a slow economy, lower demand for coal, and the loss of an international intermodal contract to BNSF Railway. UP executives discussed their outlook for the year while releasing fourth-quarter financial results this morning. “The Union Pacific team is executing […]
