A Metra UP Northwest train arrives in Harvard, Ill., on Nov. 23, 2018. Metra and Union Pacific are in talks that could substantially change the nature of UP’s operating agreement with the commuter railroad. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Union Pacific Railroad and Metra are in discussions that could give Metra some control of operations […]
New York MTA, transit union agree to new contract NEWSWIRE
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has reached agreement with transit workers on a new contract after six months of sometimes contentious negotiations, averting a possible strike. Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano said in a statement that the union’s executive board would meet to discuss the contract today and would report […]
Sound Transit replaces safety officer as a result of Cascades wreck NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — Sound Transit has removed its safety director from that job in the wake of an internally commissioned report on the December 2017 derailment of an Amtrak train on its line that killed three passengers. Peter Rogoff, the regional transit agency’s chief executive, also said in a memo issued Wednesday that Amtrak service on […]
State legislators urge UP to drop suit against Palestine, Texas NEWSWIRE
Workers repair a boxcar at a Missouri Pacific car shop in Palestine, Texas, in July 1963. The shop, operated by Union Pacific since its merger with the MoPac, is at the center of a lawsuit to end the railroad’s agreement to guarantee jobs in Palestine. Steve Patterson PALESTINE, Texas — Two state legislators have issued […]
AAR economists put railroad traffic decline in perspective NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON — Coal sinking to record low volumes, lingering trade uncertainty, and a manufacturing slowdown are largely responsible for this year’s rail traffic slump, which is not as bad as it appears due to comparisons with an unusually robust 2018, Association of American Railroads economists said today. Nearly half of the overall drop in carload […]
AAR: Traffic down across the board compared to 2018 for the week of November 30 NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 30, 2019, as well as volumes for November 2019. U.S. railroads originated 955,579 carloads in November 2019, down 7.5%, or 77,166 carloads, from November 2018. U.S. railroads also originated 1,019,766 containers and trailers in […]
California high speed route could require tunnel under Burbank airport NEWSWIRE
An Alaska Airlines flight departs from Burbank (Calif.) Airport as a Metrolink train pauses at the Burbank Airport-South station in February 2019. California’s high speed rail project could require a tunnel under the airport. TRAINS: David Lassen BURBANK — Construction of California’s high speed rail line into Los Angeles may require a tunnel under the […]
Canadian National snares Canadian coal contract currently held by Canadian Pacific NEWSWIRE
MONTREAL — Canadian National has wrestled away a major Canadian metallurgical coal contract from rival Canadian Pacific. CN will begin hauling Teck coal from Kamloops, British Columbia, to port terminals in Vancouver and Prince Rupert, B.C., in April 2021, the companies announced on Wednesday. CP will continue to carry the coal from Teck’s four CP-served […]
Canadian Pacific has eyes on its old route to Quebec City NEWSWIRE
Keith Creel, Canadian Pacific CEO Canadian Pacific PALM BEACH, Fla. — Piece by piece, Canadian Pacific wants to reacquire routes it cast off east of Montreal two decades ago. In November, CP said it would acquire the 401-mile Central Maine & Quebec, a deal that includes former CP trackage from Montreal to Maine and a […]
CP employee killed in British Columbia NEWSWIRE
VANCOUVER — A 56-year-old Canadian Pacific employee was killed on the job this week at the railroad’s yard in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, near Vancouver. Spokesman Andy Cummings confirms an employee was killed on Dec. 2 but offered few details about the events surrounding the incident. He says a “thorough investigation is underway.” The Transportation […]
CSX Transportation may limit line sales to those already on the block NEWSWIRE
Jim Foote, CSX Transportation CEO CSX Corp. PALM BEACH, Fla. — CSX Transportation may limit line sales to the routes that it currently has out to bid. “We’re going to be very, very, very careful before we would ever sell anything,” CEO Jim Foote told an investor conference on Tuesday. “We’re not interested in exiting […]
FRA looks to expand grade-crossing program NEWSWIRE
A Brightline train speeds across Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Fla., in January 2019. The FRA is looking to expand a program to address grade-crossing accidents in Florida and the nine other states with the highest number of grade-crossing incidents, and to require other states to come up with new plans. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON […]