BERN, Switzerland — The Gotthard Base Tunnel will not fully reopen to passenger and freight traffic until September 2024, Swiss Federal Railways announced today (Thursday, Nov. 2), saying ongoing repairs from an Aug. 10 derailment in the tunnel have found much more severe damage than initially believed. The Aug. 10 incident caused damage for more […]
Type of Train: Freight
CN acquires stake in G&W’s Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway
Canadian National has acquired a stake in Genesee & Wyoming short line Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway, which operates the easternmost trackage in North America. Under the deal announced on Wednesday, CN will manage interline shipments for customers on the 145-mile CBNS. G&W will continue to operate the railroad, which connects with CN […]
House vote still to come on transportation appropriations; Senate passes bill
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives’ vote on appropriations for the Department of Transportation, which would include a 64% cut in Amtrak funding as well as a prohibition on federal funds for California’s high speed rail project, is still pending. It had originally been reported as on the schedule for Wednesday [see “House set to […]
U.S. rail traffic sees notable increase in October
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic reached its highest level in 28 months in October, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, while weekly traffic figures ended their run of increases over 2022 levels. The month saw railroads originate just under 2 million carloads and intermodal units — 921,591 carloads, down 0.3% from October […]
Louisiana highway closed by CPKC derailment
RODESSA, La. — At least 10 cars of a CPKC train derailed near Rodessa this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 1), leading to the closure of State Route 1 while heavy machinery assists in cleanup at the scene. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office reports the derailment occurred about 6 a.m. Caddo Fire District 8 responded to the […]
Canadian National train derails in rural Wisconsin
STANLEY, Wis. — Approximately 10 cars of a Canadian National Railway train derailed early this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 1), the Stanley Police department said in a press release posted on Facebook. The derailment occurred about 1:07 a.m. No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved, police said. Stanley, population 3,378, is about 30 […]
Central Vermont Rwy. Southern Division in HO scale
Central Vermont Railway Southern Division in HO scale | In Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a dedicated group led by Paul Weiss is passionately re-creating the Central Vermont Railway’s Southern Division as it existed in May 1956. This historically accurate project showcases meticulously replicated scenes from New London, Conn., to Palmer, Mass., portraying the […]
Union Pacific announces management layoffs in bid to speed decision making
OMAHA, Neb. — A round of layoffs are under way today at Union Pacific headquarters as new CEO Jim Vena aims to streamline management and speed up decision making at the sprawling railroad. “Union Pacific is changing its culture and announced organizational changes to reduce layers, expand spans of control and focus on empowering employees […]
Planned Union Pacific maintenance-of-way furloughs spark controversy (updated)
OMAHA, Neb. — The head of the track workers’ union has warned federal regulators that Union Pacific aims to furlough up to 1,350 maintenance-of-way employees next month and will push the remainder of this year’s planned trackwork projects into 2024 as a cost-saving measure. But the railroad says the move is nothing unusual. “This is […]
Central Vermont Rwy. Southern Division in HO scale
Central Vermont Railway Southern Division in HO scale | In Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a dedicated group led by Paul Weiss is passionately re-creating the Central Vermont Railway’s Southern Division as it existed in May 1956. This historically accurate project showcases meticulously replicated scenes from New London, Conn., to Palmer, Mass., portraying the […]
New York City High Line railroad history
The New York City High Line a sight to behold on Manhattan’s West Side. It was born of a vast improvement program in the 1930s, which took West Side freight trains off city streets. The trains were then powered by electric traction north of 30th Street and behind diesel power south of 30th Street. […]
Wabtec unveils first production FLXdrive battery heavy-haul locomotive
ERIE, Pa. —Wabtec and Australian mining firm Roy Hill have unveiled world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service in ceremonies today (Oct. 31, 2023) at Wabtec’s Erie manufacturing facility. The FLXdrive locomotive contains 72 lithium-ion modular battery packs with a total of 36,288 cells, giving the locomotive an energy capacity of 7 megawatt-hours. […]