ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Commercial Railway and two other companies are receiving awards totaling $1.5 million from the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Rail Service Improvement Program. The agency said it had received nine applications totaling more than $4.5 million for rail service improvement projects. The three selected projects were based on the impact […]
Section: News Wire
NRC panel: PTC working even as growing pains continue NEWSWIRE
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – The introduction of positive train control remains very much a work in progress, with all the bugs and growing pains that accompany a new technology. But for all that, PTC has definitely begun demonstrating its ability to avoid accidents. Jim LeVere, BNSF Railway vice president, engineering – signals, telecommunications and network […]
Rose sees regulatory risk in Precision Scheduled Railroading NEWSWIRE
Matt Rose MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – Matt Rose thinks the railroad industry is placing itself at regulatory risk with its embrace of Precision Scheduled Railroading. “We have this common-carrier obligation to provide freight service to all customers in all markets,” said Rose, BNSF Railway’s executive chairman, during a Monday morning “fireside chat” at the annual […]
Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern offer first look at 2019 capital plans NEWSWIRE
A Union Pacific train threads its way through construction at Vale, in River Forest, Ill., where the railroad is building a 1.8-mile section of third track. David Lassen MARCO ISLAND, Fla. – One of the annual limitations of the early January date for the the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Conference is that most […]
Federal shutdown delays TEXRail opening NEWSWIRE
FORT WORTH, Texas— Dallas-Fort Worth area commuters looking forward to the Jan. 5 startup of TEXRail will have to wait until the federal government reopens before riding the area’s newest commuter train. “We have been unable to get clearance to operate the entire 27-mile corridor from the Federal Railroad Administration,” Trinity Metro, the train’s operator, […]
Historic diesels relocated from Utah to Nevada NEWSWIRE
BOULDER CITY, Nev. — Two well-known former Amtrak diesel locomotives that were preserved about a decade ago are on the move from their former display site in Ogden, Utah to the Nevada State Railroad Museum’s Nevada Southern Railway excursion operation and museum in Boulder City. The two locomotives, SDP40F No. 644 and F40PHR No. 231, […]
AAR: Crude oil carloads up 18 percent in 2018 NEWSWIRE
Association of American Railroads Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads on Thursday reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 29, as well as volumes for December 2018. U.S. railroads originated 1,021,978 carloads in December 2018, up 2.9 percent, or 29,139 carloads, from December 2017. U.S. railroads also originated […]
Brightline/Virgin adds to rush-hour, weekend service NEWSWIRE
A Brightline train heads toward Miami Central station in May 2018. Bob Johnston MIAMI — Beginning this week, travelers commuting between West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and downtown Miami have more rush-hour frequencies to choose from. Brightline, now officially known as Virgin Trains USA, on Wednesday supplemented its near-hourly weekday schedule with an […]
Canadian railroads swiftly worked through Thursday derailments NEWSWIRE
WAUKESHA, Wis. — Canada’s two Class I railroads are dealing with derailments in tight places on Thursday. Canadian National was first at about 9 a.m. Central time Thursday when locals reported hearing a derailment in Manitoba. Railroad crews soon reported to an “incident” that involved two trains east of Portage la Prairie, Man. A CN […]
Cass to add track, rare operating Climax locomotive NEWSWIRE
CASS, W.VA. — In a sign that years-long projects are nearing an end at West Virginia’s famous Cass Scenic Railroad, the logger-turned tourist hauler has announced plans to resume service on the former Chesapeake & Ohio line to Durbin, W.Va., and will inaugurate it in September with a type of geared engine that has never […]
Contractors group files suit over planned Phoenix light-rail initiative NEWSWIRE
PHOENIX — A contractors’ group has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop planned light-rail projects from returning to voters for additional approval. The Arizona chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America filed the suit on Wednesday, the Arizona Republic reports, seeking to block an effort by light-rail opponents to require voters to approve or […]
County study to consider options for new rail line to South Bend Airport NEWSWIRE
A South Shore train arrives at the South Bend Airport in November 2017. A study will consider options for a more direct rail route to the airport, which could also serve a planned logistics park. TRAINS: David Lassen SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A study of a new rail alignment to South Bend’s airport will include […]
