More Thursday morning rail news: CSX train hits boulder, derails in Kentucky A CSX Transportation train has derailed in Harlan County, Ky., after striking a boulder that fell from a cliff face across an adjacent highway, WKYT-TV reports. The rockfall and derailment has closed State Route 2007 between Wallins and Coldiron, Ky. The derailment occurred […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
Digest: Norfolk Southern plans mechanical department furloughs
More Thursday morning rail news: NS will furlough mechanical department employees, offers no details on number or locations Norfolk Southern will be furloughing mechanical department employees at multiple locations across its system, WSLS-TV reports. In a statement, the railroad did not indicate the locations or number of employees to be affected, but said the move […]
NJ Transit rail service shut down by storm; other systems experiencing delays, cancellations
NJ Transit rail service remains suspended as a result of the winter storm currently hitting the Northeast, but other major commuter rail services continue to operate in some form as of Thursday morning. NJ Transit suspended all commuter rail operations as of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and they remain halted, along with Newark and Hudson-Bergen light […]
Intermodal, grain strong, but carloads still down in latest rail traffic stats
WASHINGTON — The continued upswing in grain traffic is helping reduce the drop in U.S. carload rail traffic, while intermodal strength continues to lift overall volume above 2019 levels in the latest weekly statistics released by the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Dec. 12, the total of 238,193 carloads was 2.2% below […]
News Photo: Dual power on the Northeast Corridor
While Amtrak has cancelled a number of trains in the Northeast as it deals with a major storm, it is also taking extra precautions with those trains that are operating. This morning in Wilmington, Del., train No. 170 had P42 diesel No. 90 operating behind ACS-64 electric No. 619 as a backup in case of […]
News Photo: No one injured in CSX derailment caused by rock slide
No injuries resulted when a CSX coal train derailed after striking a rockslide in the Harlan County community Wallins Creek, Ky. Two locomotives and eight cars derailed. WYMT-TV quotes CSX spokeswoman Cindy Schild as saying the derailment occurred about 2:09 a.m., and no leaks or spills into waterways occurred. A state transportation department spokesman said […]
Digest: Amtrak inspector general expresses concern over elements of PTC implementation
Wednesday morning rail news: Amtrak Office of Inspector General reports issues with PTC implementation A report from Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General says the passenger railroad expects to achieve positive train control interoperability by the Dec. 31, 2020, deadline, but can take steps to better ensure its systems are reliable, and that the company faces […]
Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary nominee, faced local rail issues as South Bend mayor
Buttigieg served for eight years as mayor of South Bend, Ind., a city of about 100,000, crisscrossed by two busy freight railroads, a stop on two Amtrak long-distance routes and the eastern terminus of a commuter train to downtown Chicago. Biden’s onetime rival for the nomination supported a project to add 16.9 miles of double […]
Digest: CN announces partnership on new logistics facility in Alabama
Additional Wednesday morning rail news: CN, partners to open logistics park in Mobile, Ala. Canadian National will join with the Alabama Export Railroad and Ray-Mont Logistics on a new logistics park in Mobile, Ala., projected to open in late 2021. The first phase of the project will be a facility for bagging and containerizing plastic […]
NTSB issues recommendation for increased use of buffer cars on hazardous-material trains
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending increased use of buffer cars in trains with DOT-111 tank cars carrying hazardous materials as a result of investigations into two derailments. The recommendation issued Tuesday recommends at least five non-placarded cars be placed between locomotives or occupied equipment and those carrying hazardous materials, regardless of […]
Metra, Amtrak inform STB of remaining issues in Chicago Union Station dispute
WASHINGTON — A total of 16 issues, some major (the procedure for adding trains to Metra’s schedule), some less so (whether Metra is entitled to any station parking), remain to be settled by the Surface Transportation Board in the long-running dispute between Metra and Amtrak over the commuter railroad’s lease at Chicago Union Station. That’s […]
Amtrak cancelling, modifying Northeast service because of expected winter storm
With a significant winter storm expected in the Northeast, Amtrak has announced cancellation of some trains and modified service for others beginning Wednesday. Cancelled Wednesday are 16 Keystone Service trains between Harrisburg, Pa., and New York; Boston-Newport News, Va., Northeast Regional train No. 67, and Empire Service trains 244 and 241 between New York and […]
