‘Amtrak Cascades’ to add two round trips on May 24

SEATTLE – After months of periodic sellouts at the 50% capacity limit on a single Seattle-Eugene, Ore., round trip — the only daily Cascades corridor service for more than a year — the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation plan to add two additional round trips on May 24. But because Talgo, Amtrak, and the […]

Read More…

Digest: Union Pacific to close Palestine, Texas, car shop

Union Pacific to close Palestine, Texas, car shop, subject of lawsuit Union Pacific will close its car shop in Palestine, Texas, as of June 14, eliminating as many as 57 positions. The Palestine Herald-Press reports employees were notified Thursday; a Union Pacific spokeswoman confirmed the closure and attributed it to operational changes across the system. […]

Read More…

Digest: ASLRRA to hold in-person regional meetings in June

Short line association resumes in-person meetings with two regional events in June The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association will resume in-person meetings with two regional gatherings in June: The Central/Pacific Region meeting will be held June 7-9 at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, and the Eastern/Southern Regional Meeting will be June 21-23 […]

Read More…

Kansas City Southern: Where to see it while you still can

KANSAS CITY — With the recent announcement that Canadian Pacific is acquiring Kansas City Southern, railfans will no doubt be heading to the KCS to capture the last days of the smallest of the Class I railroads. But where should you go to catch the action on such a vast system? Here’s a few highlights, […]

Read More…

Digest: Death toll reaches 50 in Taiwan derailment

Death toll reaches 50 in Taiwan derailment; construction supervisor arrested, released on bond At least 50 are now dead as a result of Taiwan’s worst train crash in 70 years, which occurred Friday when an express train hit a truck that had slid down an embankment from a building site. Reuters reports the manager of […]

Read More…

Several parties ask regulators to judge CP-KCS merger under current rules

WASHINGTON — Several trade associations, a major agricultural shipper, and Norfolk Southern today asked the Surface Transportation Board to review Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern under the more stringent 2001 merger rules. CP and KCS have said they would seek to have the merger reviewed under the old rules, although executives contend […]

Read More…

Largest short line operator offers support of proposed CP-KCS merger

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern has picked up its first support from another railroad company. Shortline railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming has told the U.S. Surface Transportation Board that it backs the merger of the smallest Class I systems. “From our perspective, the proposed transaction should provide improved service options […]

Read More…

Shippers group to challenge easier path for CP-KCS merger (second update)

WASHINGTON — A major shipper group plans to challenge the waiver that would permit Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern to be reviewed under the Surface Transportation Board’s old, less restrictive merger rules. The National Industrial Transportation League said today that the CP-KCS deal would ultimately harm rail competition. “Based on the significant loss […]

Read More…