STB chairman updates status of pending proceedings

Freight train with yellow locomotives in mountains

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today released an update on the status of 13 pending proceedings, with Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs indicating decisions are expected this month in four of the matters, with draft decisions to be presented in three others. All others should see action by May, according to the press release. Among […]

Read More…

MBTA introduces New Haven heritage unit

Orange, black, and white locomotive with New Haven lettering

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has released its heritage locomotive honoring the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. It is the second in a planned series of three locomotives honoring predecessor operators of commuter rail service in the MBTA service area. The orange, black, and white locomotive — displaying the New Haven […]

Read More…

Trump offered tunnel funds in exchange for renaming of Penn Station, Dulles airport: news reports

People in station waiting room lined up to board trains

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration offered to release funds for the Hudson Tunnel project if New York Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport are renamed for President Donald Trump, according to multiple news reports. ABC News, citing “two sources familiar with the conversation,” reports Trump made the offer to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern ramps up operations at Alabama mine

Coal train on bridge in area surrounded by trees

WHITSON, Ala. — Norfolk Southern’s export metallurgical coal business is getting a significant boost with the completion of Warrior Met Coal’s Blue Creek Mine near Whitson, Ala., northwest of Birmingham. The $1 billion longwall mine and balloon loadout track has the ability to load up to 10 unit trains per week and produce up to […]

Read More…

U.S. weekly rail traffic shows steep drop

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed a significant volume drop during the week ending Jan. 31 — a week in which severe weather had a significant impact on operations in the Midwest and East. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show total U.S. traffic for the week was 434,361 carloads and intermodal units, a […]

Read More…

New York, New Jersey sue over Hudson tunnel funds

Tunnel portals in construction area

NEW YORK — Officials in New York and New Jersey filed suit against the Trump administration on Tuesday evening, Feb. 3, over funds being withheld for the Hudson River Tunnel project, the second action in as many days to try to free funding before the project must shut down. New Jersey’s acting Attorney General, Jennifer […]

Read More…

Legislators, union officials seek action on long-stalled rail bill

Man speaking at podium with people standing on either side

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, mayors, and union members were among those who gathered on Tuesday, Feb. 3 — the third anniversary of the Palestine, Ohio, derailment and hazardous-materials release — for a press conference pushing for passage of rail safety legislation introduced exactly one year earlier. U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mike Rulli (R-Ohio), and John […]

Read More…