WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have asked the Federal Railroad Administration to waive cab-signal requirements that otherwise would restrict where UP’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 could operate on its historic eastern swing this summer. In Feb. 10 letters to the FRA, the railroads sought permission to operate the Big Boy in cab-signal […]
TORONTO — Hitachi Rail will open a new Canadian headquarters in Toronto, the company announced today. The 125,000-square-foot headquarters will span 5.5 floors at Consilium Place, a three-building complex in Toronto’s Scarborough district, and is due to open this summer. It will host the company’s Global CBTC Competence Centre, which provides engineering and technical expertise […]
TORONTO — GO Transit’s operating problems from a Monday derailment will extend into a fifth day, with the commuter rail service continuing to run a reduced schedule through Friday, provincial transit agency Metrolinx said this afternoon (Thursday, Feb. 5). The regular schedule is now projected to resume on Saturday, Feb. 7. “Our crews are continuing […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit will reduce the number of weekday trains between Newark and Secaucus, N.J., from 332 to 178 between Feb. 15 and March 14 for the first phase of work moving traffic to the new Portal North Bridge, officials said during a press conference today (Jan. 15). The outage is […]
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Paducah & Louisville Railway, R.J. Corman, and Norfolk Southern are among the recipients of funding from the Commonwealth of Kentucky for grade-crossing safety projects, part of almost $3 million in funding awarded under a pair of grant programs by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Projects on the three railroads were among seven […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four short line or regional railroads will receive funds totaling $1.9 million for four grade crossing improvements following approval Wednesday, Jan. 7, by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The Ann Arbor Railroad received the maximum available, up to $500,000, from the state Grade Crossing Projection Fund for a project to upgrade […]
HAMMOND, Ind. — Sometime in early 2026, passengers will be able to ride the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District’s West Lake Extension, now designated by NICTD as the South Shore Line’s Monon Corridor. The 8-mile electrified, single-track route has been constructed mostly on former rail right-of-way that hosted trains of the Monon and later CSX. […]
FRONT ROYAL, Va. — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen has joined the list of unions opposed to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. In an announcement today (Dec. 22), the union cited concerns about rail safety, impacts on workers, and “the concentration of market power” the merger would create. The union urged the STB to reject […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched a new online dashboard to monitor its capital projects, allowing viewers to see what is being built or replaced, the project budget, spending thus far, and the expected completion date. The Capital Program Dashboard, now available here in a Beta version, addresses projects on the Long […]
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec has strengthened its Digital Intelligence business by finalizing the acquisition of Frauscher Sensor Technology Group GmbH, a signaling technology company that offers train detection, wayside object control solutions, and axle counting systems. “This strategic acquisition is another step in executing Wabtec’s long-term growth strategy, which will provide enhanced value for our customers, […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High Speed Rail Authority this week issued a Request For Proposals for the contract to build track and related systems for the 119-mile first segment of the project, between Merced and Bakersfield. The $3.5 billion contract will be one of the nation’s largest for rail infrastructure. Proposals from interested companies […]
Editor’s note: The January 2026 issue of Trains Magazine includes author Greg Richardson’s article on the development of positive train control, “The road to PTC,” viewed primarily through the lens of his time in Union Pacific’s PTC program. Space limitations precluded inclusion of his look at development of PTC for Big Boy No. 4014; we […]
