State holds hearing on bill to provide tax incentives to keep Union Pacific in Nebraska

Glass-sided office building

LINCOLN, Neb. — Legislation designed to provide tax incentives to keep Union Pacific’s headquarters in Omaha faced no opposition during a hearing in the Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 25. While Legislative Bill 1165 does not mention UP, its sponsor, state Sen. Brad von Gillern (R-Elkhorn), told the Revenue Committee hearing that it’s no secret […]

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Amtrak ends plans for new bi-level cars

Men working on passenger car in shop

WASHINGTON — Amtrak is scrapping plans for a new generation of bi-level passenger equipment to replace its aging Superliner fleet, announcing that it will instead move ahead with developing a single-level fleet for use across its system. The company said in a press release that the move reflects “extensive analysis of the challenges associated with […]

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UP and NS ask regulators to waive cab-signal requirements for Big Boy trip in the east

Big Boy train passing feed mill on track

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 […]

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House members introduce rail safety bill

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) have introduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act, which includes components of the never-passed Railway Safety Act of 2024. Many elements of the bill introduced on Wednesday, Feb. 25, parallel those in the Railway Safety Act of 2026, introduced in the Senate on Tuesday [see […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic shows double-digit gain

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

WASHINGTON — Led by a major increase in carload volume, U.S. rail traffic showed a big jump for the week ending Feb. 25, gaining 10.7% from the same week last year. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, traffic for the week was 507,712 carloads and intermodal units. That included 227,124 carloads, an […]

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MBTA seeks new battery-electric, diesel locomotives for commuter service

MBTA purple and silver commuter locomotive. Governor reacts following more close calls on MBTA

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has issued a Request for Proposals for battery-electric and Tier 4 diesel locomotives as part of its efforts to modernize its equipment fleet and upgrade regional rail service. The RFP, released today (Feb. 25) and available here, is part of a procurement coordinated with the Maryland Transit Administration. […]

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Ice storm plagues rehabilitation efforts on Mississippi short line

Downed trees across rail line

TISHOMINGO, Miss. — An unprecedented January ice storm has complicated the efforts of a start-up short line railroad looking to restore freight service in rural northern Mississippi. Jeremy Funderburk, president of the North Mississippi & Alabama Railroad, and his work crew and equipment, have been putting in 10-hour workdays to chew through thousands of downed […]

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CSX completes data modernization program

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Technology firm Infosys announced it has completed a data modernization program for CSX, consolidating the railroad’s fragmented data systems into a unified cloud-based platform. Infosys says the program is one of the largest deployments of its kind in the field of transportation and logistics. It uses Infosys Topaz, a set of services, […]

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Northeast rail operations almost completely restored after storm

Amtrak logo.

NEW YORK — Amtrak and rail transit operations are essentially back to normal today (Wednesday, Feb. 25) after disruptions that began Sunday night because of a blizzard passing through the Northeast. As of 7:15 a.m. CT, the train status feature of Amtrak’s website shows no cancellations or delays for Northeast Corridor trains originating in Boston […]

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UK government moves to revive freight traffic through Channel Tunnel

Aerial view of British rail freight terminal

LONDON — Freight service through the Channel Tunnel, which ended in 2024, is set to resume after the British government announced it would take control of the only intermodal facility in the United Kingdom able to handle freight cars with European dimensions. The government announced today (Wednesday, Feb. 25) that national rail infrastructure company Network […]

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Senators introduce new version of Railway Safety Act

Unit train of tank cars at commuter rail station

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Jon Husted (R-Ohio) introduced a new version of the Railway Safety Act today (Feb. 24). The new legislation includes a mandate for wayside defect detectors, an expanded list of hazardous materials subject to higher safety standards, and a two-person crew requirement. […]

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Work restarting on Hudson Tunnel project

Aerial view of construction site

NEW YORK — Work is resuming this week on the Hudson Tunnel project, the Gateway Development Commission said today (Feb. 24), with nearly 1,000 jobs being restored following layoffs that occurred when the project was shut down on Feb. 6. The resumption of work is being funded through approximately $235 million the commission received from […]

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