WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has named a three-member Presidential Emergency Board to address the labor dispute between NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Biden established the board in an executive order released Wednesday and effective today (July 25). An accompanying statement notes that appointment of the board is required under […]
PARIS — The French capital hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, its third turn as host and first in a century. The Opening Ceremony this Friday, July 26, will be held beside the River Seine in the center of the city, with events running through to the end of the Paralympics on Sept. […]
NEWARK, N.J. — The NJ Transit board of directors on Wednesday approved the purchase of 36 Multilevel III electric multiple-unit railcars from Alstom Transportation, increasing to 174 the number of the new railcars ordered since 2018. The order is part of an option of an existing contract with Alstom, at a cost not to exceed […]
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Last Saturday’s derailment of CSX railcars that damaged garages at a Fredericksburg apartment complex involved runaways, a CSX representative said at a community meeting on Wednesday, July 24. “One section of the train was tied down improperly,” CSX State Relations Director Randy Marcus told the meeting, according to a WUSA-TV report. Those […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was again ahead of 2023 levels for the week ending July 20, 2024, with overall volume up 1.4% compared to the same week last year, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Railroads handled 480,083 carloads and intermodal units. That included 214,348 carloads, a 3.4% decrease from the […]
MOBILE, Ala. — Amtrak appears to be on the verge of an agreement with the City of Mobile that finally will allow Gulf Coast passenger service to move forward. WALA-TV reports that a spokeswoman for Mayor Sandy Stimpson said the city and Amtrak had finalized language for a funding agreement for Mobile-New Orleans service and […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National was able to reopen its main line through Jasper, Alberta, this afternoon while keeping a close eye on a pair of wildfires that have been threatening the resort town. “CN resumed rail operations at approximately 12 Noon MST on Wednesday, July 24, through Jasper. In collaboration with the Unified Incident Command […]
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec sales and profits increased in the second quarter thanks to growth in its freight and transit divisions, the company announced today. Wabtec also disclosed that it has received a $600 million, multiyear order for Tier 4 locomotives from a North American railroad. It did not name the railroad, and no Class I […]
Second of two parts. Part one is available here. CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. railroads are hiring to meet future freight demand after years of furloughs and cutbacks that only worsened during the pandemic. At the same time, railroads have grappled with steep declines in coal and macroeconomic conditions. Now railroads appear to be rebalancing headcount […]
WASHINGTON — Legislators used a House subcommittee hearing on railroad safety today (Tuesday, July 23) to highlight a new rail safety bill, while committee members and witnesses including regulators, union representatives, and the House member representing East Palestine questioned the rail industry’s own safety efforts. The revised bill, the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 8996), […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National today (Tuesday, July 23) lowered its financial outlook for the year as volume growth slowed during the second quarter, due to slumping lumber traffic and the impact of shippers diverting international intermodal containers to U.S. ports in anticipation of a potential rail strike in Canada. CN’s second-quarter operating income declined 3%, […]
CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs today unveiled the railroad’s 17th heritage locomotive, which pays homage to the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. “Another great job by our ONE CSX team in Waycross, Georgia. Founded in 1877, C&EI Railroad connected Chicago with southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville, IN. In the 1960’s C&EI was purchased by both […]
