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Intermodal rally boosts U.S. rail traffic
WASHINGTON – Total U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending June 8 was up 4.1% compared with the same week last year thanks to a spike in intermodal volume. Carloads declined 4.4% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was up 12.2%, the Association of American Railroads reported. Six […]
MTA replaces first segment of Metro-North Railroad Park Avenue Viaduct
NEW YORK – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority replaced the first section of the 130-year-old Park Avenue Viaduct in Manhattan without disrupting Metro-North service over the weekend, the transit agency said yesterday. The Park Avenue Viaduct carries four Metro-North Railroad tracks and serves all Metro-North trains traveling into and out of Grand Central Terminal, totaling 750 […]
CPKC to pay fine for derailment-related violations of the Clean Water Act
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with Canadian Pacific Kansas City for violating the Clean Water Act following two derailments that resulted in oil spills in Maine. The derailments on the former Central Maine & Quebec occurred in 2022 and 2023 following washouts. Nearly 15,000 gallons of contaminants were spilled into nearby […]
Lawmakers spar over Amtrak profitability and transparency at House Rail Subcommittee hearing
WASHINGTON — Aside from the revelation that Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner was granted $620,000 in bonuses on top of a $500,000 salary last year, very little new ground was covered at today’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Rail Subcommittee hearing. The hearing, “Amtrak and Intercity Passenger Rail Oversight: Promoting Performance, Safety and Accountability,” was abruptly […]
CPR No. 2816 returns to the U.S. after completing CPKC’s Final Spike steam tour in Mexico (update)
LAREDO, Texas — With SD70ACU No. 7013 and two FP9 diesels at the head end, Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2816 pulled into Laredo on June 11 after recrossing the Rio Grande at the International Railway Bridge, reentering the United States. Roughly 2 weeks prior on May 30, The Empress led the three diesels and office […]
Port of Baltimore reopens main channel
BALTIMORE — The Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel reopened Monday. The channel had been blocked after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, when it was struck by the container ship Dali on March 26. The reopened shipping lane will allow Norfolk Southern and CSX to resume normal intermodal operations through […]
Union Pacific train derails south of Omaha
UNION, Neb. — More than 20 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Tuesday afternoon near the Nebraska-Iowa state line, with one tank car spilling its contents into an adjacent waterway, KLKN-TV reports. The derailment occurred about 4 p.m. near Union, about 4 miles west of the state line and 30 miles south of Omaha […]
MBTA board approves five-year, $9.6 billion capital plan
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board has approved a five-year Capital Investment Plan calling for $9.6 billion in spending, covering more than 640 separate projects. The board unanimously approved the plan at its meeting on Tuesday, June 11. The plan addresses only a fraction of the agency’s projected needs over the 2025-2029 period, […]
Metrolink adds service for X Games in Ventura
VENTURA, Calif. — Southern California commuter rail operator will once again add service for the X Games extreme sports competition in Ventura, to be held this year June 28-30. Metrolink will offer two round trips between Los Angeles and the Ventura Downtown/Beach station on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30. Schedules and other details […]
Mobile, port, and Alabama strike tentative deal to equally fund $3 million Gulf Coast grant: Analysis
MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said Tuesday that his city’s funding obligation to support two daily Amtrak round trips could be split equally between Mobile, the state of Alabama, and the Alabama State Port Authority. As originally reported by AL.com, Stimpson announced Republican Gov. Kay Ivey had dropped her long-standing opposition to provide […]
House bills would require open Amtrak meetings, notification on executive bonuses
WASHINGTON — In advance of a scheduled Wednesday hearing on Amtrak, two members of the House Committree on Transportation and Infrastructure have announced bills regarding the passenger operators’ governance and executive bonuses. U.S. Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas), chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, has introduced the Amtrak Transparency and Accountability […]
