WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued an emergency order requiring train crews to wear face masks, effective Monday, March 1. The order, to be published in Monday’s Federal Register, is to bring employees into compliance with an executive order requiring masks to be worn on trains and most other forms of transportation, as […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s revenue and profits fell in 2020 due to the pandemic-related declines in traffic volume, the railroad’s corporate parent, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. Pre-tax earnings declined 6.3%, to $6.8 billion, as revenue fell 11.3%, to $20.2 billion. The railroad’s net income fell 5.8%, to $5.2 billion. BNSF’s operating ratio for […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett praised BNSF Railway management for steering the company through the pandemic and touted the railroad’s role in the U.S. economy in his widely read annual letter to shareholders, which was released on Saturday. “Last year, Carl Ice, its CEO, and his number two, Katie Farmer, did an […]
Friday midday rail news: Canadian crude-by-rail sees major drop in 2020, regulator says Canadian crude-by-rail exports fell by nearly 40% in 2020, according to the Canada Energy Regulator, which regulates the export of crude and petroleum products. The average of 172,013 barrels per day — after an average of 280,272 barrels in 2019 — after […]
More Friday morning rail news: Preliminary statistics show decline in Canadian rail accidents in 2020 Preliminary statistics from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada show a decrease in rail accidents and incidents in 2020, numbers the agency believes were likely influenced by the impact of COVID-19 on the transportation. Numbers released as part of a […]
MOBILE, ALA. — Amtrak, attempting to move forward a project that has most funding in place, says it has notified host railroads CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern that it plans to start two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., sometime in 2022. The passenger carrier announced its intentions even though a traffic […]
Friday morning rail news: Auditor General criticizes Transport Canada safety oversight; Transport Minister says agency will address issues Canada’s Auditor General said Thursday that Transport Canada has failed to implement recommendations included in a 2013 audit of its safety practices. The CBC reports the auditor general found the agency has improved its focus on high-risk […]
CSX Transportation has told federal regulators that its proposed acquisition of regional Pan Am Railways will improve service, capture business from trucks, and boost railroad competition in New England. CSX’s merger application, posted today on the Surface Transportation Board website, also resolves a thorny issue: Who will operate Pan Am Southern, the joint venture that […]
All through February 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and legacy of the Newfoundland Railway in Canada. We hope you enjoy this photo gallery of Newfoundland Railway locomotives. Only from Classic Trains! […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Thursday said it would not reconsider the conditions it placed on Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of CSX Transportation’s Massena Line linking the Syracuse, N.Y., area with Montreal. The railroads previously said they would scuttle the deal if the board did not reconsider a condition that would permit CN […]
New Stadler KISS double-deck electric multiple-unit trainsets bound for San Francisco-area commuter operator Caltrain arrive at Union Pacific’s North Yard in Denver on Tuesday, Feb. 23, from Stadler’s Salt Lake City plant. The cars were in route to the Association of American Railroads’ Transportation Technology Center, Inc., near Pueblo, Colo., to begin testing. As part […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic suffered a steep decline in the week ending Feb. 20, a week in which severe winter weather disrupted rail traffic from coast to coast. Weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads show overall rail traffic down 21.7% for the week, compared to the same week in 2020. The 206,262 […]
