Unifor ratifies new deals with CN

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

MONTREAL — Members of Canadian union Unifor have ratified new four-year agreements with Canadian National Railway, the union and railroad have announced. CN says the agreements were ratified on Sunday, Dec. 22, and cover approximately 3,300 workers in mechanical, clerical, and intermodal positions. The union did not announce any details on the ratification vote. “We […]

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Cascadia high speed rail project to receive $49.7 million in FRA funding

Simple map of proposed Cascadia high speed rail project

WASHINGTON — A proposed high speed rail line in the Pacific Northwest will receive $49.7 million for the second stage of planning under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, a group of Washington state legislators announced Wednesday, Dec. 18. U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, along with six members of the […]

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CN, Unifor reach tentative deal on new contract

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway and Canadian labor union Unifor have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract, the railroad has announced. CN said no details will be released publicly until the agreement is ratified. The union represents about 3,300 mechanical, clerical, and intermodal employees, CN said; Unifor recently placed the number about […]

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New Northlander paint scheme unveiled

Front view of passenger locomotive with smaller side-view image of four-car trainset

TIMMINS, Ontario — The Government of Ontario has released the exterior design for the new Northlander passenger trains being built by Siemens Mobility, and awarded a contract for construction of new platforms and installation of shelters at stops along the train’s route. Provincial Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria unveiled the design and announced the contracts […]

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They call him ‘Bear’

black & white photo of two GP10 diesel locomotives. They call him Bear.

Illinois Central and the Bear In my years hanging around the North Cairo, Ill., depot — first Illinois Central, then Illinois Central Gulf — I had many cab-ride opportunities. My first was at age 3 on the GM&O, however. The station access was partially due to the family farm sitting 3 miles outside Cairo, but […]

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CEO of Ontario’s Metrolinx resigns

Metrolinx logo

TORONTO — Phil Verster, CEO of Ontario provincial transportation agency Metrolinx since 2017, has resigned, the provincial government announced this week. The CBC reports that a memo to employees said Verster is departing for a rail industry job outside of Canada. He will depart as soon as Dec. 16. Michael Lindsay, currently head of Infrastructure […]

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CPKC orders more fuel cell engines for hydrogen locomotive project

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has ordered an additional 98 fuel cell engines for its hydrogen locomotive program, supplier Ballard Power Systems announced today (Dec. 5). The 98 engines each are capable of generating approximately 200 kilowatts, giving the total order about 20 megawatts of power. Ballard has previously supplied approximately 10 […]

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Railway Association of Canada honors four operators with safety awards

Logo of Railway Association of Canada

OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian National, Genesee & Wyoming Canada, Metrolinx, and VIA Rail Canada are recipients of the Railway Association of Canada’s 2024 Safety Awards, which honor innovations and proactive measures by the nation’s railways to maintain and improve safety. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do,” Marc Brazeau, president and CEO of […]

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A run at the hill

20191218

At Bayview Junction, Ontario, trackmen watch Canadian National 4-8-4 No. 6234 pass with Toronto–Windsor train No. 83 on August 29, 1958. The Northern has just backed its train from Hamilton to the junction and is gathering speed for the climb up the Niagara Escarpment. Art Weber photo […]

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Canada’s Unifor to vote on strike against CPKC

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian union Unifor will vote on a potential strike against CPKC, saying negotiations with the railroad have reached an impasse. The union’s 101R, which represents approximately 1,200 CPKC employees nationwide in mechanical trades, said in a Friday, Nov. 29, announcement that it would hold the strike vote “in the coming weeks.” The […]

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