WASHINGTON – A combination of excessive in-train forces and the pairing of dead-in-tow locomotives that lacked alignment control couplers was the probable cause of a 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in Alabama, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. Two locomotives and 37 cars derailed in the March 9 wreck on the Alabama East End District […]
TAMPA, Fla. — After an unusual lull in hurricane activity in August and September, railroads are monitoring a new tropical disturbance that will make landfall around Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26, likely as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane. “CSX is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Helene, which is projected to intensify to hurricane strength […]
BERLIN — A number of European manufacturers have unveiled new locomotive designs, several shown in public for the first time, at the InnoTrans trade fair. Stadler presented the first of its new six-axle freight locomotives for the British market, the dual-mode Class 99, which will be used by the UK’s largest rail freight company, GB […]
WASHINGTON — With a dockworkers strike looming at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Robert E. Primus has asked BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to provide regulators with information on how they will handle the anticipated surge in container traffic at West Coast ports. “While I understand that a pivot to […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has named Jason A. Zampi as chief financial officer and treasurer and Jason M. Morris as chief legal officer and corporate secretary, the company announced Tuesday. Zampi, who also becomes an executive vice president, has been at Norfolk Southern for 13 years in roles in forecasting, budgeting, and corporate accounting. Previously, […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak conductors and assistant conductors have approved a new seven-year contract agreement by a three-to-one margin, the union representing those more than 2,100 workers has announced. “Our members are a major part of the experience passengers have aboard Amtrak,” said Jeremy Ferguson, president of the Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation […]
WASHINGTON – The probable cause of a fatal accident involving a conductor trainee in CSX’s yard in Cumberland, Md., last summer was the train’s movement through an unidentified and unmitigated close clearance location, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. During a shove move, the conductor trainee was caught between the side of the railcar […]
WASHINGTON – The Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, has asked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to deny Brightline Florida any additional federal funding, arguing that the company has sought to block its employees from joining a union. The TWU, in a Sept. 19 letter to Buttigieg, noted that nearly 100 Brightline onboard service personnel are […]
BERLIN — InnoTrans – the largest rail trade fair in the world, held every two years in the German capital city opened its doors for its 2024 edition on Sept. 24. Exhibitors number 2,940 representing 59 countries are occupying the entire exhibition grounds at the Berlin trade fair exhibition centre which is also equipped with […]
Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014, the railroad’s heritage fleet, and steam program boss Ed Dickens are featured in the latest episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” the former “Tonight Show” host’s YouTube program. UP and the National Park Foundation welcomed Leno and his film crew on the Missouri Valley to Dennison, Iowa, portion of […]
WASHINGTON – The “See Tracks, Think Trains Week,” which kicks off today and runs through Sunday, aims to enhance public safety by raising awareness about the importance of staying safe around railroad tracks. More than 95% of all rail-related deaths involve drivers going through grade crossings or a person on the tracks, according to the […]
CHERRYVALE, Kan. – Bartlett, a Savage Company, is beginning operations at its new soybean processing plant in Cherryvale, Kan., which is served by Watco’s 458.7-mile South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad. The plant will handle up to 49 million bushels of soybeans annually, providing sustainable soy feedstocks for refined vegetable oil, animal feed and renewable transportation […]
