CHICAGO – Metra coaches may start looking a lot better now that the Chicago commuter railroad is hiring on 31 additional cleaning staff. The Daily Herald reports that the added positions are a direct result of recent fare increases on 10-ride passes. “As we indicated when we did the 10-ride increase or fare adjustment — […]
Section: News Wire
BNSF running “snow coaches” to move crews NEWSWIRE
MINOT, N.D. – With extreme winter weather in North Dakota over the last two days closing roads and making for difficult travel conditions, BNSF Railway has resorted to moving crews using “snow coaches” – two unit light engine moves. The locomotives take the place of crew vans that normally shuttle crews to different locations. With no […]
Santa Fe Southern Railway shuts down NEWSWIRE
Kristian Thompson SANTA FE, N.M. – The future for short line and tourist railroad Santa Fe Southern Railway appears bleak. The railroad’s General Manager Karl Ziebarth says the short line suspended operations on Oct. 17, 2012. The 18-mile line provides passenger and freight service between Santa Fe and a BNSF connection at Lamy, N.M. Ziebarth […]
Amtrak to detour Coast Starlight over Tehachapi Loop NEWSWIRE
LOS ANGELES – Amtrak is planning to detour its southbound Coast Starlight between Oakland and Los Angeles in March and April due to track work. Instead of its normal route along the California Coast, train No. 11 will travel Union Pacific’s ex-Southern Pacific route via the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi Loop. The detours are planned for March 13-15, March 24-30, […]
Texas City Terminal receives its first MotivePower MP14B NEWSWIRE
Texas City Terminal No. 36 Mike Harbour HOUSTON, Texas – Texas City Terminal, a six-mile switching line near Houston, received the first of three MotivePower MP14Bs last week. Rebuilt from TCT’s fleet of EMD MP15DCs, the units, Nos. 35, 36 and 37, feature a pair of Cummins-powered gensets and were paid for in part by […]
BNSF to add 14 cars to carry Boeing 737 fuselages NEWSWIRE
Boeing fuselages on BNSF train H-KCKDEN1-13 detouring near Wellington, Kan., on July 14, 2011. Keel Middleton RENTON, Wash. – BNSF Railway will add another 14 special cars to carry Boeing 737 fuselages in the coming months to match Boeing’s rising production of its most popular aircraft model, the Puget Sound Business Journal reports. The additional cars […]
North Carolina desires restoration of abandoned rail line NEWSWIRE
RALEIGH, N. C. – Legislators in North Carolina filed a bill today calling on the state’s department of transportation to upgrade some existing rail lines and fund the restoration of 27 miles of abandoned railroad between the towns of Castle Hayne and Wallace. The line was abandoned by CSX Transportation in the 1990s. Proponents hope […]
Otter Tail Valley Railroad to lose largest customer in 2020 NEWSWIRE
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – The Otter Tail Valley Railroad will lose its largest customer when the Otter Tail Power Co. shuts down its two coal fired generators at its Fergus Falls plant in 2020. However, the later date is a victory for the railroad and power company since environmental groups had urged the Minnesota Public Utilities […]
New foundation offering grants for railroad preservation NEWSWIRE
CHICAGO – The newly formed Tom E. Dailey Foundation Inc. is making available railroad heritage grants of up to $15,000 for projects promoting railroad heritage, history, or preservation. Dailey, a senior executive in the payment processing industry for nearly 30 years, said the foundation was created in December 2012 through a $1 million endowment. Dailey […]
Schnabel car malfunction delays cargo delivery NEWSWIRE
A Schnabel car had an accident while delivering its cargo in Georgia. SAVANNAH, Ga. – A 300-ton nuclear reactor vessel was stranded briefly in south Georgia this week after a malfunction occurred with the specially designed Schnabel car carrying the shipment. “The platform that contained the RV (reactor vessel) during transport became misaligned with the Schnabel […]
New York Turboliners being scrapped NEWSWIRE
A Rohr Turboliner emerges from Oscawana Tunnel along the Hudson River heading from Albany to New York in June 1993. Steve Glischinski GLENVILLE, N.Y. – Four Turboliner train sets owned by the state of New York are being scrapped this week in Glenville. Seven train sets were purchased by the state from Amtrak in late […]
Union Pacific studying Big Boy restoration project NEWSWIRE
No. 4014 climbing Wyoming’s Sherman Hill on June 25, 1949. R.H. Kindig POMONA, Calif. – Union Pacific may be bringing back the ultimate steam machine, an Alco-built 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, the last of which steamed more than 50 years ago. Company spokesman Mark Davis told Trains News Wire Friday that the company has been approached […]
