WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked the Surface Transportation Board to dismiss Metra’s request for trackage rights on UP lines in the Chicago area, saying the STB does not have jurisdiction because Metra is an intrastate, rather than interstate, operation. In a motion to dismiss filed today, UP argues that Metra’s request “suffers a fatal […]
WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads has asked the Federal Railroad Administration to allow less frequent visual track inspections in territory where automated track inspection systems are used. “The primary benefit of using automated inspection technologies is earlier detection of track defects enabling railroads to switch from reactive to preventative maintenance practices. A strictly […]
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Norfolk Southern in a fight over broadband companies’ ability to build across rail lines. In a decision released Thursday, the court found that a 2023 law allowing broadband companies to “take railroad property for nonpublic use” violates a provision in the state constitution and […]
NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road launched its “Cannonball” summer service from Penn Station to Montauk, N.Y., on Thursday (May 22), marking a key change in the railroad’s summer schedule that took effect on Monday, May 19. The 4:07 p.m. “Cannonball” train, long a Friday-only operation, added a Thursday train last year. Those […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak will shut down one tube of the East River Tunnel for major rehabilitation as planned on Friday night, but has agreed to some measures sought by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul during the project, Hochul said in a statement following a meeting today (May 22, 2025) with Amtrak and Metropolitan Transportation […]
WASHINGTON — Overall revenue is up, costs are being contained, expansion plans remain on track, and Amtrak is taking detailed steps to ensure summer 2024 problems on the Northeast Corridor in New Jersey won’t happen again. That’s a summary of issues covered in the live-streamed public portion of an Amtrak board meeting held today (May […]
JIM THORPE, Pa. — Memorial Day weekend marks the 20th anniversary of the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, the excursion operation of the Reading & Northern from Jim Thorpe to Lehigh Gorge State Park. Hour-long train rides from Jim Thorpe debuted on the holiday weekend in 2005, with three trips per day at 11 a.m., 1 […]
NEW YORK — What will it take for railroad stocks to outperform the broader market again? Is the industry stuck in a particularly long and challenging cyclical downturn — or has something fundamentally changed within the Class I railroads? Wolfe Research analyst Scott Group put these questions to CPKC CEO Keith Creel at the Wall […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s overall customer on-time performance improved in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the previous quarter, according to the latest report from the Federal Railroad Administration. But the 72% overall figure is down from 77% in the same quarter a year ago, and none of the company’s three business segments (long distance, […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific announced yesterday that it plans to open its new Kansas City Intermodal Terminal in mid-July as the railroad looks to strengthen its position in the Kansas City market. UP would not disclose the terminal’s annual lift capacity, but said the facility, located in Armourdale Yard, will have twice as much […]
OMAHA — Union Pacific has urged Metra to accept its latest contract offer in the long-running dispute over the transfer of commuter operations on three UP lines, saying the freight railroad “cannot continue subsidizing Metra’s operations.” Liisa Stark, UP vice president of public affairs, said in a Wednesday, May 21, press release that Metra has […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has expanded its interchange improvement program to all of its short line connections in a bid to boost carload volume growth. NS sought to improve interchange consistency and reliability when it launched its Short Line Performance Project with 40 short lines last year. “It led to just absolutely above normal growth […]
