STB Passenger Rail Advisory Committee holds first meeting (updated)

Large group of people around conference table

WASHINGTON — Rail industry professionals from around the country assembled in the hearing room at Surface Transportation Board headquarters  last week for the first meeting of the STB’s Passenger Rail Advisory Committee. The initial session’s purpose: to get acquainted with each other, discuss goals, and meet the four STB members to whom they will report. […]

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Norfolk Southern continues gains on earnings, operating ratio

Train passing grain facility

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern delivered significant gains in earnings and operating ratio during 2024’s third quarter, with new CEO Mark George noting the railroad is “continuing to close the margin gap” with its peers. The railroad announced adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.1 billion on revenues of $3.05 billion, with an adjusted operating ratio of 63.4%. […]

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Chicago CREATE project receives both Mega, INFRA grants

Map of complex group of rail lines in South Chicago

WASHINGTON — A piece of Chicago’s CREATE project and an element of California’s high speed rail construction are among the 11 recipients of Department of Transportation National Infrastructure Project Assistance, or Mega, grants announced today. Also, the same CREATE project and infrastructure improvements on the Paducah & Louisville Railway are among the 36 projects selected […]

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U.S. Sugar introduces new locomotive image

CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar Corp., operator of more than 300 owned and leased miles of railroad radiating from its Clewiston headquarters, has rolled out a new Kelly green and “U.S. Sugar yellow” locomotive paint scheme. The company relies on rail to move all sugarcane from its 240,000 acres of fields to its large processing […]

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Groundbreaking set for Amtrak facility in Mobile

aerial view of land along railroad tracks near water

MOBILE, Ala. — Another step in the long-running effort to launch Amtrak service between Mobile and New Orleans is set for Tuesday, Oct. 22, when officials including U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for an Amtrak layover track and platform in Mobile. The ceremony is set for 2 p.m. at […]

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Portland, Ore., puts Union Station up for sale

Exterior of railroad station with prominent clock tower

PORTLAND, Ore. — Following years of failed efforts to come up with money for a local match to apply for federal grants to help fund needed upgrades, the city of Portland has renewed efforts to sell Union Station. Built in 1896 and on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975, the station’s signature clock […]

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Coos Bay, Ore., port receives grant for intermodal project

Logo of the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port project at the Port of Coos Bay, Ore.

COOS BAY, Ore. — The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay will receive a $25 million federal grant for its intermodal project, the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port, the port has announced. The grant, from the Department of Transportation’s INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) program, will go toward environmental compliance and permitting, as well as design […]

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UP begins work on Kansas City intermodal terminal

Yellow locomotives moving double-stack cars with container crains in background

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Union Pacific has started construction on a new intermodal terminal in Kansas City, expected to open in mid-2025, the railroad announced. The Kansas City Intermodal Terminal, located in Kansas City, Kan., will be the fourth such facility UP has built in the past few years, and will offer more capacity than […]

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South Shore opens new Hammond, Ind., station

Map of location of old and new South Shore Line stations in Hammond, Ind.

HAMMOND, Ind. — The South Shore Line is opening its new Hammond Gateway station as of today (Friday, Oct. 18) and closing the existing Hammond station. The relocation will accommodate the West Lake Corridor line between Hammond and Dyer, Ind., currently under construction. “We sincerely appreciate our passengers’ patience and cooperation through this stage of […]

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Great Lakes Central introduces a new look

CADILLAC, Mich. — Great Lakes Central Railroad painter Dave Leonard is a perfectionist. He and car shop worker Steve Smith have just spent 30 minutes measuring, remeasuring, and placing masking tape on Great Lakes Central Railroad’s new logo, on the repainted nose of former Montana Rail Link SD35 No. 384. It’s one of three such […]

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