STB denies CPKC request to give CN’s acquisition of Iowa Northern a more thorough review

Canadian National and lease locomotive with Iowa Northern locomotives on bridge

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have rejected Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s contention that Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of 218-mile short line Iowa Northern should be subject to a more thorough review as a “significant” transaction. In a decision issued on Friday, the Surface Transportation Board denied CPKC’s petition that had asked the board to reconsider its […]

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CPKC derailment closes Louisiana highway

CPKC logo

TAYLOR, La. — A major Louisiana highway remains closed following the derailment of a CPKC train on Friday, KSLA-TV reports. Approximately 29 cars of a train derailed near the unincorporated community of Taylor about 7:30 a.m. Friday, closing U.S. Route 80 between Oscar Kilpatrick Road and Martin Pond Road in the community of Ada, according […]

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Short line train derails in Oklahoma

Logo of Stillwater Central Railroad

DAVENPORT, Okla. — Twenty-two cars of a 90-car Stillwater Central Railroad train derailed Saturday afternoon near the town of Davenport, KOCO-TV reports. The derailment was reported shortly after 3 p.m. No injuries were reported, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and no hazardous materials were involved; the train was transporting rock. Some fuel was […]

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BNSF, CPKC say they won’t pay new Minnesota safety fee

Firefighters watching burning railcars

ST. PAUL, Minn. — BNSF Railway and CPKC, the two largest railroads in Minnesota, do not plan to make payments of approximately $1 million to the state required by a law passed last year, saying the state legislation is “pre-empted by federal law.” KSTP-TV reports the two railroads notified the Minnesota Department of Public Safety […]

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FRA announces availability of $2.4 billion in CRISI grant funding

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The application process has begun for more than $2.4 billion in funding through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant program, the Federal Railroad Administration has announced. The Notice of Funding Opportunity issued today includes funding for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 and is available for projects to improve U.S. […]

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CN derailment reported in Sarnia, Ontario

Canadian National logo

SARNIA, Ontario — Fourteen cars of a Canadian National train, including three tank cars carrying liquified petroleum gas, have derailed this morning as the train entered the railroad’s Sarnia yard, CKNX Radio reports. No leaks have been reported. At least one grade crossing, at St. Andrew Street, has been blocked by the derailment. No other […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic once again shows increase

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — Once again carried by intermodal traffic, weekly U.S. rail volume remained above 2023 levels for the ninth straight week, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending March 23, total traffic was 470,593 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1% compared to the corresponding week a year earlier. The […]

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Built by Others: Cody Grivno’s Red Wing Division

Overall photo of HO scale model railroad

Built by Others in an article series showing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated products. The Soo Line Red Wing Division originally appeared in the December 1994 issue. In this installment on Cody Grivno’s Red Wing Division, MR’s senior editor shares how he adapted […]

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Broken rail caused 2021 CP potash derailment, TSB determines

Cleanup of derailment scene

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — An undetected rail flaw that led to a broken rail as the train passed over it caused the derailment of a Canadian Pacific potash train at Silton, Saskatchewan in October 2021, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in an investigation report released today (Tuesday, March 26). The incident occurred at 5:02 […]

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BNSF continuing cleanup after Monday derailment in New Mexico

BNSF Railway logo

SOCORRO, N.M. — BNSF Railway is estimating it will reopen its main line at approximately 7 a.m. local time Wednesday after a Monday, March 25, derailment of an undetermined number of railcars near Socorro. The railroad indicated in an advisory to customers that the derailment occurred about 10 p.m. KOB-TV reports that no one was […]

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