CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council has voted to purchase 22 miles of a Norfolk Southern rail line for a long-discussed commuter rail project, and to seek a 1-cent sales tax increase to pay for a transportation plan including the Red Line project. In a vote this evening (Tuesday, Sept. 3), the council voted […]
KINGSPORT, Tenn. — It’s official: The CSX Santa Train will make its 82nd run on Saturday, Nov. 23. Following its traditional path taken through Appalachia since 1943, the train will embark on a 110-mile journey from Shelbiana, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., spreading an abundance of holiday cheer while delivering more than 15 tons of toys, […]
WASHINGTON — The 13-mile San Luis Central Railroad will be acquired by the owner of connecting short line Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad, according to regulatory filings. Colorado Pacific San Luis Railroad LLC (CXSL), a non-carrier, has filed a notice of exemption to acquire and operate the San Luis Central from milepost 2.0 at Sugar […]
The general chairmen representing the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen on Norfolk Southern have criticized tentative contract agreements that the railroad has reached with nine unions — and say they’ll never support a similar deal for engineers. The SMART-TD union that represents conductors was among the unions to reach tentative contract deals with NS. […]
Photographer Kyle Yunker “Getting the shot” is a new series of Trains.com articles highlighting the travels of individuals who go above and beyond to capture great railroad images, like hiking several miles for the perfect photo, or driving hours out of the way in search of something special. These articles describe those stories directly […]
With their Powder River Basin coal volumes down by more than 22% this year — and 58% below the peak of 2008 — is it time for BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to consider rationalizing capacity on their primary coal-hauling routes? Not yet, the railroads say. In the heart of the Wyoming coal fields, BNSF […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — Canada’s transport minister said this weekend that he plans to meet with VIA Rail Canada officials after a passengers on a train bound for Quebec City were stranded for more than 10 hours, with one alleging “aggressive” behavior by a train crew member when passengers complained. The Canadian Press reports Transport Minister […]
SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, France — Alstom has completed the sale of its North American signal business to German’s Knorr-Bremse, the French firm announced Monday, Sept. 2. The sale, for approximately $690 million, had been announced in April [see “Alstom sells North American signal business …,” Trains News Wire, April 19, 2024]. It covers the conventional portion of […]
Maine Central While reading a recent local newspaper obituary page, I recognized the name of a person I knew from my work on the Maine Central. I had served in several positions before being promoted to the company safety department, so I got to know a good number of people. The gentleman was 89, had […]
Over the years… When there was a shortage of crews in Train, Yard, and Engine service (TY&E), and a surplus in other areas, my former employer would advertise for extra employees from other areas of the system. Permit me to digress a bit before I became a borrow out myself. At this point (1983) I […]
POLLEGGIO, Switzerland — More than a year after a freight train derailment inflicted extensive damage, the Gotthard Base Tunnel — the world’s longest rail tunnel — fully resumed regular operations today, ending an extensive, and expensive, period of repairs and reroutes for one of Europe’s main north-south rail arteries. For the first time since August […]
SCRANTON, Pa. — The National Park Service’s Steamtown National Historic Site this weekend revived its traditional Labor Day Railfest event, operating steam and diesel shuttle trains, demonstrating machine-shop skills, and providing a festival venue for a wide array of rail-related activities. After cancellations and schedule disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic, the event returned to […]
