CHICAGO — In the latest twist in Union Pacific’s long-running effort to exit Chicago commuter rail operations, commuter agency Metra has asked the Surface Transportation Board to require UP to allow Metra to continue operating on the three UP lines it serves. Metra’s filing today (March 7, 2025) asks the board to provide terminal trackage […]
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division is investigating Norfolk Southern and Virginia terminal railroad Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line for alleged anticompetitive conduct against CSX at a major Norfolk container terminal. CSX, which says NPBL operates like an alter ego of NS, disclosed the investigation in a filing with the Surface Transportation Board last […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The union representing workers at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has informed the agency of an intent to strike as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 10. The VTA was informed of the strike plan by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 at a board meeting on Thursday, March 6, KNTV […]
WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Green Line train was speeding and passed a red signal before colliding with a parked train in a Feb. 9 incident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board preliminary investigation report released today (March 6, 2025). Two passengers and four crew members suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the collision […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has granted Land Rush Rail Corp., part of Farmrail, permission to lease and operate 37.26 miles of track in Oklahoma and Kansas previously operated by the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad. The route, from Wellington, Kan., to Blackwell, Okla, is owned by the Blackwell Industrial Authority and the Oklahoma Department […]
NEW YORK — The United Railroad Historical Society’s popular Hudson River Rail Excursions are done — for the time being. The last of the day trips between New York Penn Station and Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., billed as “Farewell (For Now),” ran Sunday, March 2 [see “East River tunnel work to sideline …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. […]
The union that represents conductors says it will ask the Federal Railroad Administration to deny CSX’s request to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer’s Zero-to-Zero feature, which allows the advanced cruise-control system to automatically start and stop trains. After a round of tests in 2020 and 2021, CSX initially sought FRA permission to […]
BOSTON — Massachusetts’ inspector general has called for the MBTA to improve fare collection on its commuter trains, saying it does not happen “dependably or consistently,” while the state’s auditor has issued a report critical of the transit agency’s administration of its contract with commuter operator Keolis. The scrutiny comes as the MBTA approaches the […]
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Short line holding company Watco is adding another railroad to its stable: Great Lakes Central, the operator of 420 miles of state-owned trackage in Michigan. Watco already knows the railroad well. It has been an equity investor in the GLC since 2013. “The Great Lakes Central Railroad has been a vital part […]
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec Corp. has gained approval to become a certified telematics vendor for RailPulse, the manufacturer has announced. The RailPulse coalition of railroads, railcar builders and leasing firms, and related parties is developing industry-wide standards for real-time railcar location tracking and data regarding car condition — such as whether doors or hatches are open […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are considering legislation to allow the state to join the Southern Rail Commission — but the motivation for that legislation could face a roadblock. Bills in the state’s House of Representatives (HB 833) and Senate (SB 966) indicate the goal in joining the SRC is to revive service to Pensacola, […]
WASHINGTON — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority train that caught fire on Feb. 6, 2025, had been inspected earlier in the day because of sluggish performance, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the incident released today (March 5, 2025), About 325 passengers and four crew members were safely evacuated from the […]
