Michigan derailment could lead to extended road closures

Logo of the Ann Arbor Railroad

PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Thirteen cars of an Ann Arbor Railroad train derailed early today (Feb. 18, 2026), leading to road closures that could last for several days. The Pittsfield Township Police said in a Facebook post that the police and fire departments were dispatched to the derailment scene at 5:06 a.m. No injuries were reported […]

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Union Pacific CEO explains delay in revised merger filing

Freight train with one yellow locomotive and one black locomotive

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Union Pacific’s plans to submit its revised Norfolk Southern merger application slipped from March to April after federal regulators clarified how certain data must be formatted, UP CEO Jim Vena says. On Tuesday, UP and NS told the Surface Transportation Board that they would file their updated merger application on April […]

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South Carolina’s Lancaster & Chester Railway: A 130-year history

A blue locomotive leads a freight train

The Lancaster & Chester Railway Company’s origins date back to 1873 when the Cheraw & Chester was chartered to build a line between its namesake cities. Twenty-nine miles of track were built from Chester to Lancaster before the company had financial problems and went bankrupt. In June 1896, 130 years ago, the railroad was foreclosed […]

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Bill calling for time and a half pay on federal holidays gains rail union support

Commuter trains meet

WASHINGTON — Several rail unions are among organizations that have announced support for the Holiday Pay Act, a bill introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) that would require employers to pay time and a half for working federal holidays. “Many Americans are working holidays because they need the money and giving up […]

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BLET official blasts MTA CEO’s statement that competitive concerns blocked Metro-North service to Albany

Blue and red converted locomotive on end of passenger train.

HAMDEN, Conn. — The union official who represents Amtrak engineers has taken exception to a claim by Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber that Amtrak “feared the competition” when it withdrew support for proposed Metro-North service between New York City and Albany, N.Y. “The issue is not about competition,” wrote Patrick W. Darcy Jr., general […]

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Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to file revised merger application April 30

Two trains, one yellow and one black, approach the camera

WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will submit their revised merger application on April 30, the railroads informed the Surface Transportation Board today. The STB on Jan. 16 rejected the original 6,692-page application as incomplete. The railroads initially expected to file the revised application as early as March. Regulators pointed out that their decision […]

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Connecticut commuter operation could revert from electric to diesel

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter rail operation could revert to diesel-powered trains under a budget-saving move, the state’s transportation commissioner told a budget hearing last week. The move would reverse a 2022 switch from diesel-powered trains to the current Kawasaki M8 electric multiple-unit trainsets [see “Connecticut replaces diesel Shore Line East trains […]

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CN productivity efforts to focus on terminals

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Canadian National’s ongoing effort to operate a “leaner and more productive” railroad is now focusing on terminal operations, CEO Tracy Robinson told an investor conference today (Tuesday, Feb. 17). Chief Operating Officer Patrick Whitehead is currently focusing on those terminals, Robinson said. “That’s where something like 50% of our operating labor […]

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News photo: Norfolk Southern introduces third Landmark Series locomotive

Tuscan red and black locomotive on turntable

ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern has introduced the third locomotive in its Landmark Series, ES44AC No. 8184, the Altoona. Unveiled last week in Altoona, Pa., it joins earlier locomotives Birmingham and Atlanta in wearing the special Tuscan Red and black paint scheme [see “Norfolk Southern announces locomotive ‘Landmark Series,’” Trains.com, Nov. 13, 2025]. The locomotives […]

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Seven state attorneys general ask Justice Department to scrutinize UP-NS merger

Coal train with two locomotives

WASHINGTON — Top legal officials in seven Republican states are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to scrutinize the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The group of state attorneys general led by Montana’s Austin Knudsen claim that the east-west consolidation will stifle competition and increase costs for Americans. The coalition in a letter asks Acting […]

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