WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration is demanding immediate changes to Norfolk Southern’s conductor trainee program, citing “grave deficiencies” that have been marked by incidents resulting in “amputations and other serious injuries.” In a June 14 letter, Allison Ishihara Fultz, FRA’s chief counsel, wrote that despite nearly two years of FRA working with NS to […]
PORT-DANIEL-GASCONS, Quebec — The Canadian government will provide more than C$10 million in funding for a rail infrastructure project protecting a coastal railway on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, according to a Tuesday announcement. The project at Port-Daniel-Gascons will include installation of a retaining wall to prevent further erosion of cliffs along the coastline, repair of tracks […]
CHICAGO — Passenger rail continues to be left out of travel discussions, in part because Amtrak lacks equipment to handle everyday cross-country demand, not to mention potential traffic surges triggered by holidays flights grounded by bad weather. Meanwhile, revisions to Amtrak’s reservation system make it harder for travelers seeking sleeping car rooms to make informed […]
In recent months, I have dug deep into the archives to find the shortest Amtrak trains of each decade. Since most of us modelers have limited layout space, if we still want to model prototypical passenger consists, these short trains are a perfect fit. Join me on a tour of Amtrak eras, this time exploring […]
ABOARD THE SILVER STAR — The announcement Amtrak is extending chef-prepared meals and table service for sleeping-car passengers to another New York-Miami train [see “Amtrak returns ‘traditional dining’ to Silver Meteor,” Trains News Wire, June 27, 2023] came a few days after News Wire had a chance to sample that service on the northbound Silver […]
Trucks in Germany are now paying higher tolls to use main highways, with the extra money to be invested in the country’s government-owned rail network. The new tolls were effective July 1. The new funds will address a rail system that is suffering in places from a high level of use by both passenger and […]
BHUBANSWAR, India — A signal repair error led to the three-train collision that killed 288 people in June, according to a Reuters report. The news report cites a report from investigators for the Commission of Railway Safety that says workers trying to address problems at a nearby grade crossing did not have a circuit diagram, […]
REESEVILLE, Wis. — Twenty-nine cars of a CPKC train were reported to have derailed this afternoon (Tuesday, July 4) in Reeseville, leading to delays for Amtrak’s Empire Builder. WKOW-TV reports the derailment occurred about 1:55 p.m. Chris Abell, deputy chief with Clyman-Lowell-Reeseville Fire & Rescue, told the station the derailed cars were carrying grain and […]
AKRON, Ohio — Norfolk Southern is suing chemical manufacturers and a group of railcar leasing firms over the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment and toxic-chemical release, saying those companies must share in the cleanup costs from the Feb. 3 incident. Reuters reports the railroad contends the companies are liable for a share of the costs under […]
REED POINT, Mont. — As derailment cleanup continues at the site of the Montana Rail Link Yellowstone River bridge collapse, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has reached an agreement that will allow MRL crews to operate detour trains over BNSF Railway. “Montana Rail Link continues to coordinate on alternative routes for train traffic […]
LONDON, Ontario — A two-year pilot program offering GO Transit commuter rail service between London and Toronto — hampered by its lengthy travel time — will not be renewed when the trial period ends in October, the London Free Press reports. The single round trip, which debuted in October 2018, is currently scheduled for exactly […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Port workers in British Columbia went on strike Saturday, an action with the potential for impacts on the Canadian and U.S. economies and immediate significance for three Class I Railroads. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada’s Longshore Division walked out at 8 a.m. Saturday. The move affects about […]
