Meatpacking firm John Morrell & Co. led the switch away from ice in refrigerator cars. Two of Morrell’s Mather cars converted to mechanical refrigeration head east on the Illinois Central’s Iowa Division in 1954. They were the first mechanical meat reefers. Basil W. Koob photo […]
Canadian National will build a 29.2-mile branch to reach a massive, $7.5 billion potash mine that’s under construction about 85 miles east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The BHP Jansen mine – billed as the world’s largest – is expected to begin production in 2026. The mine will have an annual production capacity of 4.35 million metric […]
OMAHA, Neb. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow the Eagle Pass, Texas, railroad gateway to reopen at midnight tonight after a visit by a delegation of Union Pacific executives led by CEO Jim Vena. The bridge linking Eagle Pass with Ferromex at Piedras Negras, Mexico, has been closed since Wednesday due to the […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – A through east-west roadway paralleling the Norfolk Southern Fort Wayne Line track here will reopen on a limited basis Monday, Sept. 25. It was closed for 7 months during an environmental cleanup of the derailment and toxic-chemical spill that occurred Feb. 3. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that East […]
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific executives are traveling to Eagle Pass, Texas, today to encourage officials to reopen the Mexico rail border crossing that has been shut down since Wednesday due to the surge in migrants crossing the Rio Grande. Thousands of migrants waded their way to U.S. soil this week, straining resources in the […]
Atlas railcar PUEBLO, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the successful completion of a 1,680-mile round trip as part of the final testing for its Atlas railcar. A Sept. 21, 2023 press release said the 12-axle equipment — designed to transport large containers of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste […]
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to continue their response to the Feb. 3 toxic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, and to ensure that the railroad covers all cleanup costs. “As part of his commitment to the people of East Palestine, President Biden is today issuing […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern announced a new partnership with RapidSOS to enhance critical information gathering in the event of a rail-related emergency on the Class I railroad. In a Sept. 20, 2023 news release, RapidSOS is described as the world’s first intelligent safety platform that can “securely link over 500 million devices, apps, and sensors […]
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency has shut down the Eagle Pass, Texas, border crossing – the second-busiest rail gateway to Mexico – due to the worsening migrant crisis. Union Pacific and BNSF Railway interchange with Ferromex at the Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras gateway, where about 16 trains per day cross the Rio Grande, according […]
ATLANTA — As of Sept. 16, Norfolk Southern has confirmed two recent promotions in its current ranks. According to NS’ media relations department, Floyd Hudson has been appointed to a newly created position. His title: Vice president of field engagement. In this leadership role, Hudson will primarily be engaging with front-line railroaders for ideas on […]
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators today approved Norfolk Southern’s proposed $1.62 billion acquisition of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, which it has leased from the City of Cincinnati since 1881. But Cincinnati voters will have the final word: They’re scheduled to vote on the proposal on Nov. 7. The Surface Transportation Board decision also authorized NS subsidiary […]
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have asked Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific Kansas City to provide more information regarding their ongoing dispute over CPKC trackage rights on UP between Beaumont, Texas, and the ports of Houston and Galveston. The Surface Transportation Board, in a decision posted today, also denied CPKC’s request for an expedited decision by […]
