DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa legislators are considering a bill requiring defect detectors on the state’s branch line, the latest example of state actions to regulate railroads in the wake of last year’s derailment and toxic-chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio. Senate File 512, introduced by state Sen. Tom Shipley (R-Corning, Iowa) requires defect detectors […]
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. – Cruise-ship passengers will soon be riding Conway Scenic Railroad’s trains over its Mountain Division through picturesque Crawford Notch in New Hampshire’s 6,000-foot-high White Mountains. Service is expected to begin in June. The railroad will offer ship patrons another option for shore excursions when they debark at Portland, Maine, a popular port […]
ABILENE, Kan. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3415 and its home, the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, are in consideration for state recognition in Kansas. The locomotive has been out of service following the 2023 season for a federally mandated 1,472-day boiler inspection and overall rebuild, currently estimated at $600,000 [See “Santa Fe No. […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Railroad executives will meet with U.S. and Mexican customs officials next month to discuss how they can work together to keep vital rail border crossings open amid the surge in migrants crossing the Rio Grande. The railroad bridges linking Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, with Mexico were shut down for four […]
WASHINGTON — A supervisor operating an out-of-service train lost radio communication with his flagger and did not receive a message to stop, passing a red signal and colliding with another train in a Jan. 4 incident involving two trains on New York City Transit’s No. 1 subway line, according to the preliminary accident report issued […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink commuter rail service has once again been suspended in the San Clemente area because of landslide concerns, a long-running issue in the area over the last two years. The advisory page on the Surfliner website says tracks have been closed near the San Clemente Pier “until […]
Norfolk & Western Business Car No. 300 It seems like my trip on the Super Dome was only the beginning of my private varnish journeys in 2023. A few months later I was asked if I wanted to take the Norfolk & Western Business Car No. 300 on a fall colors excursion train through northeast […]
ATLANTA — The archives of the Southern Railway are now open to the public by appointment, the Atlanta History Center has announced, and a collection of more than 11,000 photos from the images are beginning to be made available online. The archives were donated by Norfolk Southern Railway in 2021 [see “Norfolk Southern to donate […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit is proposing fare increases of 15% for fiscal 2025 to address a projected $106.6 million budget deficit, the agency announced Wednesday, and will hold a series of 10 hearings on the proposal beginning March 4. The fare increase would take effect July 1, 2024. The proposal also includes annual 3% […]
FOLLANSBEE, W.Va — Empire Diversified Energy, a holding company involved in sustainable energy and logistics, will establish a short line railroad to serve the Port of West Virginia, the company announced Wednesday. Empire River Rail intends to be a clean-energy system and is part of the effort to make the port in Follansbee, on the […]
Locomotive prime movers are the engines inside all diesel-electric locomotives and are the heart of the entire locomotive. Prime movers provide enough power to pull both the locomotive and any freight cars attached to it, while also producing enough extra output to support the power needs of the various systems on the locomotive such as […]
FORT WORTH — BNSF Railway will spend $3.92 billion on capital projects this year, the railroad announced today. “This year’s capital plan reflects our continued commitment to growth, by ensuring we have the capacity and equipment needed to support our customers,” CEO Katie Farmer said in a statement. “We continue to invest in our network […]
