Senators ask STB to look closely at UP-NS merger proposal

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators have asked the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a “rigorous and comprehensive evaluation” of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, expressing concern about its impact on agricultural producers and its possible impact on competition. “Already highly consolidated, the current landscape of railroads as it exists today represents […]

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Illinois transit bill could boost Quad Cities passenger rail project

Passenger train stops at station

MOLINE, Ill. — The transit bill passed early Friday (Oct. 31) by Illinois legislators doesn’t just address the financial needs and governing structure of transit operations in the Chicago area. Tucked into the bill’s more than 1,000 pages are two provisions that legislators say should boost the long-running effort to launch rail passenger service between […]

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SMART-TD reaches tentative agreement with Union Pacific

Train with yellow locomotive on curve through surburan community

WASHINGTON — The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division has reached a tentative agreement with Union Pacific, the labor union announced Friday, Oct. 31. The agreement’s basic terms are the same as in the national agreement just ratified by SMART-TD members [see “SMART-TD ratifies …,” Trains.com, Oct. 30, 2025]. It […]

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Illinois legislature passes bill to fund Chicago-area transit (updated)

Elevated train with fall foliage and city skyline in background

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois legislature has passed a package of funding measures to support Chicago-area transit agencies, while also restructuring those agencies. The 1,043-page Senate Bill 2111 will wipe out the collective shortfall of more than $200 million faced by Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and bus operator Pace, avoiding CTA service cuts that […]

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SEPTA receives two-week extension for Silverliner IV inspections

Electric multiple-unit railcars in shop building

PHILADELPHIA — The Federal Railroad Administration has granted a two-week extension to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for completion of its FRA-mandated inspections of the 223-car Silverliner IV fleet. SEPTA said that as of today — Oct. 31, 2025, the original FRA deadline — it has met almost all of the actions required under the […]

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CN profits rise as railway trims costs

MONTREAL — Canadian National reported higher third-quarter profits today but announced further belt tightening as it expects trade disputes and economic uncertainty to weigh on volumes next year. “As we look to 2026, we see another year of limited volume growth, with a weak outlook for North American industrial production and housing starts, and some […]

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Restoration of L&NE diesel marks milestone

Orange end-cab switcher in line of rolling stock

SOUDERTON, Pa. — The effort to restore the last surviving Lehigh & New England diesel locomotive has announced a milestone: the shipment of all four of the Alco S2’s traction motors to an Altoona, Pa., company for rehabilitation. The Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society said today (Oct. 31, 2025) that the traction motors of L&NE […]

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NTSB issues final report on 2024 MBTA Green Line derailment

Aerial view of derailed light rail train

WASHINGTON — An operator’s failure to obey a stop signal was the probable cause of an Oct. 1, 2024, derailment of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority light rail train in Somerville, Mass., the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final investigation report released this month. The train’s excessive speed was a contributing factor, according […]

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