Raleigh-Richmond passenger project to receive $1 billion grant

Map of planned passenger rail line between Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond, Va.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is set to award a $1 billion grant for development of a new passenger rail line between Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond, Va., using CSX Transportation’s partially abandoned S-Line freight route between the two cities, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced on Tuesday. Tillis called the project “a big win […]

Read More…

Top rail executives to headline MARS winter meeting

Mars logo

LOMBARD, Ill. — CEOs from CPKC, CSX, and Norfolk Southern, as well as Union Pacific’s president, are among the scheduled speakers as the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers holds its winter meeting on Jan. 9-11, 2024, marking the 100th anniversary of MARS. Registration is now open for the meeting at the Westin Lombard. It begins […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of December 4th 2023

Two model freight cars in a red paint scheme

News & Products for the week of December 4th 2023   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of December 4th […]

Read More…

Union Pacific service metrics show continued improvement

Freight train with yellow locomotives in mountains

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is touting service improvements in an update to customers. “We know that delivering consistent and reliable service is what you expect, and we continue to make improvements to our service product. I’m pleased with the progress that we have sustained over the past few months,” Kenny Rocker, executive vice president […]

Read More…

OmniTRAX to begin operation of South Branch Valley Railroad on Friday

Blue locomotive pulling freight cars

MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — OmniTRAX will take over management of West Virginia’s South Branch Valley Railroad this Friday, Dec. 1, the company has announced. The transportation affiliate of The Broe Group said Wednesday that it had entered into “a definitive agreement with the West Virginia Deparment of Transportation to operate and grow” the 52.4-mile railroad, a […]

Read More…

Weekly U.S. rail traffic again up

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic again was up for the week ending Nov. 25, the third straight week with a volume increase over the same week in 2022. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, total traffic was 415,332 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4%. That included 195,948 carloads, down 2.5%, and […]

Read More…