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HOUSTON — The race to develop autonomous freight railroad systems has another entrant: Autonomous Intermodal LLC on Wednesday announced that it’s working on a new intermodal system that would automate trains and terminals. The backbone of AIM’s system is an integral 4,000-foot double-stack train and 9,000-horsepower locomotive. Each 4,000-foot double-stack platform can be combined into […]
CHICAGO — Anacostia Rail Holdings has named David W. Ferryman to the newly created position of chief operating officer, effective today (June 15). Ferryman will be based in Chicago and report to CEO Peter Gilbertson. “We are very excited to have Dave join our team,” Gilbertson said in a press release. “He has held a […]
SAN FRANCISCO — The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union have reached a tentative labor agreement covering 29 West Coast ports, ending more than a year of negotiations in a dispute that had seen work stoppages at major ports of entry. The settlement has major implications for the rail industry given the […]
LANCASTER, Minn. — A section of U.S. Route 59 remains closed near the Canadian border more than two weeks after the derailment of a CPKC freight train, and clean-up efforts will keep it closed for most of another week. The derailment of 24 cars of the CPKC train took place on May 31 about 9½ […]
LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — Transport Canada’s request to expropriate land for the planned rail bypass around Lac-Mégantic has been approved, the Canadian government announced Wednesday, setting the stage for the government to take possession of the land on Aug. 1. “We understand how this may be difficult for some,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Matters regarding unplanned or uncontrolled movements of trains or equipment are the primary unresolved matter in the rail industry for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which this week issued its annual assessment of responses to the board’s outstanding safety recommendations. Across air, marine, and rail transportation, the TSB issued 62 recommendations […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic continued its recent pattern in the week ending June 10, with carload volume showing a slight increase while intermodal traffic remained down significantly compared to the same week a year ago. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show total weekly traffic of 471,141 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease […]
Four SD24s traverse one of the many fills on the Santa Fe’s new alignment between Williams and Crookton, Ariz., in 1961. Don Sims photo […]
The MTH Baldwin VO1000 switcher has arrived. This Premier line model was announced in mid-April 2022. It’s a solid locomotive for any size layout with wonderfully detailed features. It’s not uncommon for MTH to put smaller locomotives like the VO1000 in its scale RailKing lineup; however, for this run we get a purple box and […]
WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads on Tuesday issued a report calling for government policies it says can address climate change through “economically grounded solutions” as a partnership with the rail industry. The nine-page white paper report, “Freight Railroads & Climate Change: Reducing Emissions, Enhancing Resiliency,” says policies “must leverage market-based competition, be grounded […]
CHICAGO — A trio of recent Union Pacific agreements with rail labor unions, combined with ongoing volume and expense challenges, likely will make the railroad’s operating ratio rise this year. Previously UP expected the operating ratio to improve this year compared to 2022’s 60.1%. Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hamann, speaking at an investor conference today, […]
RIDGEVILLE, S.C. — Palmetto Railways, the short line owned and operated by the state of South Carolina, has begun construction of a new rail line to serve the Camp Hall Commerce Park in Ridgeville and the adjacent Volvo auto plant. The 22.7-mile line will cost $185 million and take about 2½ years to build, Palmetto […]
