DOT Inspector General finds flaws in FRA’s efforts to address Hours of Service compliance, worker fatigue

Log of DOT Office of Inspector General

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration’s efforts to address Hours of Service compliance and worker fatigue are hampered by a lack of procedures and accurate data to allow it to effectively target its limited resources, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General said in a report released last week. The Inspector General examination came […]

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BNSF highlights customer investments in 2023

BNSF Railway logo

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF customers made more than $4.1 billion in investments in 2023, the railroad reports, with BNSF projects from these and other rail-served customers supporting creation of more than 4,200 jobs. The figures are the largest the railroad’s customers and local economic development organizations have made in new or expanded facilities in […]

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Riding the Trona Railway

dark room with engine at the end and back lit

Trona Railway The California desert is different from the rest of the state. Remote, vast, and lonely, it is a world apart from the California coast or California north. Punctuated by cactus, brush, and fast-moving little creatures, it is seemingly geographically flat, yet is actually a series of undulating ups and downs that can create […]

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25 railroad places to visit out West

Cajon Pass, California

Railroad places to visit 1. GOAT LICK TRESTLE: Fast-paced action of BNSF’s northern transcon and the beauty of Glacier National Park, plus live GN goats. 2. CAJON PASS: Busy mainline mountain crossing for both BNSF and Union Pacific leaving LA. 3. TEHACHAPI: Mind-boggling over-and-under loop in Southern California sees more than 40 trains a day. […]

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STB denies CPKC request to give CN’s acquisition of Iowa Northern a more thorough review

Canadian National and lease locomotive with Iowa Northern locomotives on bridge

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have rejected Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s contention that Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of 218-mile short line Iowa Northern should be subject to a more thorough review as a “significant” transaction. In a decision issued on Friday, the Surface Transportation Board denied CPKC’s petition that had asked the board to reconsider its […]

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Travel: Last chance to ride Amfleet

side view of silver train with sun shining off it

Amtrak’s Amfleet As Amtrak’s Amfleet approaches a half-century of service, the fleet’s planned replacement is on order. Knowing this has stirred a well of nostalgia for the old cars. I grew up with Amfleet: these cars were introduced when I was in elementary school. Although at the time the technological significance of the new cars […]

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