WASHINGTON — Four federal legislators from Illinois have repeated a call for the Surface Transportation Board to delay a decision on the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger until the STB undertakes a separate assessment of the merger’s impact on the Chicago area. That decision could come as soon as the end of this month. The […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw made his second visit to East Palestine today (Saturday, Feb. 18), visiting the ongoing cleanup from the Feb. 3 derailment and chemical release, as well as meeting with Mayor Trent Conaway, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, and other officials. WBKN-TV reports Shaw said the controlled release of […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan tried to reassure residents during a Thursday visit to the area concerned about the aftereffects of the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train, saying he would feel comfortable returning to the area based on results of ongoing air and water testing. “I […]
BELLEVILLE, Mich. — A Norfolk Southern train derailed this morning in Van Buren Township in the Detroit area, the news site MLive reports, but a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of the Environment says “there is no environmental concern” from the incident. “Nothing is leaking,” said spokeswoman Jill Greenburg. No injuries were reported. A Facebook […]
Intermodal has long been the rail industry’s growth engine. But it hasn’t been firing on all cylinders in recent years. Yes, 2018 was a record-setting year for volume, and 2021 was intermodal’s second-best year ever. That’s all well and good — except that intermodal hasn’t been keeping pace with economic growth and has lost market […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Large crowds, changes of format, and public frustration marked Wednesday night’s public meeting over the aftermath of the Feb. 3 derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine. The town hall meeting at the East Palestine High had been switched beforehand to an informational session featuring a series of tables with officials […]
MERRIFIELD, Va. — A man died after being dragged by a DC Metro train Wednesday because of a dog leash caught in a door as the train left a station, the Washington Post reports. The incident occurred about 1:30 p.m. at the Dunn Loring station on Metro’s Orange Line in the Fairfax County community of […]
NJ Transit locomotive engineers are prepared to leave the transit agency or strike over the latest wage offer, NJ.com reports, with the general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen saying the union is “at a de facto” impasse with management after three years of talks. The union says its comparison of pay […]
CHICAGO — The Metra board of directors has approved a new five-year strategic plan that aims to address the commuter rail system’s post-COVID challenges and set goals for its evolution to meet those challenges The 2023-27 plan, “My Metra, Our Future,” approved at Wednesday’s meeting, notes the need to adapt with ridership that currently is […]
PETALUMA, Calif. — Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, which operates Nippon Sharyo diesel multiple-unit passenger trains similar to those that led to a weekend shutdown of Toronto’s Union Pierson Express, has inspected its equipment and found no problems, a SMART spokesman tells Trains News Wire. The brakes on the two fleets are slightly different, Matt Stephens, […]
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — It may take three years before the Amtrak station in Missouri’s state capital returns to the historic Union Hotel. The Jefferson City News Tribune reports that, while state legislators have appropriated $14.3 million to repair the building, the project faces 10 to 12 months of design work, followed by another 18 […]
ORLANDO — Brightline is targeting the second quarter of 2023 for the start of service to Orlando, the Orlando Business Journal reports, citing the company’s monthly revenue and ridership report to bondholders. Brightline spokeswoman Katie Mitzner says 90% of construction is now complete on the 170-mile extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando. The company […]
