WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety advisory this week in the aftermath of an April collision and derailment on Union Pacific that involved a misaligned hand-throw switch. The FRA continues to investigate the April 16 collision in Texas that occurred in dark territory with no positive train control overlay. The National Transportation […]
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NEW YORK — Amtrak and NJ Transit are experiencing major service issues today as a result of problems that began Thursday at the infamous Portal Bridge in Kearney, N.J. An Amtrak advisory issued Thursday afternoon says all trains traveling between New York and Newark are experiencing delays because of signal issues at the bridge. All […]
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OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has released its 2022 Building America Report, outlining the company’s efforts to address sustainability, safety, corporate accountability, and community engagement by outlining its actions in areas ranging from workforce training to cybersecurity to contributions to nonprofit organizations. “This report highlights our progress to achieve the goals outlined in our Building […]
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CALGARY, Alberta — CPKC today launched the Mexico Midwest Express premium intermodal service linking Chicago, Kansas City, and Laredo, Texas, with Monterrey and San Luis Potosi in Mexico. A nighttime photo on CPKC’s home page showed train MMX-181 about to break through a CPKC de Mexico banner on its inaugural northbound run. The newly merged […]
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Before radio communication came into wide use in the 1960s, a locomotive’s whistle was an important tool in conveying information to other employees, both on and off the train, and many signals were on the books. The General Code Of Operating Rules, used by many railroads, contains the following list of whistle signals and their […]
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WASHINGTON – Amtrak has reached a settlement in principle with two freight customers in Pennsylvania who had asked federal regulators to prevent the loss of rail service during a six-week track project. Amtrak told federal regulators on May 10 that it had reached a confidential settlement with Esbenshade and the Wenger Group, which operate feed […]
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WASHINGTON — A Union Pacific train was going about 48 mph when it was sent onto a yard track from the main line and 35 mph when it hit a parked train at a yard in Chico, Texas, on April 16, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. Two […]
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End-of-train devices replaced cabooses that, not so long ago, train watchers almost everywhere could count on as a final point of interest at the end of each freight train. The distinctive little cars housed crew members who would observe the cars ahead for defects, process the train’s paperwork, operate track switches, monitor the air-brake system […]
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WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved a significantly revised version of the Railway Safety Act today (Wednesday, May 10), advancing the bill to the full Senate. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the bill, introduced in the wake of the Feb. 3 East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, passed by a 16-11 margin, a […]
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MARTINEZ, Calif. — A mercury spill at the Martinez Amtrak station has led to a health advisory for the city’s downtown after the spill area was discovered to be larger than originally realized. KPIX-TV reports that by Tuesday afternoon, traces of Mercury had been found in a five-block area, according to county agency Contra Costa Health. […]
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TACOMA, Wash. — A 65-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for tampering with railroad equipment, causing a derailment of tank cars carrying oil in Tacoma’s Tideflats industrial area. The Tacoma News Tribune, which reported the arrest, did not report the man’s name or any additional identifying details. The incident occurred about 7:55 a.m. Tuesday and involved […]
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MIAMI — Brightline passenger service is now featuring wi-fi service provided by Starlink, the satellite-based high speed broadband internet service engineered by SpaceX. It becomes the first rail operator to use the service, already used by some aviation and marine firms, as well as businesses and residences. “Brightline will be the first train sets in […]
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