CPKC takes second-quarter volume crown

Single locomotive in CPKC paint scheme crossing bridge

Canadian Pacific Kansas City was the fastest-growing railroad in the second quarter, with its overall volume up 6%. CPKC’s industry-leading growth was due to double-digit increases in intermodal (14%), grain (16%), and coal (10%). Union Pacific ranked No. 2 for the quarter, with its volume up 4% overall, led by a 31% increase in coal […]

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BLET ratifies new contract with Mobile, Ala., port railroad

Two green end-cab locomotives

MOBILE, Ala. — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a new contract with Terminal Railway-Alabama State Docks, the short line connecting the Port of Mobile to five Class I railroads. The BLET announced Sunday (July 6) that the five-year agreement was ratified on June 26. It runs through 2027 and […]

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Walthers HO Gunderson 50-foot boxcar

Color photo HO scale boxcar painted dark blue with silver roof and yellow graphics.

Walthers HO Gunderson 50-foot boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $49.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO Gunderson 50-foot boxcar features: 36” metal wheelsets Based on full-size cars that handle paper rolls 10 feet or more in diameter for magazine and newspaper production Body-mounted Proto-Max metal […]

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CSX derailment closes streets in downtown Louisville

Aerial view of derailed railcars

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Ten cars of a CSX train derailed today (Saturday, July 5, 2025) in west Louisville, WDRB-TV reports. No injuries were reported. While a earlier report from WAVE-TV quoted Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neail as saying some of the tank cars involved were carrying some material, although no leaks occurred, a CSX representative […]

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UK investment analyst seeks paths to Class I mergers

With only six Class I freight railroads remaining and stringent merger rules set by the Surface Transportation Board’s 2001 framework, the consensus largely held that the window for large-scale transactions was closed. Any potential merger, under these rules, must not only demonstrably enhance competition but also clearly articulate public benefits — typically improved service or […]

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CPKC says local service continues to improve on former KCS

Two red locomotives and one blue locomotive on freight train with grain silo in background

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific Kansas City says its service continues to improve in former Kansas City Southern territory, where a May 3 computer system cutover led to congestion, delays, and missed switches. Local service performance on the former KCS rose to 88% in the week ending June 27, CPKC said in an update to the […]

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U.S rail traffic down narrowly for week ending June 28

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

WASHINGTON — By a tiny margin, U.S. weekly rail traffic was back below 2024 levels for the week ending June 28, 2025. According to the Association of American Railroads, traffic for the week was 491,424 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2% from the same week a year ago. That included 225,227 carloads, up 0.05%, and […]

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Rapido Trains HO PC&F 5241 boxcar

Color photo jade green boxcar with silver roof and white graphics on white background

Rapido Trains HO PC&F 5241 boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $54.95; three-pack, $164.85; six-pack, $329.70 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido Trains HO PC&F 5241 boxcar features: Factory-installed and painted wire grab irons Full underbody detail Multiple road numbers for each scheme Rapido semi-scale metal couplers Roller-bearing […]

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NTSB releases report on Union Pacific conductor fatality

Aerial view of scene of fatal accident at Chicago-area rail yard

WASHINGTON — The probable cause of a July 2024 fatal collision at Union Pacific’s Proviso Yard was an inexperienced conductor’s failure to alert the engineer to stop the train at a designated point during a shove move in unfamiliar territory, the National Transportation Safety Board said today (July 2, 2025). The conductor — who was […]

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