Two unions announce opposition to UP-NS merger (revised)

Freight train at diamond with bridges in background

Two unions — the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, and the Transport Workers Union of America — have announced their opposition to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger proposed today by the two railroads. SMART said it will oppose the merger when it goes to the Surface Transportation Board for approval, […]

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Machinists Union announces tentative agreement with Union Pacific

Logo of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with Union Pacific, the union announced today (July 29, 2025). IAM’s District 19 represents approximately 1,300 UP workers. Details of the agreement were not announced; union members will receive more information soon and are […]

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Anacostia names Nuelle as chief commercial officer

Smiling man in blue suit and tie

CHICAGO — Anacostia Rail Holdings has named Todd Nuelle as its new chief commercial officer, the company announced today. Nuelle — who joins Anacostia from Canadian National — will succeed Eric Jakubowski, who is retiring. Jakubowski joined Anacostia in 2012 and is credited by the company with playing a key role in strengthening its commercial […]

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Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reach $85 billion merger deal

Freight train with one yellow locomotive and one black locomotive

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern today announced an $85 billion deal to tie their networks together and create the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. The merged company — which will be called Union Pacific — will transform the U.S. supply chain and economy, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and preserve all union jobs, the railroads said. UP will […]

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Virginia state-supported Amtrak routes set ridership record

Train at station platform at night

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s state-supported Amtrak operations set a new ridership record during the 2025 fiscal year that ended June 30, closing the period with a record for June ridership. According to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, the four state-supported routes — serving Roanoke, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond — carried 1.45 million passengers, a […]

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Shipper groups oppose more railroad mergers

WASHINGTON — Groups representing rail shippers say they would be opposed to the creation of a transcontinental railroad in the U.S., arguing that further consolidation in the industry would reduce their competitive options, lead to higher rates, and worsen service. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said last week that they are engaged in advanced negotiations […]

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FRA begins push to streamline regulations

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON— The Federal Railroad Administration this month issued its largest ever simultaneous push to update or slash regulations that it views as overly burdensome. On July 1, the FRA published a list of 57 deregulatory actions in the Federal Register. Twenty-one are Notices of Proposed Rulemaking, while the remaining three dozen are final rules. Many […]

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News photos: On board first Rocky Mountaineer trip from Salt Lake City

Train traveling through area of red rock hills

Rocky Mountaineer, the luxury cruise train operation that will rebrand itself as Canyon Spirit next year, has offered a preview of its new Salt Lake City-Moab-Denver service set to launch in April 2026. To test all the operational logistics of the once-weekly, round-trip expansion of the current Denver-Moab service, the operation owned by Canadian company […]

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Three killed, including two crew members, in German derailment

Deutsche Bahn logo

UPDATE: Authorities say at least three people have been killed and several others injured in the train derailment in southwestern Germany.https://t.co/RID5AMMFoW — DW News (@dwnews) July 27, 2025 RIEDLINGEN, Germany — Two train crew members and one passenger died in a derailment near Stuttgart on Sunday, an incident police say was caused by an overflowing […]

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Talgo, LA Metro settle lawsuits over subway car refurbishment

Subway train in station

LOS ANGELES — Milwaukee-based rolling stock manufacture Talgo and transit agency LA Metro have settled a pair of lawsuits filed in 2022 over a cancelled contract for Talgo to refurbish LA subway cars, an attorney for Talgo reports. LA Metro sued Talgo in September 2022, saying Talgo had defaulted on the contract to refurbish 74 […]

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