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 […]
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 […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) has reintroduced legislation that would strip Amtrak of its statutory right of operating preference on host freight railroads. It is at least the third time such legislation has been introduced, including the second by Burleson. The “Freights First Act” would eliminate the right of preference within 50 miles […]
News & Products for the week of July 28th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 28th, […]
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 […]
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 […]
A stat in a Schneider news release caught my eye earlier this month: Overall cross-border intermodal volume between the U.S. and Mexico was up 17% last year. Impressive, yes. But what jumped off the screen was Schneider’s growth rate. Its cross-border traffic — which rides Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s flagship Mexico Midwest Express hotshots — […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Rapido HO Procor tank car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.95; three-pack, $179.95; and six-pack, $359.95 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido Trains HO Procor tank car features: Detailed vent stacks, loading hatches, air tanks, and brake equipment Early style features 70-ton trucks, 33” wheels, and exposed drain […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern could announce a tentative merger agreement as early as this week, according to a published report. Bloomberg cited sources familiar with the talks in its report on Friday. UP, the largest Class I railroad, and Atlanta-based NS confirmed last week that they are in advance discussions regarding […]
