PHOENIX — The Phoenix light rail system has grown by 5.5 miles, and gone from a single route to a two-line system, after the opening of the South Central Extension and Downtown Hub on Saturday, June 7. The opening of Valley Metro’s seven-station extension southward along Central Avenue from downtown to Baseline Road is projected […]
The remains of Santa Fe GP38 No. 3552 lie in a ditch following a sideswipe incident at Booth, Texas, on April 14, 1973. A southbound train struck the rear cars of a northbound train. The subsequent derailment and fire destroyed three GP38s. Steve Patterson photo […]
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Las Vegas police are seeking help in identifying three people who may be responsible for derailment of three railcars earlier this month, causing almost $25,000 in damage and cleanup costs. The May 23 incident occurred in the 9700 block of South Rainbow Boulevard. According to a police department press release, an […]
WITTMANN, Ariz. — Residents of the unincorporated community of Wittmann are considering cityhood, in part as a response to BNSF’s plans for a $3.2 billion logistics center in the area. The Arizona Republic reports an incorporation drive is under way as a method of giving the area, about 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, more control […]
EL PASO, Texas — Fort Bliss, the 1,700-square-mile Army post in Texas and New Mexico, is undergoing an expansion of its rail capacity. The El Paso Times reports that groundbreaking was held April 22 for construction of 4.3 additional miles of track at its rail yard, built to accommodate 565 railcars in 72 hours — […]
Q: I have a question about one of the articles in your special issue Best of Industries. On page 16, Rich Cobb wrote about a fertilizer blend plant. Can you tell me what kind of loads a plant like this would receive? — Markus Russ A: We released that special-interest publication in 2021, so I […]
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Many events can affect Amtrak service, but a Florida tragedy illustrates that some are far from the passenger operator’s control. A fatal private plane crash Friday, April 11, on tracks used by Tri-Rail and Amtrak trains caused cancellation of the day’s northbound Floridian and its counterpart east from Chicago today (Sunday, […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway is not hitting the pause button on a pair of trade-dependent intermodal projects in California and Arizona despite the broad tariffs that the Trump administration unveiled on April 2. BNSF is planning to build a $1.5 billion terminal and transload center in Barstow, Calif., to handle international containers. The […]
There is always the story of the locomotive that got away. For years back in the late 1960s, whenever I was in southern Oregon (due to my Air Force status), I stopped by the McCloud Railway and, with camera in hand, one by one knocked off their diesel fleet and cars. Except Baldwin Locomotive […]
CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill seeking a study of possible rail transit systems for the Las Vegas and Reno areas has advanced out of a Nevada legislative committee. Assembly Bill 256 would create a Regional Rail Transit Advisory Working Group to conduct a study of rail transit in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas […]
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Brightline West is in the middle of finalizing $6 billion of bank loans and contracts with construction companies for its $12 billion, 218-mile Las Vegas-Southern California high speed rail venture after selling more than $2.5 billion in private activity bonds, according to Tracy Larkin-Thomason, Director of Nevada’s Department of Transportation. The […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — Persistent, strong winds have caused congestion on BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon, the railroad said in a customer service advisory on Thursday, March 20. “The BNSF network is currently experiencing challenges, particularly on the Southern Transcon, due to excessive and extended winds exceeding 75 mph that have impacted service consistency, alongside unexpected […]
