WASHINGTON — A Federal Railroad Administration study on mainline electrification recommends that the railroad industry develop a prototype dual-mode freight locomotive and battery tender that could test the feasibility of leaving cost-saving gaps between sections of overhead catenary. Over the decades, North American freight railroads have studied electrification but have always reached the same conclusion: […]
UNION, N.J. — Commuter rail service on NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley Line has been suspended because of the derailment of a freight train, according to an alert on the agency’s website. While media reports identify the incident as a Conrail derailment, the train involved is actually a Norfolk Southern intermodal train operating on Conrail Shared […]
CHICAGO — Flooding is disrupting operation of Amtrak’s City of New Orleans, while Empire Builder departures have been cancelled for a fourth straight day. Other Amtrak cancellations announced for today (Feb. 18) include both directions of the Borealis between St. Paul and Milwaukee and a Lincoln Service trip from St. Louis to Chicago, according to […]
MONTREAL — With the province of Quebec walloped by at least 15 inches of snow in the last few days followed by plunging temperatures, VIA Rail Canada management delayed Sunday’s eastbound and westbound Montreal-Halifax Ocean by 13 hours rather than cancel one of the trains. Additional blowing snow — about 27 inches is now on […]
PIERRE, S.D. — A resolution in the South Dakota House is calling for support of the state’s congressional delegation and the Trump Administration for Amtrak service in the state. House Resolution 6008 is sponsored by Rep. Tim Goodwin, a Republican who represents the 30th District, in the state’s southwestern corner. It was introduced on Feb. […]
LOS ANGELES — To help provide additional equipment for Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, the service’s operating agency has turned to using seven rebuilt, ex-New Jersey Transit Comet 1B coaches for the past seven months. The Comet 1B coaches, which arrived in Los Angeles in June of 2024, were originally part of a larger, 14-car purchase […]
SEATTLE — Reduction of Sounder commuter rail service will continue until further notice, Sound Transit has announced. Two of the four round trips on the N Line between Seattle and Everett have been suspended, as have two of the 13 round trips on the S line between Seattle and Tacoma/Lakewood. The revised schedules are available […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has cancelled Empire Builder departures for a third straight day, the company announced early today (Monday, Feb. 17). Also cancelled: both directions of the Borealis, westbound between Chicago and St. Paul and eastbound between St. Paul and Milwaukee, as well as both directions of the Adirondack between Montreal and Albany Rensselaer, N.Y. […]
POPLAR, Mont. — Approximately a dozen cars of a BNSF freight train derailed today (Feb. 16, 2025) near the town of Poplar, KRTV-TV reports. No injuries were reported. The incident occurred about 7 a.m. near U.S. Route 2; video on the KRTV website showed several grain hoppers that have spilled their load. According to the […]
CHICAGO — Departures of the Empire Builder have been cancelled in both directions today (Sunday, Feb. 16), for a second straight day, according to Amtrak’s website. No information on either cancellation was provided on the website or the Amtrak Alerts social media feed. However, the westbound Builder that was due in Portland at 11:17 a.m. […]
A deadly storm that that has brought significant flooding and other damage to at least five southeastern states has hit Norfolk Southern operations. CSX has also been impacted, although details are not currently available. An NS advisory of midday today informed intermodal customers that the route between Portsmouth, Ohio, and Bluefield, W.Va., is currently impassable, […]
KIRBY, Texas — Approximately 15 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed today (Feb. 15, 2025) in Kirby. No injuries or hazardous materials spills were reported. The derailment occurred about 1 p.m., a Union Pacific representative told KSAT-TV. The city said in a Facebook post that Gibbs Sprawl Road on the city’s northeast side will […]
