BLET members ratify Arizona Eastern contract

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified their first contract with the Arizona Eastern Railway, concluding a process that began in June 2024 when workers voted to join the BLET. The five-year agreement was ratified by a 22-0 vote, the union announced. The contract includes wages increases and […]

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Boise, Idaho, takes step toward developing commuter rail service

Map of rail route in Idaho

Add Boise, Idaho, and Anchorage, Alaska, to a list of locations expressing interest in launching commuter rail service. The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) last week selected commuter rail as its preferred form of future mass transit, based on a study that has been in progress since January 2024. The planned service would […]

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Bourdon joins New York, Susquehanna & Western as general counsel

Head-and-shoulders image of woman with red hair in white blouse and black coat

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Katherine Bourdon has been appointed as general counsel for the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway, the railroad announced this week. The appointment was effective Aug. 20. Bourdon has more than 20 years of experience in railroads and transportation, including 15 years as an attorney. She will lead the railroad’s legal affairs, […]

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Amtrak honors CPKC for host-railroad performance

Two passenger trains meeting on straight track

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Amtrak has recognized CPKC as its top host railroad in 2024, the ninth straight year the company or predecessor Canadian Pacific has topped the annual host railroad report card. CPKC was the only railroad to receive an “A” grade on the 2024 report card, although the other five Class I rairloads […]

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Maintenance-of-way union ratifies contract with Union Pacific

BMWEDlogo

NOVI, Mich. — Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference have ratified a new contract with Union Pacific. The new contract, including raises totaling 18.5% over five years, covers about 6,600 workers at UP, as well as improved vacation policies and health and welfare benefits — terms […]

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Lake State Railway unveils locomotive honoring Pere Marquette Railway

Dark blue, yellow, and white locomotive

SAGINAW, Mich. — Lake State Railway on Thursday (Aug. 21, 2025) unveiled a new heritage locomotive honoring the predecessor Pere Marquette Railway. Lake State Supervisor of Yard Operations Travis Vongrey, a second-generation railroader with the company, developed the concept and design for the “Spirit of Pere Marquette,” newly acquired SD70M No. 6437, one of eight […]

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Nova Scotia plans study of light rail, commuter rail options

Map of Halifax, Nova Scotia, area

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — The Nova Scotia government is planning to study the possibilities of developing light rail in Halifax and commuter rail in the area of the province’s largest city, which accounts for 63% of the Nova Scotia population. The government is seeking qualified consultants to carry out a rail feasibility study through a […]

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FTA seeks changes to Capital Investment Grants program

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WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration will seek to remove one of the environmental components from its Capital Investment Grants program, FTA administrator Marc Molinaro said today (Aug. 21, 2025). The revision will remove “social cost of carbon” calculations from the ratings criteria used to award those grants — the federal government’s largest program to […]

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic sees slight decline

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

WASHINGTON — After six weeks in positive territory, U.S. weekly rail traffic slipped slightly below 2024 levels during the week ending Aug. 16, 2025. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, traffic for the week was 512,970 carloads and intermodal unites, a drop of 0.7% from the same week a year ago. That […]

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House committee to investigate California high speed rail

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WASHINGTON — Members of the House of Representatives are launching a new investigation into federal funding for the California high-speed rail project, James Comer, chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced Tuesday. Comer (R-Ky.) said in a press release that the committee wants to know if the California High-Speed Rail Authority “knowingly […]

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