Today, 327 representatives from Class Is, short lines, and railroad suppliers, contractors and associations will meet with more than 300 congressional offices during the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. The annual event has continued for more than 25 years. This year, lobbyists will call on Congress to: Maintain and extend tax policies that incentivize […]
Citing cost overruns, the federal government will no longer provide funding for California’s planned Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail project, according to a news report from Reuters. President Donald Trump made the comment to reporters yesterday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In February, the Federal Railroad Administration announced it was conducting […]
This full-page ad from roller bearing manufacturer Timken appeared 75 years ago in the May 1950 issue of Trains Magazine. It’s a reminder that roller bearings represented a huge advancement over the earlier friction, or plain, bearing design. Axle-mounted roller bearings are a critical component in modern railroading due to their role in enhancing efficiency, […]
The U.S. Department of Transportation signed off on 180 infrastructure grants totaling more than $3.2 billion today, jumpstarting a series of projects aimed at improving railroads, ports, highways, airports and more. These grants had been previously announced and have now moved to the agreement stage. The Federal Railroad Administration will receive funding for several initiatives, […]
The vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been removed from his post, according to a report from The Hill. Alvin Brown, a former Jacksonville, Fla., mayor, became part of the NTSB in March 2024. Former President Joe Biden appointed him as the board’s vice chair late last year. While the White […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs sought to rally the troops today as the railroad continues to battle congestion that began in the weeks before a key Baltimore tunnel was closed on Feb. 1 for a long-awaited clearance project. In a bulletin to employees, Hinrichs touted the railroad’s industry-leading operational and financial performance record […]
CHICAGO — FreightCar America said net income totaled $50.4 million in the first quarter while revenue of $96.3 million fell 40.2% from the year-ago period. The Chicago-based railcar builder (NASDAQ: RAIL) delivered 710 units in the quarter ended March 31, down from 1,223 units in the previous-year quarter. Adjusted net income was $1.6 million, or 5 […]
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk Southern and the Port of Virginia have launched a RailGreen Corridor that offers intermodal customers a verified way to reduce supply chain emissions. NS provides daily intermodal service in the corridor linking Norfolk Harbor with the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) in Front Royal, Va. Freight moving along this lane is now […]
Although replaced in recent years by roller bearings, friction bearings (also called solid bearings or plain bearings) were a railroad standard for many years. Friction bearings were blocks of metal, usually brass, resting atop the axle and lubricated by oil-saturated wool waste enclosed in a hinged-lid journal box. To keep the bearing from getting too […]
WASHINGTON — Almost a decade after Amtrak cancelled “National Train Day,” an outreach promotion launched in 2008 designed to familiarize potential customers with where its passenger trains go, organizations around the U.S. continue to use May 10 as a tentpole around which to generate interest. The date commemorates completion of the first transcontinental railroad at […]
DENVER — The state of Colorado and Union Pacific on Monday signed an agreement extending the railroad’s lease of Moffat Tunnel for 25 years, a deal that also allows for expanded passenger service on the route through the Rockies as soon as 2026. The 99-year lease on the state-owned tunnel signed was scheduled to expire […]
OLTEN, Switzerland — The Rolling Highway, a drive-on, drive-off piggyback service carrying tractors and trailers through the Swiss Alps, will shut down at the end of 2025, operator RAlpin has announced. The company cited disruptions to the rail network — particularly the troubled German network — as leading to the shutdown. RAlpin has provided transport […]
