The rapid expansion of America’s railroad system in the 1800s and early 1900s was driven largely by a small group of powerful businessmen. Here we profile 12 of the most influential railroad magnates who helped shape modern America. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the men on this list built railroad empires connecting cities, opening the […]
WASHINGTON — Short line holding company Regional Rail is acquiring the Minnesota Commercial Railway, which operates 86 miles of trackage around the Twin Cities. “The transaction will promote Regional Rail’s strategic and growth objectives, and help sustain MNNR’s efficiency, financial strength, and ability to meet the needs of shippers,” Regional Rail said in a regulatory […]
When the opportunity arose for Lauren Osier to begin her rail preservation journey at the 3-foot gauged Midwest Central Railroad in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, it became the journey of a lifetime for the now 25-year-old. She has taken on multiple volunteer opportunities at the railroad, ranging from social media marketer to engine crew; met her […]
CORINTH, N.Y. — The Saratoga Corinth & Hudson Railway, the heritage railway located on the former Delaware & Hudson Adirondack Branch, has added a third Alco RS3 with the arrival this week of No. 4085, a former D&H diesel long stored in Port Jervis, N.Y. The Delaware & Hudson Railway Historical Society announced the acquisition […]
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 — […]
STOCKTON, Calif. — Stacey Mortensen, executive director of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, will step down from her position on Aug. 31 after 27 years, the commission has announced. The commission oversees the Altamont Corridor Express commuter rail operation and manages the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, which oversees Amtrak’s San Joaquins service. “I […]
NEW YORK — Subway crews and New York City Transit need to better communicate with passengers to address instances of risky “self-evacuation” by passengers during delays, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Inspector General Daniel Cort said in a report issued on Thursday (May 1, 2025). An investigation by the Office of the Inspector General found 46 […]
WASHINGTON — A “lack of awareness” by the operator of maintenance equipment, incomplete communication regarding the movement of that machine, and its non-operational change-of-direction alarm have been cited as the probable cause and contributing factors in the death of a CSX maintenance-of-way foreman in a February 2024 incident in North Carolina. The National Transportation Safety […]
FIELD, British Columbia — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will investigate the derailment of a CPKC train early this morning near Field, the agency has announced. The TSB said it will send a team of investigators to gather information and assess the occurrence, which occurred about 4:30 a.m. today (May 1, 2025) about 12 […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National reported stronger first-quarter earnings today despite the impact of harsh winter weather across its system, which crimped train length and the railway’s ability to meet demand for intermodal and merchandise service. “We are very pleased today to be reporting strong first-quarter results,” CEO Tracy Robinson said on the railway’s earnings call, […]
PHILADELPHIA — A former Amtrak information technology official and two vendors have been indicted in a bribery case involving millions of dollars of Amtrak IT work. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Richard Thompson, 47, of Falls Church, Va., was Amtrak’s former director of network planning and engineering. He […]
NORTH FREEDOM, Wis. — The move, scheduled to begin May 5, bringing Chicago & North Western 4-6-0 No. 1385 back to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum has been postponed, says Jeffrey Lentz, museum office manager. A statement from the museum indicates that the trucking firm slated to handle the road move withdrew its services “on short […]
