House committee asks General Accountability Office to investigate Precision Scheduled Railroading The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has asked the head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigate the impact of Precision Scheduled Railroading on shippers, Amtrak and commuter railroads, employees and others. In a letter earlier this week from committee chairman Peter […]
Test trains set to run on Point Defiance Bypass Sound Transit and Amtrak will run test trains over the Point Defiance Bypass on Sunday, May 16, as part of continuing efforts to prepare for passenger service on the line in the Tacoma, Wash., area. Trains will run between the Tacoma Dome stadium and Nisqually Junction, […]
Customs and Border Protection to introduce new rail cargo scanners at 12 key border crossings The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has announced a $46 million program to install new technology to inspect rail cargo at a dozen sites around the U.S. The new high energy scanners will us linear accelerators to generate X-rays […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail freight traffic continues to far outpace 2020 levels, when traffic was depressed by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and remains stable by week-to-week measures in 2021. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads for the week ending May 8 show U.S. railroads moved 236,019 carloads, a 27.6% increase over […]
Twin Cities Zephyr Led by 1936 power unit 9905 Zephyrus, the Burlington’s Twin Cities Zephyr swings into the downtown La Crosse, Wis., depot circa 1939. Slow street running was an obstacle in the speed war with rivals Chicago & North Western and Milwaukee Road. Elden H. Hunter photo […]
CHICAGO — Canadian National has announced it intends to beef up what is currently a meandering, unsignaled 40-mph ex-Gulf, Mobile & Ohio branch to connect with Kansas City Southern’s main line to the Gulf Coast. And if Canadian Pacific gets KCS, it expects to direct Mexican supply chain business to and from Western Canada through […]
Transport Canada says engineering work is done for Lac-Mégantic bypass, on target for 2023 completion Transport Canada reports additional engineering work has been completed on the Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, bypass project and that the project still should be done by 2023. The engineering work will allow relocation of rail operations to the Lac-Mégantic business park, as […]
Legislator’s bill would support multi-state passenger rail efforts U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) has introduced legislation to create multi-state passenger rail commissions to improve regional coordination for passenger rail service. The Intercity Rail Commission Act would encourage the formation of up to 10 reginal passenger commissions by providing up to $500,000 in matching funds to […]
NJ Transit awaits funding for plans to test battery-electric commuter equipment NJ Transit wants to test battery-electric rail equipment on its North Jersey Coast Line — if it can find the funding, NJ.com reports. The program would be similar to that announced last month by the Long Island Rail Road [see “Long Island Rail Road […]
WASHINGTON — The Chicago suburb of Barrington, Ill. — which battled Canadian National’s acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern in 2009 and has protested increased rail traffic ever since — has warned federal regulators that CN’s proposed merger with Kansas City Southern would create “a traffic congestion nightmare for the people of the greater […]
Less Than Carload Buffalo Creek & Gualey motor “B’s” awaits departure from Dundon, W.Va., for Widen, in 1948. A truck has arrived with LCL freight, including a new tire, which is being leaned against a rattan seat. After loading was complete, freight filled the front of the car back into the second row of seats. […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration “has been unable to obtain access to all the data and analysis necessary” to properly review the issues involved in Amtrak’s effort to restart Gulf Coast passenger service, the agency said in a Monday filing to the Surface Transportation Board. A letter penned by FRA Acting General Counsel John […]
