KANSAS CITY — You know the story: In November 1939 Electro-Motive FT No. 103 embarked on an 11-month, 83,764-mile demonstration tour on some of the toughest territory that American railroads could throw at the 5,400 horsepower, four-unit locomotive set. In test runs with freight and passenger trains, the experimental diesel-electric proved itself superior to even […]
MOORPARK, Calif. — Scheduled rail service through the site of Wednesday’s derailment of Amtrak’s Coast Starlight remains disrupted while an investigation and clean-up continues. The derailment occurred about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday when the train hit a water truck at private, unprotected grade crossing near Moorpark [see “Coast Starlight derails after hitting truck …,” Trains News […]
DENVER — The Denver City Council has voted down a proposed ordinance that would have prohibited development within 100 feet of rail lines without safety measures to address possible derailments. In a Monday meeting, the council voted 7-5 against the proposal by Councilwoman Debbie Ortega. It would have required construction within 100 feet of rail […]
LOS ANGELES — Metrolink could add two new stations within Los Angeles County based on work in progress by LA Metro, the county transit agency that helps fund the five-county commuter rail operator. The LA Daily News reports new stops are being considered near the Los Angeles County Medical Center in Boyle Heights and in […]
WASHINGTON — Two U.S. senators have reintroduced a bill they say is intended to address service issues and shipping costs for rail customers. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) on Wednesday introduced the Reliable Rail Service Act, which seeks to clarify the definition of railroads’ common carrier obligation and establish specific criteria for […]
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State is offering $121.6 million in funding for rail and port projects within the state under its Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, with applications for funding accepted through Oct. 6. Eligible projects include track and bridge rehabilitation; yard, terminal and siding construction; grade crossing resurfacing; wayside detectors; and other […]
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. freight rail traffic remains down, but for a second straight week, the degree of decline seems to be a bit more moderate. Traffic for the week ending June 24 was 469,453 carloads and intermodal units, a 3.2% drop from the same week in 2022, according to the latest statistics from the […]
KANSAS CITY — Canadian Pacific Kansas City executives today dramatically increased the revenue growth anticipated from the CP-KCS merger, saying they’ll be able to capture more freight from other railroads and divert more trucks off the highway than originally envisioned. CPKC now expects $5 billion in revenue growth through 2028, a five-fold increase over the […]
MOORPARK, Calif. — Amtrak’s northbound Coast Starlight struck a water truck and derailed Wednesday morning at a rural crossing near Moorpark, Calif., about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. The crossing did not have automatic warning devices. Video from KNBC-TV shows the train was led by Charger ALC42 No. 300, which suffered extensive front-end damage. […]
KANSAS CITY — Canadian Pacific Kansas City unveiled its new locomotive livery today after tallying the results of employee voting on five potential designs. The winning choice — selected by 40% of the more than 5,327 employees who participated in the online survey — was option one. In a separate vote of shareholders at the […]
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Clean-up is under way after 21 cars of a CPKC train derailed Tuesday evening at Nahant Yard in Davenport, Iowa. A CPKC representative reports 21 cars derailed in a slow-speed incident; no injuries or spills of hazardous materials occured. Three cars involved were carrying liquid asphalt but did not leak any of […]
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — More than 20 rail-related applicants — ranging from grade-crossing separation studies to a small piece of the Gateway Tunnel to funding for high-speed rail stations in California — are among the 162 projects to receive Department of Transportation grant funding announced today (Wednesday, June 28) under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability […]
