Ottawa light rail line to remain shuttered until at least July 31

Red and white light rail trainset in station

OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line will remain closed at least another week, city officials said Monday, and a long-term fix for the bearing problems that plague the system could take a year. The Ottawa Citizen reports that Renée Amilcar, Ottawa’s general manager of transit services, said service could gradually resume beginning July […]

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Empire Builder delayed by minor derailment in Montana

Amtrak logo.

HAVRE, Mont. — No injuries were reported Monday after one car of the eastbound Empire Builder derailed Monday afternoon near Havre, Mont. Amanda Frickel, Hill County coordinator for disaster and emergency services, told MTN News that the next-to-last car derailed but remained upright, confirming what appeared to be the case, based on an image posted […]

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Five require treatment after Toronto subway derailment (updated)

Blue rail rapid transit train

TORONTO — Five people were sent to the hospital with injuries Monday evening after a Toronto Transit Commission subway car separated from the rest of its train and derailed, the CBC reports. None of the injuries were critical, according to Toronto Fire Services. The accident was reported about 7:30 p.m. on TTC’s Scarborough Line near […]

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Slug units: A historical overview

silver and green slug unit

Slug units As avid railfans, we often find ourselves drawn to locations where we can witness a high volume of train activity. Cities like Chicago, Atlanta, or Portland boast major classification yards that serve as hot spots for freight operations. At such locations, we may encounter a peculiar sight: unusual-looking “locomotives” performing switching duties alongside […]

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Half-century-old locomotives still pulling for BNSF

Dark orange and black locomotive

Half-century-old locomotives While Class I railroads continue to receive new locomotive orders from EMD and GE, older EMD GP, or Geep, locomotives that have served for several decades are still being used for switching and local service. Many of these locomotives on the BNSF Railway predate predecessor Burlington Northern, having been purchased by such fabled […]

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Indiana man arrested following CN derailment

Canadian National logo

VAPARAISO, Ind. — A 39-year-old Indiana man has been arrested on charges related to the derailment of a Canadian National train in Valparaiso early Saturday, WBBM-TV reports. James Rockhill, of Kouts, Ind., was being held at the Porter County Jail on charges of railroad mischief, criminal recklessness, and leaving the scene of a crash. He […]

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Canadian union rips state of high-frequency rail project

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

MONTREAL — Canada’s largest private-sector union has criticized the latest step in the high-frequency rail project, calling out the selection of two European companies to participate in the Request for Qualifications while also questioning the slow development of the plan. “The federal government continues to ignore the voice of workers throughout this process,” Lana Payne, […]

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UP locomotive recognizes employee-focused programs

Side view of yellow locomotive with five logos added to usual UP lettering

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Union Pacific has announced the release of a locomotive recognizing its Employee Assistance Program and four other employee-focused programs. The railroad announced last week that SD70ACe No. 8388 “went into service earlier this year” on its network following work at UP’s Jenks Locomotive Shop in North Little Rock. The locomotive […]

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Canadian National main line to Halifax washed out by flooding

Aerial image of washed out rail line

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Canadian National’s main line to the Port of Halifax, Canada’s fourth-largest port, has been washed out as a result of flooding that caused “unimaginable” damage, according to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. Reuters reports a storm that arrived on Friday left more than 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period […]

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