U.S. weekly rail traffic tops 2023 level, barely

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — After two weeks in negative territory, U.S. weekly rail traffic barely edged into positive ground for the week ending Jan. 27, 2024. Figures from the Association of American Railroads show overall traffic of 467,222 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7% compared with the same week a year ago. That included 208,131 carloads, down […]

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Merger application details CN’s plans for Iowa Northern Railway

Freight train with seven red, gray, and yellow locomotives

WASHINGTON — Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of the 218-mile Iowa Northern Railway will boost rail competition, divert freight off the highway, and give Iowa shippers broader access to single-line service, CN says in a merger application filed this week with the Surface Transportation Board. CN spent $230 million to acquire the Class III railroad from […]

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Five mind-blowing facts — Alaska Railroad

Blue and yellow passenger train with mountains in the background.

U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward must have thought he was making the real estate deal of a lifetime — 600,000 square miles for a cost of less than two cents an acre. That is the price Seward negotiated with Edouard de Stoecki, Russian minister to the U.S., for the purchase of what would […]

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Trains LIVE — Season two begins

Two men seated for a TV interview. Trains LIVE – season two begins

Trains LIVE — Season two begins — 1-31-2024 — No big fanfare, please. This is premier week for season two of Trains LIVE. We have a few changes coming down the line, in addition to new episodes taking you behind the scenes of railroading. Change No. 1 — Our video production team has been working […]

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Minnesota museum announces steam-up dates for 2-8-0

Steam engine with period freight cars

DULUTH, Minn. — Following successful test runs and a single excursion in autumn 2023, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum’s Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 2-8-0 No. 332 will be pulling a number of trips in 2024. The museum announced the 2-8-0 will be under steam on four weekends during the upcoming season on the museum’s North […]

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Ford seeks to add hotel to Michigan Central project

MichiganCentralStation1951

DETROIT — The landmark Michigan Central Station, undergoing revival by the Ford Motor Co. as a technology hub, could also become the home of a hotel, the Detroit Free Press reports. A spokesman for the Ford subsidiary overseeing the station’s redevelopment said Monday that the company is seeking a zoning change from the current heavy […]

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CPKC reports higher volume, revenue, and profits for fourth quarter

CALGARY, Alberta – Canadian Pacific Kansas City bucked the industry trend by posting fourth-quarter gains in volume, operating income, and revenue. “I am proud of how our team of incredible railroaders finished this transformational year with a strong fourth quarter, allowing CPKC to deliver volume growth and best-in-class earnings growth in 2023,” CEO Keith Creel […]

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