Digest: Canadian government announces $21 million in rail safety funding

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Canadian government announces $21 million in funding for rail safety projects The Canadian government announced it would spend more tha C$21 million to help fund 135 projects across Canada under the Rail Safety Improvement Program — Infrastructure, Technology, and Research. The funds will address grade crossing improvements, small projects such as fencing and pedestrian crossings, […]

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Illinois steam survivor

Profile of steam-powered freight train on truss bridge over wide river

Illinois steam survivor Wabash 2-6-0 576 creeps west across the Illinois River at Meredosia, Ill., in September 1954. The bridge famously limited the use of diesel locomotives on the railroad’s branch to Keokuk, making this operation a late era Midwest steam outpost. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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NTSB: Failure to follow restricted speed caused fatal Arizona collision

Aerial photo of collision of two trains

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has determined Thursday the failure of a BNSF Railway train crew to operate an intermodal train within restricted speed requirements caused the fatal, June 5, 2018, collision between the intermodal train and a work train, near Kingman, Ariz. The collision occurred when a westbound BNSF intermodal train, operating […]

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Digest: Restoration of Illnois Amtrak routes set for July

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Full restoration of state-supported Amtrak routes in Illinois set for July 19 The state of Illinois announced plans to restore all service on its four state-supported Amtrak lines as of July 19 as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The restoration of full schedules on the Chicago-Quincy, Chicago-Carbondale, and Chicago-St. Louis routes in July […]

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U.S. rail traffic remains far above 2020 levels, stable within 2021

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic by carloads and intermodal units

WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads continue to show significant traffic increases over pandemic-depressed figures from 2020, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads. Statistics for the week ending May 15 show U.S. railroads moved 242,806 carloads, a 31.6% increase over the corresponding week in 2020, and 291,066 containers and trailers, a 25.6% […]

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Intermodal engineering

Wooden ramp to load trailers and vehicles onto railroad flatcars

Intermodal engineering Wood planks were common for building piggyback ramps. Large planks formed rub rails (well-used judging by the scars) along the edges, with a notch for the flatcar coupler and a steel bridge plate on the right. Classic Trains magazine collection […]

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Digest: Senators introduce bill to provide $1 billion for transit accessibility

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Bill would provide grants for accessibility upgrades to transit systems Three U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would provide $1 billion annually in grant funding to improve public transit accessibility for passengers with disabilities. Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), and Bob Casey (Pa.) have put forward the All Stations Accessibility Program Act […]

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