Anacostia short lines become partners in EPA SmartWay program

Black locomotives with white zebra striping

CHICAGO — Anacostia Rail Holding’s six short lines have become certified partners of the Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay Transportation Partnership, a collaboration between industry and environmental groups to track and reduce emissions and fuel use in the transportation sector. The more than 3,000 partners in the program, which launched in 2004, including railroads, trucking, air, […]

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News photo: Union Pacific officers’ train in Colorado (updated)

Yellow locomotive and passenger cars at tunnel.

An 11-car Union Pacific passenger train pauses at the east portal of Colorado’s Moffat Tunnel on Tuesday while passengers inspect the tunnel’s fan house and control room. The train arrived at Winter Park, Colo., on Monday morning, and departed about 2 p.m. today, stopping at the tunnel before continuing to Denver, where it is laying […]

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News photos: UP Lenox Tower demolished

Heavy equipment tearing down brick buidling

Demolition work began Monday on Union Pacific’s Lenox Tower in Mitchell, Ill., about 20 miles north of St. Louis. The tower is being razed to streamline the interlocking and remove a troublesome puzzle switch as part of a realignment project that will allow increased speeds for Amtrak Lincoln Service trains between Chicago and St. Louis. […]

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Digest: House transportation committee asks for investigation of PSR

Logo of House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

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 […]

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U.S. rail traffic remains well above 2020 levels

Table showing weekly AAR rail traffic statistics

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 […]

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Twin Cities Zephyr

Shovel-nose streamlined diesel with passenger train in street

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 […]

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