NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has reached a tentative labor agreement with its largest union after a month of negotiations, the two sides have announced. The three-year contract includes a compounded raise of 9.8%. The New York Daily News reports that the approximately 40,000 members of Transit Workers Union Local 100 would receive […]
WASHINGTON — Growth of carload traffic was insufficient to offset sagging intermodal volume as U.S. rail traffic continued to lag behind 2022 levels, according to the latest statistcis from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending May 27, 2023, overall traffic was 480,998 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.8% from the same week […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Bay Area commuter rail operator Caltrain launches its “Summer of Caltrain” today (June 1), a series of events running through Aug. 31 to engage with riders at stations throughout the system. Planned for today are Customer Appreciation Day events at the San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Hillsdale stations, including free Philz […]
Trains LIVE — Geared locomotives — 5-31-2023 — Think of a steam locomotive. Right now, the majority of you have a mental picture of a locomotive with driving wheels connected by rods to the pistons. The pistons move back and forth as steam expands in the cylinders. The rods move, turning the driving wheels. Power […]
Trains LIVE — Geared locomotives — 5-31-2023 — Think of a steam locomotive. Right now, the majority of you have a mental picture of a locomotive with driving wheels connected by rods to the pistons. The pistons move back and forth as steam expands in the cylinders. The rods move, turning the driving wheels. Power […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has today published Notices of Proposed Rulemaking that would require certification of dispatchers and signal employees, under provisions of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The rule regarding dispatchers would require railroads to develop formal training programs, methods of verifying that dispatchers have the knowledge and skills to […]
While the landscape of the American West remains constant and wild, the weather under Big Skies is forever changing…and frequently challenging the men, women, and machines working along steel rails. From a safe, temperature-controlled environment, enjoy a closer look at the perils and pure, natural beauty railfan Tom Danneman captured for Big Skies & Iron Rails […]
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Rail line seem to be popular landing strips for small aircraft in distress. Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service reports it responded to the crash landing of a small plane on the CSX Transportation tracks near the 3300 block of Vanderbilt Road at 9:58 p.m. on Tuesday night. A trainer pilot was training […]
BALFOUR, N.D. — Six cars of containers and one locomotive at the end of a CPKC freight train derailed near Balfour, N.D., on Tuesday evening, a railroad representative told KMOT-TV. No injuries were reported. Three of the cars were carrying some items classified as hazardous, including lithium batteries, airbags, and four small drums of methanol, […]
Rob Himoto’s Santa Maria Valley Railroad is the quintessential short line success story. His family bought the struggling 13.72-mile independent short line in 2006. Through hard work, they’ve been able to quadruple annual carloadings, diversify the railroad’s traffic base, and improve its track. Himoto is understandably proud of the turnaround and the role the railroad […]
ABILENE, Kan. — Fans who were looking forward to enjoying an extra season of steam-powered trips on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad will have to wait a little longer for those trips to begin. Trains powered by Santa Fe No. 3415, the railroad’s 104-year-old 4-6-2 locomotive, were to have begun operation Memorial Day weekend, […]
WASHINGTON — Ryan Risdon will become manager, program support, at the Short Line Safety Institute, a new position supporting the institute’s safety culture and hazardous materials training programs. Risdon brings more than 25 years of experience in railroad safety administration, compliance, and emergency response management to the institute, an educational, training, and research center for […]
