Railroads that live ‘forever’ … on paper

Steam locomotive with train on bridge approaching tunnel

Like trilobites and brachiopods, the paper carcasses of 19th-century railroads seem forever locked away in the sediments of corporate archives and government files. They fill the pages of old Official Guides and Poor’s Manual of the Railroads by the hundreds. Nearly all of them are dormant — but some are not.   Consider the case […]

Read More…

BNSF and Norfolk Southern reach sick time agreements with two unions

BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern have reached paid sick time agreements with two more of the unions representing their employees. BNSF and the International Brotherhood of Railway Carmen reached their agreement as part of larger ongoing discussions about modernizing the work environment, the railway said on Monday. Building upon existing BNSF paid time off and […]

Read More…

Labor leaders welcome FRA’s train makeup safety advisory, while railroads emphasize their train-building tools and techniques

Aerial view of derailed boxcars and auto rack

Rail labor leaders welcomed the safety advisory that the Federal Railroad Administration issued last week that encourages railroads to take steps to reduce the in-train forces that can cause long trains to derail. Railroads, meanwhile, said they were reviewing the advisory to make sure their operating practices are in line with the FRA’s recommendations. “For […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern tightens train makeup standards for long trains

Diesel locomotive tucked between freight train while going around a curve.

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has tightened its train makeup standards for long, heavy trains in order to reduce the in-train forces that can cause derailments. The new restrictions — part of the railroad’s broader push on safety in the wake of the disastrous Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio — have caused significant increases […]

Read More…

Two Norfolk Southern crew members injured in Alabama derailment

Norfolk Southern logo

JASPER, Ala. — Two crew members were injured Saturday night when a locomotive and 11 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Saturday night, AL.com reports. Also on Saturday, an NS train was involved in a minor derailment in Pittsburgh. In the Alabama incident, the railroad said the locomotive rolled onto its side, spilling some […]

Read More…