CHARLESTON, W.Va — A bill allowing West Virginia’s Public Service Commission to investigate and fine railroads for safety and operational violations will advance to the full Senate after being advanced by the Senate’s judiciary committee. WCHS-TV reports a CSX Transportation representative testified earlier this month that the railroad believes federal law would prevent HB3059 from taking […]
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas has joined the list of states considering legislation to limit the length of freight trains. Senate Bill 271, introduced at the request of state Sen. Mike Petersen (R-Wichita) would limit trains to a length of 8,500 feet. It also requires rolling stock stored on sidings to be at least 250 feet […]
WASHINGTON — A conductor’s use of an emergency door release to open a car door while her train was operating at 40 mph, and Amtrak’s accepted practice of allowing such doors to be opened to monitor platforms while approaching a station, contributed to the death of the conductor in a January 2022 accident in Westerly, […]
BALTIMORE — Amtrak will begin early construction activity on the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program this Friday, March 10, with tie and rail replacement and track drainage work as part of its preparations for the $6 billion project. “This initial project will directly reduce impacts during later construction phases and maximize the benefits of the new […]
WASHINGTON — Reflecting another week in which intermodal traffic showed a double-digit decline from the same week a year earlier, overall U.S. rail traffic was down 6.3% for the week ending March 4, 2023. Total rail traffic was 474,191 carloads and intermodal units. That included 237,413 carloads, down 1%, and 236,778 containers and trailers, down […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will create a new regional first responder training center in Ohio and expand the outreach of its safety train that travels the system to provide firefighters with hands-on tank car training. NS will work with Ohio officials to determine a site for the training center, the railroad announced on Wednesday. The […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today proposed a rule that would require railroads to provide emergency breathing apparatus for locomotive crews who are operating trains carrying hazardous materials that would pose an inhalation danger in the event of a release during a derailment. The proposed rule, the FRA says, would protect crews from inhalation […]
Railroads move a significant volume of crude oil, so it’s no surprise that Tom Danneman frequently frames these extensive unit trains traversing the expansive American West. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view – but only as part of the […]
An Amtrak Crescent day trip to Birmingham is possible because the Crescent’s schedule offers several daytrip offerings depending on where you are located along its long-distance route. One offering is a roundtrip experience between Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala. The trip starts off at Atlanta’s Peachtree Station at 1688 Peachtree Road Northwest in the city’s Brookwood […]
Amtrak Crescent day trip to Meridian Taking an Amtrak Crescent day trip to Meridian, Mississippi is possible as Amtrak’s Crescent schedule provides a great opportunity for passenger rail fans to experience one of Amtrak’s premier long-distance passenger trains on a day trip originating at New Orleans and traveling northeast to Meridian, Miss., and return. This […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today approved Montana Rail Link’s plan to terminate its lease with BNSF Railway, paving the way for BNSF to regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the STB’s decision is effective on April 7, the date for BNSF to […]
Railroads move a significant volume of crude oil, so it’s no surprise that Tom Danneman frequently frames these extensive unit trains traversing the expansive American West. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view – but only as part of the […]
