New SEPTA station has new name under $5.4 million deal

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority logo

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A new Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Regional Rail station set to open next month has a new name. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the location in the Delaware County’s Middletown Township will be named Wawa Station after dairy products company Wawa, which has its headquarters across U.S. Route 1 from the new […]

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News photo: First EMD in new UP paint scheme

Yellow locomotives on freight train

A second example of Union Pacific’s new paint scheme, the first on an EMD locomotive, is now roaming the railroad. Photographer James Hickey captured SD70ACe No. 8620 leading manifest MNPRO-26 at Buffalo Bend/Point of Rocks, Neb., near the town of Sidney, on July 27, 2022. The new standard paint scheme features a larger UP shield […]

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Brightline begins 79-mph testing on section of route to Orlando

Yellow and white passenger train crosses street

MELBOURNE, Fla. — In another small step forward for Brightline’s planned expansion of service north to Orlando, one of the passenger operator’s trains reached a top speed of 79 mph Wednesday afternoon on an approximately 20-mile stretch of Florida East Coast Railway track between Melbourne and Rockledge, Fla. Florida Today reports Brightline spokeswoman Katie Mitnzer […]

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Weekly U.S. carload traffic rises above 2021 levels

Weekly table showing US carload traffic by commodity plus overall intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — U.S. carload traffic moved back above 2021 levels for the week ending July 23, while overall traffic was down by a small margin, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Total volume was 498,901 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.8% compared to the corresponding week a year […]

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FRA releases proposed rule requiring two-person train crews (updated)

Federal Railroad Administration logo

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has released its long-anticipated rule proposal to require two-person crews for trains, drawing predictable, and strong, reactions from railroads (which are opposed), and unions (which are in favor). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would require two-person crews except for “certain low risk operations and circumstances where mitigating measures are […]

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BNSF extends embargo on California-bound carload traffic

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s embargo of certain types of carload traffic bound for California has been extended into August as its Southern Transcon remains congested in the Southwest. The embargo, which took effect on June 27, applies to automotive shipments as well as specific agricultural and industrial commodities. “In response to our temporary […]

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