Action may be required on your Trains.com account in order to continue accessing content. Click here to learn more.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX today officially celebrated the reopening of the Blue Ridge Subdivision, nearly a year to the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed large portions of the former Clinchfield Railroad main line in rugged eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. CSX restored the key 60-mile corridor damaged by Hurricane Helene within the Blue Ridge […]
WASHINGTON — SEPTA on Wednesday said it would not follow a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation that it pull fire-prone Silverliner IV cars from service. But hours later the Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order covering the electric multiple-unit equipment. It orders SEPTA to remove groups of the cars for emergency mechanical assessments. General […]
Why merge — and why merge now? Those were leadoff questions last week at a virtual salon where four industry veterans dissected the forces behind Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern, the untested regulatory road ahead, and the potential ripple effects for shippers, communities, and competitors. Rick Paterson, an analyst with Loop Capital Markets, […]
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is halting reimbursements on nearly $18 billion in federal commitments to two of New York City’s largest infrastructure projects — the Hudson Tunnel and the Second Avenue Subway expansion — pending a review of contracting practices. White House budget director Russell Vought said on Wednesday the move is tied to […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday urged the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to remove its Silverliner IV coaches from service until the Philadelphia-area commuter agency can mitigate fire risk in the fleet. The NTSB concluded that the outdated design of the Silverliner IVs, in combination with SEPTA’s maintenance and operating practices, represents […]
WASHINGTON — Robert E. Primus filed a federal lawsuit today challenging his dismissal from the Surface Transportation Board. President Donald Trump fired Primus on Aug. 27 without giving a reason for the decision. The president has sought to exert greater control over independent agencies like the STB. He has ousted Democratic members of the Federal […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has completed a pair of capacity projects in Texas and Arizona. On the Fort Worth Subdivision, the railroad has wrapped up a multiyear project that added eight miles of second main line between Lake Wanda and Bredenberg, just north of downtown Fort Worth. “Located between our Alliance facilities and […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will furlough 23% of its staff as a result of the partial government shutdown that began today. The agency’s Office of Railroad Safety — which is responsible for investigating rail accidents as well as inspecting railroad equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with federal regulations — will continue working […]
VIA Rail Canada has postponed its plan to test nonstop service between Montreal and Toronto, CBC reports. VIA Rail had sought to test express train service between Canada’s largest cities beginning Sept. 29, but said it would have to hold off due to “operational constraints” on Canadian National. The express service would shave 30 to […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway says Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern will reduce rail competition, raise rates, curtail service, and likely lead to an operational meltdown. BNSF unveiled a position paper on the UP-NS combination yesterday while encouraging customers to voice their concerns with the Surface Transportation Board, which will review the […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today proposed streamlining and improving reporting requirements for Class I rail carriers, including the weekly operational performance measures that serve as a network bellwether. The board aims to improve the quality of performance data that the railroads report each week. It also proposes adding two new service measures: An […]
FRONT ROYAL, Va. — The Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen has rejected the tentative agreement reached with the National Carriers Conference Committee, the union said on Tuesday. The rank and file voted the agreement down, with 52.89% casting “no” votes. “Our members have spoken,” BRS President Mike Baldwin said in a statement. “The BRS remains committed […]
