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Gas station manager pleads guilty to fraud involving fuel charges for Amtrak vehicles
NEWARK, N.J. — The manager of a New Jersey gas station has pleaded guilty in a case in which admitted to billing approximately $78,000 in fraudulent fuel charges to Amtrak and more than a dozen other customers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey said in a press release that Umer Hassan […]
Tourist railroads navigate higher fuel costs amid economic uncertainty
CHICAGO — Tourist railroads continue to see strong summer demand despite record inflation and high fuel prices. Railroads note, however, that the tide may be turning as mounting economic uncertainty may change consumer buying decisions. According to the U.S. Travel Association, American consumers reached a new pandemic high of $101 billion in travel spending in […]
Canadian government, short line combine on improvements at Port of Windsor
WINDSOR, Ontario — The Canadian government and Essex Terminal Railway will combine on a project to expand warehouse capacity and improve transloading at the Port of Windsor, officials announced Tuesday. The government will provide C$5 million in funding for the project, which Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a press release is “critical to maintaining […]
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to resume normal operations
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — After a lengthy period of modified operations because of riverbank erosion along its route, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will return to its regular schedule this Saturday, July 16. Since March, the railroad had been running 16-mile trips instead of offering its full 52-mile round trip, and departing only from its Rockside […]
New owner for industrial park, short line near Houston
DAYTON, Texas — Liberty Development Partners has purchased a 1,158-acre industrial park near Houston, as well as the railroad that serves the facility. Liberty says it plans to turn the Gulf Inland Logistics Park into a manufacturing, distribution, and storage hub. The purchase includes the CMC Railroad, a Class III short line which has been […]
Norfolk Southern train derails in Georgia
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — No injuries are reported and no hazardous materials are said to be involved after a Norfolk Southern train derailed Tuesday afternoon, closing a highway and an entrance to Robins Air Force Base. About 20 railcars are involved, Houston County Fire Chief Chris Stoner told WMAZ-TV. At least some of those are […]
BLET votes overwhelmingly to authorize national strike
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — By a resounding margin, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have authorized a strike — a move that could come as soon as Monday, July 18. The union — which represents more than 57,000 U.S. rail employees — reports 99.5% of its members voted to authorize a strike if […]
VIA Rail Canada strike averted
MONTREAL — Averting a strike, VIA Rail Canada and the Unifor union reached a tentative agreement just ahead of the latest in a series of deadlines on Monday. VIA said the agreement will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022 and runs through Dec. 31, 2024. Both sides said details would be released only upon ratification […]
Amtrak’s western long-haul routes experience disastrous start to July
CHICAGO — The first 10 days of July have seen significant departure and timekeeping issues for Amtrak’s long-distance trains traveling west and south of Chicago, with few passengers able to make planned transfers at the end of their trips. And even those who did make connections often faced significant timekeeping delays. An example: Passengers riding […]
CSX cited for serious violations in explosion at Baltimore coal facility
BALTIMORE — CSX Transportation has been cited for nine “serious” violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and faces more than $120,000 in fines, as a result of an explosion at a railroad coal terminal last December. The Baltimore Sun reports the railroad was cited for allowing workers to enter […]
Owner of railcar repair company sentenced in fraud case
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The owner of a now-defunct railcar repair company has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, and he and the company have been fined for wire fraud and endangering employees at the facility. John Eldon Rimmasch, 47, of Cheyenne, was sentenced in a July 5 hearing by Federal District Court Judge Alan […]
