Rail earns relatively high marks on latest infrastructure report card

Rail line dangling along river bank

The latest Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives rail a B- grade, which was above the C average given to American infrastructure overall. The report recommends that railroads continue to harden their physical plants to better resist increasingly frequent, longer duration, and more powerful natural disasters. “Rail lines face considerable […]

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CSX, signalmen reach tentative contract agreement

Logo of the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX announced it has reached a five-year tentative contract agreement with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen, which represents 1,215 workers at the railroad. In addition to wage increases, the agreement includes health and welfare benefits, vacation improvements, and improvements to seven local work rules, the union said on its website. The agreement […]

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News & Products for the week of March 24th 2025

The cab of a model locomotive in black, gray, yellow and red

News & Products for the week of March 24th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 24th, […]

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Union Pacific to serve new Hyundai steel mill in Louisiana

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

WASHINGTON – Union Pacific will serve the $5.8 billion steel mill that Hyundai Motor Group will build in Louisiana. The electric arc furnace facility, announced today during a White House ceremony, will supply steel coils for U.S. Hyundai and Kia plants as well as U.S. automakers, Hyundai said. The mill will be built at the […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 5 | Transferring a track plan

In this episode, David demonstrates a simple process for plotting the track plan for the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) model railroad onto the essential layer of subroadbed material. After measuring twice, he then shows the next steps to carefully cutting out the parts and pieces needed to assemble a foundation for layout […]

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Intramotev names industry veteran Harry Zander as chief commercial officer

ST. LOUIS — Intramotev, the startup company that converts conventional freight cars to battery-electric, self-propelled vehicles, has named rail industry veteran Harry Zander as its chief commercial officer. Zander brings more than 30 years of experience to Intramotev. Most recently, he served as chief revenue officer at shortline railroad holding company Patriot Rail. Zander previously […]

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Canadian government adds to funding for Hudson Bay Railway

Train passing through wilderness area with fall colors

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government has added to its financial commitment to the Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill, Manitoba, increasing its funding to Ca$175 million over the next five years. The funding announced Friday, March 21, will provide $125 million for operation and maintenance of the 627-mile railway, with a main […]

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UP train derails in West Texas

Six-photo montage of train derailment

  KENT, Texas — Approximately 33 cars of a Union Pacific manifest freight train derailed Friday in near the Culberson County community of Kent, KWES-TV reports. The derailment occurred about 5 a.m., a UP representative told the station. No one was injured and no hazardous materials were involved. The incident occurred near Interstate 10 about […]

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Strong winds gum up BNSF’s Southern Transcon

FORT WORTH, Texas — Persistent, strong winds have caused congestion on BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon, the railroad said in a customer service advisory on Thursday, March 20. “The BNSF network is currently experiencing challenges, particularly on the Southern Transcon, due to excessive and extended winds exceeding 75 mph that have impacted service consistency, alongside unexpected […]

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Union Pacific names new chief legal officer

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has named Christina Conlin as senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, succeeding Craig Richardson, who is set to retire at the end of March. Conlin will oversee all aspects of the company’s legal affairs, including commercial transactions and litigation, labor and employment and regulatory matters. She will […]

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