Evacuation lifted after UP derailment in Louisiana

Image from drone of derailed tank cars and covered hoppers

KEACHI, La. — Residents evacuated because of a Union Pacific derailment Friday night were allowed to return home Sunday evening, KSLA-TV reports, after leaks in two tank cars were contained. A total of 16 cars derailed Friday night in Keachi, about 30 miles southwest of Shreveport, La. Leaks from two of those cars, involving acetic […]

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News photos: Irving short lines add more SD70M-2s

Bright green locomotive with yellow 'Maine Northern' lettering

The J.D. Irving Ltd. short lines in New Brunswick and Maine have added five more locomotives to their fleet of refurbished SD70M-2s. The first six units were delivered starting in June 2021 [see “Locomotive news: First New Brunswick Southern Railway locomotive refurbished,” Trains News Wire, July, 2021]. Four of the second group of locomotives are […]

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Agencies seek to extend Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad into Cleveland, creating national park access

Yellow, maroon, and black FA locomotive with passenger train

CLEVELAND — A new effort is being launched to link downtown Cleveland and Cuyahoga Valley National Park by extending Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad service, Cleveland.com and the Cleveland Plain Dealer report. In a meeting last week, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and other groups reached agreement on roles and responsibilities to advance the project, […]

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SMART extension work to resume after California court ruling

Two DMU trainsets meet

PETALUMA, Calif. — A California Supreme Court ruling will allow Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit to resume construction of a 3-mile extension north to a station in Windsor, Calif., the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports. Last week’s 7-0 ruling by the court ended a long-running court fight by the Howard Jarvis Tax Association seeking to overturn a […]

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UP derailment in Louisiana leads to evacuation

Union Pacific logo without slogan. UP Bailey Yard explosion appear to be accidental.

KEACHI, La. — About 130 people are under an evacuation order today (Saturday, Jan. 28) after a Union Pacific train derailed near Shreveport, La., Friday night and began leaking hazardous materials, the Associated Press reports. Approximately 16 cars derailed about 10:30 p.m. in Keachi (also spelled as Keatchie), about 30 miles southwest of Shreveport. Louisiana […]

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CPKC offers plan to address traffic issues in Chicago-area suburbs

Passenger train passing wooden passenger station

WASHINGTON — As part of their merger, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern will work with a group of Chicago-area communities on voluntary measures to address traffic concerns in those communities, the railroads say in the final Environmental Impact Statement released today (Friday, Jan. 27) by the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis. The […]

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Final environmental review finds few problems with Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger

Red locomotive leads multicolored locomotives in snow

WASHINGTON — The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger would cause few adverse environmental impacts aside from increased train noise in some locations, the Surface Transportation Board said in its final environmental impact statement today. The three-volume environmental impact statement, or EIS, incorporates comments the STB received at public hearings along CP and KCS routes in […]

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G&W locomotives to scrap or upgrade per EPA decree in 2023

Genesee & Wyoming logo

G&W locomotives to scrap or upgrade: Genesee & Wyoming recently entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department and the EPA that requires it to disable or upgrade more than 70 locomotives currently operating. The original News Wire article is online. The key parts of that EPA decree read as follows: “Defendants shall […]

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Ottawa, builder of light rail line announce settlement

Red and white light rail trainset in station

OTTAWA, Ontario — The City of Ottawa and the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the Rideau Transit Group, have reached an out-of-court settlement over the contract to build the light rail system. A joint statement issued today (Friday, Jan. 27) says the agreement resolves the dispute and resets the relationship between the […]

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NS touts industrial development projects in 2022

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern and 120 companies worked together to facilitate 159 industrial development projects along the railroad’s network in 2022, NS said in a press release, with those projects representing $3.2 billion in investment and creating more than 3,900 new jobs. “In partnership with public and private sector leaders, Norfolk Southern is a catalytic […]

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