ATLANTA — With longshoremen and port operators still unable to come to terms for a new labor agreement at East Coast ports, Norfolk Southern is recommending alternative origins for West Coast-destined international intermodal that normally flows into the eastern seaboard. NS outlined its recommended service Thursday, making use of its inland intermodal terminals to originate […]
MADISON, Wis. — The owner of the Wisconsin Great Northern, the heritage rail operation in Spooner, Wis., which gained significant attention for its efforts to restore the Mark Twain Zephyr, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for failure to pay employment taxes. Greg Vreeland, 55, of Springbrook, Wis., was sentenced […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and acting Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su sent a letter today (Wednesday, Sept. 25) urging the CEOs of three Class I freight railroads to guarantee paid sick leave for all employees. One of the railroads, CSX, responded that two unions have rejected its efforts to do exactly […]
WASHINGTON – A combination of excessive in-train forces and the pairing of dead-in-tow locomotives that lacked alignment control couplers was the probable cause of a 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in Alabama, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. Two locomotives and 37 cars derailed in the March 9 wreck on the Alabama East End District […]
TAMPA, Fla. — After an unusual lull in hurricane activity in August and September, railroads are monitoring a new tropical disturbance that will make landfall around Tallahassee, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26, likely as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane. “CSX is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Helene, which is projected to intensify to hurricane strength […]
WASHINGTON — With a dockworkers strike looming at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Robert E. Primus has asked BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to provide regulators with information on how they will handle the anticipated surge in container traffic at West Coast ports. “While I understand that a pivot to […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has been awarded $472 million in federal funding for the replacement of the North Station Draw One Bridge, a project that will increase capacity and improve train speeds for Amtrak and MBTA commuter trains. The funding announced Monday comes from the National Infrastructure Project Assistance, or Mega, program, […]
WASHINGTON – The probable cause of a fatal accident involving a conductor trainee in CSX’s yard in Cumberland, Md., last summer was the train’s movement through an unidentified and unmitigated close clearance location, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. During a shove move, the conductor trainee was caught between the side of the railcar […]
When it comes to showmanship in mainline mountain railroading, California’s Tehachapi Pass can be described as a grand theater. Located between Bakersfield and Mojave, historic Tehachapi Loop is at center stage, an impressive helix stretching three-quarters of a mile while looping over itself to gain 77 feet in elevation. The loop itself sits at about […]
JASPER, Alberta — Canadian National plans to move operations from Jasper 60 miles east to Hinton, Canada’s Global News reports. A wildfire burned through Jasper in July 2024, burning about one-third of the city and displacing thousands of residents. Caught in the fire was CN’s crew bunkhouse, which the railroad has since rebuilt. On Monday, […]
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — The Federal Railroad Administration has approved the pending South Shore Line Michigan City quiet zone. Horns in the city will cease on Oct. 21. “We are pleased to finally have the approval for the Quiet Zone,” Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch says. “This is something I helped champion for our […]
DALLAS – Union Pacific executives today outlined a three-year growth plan that hinges on regaining market share in intermodal, carload, and bulk traffic in order to offset the continued steep decline of coal. Wall Street analysts have been skeptical of UP’s volume growth forecasts because the railroad has struggled to meet them in recent years. […]
