Board members engaged at Amtrak online meeting: Analysis

Passenger train pulled by electric locomotive on long straight

WASHINGTON — Though outsiders were not permitted to comment or ask questions, the online Amtrak board of directors meeting today (Wednesday, Sept. 10) was much more informative than the previous edition, in large part because of interrogation by board members following company executives’ presentations and candid admission of where results are falling short. The last […]

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NS CEO says the rail industry has turned corner on service

Freight train at diamond with bridges in background

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George says the rail industry is ready to put periodic service crises in the rearview mirror — and regain market share lost to trucking in the process. “We went through … more than a decade where service crises happened every couple of years,” George told an investor […]

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SMART-TD, NCCC reach tentative agreement on contract for yardmasters

Logo of SMART-TD union

WASHINGTON — The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division has reached a tentative agreement with the bargaining group representing major railroads for a new five-year contract for yardmasters, SMART-TD has announced. The agreement with the National Carriers Conference Committee calls for annual wage increases totaling 17.5% through 2029, with a […]

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TSB investigating new CPKC derailment in British Columbia

CPKC logo

JAFFRAY, British Columbia — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will investigate a CPKC derailment that occurred Tuesday (Sept. 9, 2025). near the community of Jaffray, the agency has announced. TSB investigators will gather information at the scene and assess the occurrence, the second in the area in about a week. The Canadian Press reports […]

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News photos: MBTA introduces Boston & Maine heritage locomotive

Maroon and gold commuter-rail locomotive with silver trucks

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has unveiled an F40 locomotive painted to honor the Boston & Maine Railroad, the first of three recently overhauled diesels honoring predecessors to the commuter rail service offered today by the MBTA. The three units are the last of 37 F40PH locomotives built between 1987 and 1991 to […]

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Union Pacific sues Metra over operating fees

Commuter train and freight train meet on three-track main line

CHICAGO — The ongoing dispute between Union Pacific and Metra over Chicago-area commuter operations has a new twist: Union Pacific has filed suit seeking to collect more than $2 million from Metra that it calls “overdue compensation owed under a binding contract.” The suit filed on Monday in U.S. District Court argues that Metra, by […]

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CSX and Canadian National working on new interline intermodal service

CSX and Canadian National today announced they plan to develop a new interline intermodal service linking Nashville, Tenn., with Vancouver and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. This international container traffic currently runs over CN to Memphis, where it is then trucked to Nashville. Once the railroads finalize their deal, the loads will run via CSX between […]

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NJ Transit orders 200 new railcars, 12 dual-power locomotives

Commuter train with silver locomotive and single-level passenger cars

NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit has exercised options to purchase an additional 200 Multilevel III commuter railcars and 12 ALP45 dual-power locomotives from Alstom, the manufacturer has announced. The purchase, valued at approximately $1.05 billion, had been authorized by the NJ Transit board in May. “Service reliability and safety is one of my highest priorities, […]

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Hitachi Rail opens new Maryland plant

View of inside of new rolling stock factory

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Hitachi Rail opened its new $100 million railcar factory in Maryland on Monday (Sept. 8, 2025), designed to deliver up to 20 railcars per month. The 307,000-square-foot factory, which will employ 460 workers and is credited with supporting 1,300 jobs in total, features more than $30 million in digital enhancements, including artificial […]

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