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OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits surged in the second quarter thanks to a combination of efficiency gains, lower costs, and higher coal volumes. The railway’s pre-tax earnings increased 11.5%, to $1.8 billion, as revenue increased 0.15%, to $5.7 billion, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway said on Saturday. Operating expenses declined 4.7% as fuel costs decreased […]
SEATTLE — Evidence that Amtrak is literally running the wheels off of its available equipment became apparent today (Sunday, Aug. 3) when both Oregon-owned Series 8 Talgo trainsets in Amtrak Cascades service were sidelined because of condemned wheels. The setback follows a week in which passengers on many routes across the country encountered significant equipment […]
ST. ALBANS, W.Va. — Derailment of a CSX coal train early today (Sunday, Aug. 3) has led to cancellation of Amtrak’s Cardinal in both directions between Huntington, W.Va., and New York. The St. Albans Fire Department, which responded to the incident at 12:33 a.m., said in a social media post that no injuries were reported; […]
WASHINGTON — Marcus Molinaro, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives from New York, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. Molinaro was confirmed by a 71-23 vote on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Results of the roll-call vote are available here. “I applaud the U.S. Senate […]
CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad has announced plans for the 2025 edition of RailFest, its event celebrating heritage railroading, community, and mountain adventure. RailFest 2025: A Return to the Rails, is set for Sept. 12-14. Planned events include: — A “Sunset on the Mountains” train departing Friday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. […]
MIAMI — Florida East Coast Railway is suing Brightline over the proposed commuter service along the FEC route used by Brightline in South Florida, saying the passenger operator does not have the authority to negotiate the use of the line and that the plan is part of a Brightline effort to stave off “financial collapse.” […]
In every issue News, p. 4 Class I railroads take a fresh look at mergers, and Amtrak cuts management jobs Bill Stephens, p. 10 How do railroads get into our blood? Preservation, p. 46 Mt. Rainier Scenic copes after a devastating fire, and the T1 Trust project has a new home Brian Solomon, p. 48 […]
NEW YORK — The Interborough Express, the planned Metropolitan Transportation Authority light rail line linking Brooklyn and Queens, has entered the engineering and design phase. The MTA board this week selected a joint venture of Jacobs and HDR to oversee the project, which will be built along a currently freight-only, 14-mile Long Island Rail Road […]
The proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger leaves three major intermodal customers — J.B. Hunt, Schneider, and STG Logistics — in the awkward position of having their tents pitched in the wrong railroad camps. J.B. Hunt, the largest domestic truckload intermodal operator, uses BNSF Railway in the West and relies primarily on Norfolk Southern in the […]
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate Democratic leader, has spoken out against the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. In remarks Thursday (July 31, 2025) on the Senate floor, Schumer said approval of the merger “would cut down the industry from four major players to just three, pushing us even further down the road […]
DALLAS — Light rail service in downtown Dallas remains disrupted as a result of Wednesday’s fire involving a train near the Pearl/Arts District station. As of today (Aug. 1, 2025), Dallas Area Rapid Transit reports shuttle trains are operating between the Victory and Pearl/Arts District stations, as well as the EBJ/Union and Pearl/Arts District station. […]
YAPHANK, N.Y. — OmniTRAX has been named the rail operator of Brookhaven Rail Terminal on Long Island, N.Y. The terminal, recently rebranded as Long Island Reload, serves commodities, aggregates, and building materials industry customers including The Home Depot, Heidelberg, and LBM Riverhead. “Long Island plays a critical role in northeast supply chains, and we are […]
