IRVINE, Ky. — Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp., the organization restoring Chesapeake & Ohio Kanawha-type 2-8-4 No. 2716, has announced an agreement to bring the locomotive to the Railroad Museum of New England as the first stop of a year-long “residency program” following completion of the restoration project. Announcement of the plans to operate at the […]
CICERO, Ill. — The back and forth between the Chicago suburb of Cicero and BNSF railway, the town’s largest landowner, over flooding and taxation continues. The Chicago Tribune reports a state legislator is seeking to pass legislation aimed at the railroad over what the town says is neighborhood flooding caused by pavement and work to […]
NEW ORLEANS — A former Amtrak on-board services attendant has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly selling spaces on a non-existent New Orleans-New York City trip, and for allegedly submitting false sick benefit claims to the Railroad Retirement Board. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana says in a press release […]
ATLANTA — A CSX rail yard in Atlanta has become one of four “pop-up” inland ports to ease congestion at the Port of Savannah, Ga., but some nearby residents have mixed feelings. They’re concerned about a resulting increase in truck traffic, but also have felt the supply-chain issues the temporary facility is meant to address. […]
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific and potash export firm Canpotex have announced a new seven-year contract between the two firms, a successor to a current 10-year agreement that expires in 2022. The new agreement runs through 2028. “We are pleased to have entered into this agreement and incredibly proud to continue our successful relationship with Canpotex,” […]
CHICAGO — BNSF Railway has agreed to reimburse the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for part of the costs of the cleanup at the site of a metal foundry in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The Chicago Sun-Times reports H. Kramer & Co., which operates the brass and bronze foundry; BNSF; and the City of Chicago will share […]
At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Class I railroads furloughed train crews as volume sank at its fastest rate ever. When volume rebounded, crew members were not called back to work at the same rate as traffic returned because railroads were moving their tonnage on fewer but longer trains. Then three things happened […]
Few years pass without railroads facing disruptions from natural disasters. This year was no different, with events including flooding that caused a Union Pacific derailment in Utah in July, Hurricane Ida hitting rail operations from New Orleans to New England in August; and devastating tornadoes in December, including one that derailed a CSX train. But […]
Amtrak cited the COVID-19 pandemic as justification in October 2020 when it cut most long-distance train frequencies to triweekly, furloughed employees, and began sidelining cars and locomotives. But in 2021, as the market began signaling the services it sought — with business and commuter travel languishing while shorter consists on national-network trains continued to sell out. […]
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman ended 2021 the way he began it: By criticizing Wall Street’s influence on the publicly traded Class I railroads. Oberman addressed several shipper and rail industry conferences during the year and sharpened his message each time he spoke. Wall Street’s demands for lower operating ratios have prompted railroads […]
LONDON — Activist investor TCI Fund Management has asked Canadian National to delay the selection of its next chief executive until after the special shareholder meeting in March. CN on Monday said it would name a new CEO in January, when CEO JJ Ruest is scheduled to retire. TCI’s request for a pause in the […]
What has been railroading’s top story in 2021? Today, we begin the process of answering that question, as determined in balloting by the Trains editorial staff, Classic Trains editor Brian Schmidt (who spent most of the year on our staff), and key News Wire contributors. Balloting concluded on Dec. 10. We’ll be recapping stories each […]
