News photo: South Shore street running in April 2022

Line of locomotives on a train in a residential neighborhood.

South Shore street running: Bruce Stahl captured an unusually powerful freight train for northwestern Indiana in April. To wit: six locomotives led by South Shore No. 805 haul four grain hoppers down a torn-up street in Michigan City, Indiana. Stahl captured this rapture of motive power on Sunday, April 10, 2022, on “Church” curve. “The […]

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Missile strike on Ukraine rail station kills 57

blue foreign passenger train

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine – A station in Kramatorsk, packed with refugees waiting for trains to take them westward, was hit by a Russian missile attack on April 8. The death toll updated by the Ukrainian government on April 10 stands at 57 with 109 injured. Pictures from the scene depict abandoned belongings and children’s toys, in […]

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CP doesn’t expect traffic data issue to change KCS merger timeline

Train with red locomotives and covered hopper cars

BALTIMORE – Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel doesn’t expect a traffic density data issue to delay the overall timeline for regulatory review of the CP-Kansas City Southern merger. The Surface Transportation Board on March 16 suspended its review of the CP-KCS deal pending resolution of a discrepancy in the baseline traffic figures the railroads used […]

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Ethanol producers complain about snarled rail service

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON – The trade group representing ethanol producers has told federal regulators that its members are experiencing significant rail service delays and disruptions that could lead to higher gasoline prices. “While we certainly understand that a variety of factors have contributed to these rail disruptions, it is imperative that all possible actions be taken by […]

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South Shore freight labor deal good for five years

South Shore Freight Logo

MICHIGAN CITY, Imd. – The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS) & SMART TD (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers) successfully approved a new five-year contract for the line’s transportation employees. Ratified March 18, 2022, the pact runs from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2026. Currently represented are […]

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FRA administrator sees longer trains as rationale for two-person crews

Crew member riding on locomotive steps

BALTIMORE — Autonomous trucks are beginning to roam highways with the blessing of the Department of Transportation, yet the Federal Railroad Administration wants to mandate two-person train crews. Why is the regulatory playing field different for trucks and trains, FRA Administrator Amit Bose was asked at a shippers’ conference on Thursday. “We think having a […]

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Jim Wrinn tribute video — a compilation

Man speaking in front of steam locomotive.

Jim Wrinn tribute video — a compilation: Trains.com and Kalmbach Media are proud to celebrate the rail journalism life of Jim Wrinn. For the 17 years Jim served as Trains’ Editor — his dream job — Jim was a leader in trying new ways to reach audiences and going great distances to “get the story.” Please enjoy […]

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Sale of Saratoga & North Creek trackage in jeopardy

SNC

TAHAWAUS, N.Y. — The bankruptcy sale of a portion of the former Saratoga & North Creek Railroad is jeopardy after the buyers failed to submit a deposit in timely fashion, according to the bankruptcy trustee. The Adirondack Explorer news site reports buyers Carol McLean-Wright and John Wright, operating as Doc N Duchess Railway, did not […]

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Alstom explains latest delay for new Acela deployment (updated)

HORNELL, N.Y. — Testing of Amtrak’s next-generation Acela trainsets on the Northeast Corridor has shown that further modifications will be necessary, pushing back the date the equipment will be placed in service because additional testing will be necessary. Amtrak revealed last week at a Philadelphia media event that the first of the 28 nine-unit trainsets […]

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