BNSF files suit to block potential strike

Two trains meet on straight track

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway is asking a federal judge to block a potential strike by two unions began polling workers about a possible strike over the railroad’s new attendance policies, the Associated Press reports. BNSF filed suit against the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and […]

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Watco to convert two switchers to battery-electric power

Watco logo

SCOTTSVILLE, Texas — Add shortline company Watco to the list of those exploring battery-electric locomotive technology. Watco is teaming with Medha, an India-based manufacturer of locomotives and rail-related electronics, to convert two end-cab switchers into battery-electric units. The SW1200 and SW1500, based in Texas, had been out of service for repairs, according to an article […]

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic sluggish as year begins

Table showing weekly U.S. rail traffic by commodity, plus total intermodal moves

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic continued its slow start to the year, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Overall rail volume for the week ending Jan. 15 was 493,617 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.6% compared to the corresponding week in 2021. That includes 259,970 intermodal units, a drop of 12.2%, and […]

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Union Pacific lands Schneider intermodal contract

Orange container on well car

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Transportation and logistics firm Schneider will shift its primary western U.S. rail service to Union Pacific from BNSF Railway in January 2023, the companies have announced. “Schneider’s intermodal business is a great fit for Union Pacific’s diverse network,” Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz said in a press release. “We look forward […]

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We need transcontinental railroad mergers — Analysis

CREATE

Railroads fall short of trucks in so many ways. The inability to offer seamless service from Point A to Point B shouldn’t be among them. But the Surface Transportation Board has said, in so many words, that Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern will be the last merger of Class I railroads. That’s a colossal mistake. Why? […]

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Cleanup continues after Buffalo & Pittsburgh derailment

Logo of the Buffalo & Pittsburgh, a Genesee & Wyoming railroad

WEST MAHONING TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Cleanup continues after a locomotive and 17 cars of a Buffalo & Pittsburgh train derailed at midday Monday, WJAC-TV reports. No injuries were reported. The cars involved were reported to be empty or contained non-hazardous materials such as cardboard or scrap metal. A blocked grade crossing was expected to be […]

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Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX to use new freight scheduling platform

Logo of technology frim Blume Global

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Supply-chain technology firm Blume Global has announced a collaborative information platform to coordinate cross-country shipments. Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and CSX will be partners in the end-to-end freight scheduler, intended to allow shippers and intermodal firms to synchronize shipments across railroads. “Coordination among railroads is essential, Seana Fairchild, assistant vice president of […]

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CSX derailment in yard triggers small fire

Overturned locomotives and freight cars in railyard

AVON, Ind. — Two locomotives and six cars of a CSX Transportation train derailed at the railroad’s Avon Yard near Indianapolis on Tuesday, triggering a small fire and spills of lube oil and diesel fuel. CSX said there were no injuries, and the leaks did not impact any water supplies, the Indianapolis Star reports. The […]

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Never-used Talgo trainsets find buyer in Africa

Parked Talgo trainset

MILWAUKEE — The long-orphaned Talgo trainsets built but never used for extended Hiawatha service to Madison, Wis., have finally found a home. In Nigeria. The website Urban Milwaukee reports Talgo will sell the equipment to the Nigerian government. According to a press release, it will be for a new 23-mile, 11-station commuter line in the […]

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Plans set for new Genesee & Wyoming dispatching center

Orange and yellow logo of Genesee & Wyoming

ST. ALBANS, Vt. — Work is set to begin in April on a new dispatching center for short line company Genesee & Wyoming near downtown St. Albans, the Valley News reports. The 10,000-square-foot building, on a long-vacant site, will replace an older facility in the building. St. Albans City Manager Dominic Cloud said the company […]

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