OTTAWA — The Canada Industrial Relations Board has cleared the way for a potential rail work stoppage that could begin as soon as Aug. 22 if the Canadian railways can’t reach an agreement with the union that represents train crews. Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City subsequently said they would lock out members of […]
SAN FRANCISCO — Caltrain will begin public operation of its electrified trainsets this Sunday, Aug. 11, the news site SFGate reports. Agency spokesman Dan Lieberman told SFGate that “a couple” of the electric trains will be in operation, but that Caltrain has decided against announcing which specific trains will be operating with the new equipment […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada recaps the company’s forward-looking initiatives and financial performance for calendar 2023 in a 30-minute audio recording of its annual public meeting released on Wednesday, Aug. 7. The session is moderated by Jamie Orchard, VIA’s senior advisor of corporate communication, and features board of directors chair Francoise Bertrand, CEO Mario Peloquin, […]
A Norfolk Southern conductor had his lower right leg and lower right arm amputated when run over by a railcar at the company’s Lambert’s Point Yard, the National Transportation Safety Board said in the preliminary report on a July 19 accident in Norfolk, Va. The incident occurred about 12:35 p.m. The conductor was part of […]
BALTIMORE — While through-running operation for MARC and Virginia Railway Express trains beyond Washington, D.C., remains a wish-list items for some passengers and both agencies, the two commuter rail operators are now making it a little easier and less expensive for some riders to make use of both services. A new agreement, announced Thursday and […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak will restore the second train on its state-supported Chicago-Quincy, Ill., route as of this Saturday, Aug. 10, the company announced this evening (Thursday, Aug. 8). Trains Nos. 381 and 382, the Carl Sandburg, had been suspended since July 30 because of a “high shop count,” according to an Amtrak spokesman [see “Amtrak […]
RED OAK, Iowa — The driver of a crew transport vehicle was injured today (Aug. 8, 2024) when his vehicle was hit by a railcar from a BNSF derailment. The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency reports that the county communications center received a report of a derailment at 6:05 a.m. Emergency crews that responded found […]
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. — BNSF Railway is planning to use controlled blasting for the demolition of the bridge over the Big Sioux River that collapsed in flooding in June, KTLV-TV reports. The railroad has obtained the necessary local permits to conduct the blasting, but still needs a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has completed its multiyear project to add track and fueling capacity on the approach to its yard in Belen, N.M., where trains stop to change crews, undergo inspection, and have their locomotives’ fuel tanks topped off. “Belen, New Mexico, is really the heartbeat of our Southern Transcon, accounting for […]
Rail shipper groups say the poor on-time performance of all 15 Amtrak long-distance trains — which prompted the Justice Department to file a lawsuit last week against Norfolk Southern for its handling of the Crescent — is merely a reflection of Class I railroad freight operations. “This is a symptom of freight rail network capacity […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans at Caesars Superdome on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. Mardi Gras’ Fat Tuesday celebration, perhaps the biggest event in both Mobile and the Crescent City, happens to be late next year: March 4. The race is now on to begin Amtrak Gulf Coast service […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile, Ala., city council today (Aug. 6) approved a long-sought funding agreement to support Amtrak Gulf Coast service, as well as a lease for use of city land for Amtrak’s stop in Mobile. Those agreements, as well as approval of a deal with the Alabama Port Authority regarding funding, passed by […]
