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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Legislation introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives would provide $20 million for capital improvements on the state’s short lines, which face significant costs to upgrade their infrastructure, according to the bill’s sponsor. Rep. Paul Tokelson (R-Hanska, Minn.) says the state’s 821 miles of Class II, III, and private rail lines […]
Indiana Railroad RPO-coach 375 stands under the big trainshed at the Indianapolis interurban terminal in the late 1930s, a few years before IRR ended service. W. B. Cox coll. […]
PARIS — International private equity firm Antin Infrastructure Partners has made what it calls “a strategic investment” in Michigan regional railroad Lake State Railway, the companies announced Tuesday. Lake State, founded in 1992, operates 375 route-miles in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, primarily stretching from Plymouth in the south of the state to Gaylord and Alpena in […]
LOGAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. — SMS Rail Service, the New Jersey short line celebrated for its continuing use of Baldwin locomotives, has been hit by scrap thieves who stole some $135,000 in parts from locomotives and railcars. NJ.com reports parts including high-voltage cables, motor cables, air brake equipment and brass wheel bearings were stolen from seven […]
DENVER — Some 30 miles of New York rail line formerly operated by the Saratoga & North Creek Railroad has been sold for $3.33 million to a couple whose company plans to ship titanium ore from a mine on the route. The Albany Times Union reports Doc N Duchess Rails LLC, owned by Carol and […]
FORT WORTH – Analysts and industry observers suspected that BNSF Railway had to pay a pretty penny to buy out Montana Rail Link’s long-term lease on the former Northern Pacific main line. It turns out they were right. BNSF’s financial report suggests the railroad paid MRL around $2 billion to tear up the lease well […]
The Powder River Basin was North America’s last, great railroading frontier. By the time of Fred W. Frailey’s article in 1989, PRB was served by Class I railroads where before railroads scarcely traveled — all in the later half of the 20th century. Enter your email address below to read this classic 24-page article that […]
CLEVELAND — OmniTRAX’s Newburgh & South Shore has purchased a battery-electric locomotive, becoming the first short line in Ohio to deploy such a unit. The GP9-based locomotive from AMPS Traction features 1,700 gross horsepower, reduces fuel consumption by half, and cuts NOx emissions and particulate matter by 77%, removing 4.2 tones of nitrogen oxide from […]
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Rail Link plans to retain several branch lines that are not part of the lease agreement with BNSF Railway that it is ending, but has no plans to operate those lines, a company spokesman said recently. KPAX-TV reports that spokeman Jon Bennion told a recent meeting of the Big Sky Passenger […]
JOPLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Eastern Railway, a new subsidiary of transportation company Jaguar Transport Holdings, began operation Tuesday, March 1, in the St. Louis area. In January, the company acquired 42 miles of track between St. Louis and Union, Mo., previously operated by Progressive Rail’s Central Midland Railway. In February, it acquired leasehold rights […]
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — South Shore Line commuter train No. 106, the 5:45 a.m. departure from Carroll Avenue station in Michigan City, Ind., makes its way down 11th Street at Franklin Street on Monday morning, Feb. 28, 2022, en route to a scheduled 7:13 a.m. arrival at Chicago’s Millennium Station. The train was the last […]
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — The East Broad Top Foundation posted a sold-out Winter Spectacular celebration Feb. 18-19, with 10 internal-combustion-powered trips over its restored main line between Rockhill Furnace and Colgate Grove and tours of the roundhouse and station archives. This year’s winter event built on the success of the Foundation’s first Winter Spectacular in […]
