Demolition work began Monday on Union Pacific’s Lenox Tower in Mitchell, Ill., about 20 miles north of St. Louis. The tower is being razed to streamline the interlocking and remove a troublesome puzzle switch as part of a realignment project that will allow increased speeds for Amtrak Lincoln Service trains between Chicago and St. Louis. […]
Rail Runner Express to resume full schedule New Mexico’s Rail Runner Express commuter rail service will resume a full schedule on May 24, about two months after resuming a limited schedule following a year-long shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to a full weekday schedule serving all stations, weekend service is also returning. […]
SIBLEY, Iowa — The evacuation order resulting from the derailment of a Union Pacific train in Sibley was lifted Monday evening, after fears of an explosion eased greatly authorities discovered a car believed to be carrying ammonium nitrate was actually empty. KCAU-TV reports about 400 people had been affected by the evacuation order, which was […]
LANSING, Mich. — Maximum speeds for Amtrak trains on one segment of the Chicago-Pontiac, Mich., corridor will increase to 110 mph as of Tuesday, May 25, and that corridor will see an additional round trip beginning July 19. The higher speed limit will come on 45 miles of state-owned tracks between Kalamazoo and Albion, Mich., […]
LOS ANGELES — BNSF Railway has delivered the last EMD F125 passenger locomotive to California’s Metrolink. The locomotive, SCAX No. 903 arrived last Thursday on special train J-BRCLAC9-08, with only No. 903 and two idler flatcars. Delivery of No. 903 was delayed due to parts shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The locomotive’s arrival, almost […]
U.S. Supreme Court asks Solicitor General for opinion in case involving injured Union Pacific engineer The U.S. Supreme Court is asking the Biden Administration to take a position in a case involving Union Pacific that could affect the railroad’s liability for worker injuries. Reuters reports the court asked the U.S. Solicitor General’s office for an […]
ROANOKE, Va. — The Virginia Museum of Transportation has announced the arrival of Norfolk & Western No. 611 at the Strasburg Rail Road will be delayed, and events involving the Class J scheduled for this weekend, May 21-23, have been cancelled. In preparations for the move, a malfunction was discovered with the locomotive’s stoker, preventing […]
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have dealt a blow to Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern. The Surface Transportation Board today denied CN’s request to place KCS into a voting trust while the merger is under review. The board said CN’s application was incomplete, however, because CN has not yet filed its merger application. And […]
Aberdeen, Carolina & Western debuted its former Norfolk Southern executive F units on a special train Sunday. Units 271 and 274 are shown here leading train No. 900 at Seven Lakes, N.C. […]
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec says the next step in its development of a battery-electric locomotive will be a locomotive with a battery capacity of more than 6 megawatt hours, which could reduce the fuel consumption and carbon emissions of a locomotive consist by up to 30%. Such a second-generation locomotive would be offered commercially and could […]
Evacuation continues after UP derailment in Iowa Iowa State Troopers said they planned to allow the fire to burn overnight after a Union Pacific train derailed and caught fire in Sibley, Iowa, on Sunday afternoon. KELO-TV reports an evacuation remains in effect in a 2½-mile radius of the derailment site, with those evacuated sheltering in […]
EAST ELY, Nev. — After spending almost $1 million to refurbish 2-8-0 No. 81, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum is issuing a call for a final $166,590 in donations and memberships to complete the 1917 Baldwin Consolidation by mid-summer. Railroad President Mark Bassett says the engine is 96% complete will be ready for regular service […]
