Digest: Conrail names Gorton as president, COO

Head shot of man

Brian Gorton named as Conrail president, chief operating officer Conrail has named Brian E. Gorton as its president and chief operating officer, succeeding the retired Timothy Tierney. The move, announced Thursday, was effective April 19. Gorton, who began his railroad career as a conductor for Conrail in 1987, was most recently the general manager of […]

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Canadian National plans major upgrade to IC-KCS route to Kansas City

Freight train curves through town behind depot

MONTREAL – As part of its proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern, Canadian National envisions spending $250 million to create an upgraded route linking Kansas City, Mo., with Eastern Canada via Springfield, Ill. The big prize in a CN-KCS merger is connecting Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. But the combined CN-KCS route to Kansas City would […]

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Athearn Genesis 2.0 EMD SD80MAC

Athearn Genesis Electro-division locomotive

Athearn is rolling out its Genesis 2.0 models and we recently received a sample of the Electro-Motive Division SD80MAC. Sounds features include EMD’s 20-710G3B 20-cylinder diesel engine, and lighting features such as operating ditch lights that flash when the horn in sounded. […]

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Digest: LA Metro releases $8 billion budget for fiscal 2022

LA Metro light rail train on curving bridge

LA Metro budget will restore service to pre-pandemic levels LA Metro has released an $8 billion budget for fiscal 2022 including restoration of rail and bus service to pre-pandemic levels and the start of testing for two projects: the 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX light rail line, also known as the K line, and the 1.9-mile Regional Connector, […]

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Digest: Pioneer Railcorp changes name to Pioneer Lines

Pioneer Lines Logo

Short line company Pioneer Railcorp becomes Pioneer Lines Holding company Pioneer Railcorp, which operates 15 railroads in 12 states as well as related services such as transloading and storage, has changed its name to Pioneer Lines. The change comes as the company marks 35 years in business, and two years after it was acquired by […]

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April rail traffic stats show continued strength

Weekly table of U.S. rail traffic statistics

WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads saw major traffic increases in April 2021 over the same month a year earlier, reflecting the traffic recovery from the economic slump triggered by COVID-19 related shutdowns in 2020. Traffic for the most recent week remained on pace with recent showings. Figures from the Association of American Railroads show overall U.S. […]

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