U.S. rail freight traffic remained ahead of previous-year levels, although barely, in the latest weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Feb. 13, U.S. railroads moved 269,063 trailers and containers, a 6.9% increase over intermodal units for the corresponding week in 2020. The 211,420 carloads, meanwhile, represented a 7% decrease, […]
I decided to make history repeat itself in August 2000, when my son, Liam, was 4. I wanted Liam to experience a train ride that I took with my grandfather 50 years ago. My grandfather had taken me on passenger trains from the San Francisco Bay Area to the San Joaquin Valley town of Merced, […]
WASHINGTON — Although the New York-Florida Silver Meteor and Silver Star are set to operate through the end of this week, Amtrak has preemptively cancelled trains in Virginia and the Carolinas as another winter storm is predicted to dump ice and snow on the area. With one of the two Auto Train equipment sets still […]
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A Detroit-area company aims to use its patented shipping containers to put loads of auto parts into multilevel railcars that otherwise would return empty to assembly plants. Pro-Tech Group, which has designed containers to fit within the confines of auto racks that carry finished vehicles, has successfully completed pilot runs carrying pallets […]
While hard-hit transit agencies are struggling to find money to keep trains running and undertake construction projects, a Canadian entrepreneur believes he has a new solution. Steve Ostrowski says he’s “in the good idea business.” He’s started companies and developed products ranging from snowmobile shock absorbers to deck awnings, and now he wants to reinvent […]
Wednesday afternoon rail news: Pittsburgh-area railroad expands rail shipping options Allegheny Valley Railroad, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carload Express Inc., received its first rail shipments at its new Glenwood Transload Terminal in Pittsburgh earlier this month. “We are excited to offer this new service to Pittsburgh and look forward to providing continued support for the […]
MONTREAL – Technology and carbon footprint gaps between Class I railroads eventually could be a catalyst for a merger of two of the big North American rail systems, Canadian National CEO JJ Ruest says. Any merger involving two of the big six Class I systems would have to address competition issues through reciprocal switching or […]
Last fall, Editor Jim Wrinn posed a few questions to retired CSX Chairman Hays Watkins. Living in retirement in Virginia, Watkins answered by email. Here’s what he wrote us about his own experiences, Amtrak, precision scheduled railroading, and other issues of the day. The text has been lightly edited for style or clarity. What’s the […]
Railfans and model railroaders alike will enjoy this ethereal approach to capturing the stunning natural vistas and railroads of the American West. Beginning with this Autumn episode of an all-new, seasonal series by photographer/videographer Tom Danneman, you’ll be immersed in extended-length footage of contemporary trains working through expansive scenes, and even bigger, broader skies. Available […]
In the 1990s Amtrak managers sought to use mail and express business to bolster revenue. A byproduct of that initiative, which involved beefing up baggage handling facilities and acquisition of boxcars, was aggressively seeking ways to use equipment. New Hampshire-based motorcycle event promoter Charlie St. Clair was a member of Amtrak’s Customer Advisory Committee […]
Not in my backyard. The unofficial rallying cry of opposition— to anything from low-cost housing to a railroad line — has made NIMBY a familiar acronym and led to the expectation that someone, somewhere, will oppose almost every effort to build or expand. Railroads and transit agencies are well aware that if financial and environmental […]
Tuesday morning rail news: MTA to open subway for two additional hours overnight The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will increase overnight New York subway service, cutting the time the subway is closed nightly from four hours to two as of Feb. 22. The system, currently closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for nightly cleaning, will […]
