WASHINGTON — Alvin Brown has been appointed as vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, the board announced Monday, Dec. 23. The appointment by President Joe Biden was made on Friday, Dec. 20. Brown’s appointment to the board was confirmed by the Senate in March; he joined the agency in April [see “Brown, Inman […]
DENVER — The state of Colorado will not have to pay a fee to Union Pacific to use its track for a Denver-Craig passenger train, while the railroad will no longer pay the state annually for use of the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel under a new 25-year agreement announced today (Monday, Dec. 23, 2024). The […]
WASHINGTON — Just before adjourning last weekend, the U.S. Senate confirmed four nominees to Amtrak’s Board of Directors who are in position to bring different perspectives and active oversight to the organization. The last-minute legislative action early Saturday morning was championed by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) [see “Senate confirms four for Amtrak […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt have been able to maintain above 95% door-to-door on-time performance for their Quantum premium domestic intermodal service through the fall peak season. “In October, BNSF achieved record intermodal volumes, a testament to our growing capabilities and commitment to excellence, then ramped immediately into peak season. Throughout […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators have scaled back the detailed railroad employment data reporting that they first ordered in 2022 amid widespread crew shortages on the big four U.S. Class I railroads. The Surface Transportation Board, in a decision released on Friday, said effective in January the Class I freight railroads will no longer have to […]
MONTREAL — Members of Canadian union Unifor have ratified new four-year agreements with Canadian National Railway, the union and railroad have announced. CN says the agreements were ratified on Sunday, Dec. 22, and cover approximately 3,300 workers in mechanical, clerical, and intermodal positions. The union did not announce any details on the ratification vote. “We […]
It was deja vu all over again this year as the Federal Railroad Administration adopted its final rule mandating a crew size of two for most trains. The FRA in April issued its final, 233-page rule that generally requires two-person crews. Less than two weeks later four railroads – BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, the Indiana Rail […]
International railroad news in 2024 saw the end of commercial steam operation in China and a threat to the continued use of steam on Germany’s premier narrow-gauge steam network. The year also saw new train technology entering service in many countries, with hydrogen and battery power becoming more widespread. In Saudi Arabia an entire metro […]
PECOS, Texas — The truck struck by a Union Pacific train in a fatal grade-crossing collision and derailment was on the grade crossing for just over 1 minute before the collision occurred, the National Transportation Safety Board said today (Dec. 22). In an update on its investigation into the Dec. 18 accident that killed two […]
In general terms, America is not a country with great affinity for nationalization. The machinations of the American economy are diametrically opposed to the principles of nationalization. However, that doesn’t mean that the U.S. has never dabbled in the practice. The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) is an example. In the interest of clarity, I’ll […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has confirmed four nominees for the Amtrak board of directors, the first time the legislative body has confirmed a majority of the 10-member board in almost a decade. Senate records indicate David Capozzi, Elaine Clegg, Ronald Batory, and Lanhee Chen were confirmed by voice vote during a Friday session that […]
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said he has selected David Fink to become administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. In a post today (Saturday, Dec. 21) on Truth Social, Trump said Fink is a “fifth-generation railroader” who “will bring his 45+ years of transportation leadership and success, which will deliver the FRA into a new […]
