A look at Thursday morning rail news: — Light rail operators on the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Transit system told a state legislative panel that they fear for their safety while at work, and that they often witness criminal activity including drug deals and assaults, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The two operators testified during a […]
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Canadian Pacific says one of its trains derailed about 6:15 a.m. in Saskatchewan. Media in Western Canada are reporting that the derailed and caught fire, with multiple outlets posting images of large flames illuminating a pre-dawn darkness. Local police have closed a highway in the area. Today’s derailment happened in Guernsey, Sask., […]
Association of American Railroads The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 1, 2020, as well as volumes for January 2020. U.S. railroads originated 1,165,733 carloads in January 2020, down 5.9%, or 73,110 carloads, from January 2019. U.S. railroads also originated 1,245,080 containers and trailers in January 2020, […]
LOS ANGELES — An acupuncturist was sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison on February 4, and was ordered to pay more than $2.68 million in restitution to Amtrak after defrauding the railroad’s health care plan for approximately $3.8 million in acupuncture treatments and other services that were either medically unnecessary or never provided. […]
A look at Wednesday morning rail news: — The city of Palestine, Texas, is demanding a jury trial in Union Pacific’s lawsuit over an agreement requiring it to base a certain number of jobs in the community [see “UP sues to end employment provision in Texas town,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 2, 2019]. Attorney James […]
The first Reading & Northern train crosses the new bridge over the Lehigh River on Tuesday. Reading & Northern PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern Railroad opened a new $14 million bridge over the Lehigh River on Tuesday, completing a project that was a 20-year effort of railroad owner and CEO Andy Muller […]
DURANGO, Colo. — Just days after releasing a newly restored K-37 2-8-2 locomotive that has been converted to burn oil instead of coal, shop crews at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are starting to convert another 3-foot gauge steam locomotive. On Jan. 24, the D&SNG fired up No. 493, one of the largest […]
Rio Grande Southern No. 20, its restoration continuing, shares the roundhouse with operational Rio Grande 2-8-2 No. 491 at the Colorado Railroad Museum in June 2019. TRAINS: Jim Wrinn GOLDEN, Colo. — After more than a decade of work, officials with the Colorado Railroad Museum say that the restoration of Rio Grande Southern 4-6-0 No. […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile City Council has pledged its financial support to returning Amtrak service to the Gulf Coast, voting 6-1 to support the Southern Rail Commission’s grant application for the New Orleans-Mobile service, WKRG-TV reports. With the vote, the council pledges up to $3 million toward operating expenses over the first three years […]
Seven new coaches en route to Metra were spotted in Leesburg, Ind. Matt Glassman CHICAGO — Metra is receiving seven new bilevel coach cars as part of a 2017 settlement with Sumitomo Corp. of America. The settlement is in exchange for releasing the company from the option Metra acquired from Virginia Railway Express to purchase […]
A look at Tuesday morning rail news: — Problems with overhead wires led to about five hours of significant delays for trains in and out of New York’s Penn Station on Monday, WABC-TV reports, beginning about 4:30 p.m. Amtrak and NJ Transit trains were delayed for up to two hours. Schedules finally returned to normal […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — In a regular service advisory, BNSF Railway began telling customers on Jan. 31 that it will spend more than $3 billion on capital projects throughout its network. BNSF’s statement is as follows: “BNSF’s 2020 capital investment plan reflects our emphasis on keeping the network in the best condition it has ever […]
