WASHINGTON — Less than a week after a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on the rail industry, a House subcommittee will hold its own session on Tuesday, June 24. The Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials hearing, “America Builds: The Role of Innovation and Technology in a Safe and Efficient Rail System,” […]
CHICAGO — Although the majority of Amtrak’s regional and Northeast Corridor service has been operating close to schedules despite recent torrid temperatures, June has been a rough month so far for several inter-regional trains. The Southwest Chief has been particularly hard hit, with a freight derailment west of Ft. Madison, Iowa, returning westbound passengers “to […]
CHICAGO — The current heat wave in the Midwest and East is bringing operational impacts for Amtrak and commuter rail systems. Amtrak last week issued a “fact sheet” on how it responds to high heat, noting that restrictions are issued when ambient temperatures exceed 95 degrees or track temperatures reach 128 degrees. Temperatures have reached […]
NEWARK, N.J. — After being shut down for more than a day because of storm damage, NJ Transit has resumed commuter rail operations on its North Jersey Coast Line. Service was restored after 4:30 a.m. today (June 21, 2025), the agency said in an updated service advisory. Service on the line to Bay Head, N.J., […]
BREWSTER, Ohio — The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway has unveiled a red, white, and blue locomotive to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. In a social media post, the railroad says the design was inspired by Norfolk & Western’s bicentennial locomotive in 1976, but with “a bold Wheeling twist, including chevron […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada and Canadian union Unifor have reached tentative agreement on a new three-year contract, averting a strike that could have begun as soon as this Sunday, June 22. If ratified, the agreement will be retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year and run through Dec. 31, 2027. VIA said terms would […]
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court has turned down a suit by a group of Chicago suburbs seeking review of the Surface Transportation Board decision approving the Canadian Pacific Kansas City merger. In a decision announced today (June 20, 2025), the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia District denied the request by the […]
CHICAGO — The Chicago area’s three transit operators have unveiled a new Regional Day Pass, good for unlimited rides in a single day on Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Pace buses. The new pass is available only on the newest version of the Ventra smartphone app, beginning today (June 20, 2025). The pass is […]
NEW YORK — Metro-North’s latest heritage unit, P32AC-DM No. 203, made its debut in commuter operation today (June 20, 2025), powering Hudson Line train No. 734, a 7:58 a.m. departure from Croton-Harmon to Grand Central Terminal. As has been the case with the debut of other heritage locomotives, No. 203 led the inbound train, rather […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway has announced Falcon Premium intermodal service it operates with Union Pacific and Grupo Mexico’s Ferromex has received the Silver Container (Contenedor de Plata) award from the Asociación Mexicana de Transporte Intermodal. The organization is Mexico’s leading intermodal transport association, promoting best practices in cross-border logistics. The award recognizes outstanding achievements […]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot tie transportation funding to compliance with its immigration policies. In a Thursday, June 19, ruling, Judge John McConnell issued a preliminary injunction blocking the ability of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Department of Transportation from linking the funds to immigration actions, […]
WASHINGTON — The National Institutes of Health has launched a five-year, $10 million program to study and address long-term health impacts of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment in 2023. The NIH said the study was being undertaken at the urging of Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio senator at the time of the incident. “This […]
