WASHINGTON — The Justice Department yesterday urged the Surface Transportation Board to closely scrutinize Norfolk Southern’s bid for full control of the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line, warning that the move could choke off competition at one of the Port of Virginia’s intermodal terminals. The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said the 129-year-old Belt Line — […]
Athearn HO Johnstown America BethGon Coalporter Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Five-pack, $234.99 Era: 1990s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO BethGon Coalporter features: 36” metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers Etched-metal crossover platforms Factory-applied brake wheel and formed-wire […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday (Aug. 27) fired Surface Transportation Board member Robert E. Primus, breaking a 2-2 partisan split at the rail regulator while leaving it two members short of full strength just months before it is expected to receive the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application. The Wall Street Journal first […]
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic remained slightly below 2024 levels for a second consecutive week, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Aug. 23, 2025, total traffic was 512,333 carloads and intermodal units, a decline of 0.8% from the same week a year ago. That follows a 0.7% […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Patriot Rail introduced a new logo on Wednesday (Aug. 27, 2025), with a stylized letter “P” replacing its previous eagle image. “Our rebrand is more than just a new look — it represents a pivotal moment in our ambitious growth strategy to reshape freight rail transportation,” Brandy Christian, Patriot Rail CEO, said […]
WASHINGTON – The Short Line Safety Institute has promoted Julia Leone to assistant director of research and organizational development, an expanded role that includes leading efforts to improve delivery and outcome for the organization’s safety and research programs. “Our program expansion has come as a direct result of research led by Julia Leone. Improvements to […]
DENVER — Shortline holding company OmniTRAX has named former BNSF Railway official Ryan Dreier as its executive vice president of sales and economic development. Dreier has held multiple commercial leadership roles in both carload and intermodal at BNSF. “OmniTRAX has grown more than 50% in the past five years, prompting an expanded sales structure that […]
Freight on the Iron Range The Canadian-owned Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific line (now part of Canadian National) links the Midwestern United States with the CN’s east-west line in Ontario and provides CN with a direct route to the Port of Duluth on Lake Superior. According to The Historical Guide to North American Railroads, Third Edition […]
JOPLIN, Mo. — Jaguar Transport Holdings has completed its acquisition of two railroads in central Washington state and will begin operating them today (Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025), the company has announced. The Columbia Basin Railroad and Central Washington Railroad will bring Jaguar’s holdings to 13 short line railroads, as well as 13 transload locations and […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has urged federal regulators to take a closer look at the proposed Green Eagle Railroad, arguing that construction of a 19-mile cross-border line at the Eagle Pass, Texas, gateway is unnecessary and would snarl rail traffic. Green Eagle aims to build a new 19.12-mile secure cross-border corridor that includes 1.335 miles […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has delayed by a year the deadline to comply with a rule requiring railroads to provide emergency breathing devices in the cab of locomotives on trains carrying hazardous materials that pose an inhalation danger. In a notice published earlier this month, the FRA said it was delaying the deadline […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City said today that Class I railroad mergers are not necessary and that it isn’t interested in participating in an immediate round of consolidation. “We believe that a transcontinental merger would trigger permanent restructuring of the industry and result in a disproportionately large railway whose size and scope would […]
