Massachusetts, Amtrak, CSX pursue grant for East-West Rail improvements

Map of proposed passenger route in Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Amtrak, and CSX Transportation are seeking $108 million in federal grants to improve the rail line between Springfield and Worcester, Mass., as part of the proposed East-West Rail project. The three entities announced the grant application Friday, MassLive.com reports, with the goal of adding two daily Amtrak […]

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CSX seeks FRA approval to use Trip Optimizer’s automatic start and stop feature

Locomotive with mix of freight cars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation is awaiting regulatory approval to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer’s Zero-to-Zero function, which allows the advanced cruise control system to automatically start and stop freight trains. The goal, CSX says, is to save fuel as part of the railroad’s effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by […]

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Amtrak, freight railroads say they have a deal on Gulf Coast service (updated)

Passenger train with theater car at rear stopped at station

WASHINGTON — The parties involved in the long-running dispute over Amtrak’s effort to launch Gulf Coast passenger service say they have reached an agreement, but at least initially are offering no details on the nature of that deal In a joint statement Tuesday, Amtrak, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and the Alabama State Port Authority say […]

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Trains Trackside Trailer

Follow Trains.com videographer Kevin Gilliam as he explores U.S. railroading action from a trackside perspective. And when the opportunity arises, you’ll also find other notable contributors capturing footage of contemporary railroad operations – everything from steam-powered tourist train to Class I heavy haulers to Amtrak Northeast Corridor high speed Acela sets. Of course, you’ll never know […]

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CSX selects engineering, consulting firm to oversee Virginia projects

Virginia_Map

PITTSBURGH — Engineering and consulting firm Michael Baker International will lead program and construction management for projects in the Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, CSX Transportation has announced. Some $3.7 billion in design and construction projects between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., are involved. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is the lead state agency in […]

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Ohio Rail Development Commission seeks federal grants

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) has approved resolutions to sponsor four Federal Railroad Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant applications, totaling $52 million. Projects Cincinnati Planning Grant — In collaboration with Norfolk Southern, CSX, and Genesee & Wyoming, the project will review and prioritize projects that reduce congestion […]

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The four things railroads must do to win the battle with trucks

Freight cars near sunset

NEW YORK — Railroads will not regain market share lost to trucks unless they shift to traffic growth mode, transform their operations, and provide service that’s far more reliable than ever. That’s the view of Oliver Wyman partner Adriene Bailey, who this week outlined four big steps railroads must take in order to deliver the […]

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Hamilton, Ohio, station move appears set for December

Brick two-story station building next to railroad tracks

HAMILTON, Ohio — The two structures of Hamilton’s historic railroad station will move in December, the Hamilton Journal-News reports. City Engineer Rich Engle said Wolfe House & Building Movers had scheduled an early December move, with a more detailed schedule still to come. The two structures — a one-story and two-story building — will be […]

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News photo: CSX derailment near Toledo, Ohio

Aerial view of derailed cars and spilled corn at rail junction

OREGON, Ohio — Ten railcars of corn from a CSX Transportation train derailed early Friday (Nov. 11) near the Port of Toledo, the Toledo Blade reports. The accident occurred at Ironville Junction, near Oregon’s border with Toledo, about 1:15 a.m. The derailment blocked CSX trackage on the Toledo Terminal Subdivision, the primary gateway to Michigan, […]

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STB grants delay in final Gulf Coast hearing (updated)

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — Having been told  there is a “substantial probability” the parties involved can reach an agreement through mediation, the Surface Transportation Board has agreed to postpone the final two days of hearings over Amtrak’s efforts to launch Gulf Coast passenger service until Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The hearings had been scheduled for Nov. […]

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STB orders more mediation in Gulf Coast case, keeps hearings as scheduled, for now

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation board has granted the request for more mediation in the Amtrak Gulf Coast case — but not to delay its scheduled hearings on the matter. At least, not yet. In a decision issued Wednesday evening, Nov. 2, the board calls for further mediation, to extend through Dec. 1, as requested […]

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