UP derailment blocks route to ports of LA and Long Beach

Derailed locomotives

CARSON, Calif. — No injuries were reported when four locomotives and five cars of a Union Pacific train derailed today (Monday, Dec. 23) on the Alameda Corridor route connecting UP and BNSF Railway to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The derailment occurred about 1 p.m. near the intersection of Carson and Alameda […]

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Colorado, Union Pacific reach deal on new Moffat Tunnel agreement

Yellow locomotive and passenger cars at tunnel.

  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 […]

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Rockslide sends cars of CPKC grain train into river in British Columbia

CPKC logo

BOSTON BAR, British Columbia — Twelve cars of a CPKC grain train were sent into the Fraser River by a rockslide on Sunday, Dec. 22, CTV News reports. No injuries were reported. A Canadian National spokeswoman told the network that the incident occurred on the CN main line near Boston Bar. CN and CPKC operate […]

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News & Products for the week of December 23rd 2024

News & Products for the week of December 23rd 2024   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of December 23rd […]

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BNSF and J.B. Hunt keep Quantum intermodal service on-time performance pegged above 95%

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 […]

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NS derailment leads to Amtrak Michigan service cancellations

Norfolk Southern logo

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — Amtrak Michigan service is dealing with cancellations today because of a Norfolk Southern derailment Sunday in northwestern Indiana. NS said in a statement that eight cars of ethanol derailed on a train traveling through Gary, Ind., at about 10:35 p.m., resulting in a spill of about 250 gallons of ethanol from […]

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STB reduces railroad employment data reporting requirements

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 […]

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Unifor ratifies new deals with CN

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

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 […]

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News Wire top stories of 2024, No. 9: FRA’s two-person crew rule

Three crew members walk between train and crew van

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 […]

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International railroading in 2024: End of steam in China, advances in technology among highlights

Multiple-unit trainset with blue front portion and blue and white paint elsewhere

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 […]

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Truck was on grade crossing for just over a minute before fatal Texas accident, NTSB says (updated)

Aerial view of derailment

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 […]

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