Sites in Missouri, Washington State added to BNSF industrial development program

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has added four more Certified Sites to its existing list of 38 trackside shovel-ready, rail-served industrial development properties. The new sites, which were announced yesterday, include in Everett, Spokane, and Plymouth, Wash.; and Springfield, Mo. “We’re excited to announce these four new locations to our growing list of certified […]

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Nevada State Railroad Museum acquires 1907 Virginia & Truckee passenger car

Yellow passenger car on turntable

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada State Railroad Museum has acquired a 1907 Virginia & Truckee Passenger car from the Southern California Railroad Museum, with the car arriving at the museum in Carson City last week. Coach-Smoker-Baggage car No. 20 was the last new passenger car acquired by the Virginia & Truckee, the museum said […]

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Railroads head into 2025 with headcount momentum to support growth: Analysis

Train crew member throwing switch before reboarding caboose

WASHINGTON — Railroads appear to have the manpower resources they need to handle volume growth as we head into the New Year. Three of the country’s six Class I railroads have more train and engine (T&E) employees than they did a year ago, including three of the big four U.S. railroads. Amtrak also has 125 […]

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New York MTA set to order 435 more Kawasaki subway cars

Subway train at station

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New York City Transit Committee on Monday approved an order for an additional 435 new subway cars, including 80 with an open-gangway design. The full MTA board will vote on the order at its monthly meeting, this Wednesday, Dec. 18. The order will bring to 1,610 the number […]

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Rail advocacy group GoRail launches essay contest

Logo of GoRail's Rail Champions campaign

WASHINGTON — GoRail, an advocacy group linking the rail industry with local leaders and the public in support of freight rail transportation, has announced a national essay contest for entrants to share how freight rail impacts their communities as part of its Rail Champions initiative. The 300- to 600-word essays, responding to the prompt “I’m […]

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Operation Toy Train sets record for toy donations

Collage of photos showing toy donation totals

Operation Toy Train, the annual series of train trips to collect toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation, set records for toys collected and toys collected in a day, the organization has announced. The expanded operation — with collection efforts on 10 railroads in five states, covering 52 stops in 48 cities — […]

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Only minor issues reported as DC Metrorail automation returns

WMATA (DC Metro) logo

WASHINGTON — The first day of automated operation on DC Metrorail’s Red Line went well, a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority representative told local news media. Sunday, Dec. 15, was the first day for use of Automatic Train Operation on any part of the system since it was disabled following a fatal 2009 collision [see […]

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Mexican president opens final segment of Maya Train

Three people cutting white ribbon

CHETUMAL, Mexico — Saying that “only in Mexico can you build a train of more than 1,500 kilometers … in just four years,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday and Sunday marked the opening of the final section of the Maya Train project on the Yucatan Peninsula, as well as the first anniversary of the […]

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What S&P’s energy outlook for 2025 could mean for railroads: Analysis

Coal train passes line of coal hoppers

NEW YORK — Energy demand is growing faster than clean energy’s ability to fulfill it. Data centers and artificial intelligence are exacerbating the issue. New liquified natural gas (LNG) exports from the U.S. could boost prices for domestic natural gas, possibly making coal more competitive for electricity generation. All of this and more has been […]

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Comment period on Del Mar tunnel project shows continued opposition

Map of potential rail tunnels in Del Mar, Calif.

DEL MAR, Calif. — Officials and residents of the San Diego County communities of Del Mar and Solana Beach continue to object to plans to relocate the Surf Line rail route along the Pacific Coast in their communities, a $4 billion proposal that would involve tunneling under the communities to move the tracks off the […]

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BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt assist in Wreaths Across America, remembering fallen veterans

Locomotive and JB Hunt vehicle as backdrop for motorcyclists

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — To honor fallen veterans during the holidays, a number of companies regularly partner with Wreaths Across America to deliver wreaths for placement on headstones. Among them are BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Wreaths Across America has a mission to “Remember, Honor, and Teach,” and every year since 2007 the […]

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News photo: Viewliner sleeper returns in new paint scheme

Side view of passenger car

Amtrak has returned one of its stored Viewliner I sleeping cars to service — and introduced a new passenger-car variant of the Phase VII locomotive paint scheme at the same time. Sleeper No. 62032, the Iroquois River, was caught by photographer Nathan Richters on the southbound Floridian at Fredericksburg, Va., on Saturday, Dec. 14. The […]

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