WASHINGTON — Federal regulators want Watco to provide more information about its proposed acquisition of Michigan short line Great Lakes Central before they will allow the deal to proceed. Watco on March 6 sought to have the deal to acquire the 420-mile Great Lakes Central exempt from a Surface Transportation Board review, as is common […]
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A benefit for steam expert Gary Bensman — whose fingerprints are on virtually every major steam locomotive restoration project — is being held to help defray medical costs as he recovers from a heart attack, stroke, and cardiac surgery. Bensman suffered a major cardiac event in February while working at a […]
BOSTON — Four former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority track inspectors and a current MBTA employee are facing federal charges for allegedly falsifying track inspection reports on the rapid transit Red Line. Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield, Mass.; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendez, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Five Amtrak employees have recently pleaded guilty to charges relating to a health care scheme that resulted in more than $11 million in fraudulent claims to the company’s health care plan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced this week that Kevin Frink, 53, of Willingboro, N.J., pleaded […]
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — BNSF Railway and intermodal partner J.B. Hunt have launched cross-border Quantum de Mexico premium service in conjunction with GMXT’s Ferromex. Like domestic Quantum service in the U.S., Quantum de Mexico takes aim at highly service-sensitive freight that has never moved on rails before, the companies announced this morning at the Mexican […]
SAN FRANCISCO — Wells Fargo will sell its rail leasing equipment business to a newly formed joint venture of GATX Corp. and Brookfield Infrastructure, the financial company announced Thursday (May 29, 2025). The joint venture will purchase approximately 105,000 railcars for $4.4 billion; Brookfield will separately acquire the Wells Fargo rail finance portfolio of approximately […]
NEW YORK — Lost in the debate between Amtrak, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and transportation advocates over the plans to close Amtrak’s East River tunnel for repairs — and the resulting service reductions, especially for Empire Service trains to and from Albany-Rensselaer, N. Y. — are the limited track routing options that exist between […]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — With the Illinois legislature one day away from a deadline for passing the state’s budget for fiscal 2026, lawmakers have yet to decide on a way to address the looming $770 million deficit for Chicago-area transit agencies. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that state Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) has proposed funding the operations […]
MONTREAL — After announcing its overall 2025 capital spending plan earlier this month, Canadian National has now released province-by-province plans for the Canadian portion of that plan. British Columbia, where the railroad is working to improve fluidity to and from Vancouver and add capacity to the Port of Prince Rupert, will receive the largest investment, […]
TEHACHAPI, Calif.— The Friends of the Tehachapi Depot and the City of Tehachapi will commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tehachapi Depot Museum in early June. The replica structure was built shortly after the destruction of the original station by a fire in 2008. “We are thrilled to honor this milestone for the Tehachapi Depot […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak and Metrolink service through San Clemente will resume on Saturday, June 7, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced today (Thursday, May 29). The Surf Line route through San Clemente — an area where landslides have frequently disrupted train traffic in recent years — has been closed since April 28 to […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The launch of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service between Mobile and New Orleans has been pushed back further, likely to the end of July or beginning of August. WALA-TV reports that Southern Rail Commission chairman Knox Ross told the station that “construction issues” are responsible for the latest delays. “We know the train’s […]
