WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today issued a $5 billion-plus Notice of Funding Opportunity for the National Railroad Partnership Program, which aims to enhance safety on intercity passenger routes. The program now includes $2.4 billion that the FRA clawed back from the California High-Speed Rail Project. “The funding will help advance FRA’s top priority […]
The SMART-TD union today said it would back Union Pacific’s acquisition of Norfolk Southern under an agreement that ensures job security for rank and file members who work in train and yardmaster service. Union Pacific said SMART-TD employees would not face involuntary furloughs as a result of the merger and would have job protection for […]
WASHINGTON — Robert Gleason, the White House nominee to serve on Amtrak’s board of directors, was among the nominees the U.S. Senate confirmed en masse last week. The Senate approved 48 Trump administration nominees under a simple majority vote on Thursday. Republicans adopted the process last week to speed the confirmation of nominees amid Democratic […]
Trains Turntable: Commentary from Matthew K. Rose Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads have proposed a merger — what could possibly be wrong with a transcontinental railroad? First, there exists no financial crisis in the rail industry, like that which drove the significant consolidation in the freight rail industry over the last 30 years. The […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday said he approved of the proposed $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. In Oval Office remarks reported by White House media, Trump said the tie-up that would create the first transcontinental freight railroad “sounds good to me. Union Pacific is a great railroad.” Trump also […]
Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met at a grain terminal in Mexico City today to celebrate the arrival of a unit train carrying wheat grown in Manitoba. Amid ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and its North American neighbors, CPKC has been seeking to connect customers in […]
GRANTSVILLE, Utah — Savage Tooele Railroad held a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to celebrate the opening of the 11-mile short line, which revived a dormant Western Pacific branch line southwest of Salt Lake City. “This new railroad is a major step forward for Utah’s economy,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. “The Savage Tooele […]
MONTREAL — Supply chain executive Madeleine Paquin will join the Canadian National board of directors effective Oct. 29, the railway announced today. “Madeleine is an accomplished logistics and supply chain executive with deep, hands-on experience in international trade and shipping. Her business accomplishments, customer insights and experience with complex capital-intensive transportation infrastructure including port terminals, […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic declined 1.6% for the week ending Sept. 13, the Association of American Railroads reports. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 13, 2025. Total carloads for the week ending September 13 were 231,237 carloads, down 0.5% compared with the same week […]
Back in the day when railroads were squeezed under the thumb of the Interstate Commerce Commission and saddled with money-losing passenger service and dying branch lines, Class I railroads went through merger after merger to fend off financial collapse. The goal of those combinations was to eliminate duplicate routes, yards, shops, and headquarters in the […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National has expanded and upgraded its specialized fire suppression fleet as wildfires in Canada have become more extreme in recent years. CN has introduced two new firefighting trains, Oceanus and Amphitrite, which join a fleet that includes Neptune, Trident, and Poseidon. The new trains carry 25,000 gallons of water and are equipped […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s Digital Train Inspection (DTI) portals have been recognized in Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards, receiving an honorable mention in the Artificial Intelligence Design category. It’s the first time a railroad has earned a spot in the business technology magazine’s annual awards. “This recognition highlights how our innovation is transforming […]
