CN CEO: A railroad lagging on technology or fuel efficiency could be a merger target

JJ Ruest

MONTREAL – Technology and carbon footprint gaps between Class I railroads eventually could be a catalyst for a merger of two of the big North American rail systems, Canadian National CEO JJ Ruest says. Any merger involving two of the big six Class I systems would have to address competition issues through reciprocal switching or […]

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Digest: Charlotte agency sets meetings on proposed Silver Line light rail route

Trains Magazine placeholder image

Tuesday morning rail transit news: Charlotte unveils preliminary Silver Line light rail plan, sets meetings Charlotte’s transit agency has unveiled initial plans for its 26-mile Silver Line light rail project, and is beginning a series of six public meetings to address the potential route. WCNC-TV reports the Charlotte Area Transit System project aims to be […]

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Digest: CN derails train at crossing with UP in West Chicago, Ill.

CN logo

CN derailment in West Chicago, Ill., disrupts Metra, UP operations A derailment on Canadian National near its diamond crossing of Union Pacific in West Chicago, Ill., is disrupting traffic on Metra’s UP West line, as well as Union Pacific trains. Metra has canceled some UP West trains earlier this morning, has been busing passengers between […]

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Digest: Draft plan released for Newark AirTrain replacement

Monorail passing over water

Port Authority releases draft environmental report on Newark AirTrain The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has released the Draft Environmental Assessment for the project to build a new AirTrain system at Newark Liberty International Airport, beginning the 30-day period for public comment. The project, expected to cost about $2 billion, will build […]

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Digest: MTA asks for 1,000 NYPD officers to patrol transit system after fatal stabbings

MTA logo

MTA asks for 1,000 more police to patrol New York transit system New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is asking for 1,000 New York Police Department officers to deploy on its subway and bus system in the wake of a series of violent attacks including two stabbing deaths at A Train subway stations. WPIX-TV reports this […]

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News Photos: CN derailment in West Chicago, Ill.

Canadian National’s Elgin, Joliet & Eastern heritage locomotive narrowly missed being a part of Monday’s derailment on the former EJ&E in West Chicago, Ill. [See “Digest: CN derails train …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 15, 2021.] Eight cars immediately behind that locomotive, the trailing unit on a northbound train, derailed as the train traveled north […]

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Trailers catch fire during cleanup of Normal, Ill., derailment

derailment site

Two trailers involved in Saturday’s derailment of a Union Pacific intermodal train in Normal, Ill., caught fire Sunday morning, requiring a multiple-alarm response from the Normal Fire Department because of extreme cold and accessibility issues. Normal Fire Department Chief Mick Humer said the fire was caused by the refrigeration unit during salvage work one of […]

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Winter storms batter Amtrak from coast to coast

Train in the snow

CHICAGO — The Union Pacific stack train derailment just south of the Normal, Ill., Transportation Center early Saturday kicked off a challenging Presidents Day weekend for Amtrak trains across the country. That derailment led to cancellation of Lincoln Service trains and a reroute of the Texas Eagle between St. Louis and Chicago [see “Digest: UP […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, structure, detail, and decal announcements for February 18, 2021

Enclosed auto flatcar

Product news
 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 18, 2021. HO scale locomotives
 Electro-Motive Division SD40T-2 diesel locomotive. Southern […]

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Toy train locomotive, freight car, structure, detail, and decal announcements for February 18, 2021

TCA Western Division Menards O gauge flatcar with Divco milk vans

CDs and DVDs Lionel Trains: A History in Advertising, 1946-1959. CD-ROM contains images of more than 100 vintage ads from the postwar era featuring Lionel trains and accessories. $14.95 plus shipping and handling. Archives of Advertising series. McBride/Publisher, thejumpingfrog.com O Gauge Train Maintenance You Can Do, Part 1. All-new series has how-to segments wiring postwar […]

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Digest: Colorado governor says 2042 date for Boulder-Longmont commuter line is ‘not legitimate’

Colorado governor, in RTD meeting, says current date to build commuter line is “not legitimate” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, in a rare appearance at a meeting of Denver’s Regional Transportation District, continued his recent push for construction of a commuter rail line to Boulder and Longmont, Colo., saying the current projection of completion in 2042 […]

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