Minnesota officials approve lease of commuter rail equipment to Amtrak, DART

Commuter train with smoking locomotive

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Metropolitan Council, which oversees transit and other governmental functions in the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, has approved a plan to lease surplus Northstar commuter rail equipment to Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Amtrak. The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the council, at a May 14 meeting, agreed to lease […]

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Photographer, author J. Parker Lamb dies at 91

Man with mustache in white shirt under trees

AUSTIN, Texas – Among the daring practitioners who revolutionized railroad photography in the 1950s and early ’60s, none reached a more receptive audience or garnered more praise than J. Parker Lamb. A mechanical engineer by profession, he worked hard to have his photos tell a story about people and technology, especially if it involved diesel […]

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Work on track and 4-6-2 ramps up at Abilene & Smoky Valley (updated)

steam train in field for charter

ABILENE, Kan. — The operating season is ramping up for the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. The same is true for major work on the railroad’s former Rock Island branch — between Abilene and Enterprise — and its Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3415. Accoring to a May 7 article from KSAL radio, the railroad’s […]

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Grupo Mexico’s rail operations post quarterly earnings decline as volume drops

MEXICO CITY — Grupo Mexico’s transportation division — which includes Ferromex, Ferrosur, Florida East Coast Railway, and Texas Pacifico — reported sharply lower first-quarter revenue and profits as a plunge in automotive and minerals traffic drove an overall volume decline. For the quarter, GMXT’s operating income declined 18.5%, to $225 million, as revenue declined 12.1%, […]

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Texas’ A-Train commuter line plans extension to connect to DART’s Silver Line

Map of Dallas Area Rapid Transit Silver Line

DENTON, Texas — The Denton County Transportation Authority’s A-Train, a 21-mile commuter line operating between Denton and Carrollton, Texas, has announced plans for a 2-mile extension, allowing a direct connection to rail service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The agency announced last week that it will extend the line from its current southern endpoint — […]

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Fort Bliss rail yard begins major expansion

Aerial view of rail yard in desert

EL PASO, Texas — Fort Bliss, the 1,700-square-mile Army post in Texas and New Mexico, is undergoing an expansion of its rail capacity. The El Paso Times reports that groundbreaking was held April 22 for construction of 4.3 additional miles of track at its rail yard, built to accommodate 565 railcars in 72 hours — […]

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Oklahoma legislature passes bill to streamline sale of rail lines

State seal of Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s legislature has passed a bill to simplify sale of state-owned rail lines, sending the legislation to Gov. Kevin Stitt for his signature. Senate Bill 341 calls for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to seek requests for proposals to purchase railroad assets owned by the state. Interested parties would have 120 days […]

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Texas bill sees support for Dallas-San Antonio high speed rail

Man addressing press conference

AUSTIN — As one effort to build a high speed rail line in Texas continues to meet with opposition, another is trying to overturn a law passed to help block the first attempt. Legislators have introduced a bill calling for construction of a high-speed route between Dallas and San Antonio via Austin, as well as […]

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Tornado derails BNSF train in Nebraska (updated)

BNSF Railway logo

ASHBY, Neb. — A tornado is being blamed for derailing an empty BNSF coal train on Sunday evening (April 27, 2025) near the town of Ashby, News Channel Nebraska reports. The derailment was reported about 6:27 p.m. CT, and involved the derailment of about 130 cars. The lead locomotive was not affected, and the two […]

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BNSF CEO Farmer nominated for American Airlines board

Blonde woman in dark clothing speaking

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines has nominated BNSF Railway CEO Katie Farmer for election to the airline’s board of directors. The board will be elected at the annual meeting of stockholders on June 11. If elected, she will serve on the board’s finance and safety committees. “We are very pleased to nominate Katie to […]

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Representative of financial backer says Texas Central project remains alive

Texas Central logo

AUSTIN, Texas — A representative of the Texas Central project was back in front of a state legislative committee on Thursday (April 17), saying the proposed high-speed rail project is not dead after the federal government rescinded a grant — but also that it is currently “not proposing construction of the project.” The news site […]

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