NTSB releases preliminary report on MRL bridge-collapse derailment

Photo of damaged bridge and tank cars in river

WASHINGTON — Sixteen tank cars, 15 of them carrying hazardous materials, derailed in the Montana Rail Link incident involving the Reed Point bridge collapse on June 24, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report on the incident released on Monday. The NTSB’s investigation is only considering the performance of DOT-111 tank cars […]

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Rebuilt Montana Rail Link bridge over Yellowstone River opens to traffic

Montana Rail Link’s main line was put back into service on Saturday after the rebuilt Reed Point bridge over the Yellowstone River was reopened more than a week ahead of estimates. The bridge collapsed on June 24, sending 10 cars into the river and derailing an additional seven cars. Asphalt was released into the river […]

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Norfolk Southern pays $1 million for community relief to Pennsylvania areas affected by derailment

Norfolk Southern logo

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Norfolk Southern has paid $1 million to two areas in Pennsylvania as part of its efforts to address the impact of the East Palestine derailment and toxic chemical release. The Beaver County Times reports the office of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Darlington Township will receive $660,000 and Lawrence County will receive […]

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Canadian union rips state of high-frequency rail project

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

MONTREAL — Canada’s largest private-sector union has criticized the latest step in the high-frequency rail project, calling out the selection of two European companies to participate in the Request for Qualifications while also questioning the slow development of the plan. “The federal government continues to ignore the voice of workers throughout this process,” Lana Payne, […]

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UP locomotive recognizes employee-focused programs

Side view of yellow locomotive with five logos added to usual UP lettering

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Union Pacific has announced the release of a locomotive recognizing its Employee Assistance Program and four other employee-focused programs. The railroad announced last week that SD70ACe No. 8388 “went into service earlier this year” on its network following work at UP’s Jenks Locomotive Shop in North Little Rock. The locomotive […]

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Canadian National main line to Halifax washed out by flooding

Aerial image of washed out rail line

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Canadian National’s main line to the Port of Halifax, Canada’s fourth-largest port, has been washed out as a result of flooding that caused “unimaginable” damage, according to Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. Reuters reports a storm that arrived on Friday left more than 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period […]

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BC port workers to vote Tuesday on tentative agreement

Locomotive switching at container terminal

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Port workers on Canada’s West Coast will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to accept a tentative contract agreement, and union leadership said Friday it will recommend members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada accept the deal. A brief notice from ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton said union members […]

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FRA wants Class I railroads to report monthly train length and tonnage data

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed requiring the Class I railroads to provide monthly data that tracks train length and tonnage as well as the number of reportable accidents for trains over and under 7,500 feet. The FRA, in a notice published in the Federal Register today, says it wants to use the […]

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Missouri utility praises BNSF’s coal service

Diesel-powered coal train in rolling hills. FRA railroad brakes safety.

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has been in hot water with federal regulators over the level of service it’s providing to a Montana coal mine. But now BNSF has found an ally in a Missouri utility cooperative that has praised the railroad’s service. “BNSF Railway provides unit coal train rail service from Wyoming Powder River Basin […]

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Deal may be in place to end BC port labor dispute

Logo of International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A tentative agreement may be in place that would end the labor dispute at British Columbia ports. A posting on the website of International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canada Local 502, representing workers along the Fraser River, says a tentative agreement between the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association […]

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Lawsuit filed in collision that derailed Silver Star

Amtrak logo.

LAKELAND, Fla. — A national injury law firm has filed suit against three trucking companies and a driver over the collision that derailed an Amtrak train July 14 in Lakeland, sending eight people to the hospital for treatment of injuries. WFLA-TV reports the suit was filed against Lastre Auto Transport, M&L Auto Transport, and Betan […]

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Senate appropriations bill seeks to maintain funding for Amtrak, grant programs

Passenger train with locomotive and three cars passes under signal bridge at grade crossing

WASHINGTON — Amtrak and funding for rail-related grant programs fared far better with Senate appropriators on Thursday than they did last week with those in the House of Representatives. Transportation spending for fiscal 2024 in a bill approved by the Senate Committee on Appropriations includes some $2.45 billion for Amtrak operations and state-of-good repair funding, […]

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