AAR touts safety improvements as part of industry lobbying day on Capitol Hill

A train passes through a tall, gray, open-ended shed

WASHINGTON — Freight railroad safety improved last year, with the overall train accident rate down 14% and the industry setting all-time low records for derailments and accidents caused by equipment and track, the Association of American Railroads said today, citing data from the Federal Railroad Administration. Human-factor accidents declined by nearly 20% in 2025, which […]

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BLET members ratify contract with MARC operator Alstom

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a new four-year agreement with Alstom, the contract operator of Maryland Area Rail Commuter trains. The union also announced that train and engine service employees at Watco’s Austin Western Railroad have voted to join the union. The contract with Alstom, retroactive […]

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FTA to provide $100 million for World Cup public transit

WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration will provide $100.3 million in funding to support public transit systems in host cities for this summer’s World Cup soccer tournament, the agency announced Tuesday (March 3). The money will support planning, capital, and operating expenses for matches and related events; will be apportioned according to a formula involving […]

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CN introduces two America 250 locomotives

Locomotive with eagle and flag design

HOMEWOOD, Ill. — Canadian National today unveiled two locomotives to launch its celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying the units “represent the dual pillars of the American story: independence and innovation.” Locomotive No. 1776 features a “Screaming Eagle” design. “The ‘Screaming Eagle’ has deep historical roots,” the railway says in a press […]

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Class I railroad traffic: 2025 in review

WASHINGTON — Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, a persistently soft truck market, and an uncertain economy marked an eventful 2025, but U.S. rail traffic still managed to eke out a 1.5% gain last year. All six Class I railroads, in fact, posted year-over-year gains in overall volume. On paper, Canadian Pacific Kansas City recorded the biggest percentage […]

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Federal judge says administration can’t kill New York’s congestion tolling (updated)

Message board with words "congestion pricing" on New York street

NEW YORK — The Trump Administration’s effort to kill New York’s congestion tolling program — which helps fund Metropolitan Transportation Authority capital projects — has been ruled illegal by a federal judge. The government cannot revoke its previous approval of the program, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis L. Liman wrote in a 149-page ruling today […]

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CPKC sets grain-hauling record for second straight month

Grain train led by red locomotive

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City said today it has broken its February monthly record for transporting Canadian grain and grain products, moving 2.232 million metric tonnes last month. The prior record for February was set in February 2021. Last month’s 23,088 carloads also set a new February monthly record, beating the high also […]

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OmniTRAX debuts restored private car

Blue and white private car

WASHINGTON — OmniTRAX has restored a business car built in 1959 to operation, debuting the car with a trip to Washington for the annual Railroad Day on the Hill industry event on Wednesday, March 4. The car, christened as Savannah Sunrise by the company, was built by National Steel Car and has undergone a years-long […]

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CPKC becomes first Class I to unveil America 250 locomotive

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City took the wraps off its America 250 locomotive today, becoming the first Class I railroad to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial with a specially painted locomotive. “This locomotive, built and painted in Fort Worth, Texas, honors the remarkable and proud history of America as we prepare to mark the nation’s […]

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FTA announces availability of $686 million in grants for improvements of rail transit stations

Men looking at subway platform marked as a boarding area for those in wheelchairs or with strollers

WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration has announced the availability of approximately $686 million in grant funding to modernize rail transit stations. Today’s announcement includes funding from the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years allocated under the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. That bill set aside $350 million each fiscal year between 2022 […]

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G&W’s North Carolina & Virginia to serve new steel manufacturing plant in North Carolina

Logo of the North Carolina & Virginia Railroad, a Genesee & Wyoming affiliate

AHOSKIE, N.C. — Genesee & Wyoming’s North Carolina & Virginia Railroad will service a new specialty steel manufacturing facility in Cofield, N.C., the company announced today. Once operational, the $785 million plant for US Forged Rings will manufacture forged rings, tubular components, and large-scale steel fabrications for use in construction, power generation, oil and gas, […]

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