NTSB releases preliminary report on death of CSX conductor in Alabama

View of derailed freight cars

WASHINGTON — A CSX conductor was killed when he was crushed by the railcar he was riding during a shove move, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary investigation report released Thursday, Jan. 15. The car, part of a string being shoved onto a siding, overturned onto the conductor after it struck a cut-off […]

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Portal Bridge cutover to trigger 50% reduction in trains for a month

NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit will reduce the number of weekday trains between Newark and Secaucus, N.J., from 332 to 178 between Feb. 15 and March 14 for the first phase of work moving traffic to the new Portal North Bridge, officials said during a press conference today (Jan. 15). The outage is […]

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When railroad merger plans collide with reality: Analysis

Railroads proposing mergers inevitably make ambitious promises and projections, particularly about faster service and more competition. Not all of them become reality, despite the best intentions of railroaders who work at a feverish pace to develop the operating plans submitted to federal regulators. A case in point: CSX, as part of its 1999 acquisition of […]

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Norfolk Southern launches its first New England double-stack service (with video)

AYER, Mass. — Norfolk Southern marked a milestone on Tuesday morning when its first New England double-stack train arrived in Ayer, Mass., behind its Conrail and Delaware & Hudson heritage units. With NS engineer Matt Bushart at the throttle and conductor Adam Feeley in the left-hand seat, Chicago-Ayer intermodal train 264 made its inaugural run […]

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Brightline hires former Eurostar executive to run Florida operation

Man in coat and open-collar shirt

MIAMI — Nicolas Petrovic has been named CEO of Brightline Holdings’ Florida operation, effective today (Wednesday, Jan. 14). Petrovic was CEO of Eurostar from 2010 through 2018 after a four-year stint when he was responsible for all aspects of train operations, safety, and service delivery on the high-speed European network linking London, Paris, Brussels, and […]

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Pacific Surfliner adds 13th LA-San Diego round trip

Passenger train departs station, as seen from bridge

ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will add a 13th daily Los Angeles-San Diego round trip on Jan. 26, restoring operation to pre-pandemic levels, the LOSSAN Corridor Agency announced today (Jan. 13, 2026). Added will be a 7:01 a.m. departure from San Diego, arriving at LA Union Station at 9:57 a.m., and a 7:10 p.m. […]

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic to convert two Alco locomotives to electric power

Yellow, maroon, and black FA locomotive with passenger train

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Alco FPA4 locomotives at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will be converted to electric power in a $3.5 million project announced Monday by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The partnership between the railroad and Ohio EPA will see the state agency provide $2.1 million in federal funding allocated to the state […]

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Train service resumes on Coast Line

Passenger train running along beach

GAVIOTA, Calif. — Train service has resumed on Union Pacific’s Coast Line north of Santa Barbara following a week-long closure because of a washout. Southbound Pacific Surfliner No. 774 left San Luis Obispo as scheduled at 6:11 a.m. local time today (Jan. 13), the first of two daily Surfliner round trips between San Luis Obispo and […]

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CSX completes upgrades to expand Ohio’s Willard Yard

WILLARD, Ohio — CSX Transportation has added merchandise capacity at its Willard, Ohio, rail yard after phased improvements helped convert the idled hump yard to a flat switching facility. Railroad officials say the former Baltimore & Ohio terminal can now handle 600 railcars per day, up from 300  two years ago. CSX shut down the […]

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Union Pacific adds GPS tracking for intermodal customers

Green containers on double-stack cars

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific, in coordination with supply chain technology group Blume Global, has added GPS tracking to its fleet of 53-foot EMP and UMAX intermodal containers assigned to domestic intermodal service. The containers, owned in partnership with other Class I railroads, now represent the largest GPS-equipped, rail-owned container fleet in North America. The […]

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NTSB releases preliminary report on December death of UP brakeman in California

Aerial view of grade crossing in industrial area

WASHINGTON — The Union Pacific brakeman killed in a grade-crossing incident in Ontario, Calif., last month was riding the lead car on a shove move when his train struck a truck that had entered the crossing while warning lights were flashing, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report released today (Jan. 12, 2026). […]

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LIRR unions request second Presidential Emergency Board

Blue and yellow diesel pulling commuter train

NEW YORK — A five-union coalition representing Long Island Rail Road workers has formally requested that President Donald Trump appoint a second Presidential Emergency Board to address its long-running contract dispute with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The move will add another 120 days to the process outlined by the Railway Labor Act for commuter rail […]

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