NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are introducing a new weekend discount program for those with monthly tickets as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s effort to encourage more public transit ridership in conjunction with the start of Manhattan’s congestion pricing program. The “Winter Weekend” program allows passholders to travel […]
WASHINGTON – Union Pacific has resolved the broader service problems that prompted Amtrak’s complaint about the tardy performance of the Sunset Limited in the 12 months ending on Sept. 30, 2022, the freight railroad told federal regulators this week. UP, which hosts the Sunset Limited for 1,770 miles of its 1,994-mile route between New Orleans […]
WASHINGTON — Class I railroads this week disagreed with Amtrak’s contention that its passenger trains should enjoy absolute and unlimited priority over freight trains. Amtrak, as part of its complaint over Union Pacific’s handling of the Sunset Limited, told the Surface Transportation Board earlier this year that every individual dispatching decision must result in the […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic remains ahead of 2023 levels for the week ending Dec. 21, 2024. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, overall traffic for the week was 523,912 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.8% from the same week a year ago. That includes 230,857 carloads, up 0.3%, and 293,055 […]
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma state legislator has announced plans for a bill to limit train lengths within the state. State Rep. Ty Burns (R-Pawnee) says the legislation, to be introduced at the start of the upcoming legislative session in February, will seek to cap train length at 8,500 feet, KOKI-TV reports. “The infrastructure that […]
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Railroads on the Gulf Coast and in the East are familiar with hurricane preparedness and plan accordingly for wind, storm surge, and flooding. But they cannot prepare for a hurricane causing an unprecedented, once-in-a-thousand-years event. That’s what happened about 24 hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26, 2024, as a […]
ATLANTA, Ga. — Norfolk Southern has supported more than 5,500 first responders with specialized training and resources this year through its Operation & Awareness Response (OAR) program, which included hands-on events across 20 cities with the railroad’s Safety Train. The OAR program is designed to educate and train first responders on responding to rail-related incidents. […]
Since 2019, Union Pacific has been in the steam spotlight with its restored 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014. In 2024, CPKC stole some of 4014’s thunder with its “Final Spike Tour” using Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2816. From April to July, No. 2816 operated from Canada through the central U.S. and through Mexico to Mexico […]
WASHINGTON — Five members of California’s congressional delegation have written U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, urging approval of a $536 million grant request by the California High-Speed Rail Authority for tunnel design work. U.S. Sens. Alex Pedilla and Adam Schiff, and U.S. Reps. Pete Aguilar, Jim Costa, and Zoe Lofgren — all Democrats — said […]
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former Amtrak station in Grand Rapids is for sale, but if you’re interested in buying, be prepared for a big dent in your budget. The news site Mlive.com reports the building, on a 0.6 acre lot, is being offered for $1.5 million by developer Jonathan Bryant of the firm Underground […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian Pacific Kansas City exceeded the allowed revenue for western grain movements by almost Ca$2 million during the 2023-24 crop year, and must pay the overage and a 5% penalty, the Canadian Transportation Agency has determined. In a Dec. 24 decision, the CTA determined that CPKC exceeded the Maximum Revenue Entitlement of […]
The switch to full electrification between San Francisco and San Jose came on Sept. 21 (San Jose-Gilroy service is still diesel powered), and ridership showed an immediate jump. In October, the first full month of electrified service, ridership increased 54% from the same month a year earlier. The average weekday ridership was up 38% at […]
