Four plead guilty to charges in Amtrak health-care fraud scheme

U.S. Department of Justice seal

NEWARK, N.J. — Four Amtrak employees have pleaded guilty to charges relating to a health-care fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey has announced — the latest development in a long-running and widespread investigation. Timothy Bogen, 60, of Hamden, Conn., on Jan. 21 pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline […]

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CSX sees small drop in revenue, slight gain in volume

Blue and yellow locomotives pulling a double-stack train

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX said today that its fourth quarter profits were weighed down by ongoing freight doldrums that the railroad doesn’t expect to turn around anytime soon. “Our quarterly results reflect the subdued industrial demand environment and actions taken to adjust our cost structure,” CEO Steve Angel said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. […]

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Pennsylvania DOT awards almost $53 million for freight rail projects

Red, white, and blue end-cab switcher

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation will provide nearly $53 million for 30 rail freight infrastructure projects under a pair of grant programs, PennDOT announced on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Funding will come from the state’s Rail Transportation Assistance Program and Rail Freight Investment Program, which have invested more than $150 million in the state […]

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North Carolina DOT awards $16.3 million for rail infrastructure work

Logo of the North Carolina Department of Transportation

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation will provide $16.3 million in funding for 15 rail infrastructure projects through its Rail Division’s Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program. With matching grants from participating railroads and the N.C. Ports Authority, the projects will have a total value of $41.5 million. “These projects […]

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Three groups shortlisted for Penn Station redevelopment

Exterior view of Penn Station entrance with Madison Square Garden in the background

NEW YORK — Amtrak has released a shortlist of three consortia to be considered for the renovation of New York’s Penn Station. A post on Amtrak’s procurement portal as of Tuesday, Jan. 20, provides a list of three groups and their lead developers: Grand Penn Partners [Macquarie] Penn Forward Now [Fengate] Penn Transformation Partners [Halmar] […]

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Norfolk Southern orders 40 Wabtec ES44AC locomotives

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has ordered 40 Wabtec ES44AC locomotives, its first purchase of new locomotives since 2022. Delivery from Wabtec’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, is expected in the second half of the year, NS said today. They will be sent to the NS locomotive shop in Chattanooga, Tenn., for final preparation for service. […]

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RCP&E purchase of South Dakota-owned trackage approved

Map of South Dakota showing Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad and other rail lines

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota’s State Railroad Board has approved the sale of two segments of state-owned trackage to Genesee & Wyoming’s Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad for $3.125 million. The purchase was approved by a 4-0 vote at the board’s meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21. It include 19.5 miles of track — the […]

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UP-NS merger filing omits billions in intermodal costs, analyst tells STB

Yellow locomotives lead container train in snowy landscape

WASHINGTON — The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application omits $2.69 billion in additional costs that intermodal marketers will incur if the railroads’ deal diverts the promised 2 million loads off the highway, according to an analysis submitted to federal regulators. The railroads’ traffic diversion projection is a key part of their case that the merger […]

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CPKC announces 135-unit locomotive order, divided between Progress Rail and Wabtec

CALGARY, Alberta — CPKC has ordered 65 new EMD SD70ACe-T4 Tier 4 locomotives from Progress Rail and 70 Wabtec Evolution Series ET44AC Tier 4 locomotives as part of the railway’s $800 million, multiyear fleet renewal program. The SD70ACe-T4s, which will be manufactured at the Progress Rail facility in Muncie, Ind., feature a new energy management […]

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Steam locomotive profile: 4-8-4 Northern

Northern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 2662

With the general speed-up of passenger train schedules in the 1920s, the need arose for a more powerful version of the 4-8-2. Although it had adequate adhesion, the 4-8-2 lacked the raw horsepower to accelerate a heavy train coming out of a sag or after rounding a curve. Lima Locomotive Works had shown the world […]

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Canadian high-speed project could require lengthy tunnel to reach Montreal

Map of area between Toronto and Quebec City

MONTREAL — Canada’s high-speed rail project could could involve the construction of lengthy tunnels in Montreal, the company responsible for the project says in a route description on its website — which could greatly increase the cost of the project. A tunnel could also be an option in Toronto. Alto, the Crown corporation that will […]

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