In 1928, the Northern Pacific went shopping for a locomotive that could eliminate doubleheading on the eastern end of its Yellowstone Division between Mandan, N.Dak., and Glendive, Mont. NP’s line through the Badlands had a series of long grades in both directions that made helpers impracticable and had long been one of the railroad’s operational […]
Canadian National Railway celebrated the 30th anniversary of its privatization on Tuesday (Nov. 17), with CEO Tracy Robinson and Shauneen Bruder, chair of the railroad’s board of directors, marking the event by ringing the opening bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange and the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. CN raised Ca$2.25 billion […]
WASHINGTON — Gary Vaughn, who championed safety during more than 20 years in the short line industry, has been named by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association as the recipient of its 2026 Schlosser Distinguished Service Award. Vaughn will be honored at the ASLRRA’s annual conference and exhibition, April 12-14, 2026, in Minneapolis, […]
CHICAGO — If Union Pacific wanted to show the media how trains can sit around in the nation’s rail capital, it was mission accomplished last week aboard its executive train. As the six-car train headed west at 10 mph on Wednesday — rolling between the Belt Railway of Chicago’s Clearing Yard to the north and […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak is celebrating a second consecutive year of record ridership and revenue in its review of fiscal 2025 released today (Nov. 18, 2025), after a year including 34.5 million passenger trips, a 5.1% increase over the previous year. “Amtrak’s operational success is not just about moving more people — it’s about moving them […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Derek Kissick has rejoined Guardian Rail as chief commercial officer, the company has announced. Kissick has 20 years in the rail industry, including senior leadership roles at Caltrax, Cad Railway, Appalachian Railcar Services, and Marmon Rail. He was Guardian’s chief operating officer from 2021 to 2024; during that time, he played a […]
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Norfolk Southern has donated $450,000 to Children’s of Alabama, helping the hospital more than double the size of its pediatric intensive care unit and add two simulation training manikins. NS CEO Mark George presented the donation to the Birmingham hospital at a Nov. 14 press conference. The news site Bham Now reports […]
WASHINGTON — Trump administration proposals to eliminate two sources of federal funding for mass transit have drawn sharp criticism from two transit advocacy groups. The proposals were reported by Politico Pro on Nov. 14 in a paywalled article, citing internal Department of Transportation memos obtained by the news site. One calls for ending an account […]
CHICAGO — Confidence was not in short supply when Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena held a rolling news conference last week to tout UP’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern. “I’m 99.999% sure that this merger is going to go through,” Vena said on Wednesday from the back of the Fox River theater car as UP’s […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and CSX have expanded their intermodal partnership with the launch today (Nov. 17, 2025) of faster interline service linking Los Angeles with the Ohio Valley and points in the Northeast. The new service from BNSF’s Hobart terminal to CSX destinations improves transit time by anywhere from 22 to 52 […]
OMAHA, Neb. — The Brotherhood of Railway Carmen and Union Pacific have reached an agreement that provides job security for hundreds of union employees if UP’s $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern wins regulatory approval. The BRC is the third union to reach an agreement with Union Pacific that ensures union members employed at both […]
MIAMI — Florida East Coast Railway’s lawsuit against Brightline — over Brightline’s efforts to develop commuter rail service in South Florida — has been stayed until the two parties can meet to discuss arbitration. Public broadcaster WLRN reports Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Robert Watson granted the stay on Thursday, Nov. 13. Brightline is seeking […]
