DDA40X to power September fundraising trips

Large yellow diesel locomotive with passenger train

SILVIS, Ill. — Railroading Heritage of Midwest America will operate two days of fundraising trips Sept. 20-21 with Union Pacific DDA40X No. 6936, with proceeds benefiting nonprofit organizations promoting rail safety, as well as the organization restoring two Chinese-built 2-10-2 locomotives that have previously been part of fundraising efforts. The “Quad Cities Rocket” trips will […]

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Clarence Monin, former BLE president, dies at 84

Head shot of smiling man in suit

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Former Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers International President Clarence V. Monin has died, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has announced. Morin, 84, died on June 26. He held the union’s highest office from 1996 to 1998. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Monin family in their time of […]

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Genesee Valley Transportation’s PA locomotive makes debut

Blue and white diesel passenger loocomotive at station

SCRANTON, Pa — For the first time in more than four decades, an Alco PA locomotive has hauled a passenger train in the United States. Genesee Valley Transportation’s Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad hosted an invitation-only excursion today (Friday, July 11, 2025) marking the completion of restoration on PA4 No. 190, the former Santa Fe and Delaware & […]

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CPKC reports mixed progress on service recovery

red, yellow, and black locomotive on track

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s local service in former Kansas City Southern territory continues to improve after a troublesome May 3 computer system cutover, but merchandise train on-time performance declined last week and dwell remains stubbornly high at yards in Louisiana and Iowa. CPKC told federal regulators this week that it still expects service […]

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BNSF and UP to meet with regulators over trackage rights dispute

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has ordered BNSF Railway and Union Pacific to participate in a technical conference next week regarding their dispute over new BNSF international intermodal trains that would serve Salt Lake City via UP trackage rights. The virtual meeting, which will be held on July 15, will not be open to […]

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BNSF, Texas town reach agreement on new logistics facility

Map of planned logistics center in north Texas.

GUNTER, Texas — BNSF Railway and the city of Gunter, Texas, have reached agreement on a plan to allow the railroad to develop a 900-acre business park north of the small town north of Dallas. KTEN-TV reports the agreement requires a buffer zone of 500 to 800 feet from existing residences, and limits on the […]

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CSX cuts 125 management jobs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX eliminated 125 management positions on Thursday (July 10) in a cost-cutting move that comes less than two weeks before the railroad is scheduled to release its second quarter financial results. The layoffs thinned management ranks by nearly 5%, based on monthly employment data the railroad reports to the Surface Transportation Board. […]

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Glendora, Miss., residents concerned about health risks from derailment (updated)

Aerial view of small town

GLENDORA, Miss. — Residents of the small town that was evacuated following a derailment and hazardous-materials fire last week are now expressing concern over health risks resulting from the incident. The non-profit news site Mississippi Today reports the derailment damaged the town’s water main, leading to a boil-water notice that has since been lifted, and […]

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Most rail shippers would back a transcontinental merger if concessions are made, survey says

Freight train passes parked electric bilevel equipment

NEW YORK — A majority of railroad shippers would support a transcontinental merger so long as it included concessions such as full reciprocal switching, according to the latest TD Cowen shipper survey. “For the first time, we asked rail shippers if they would support a transcontinental merger; 47% answered that they would support it, a […]

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At shippers’ conference, some pointed words on dealing with railroads

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — If Class I railroads truly want to grow carload traffic — well, they have a lot of work to do to improve their service. That was the loud-and-clear message from two presentations Wednesday (July 9) at the summer meeting of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers, where Aaron Girard of Seneca Foods […]

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STB seeks members for two advisory groups

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board is seeking candidates to fill vacancies on two of its advisory groups, the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee and the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council. There are nine vacancies on the energy committee, the board said: one each for a representative from CPKC, CSX, and a Class II or Class III […]

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