Florida East Coast sues Brightline over South Florida commuter plans

Freight train with orange and yellow locomotives passes through passenger station

MIAMI — Florida East Coast Railway is suing Brightline over the proposed commuter service along the FEC route used by Brightline in South Florida, saying the passenger operator does not have the authority to negotiate the use of the line and that the plan is part of a Brightline effort to stave off “financial collapse.” […]

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Virginia state-supported Amtrak routes set ridership record

Train at station platform at night

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s state-supported Amtrak operations set a new ridership record during the 2025 fiscal year that ended June 30, closing the period with a record for June ridership. According to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, the four state-supported routes — serving Roanoke, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond — carried 1.45 million passengers, a […]

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SunRail weighs costs of daily operation

Commuter train at station

ORLANDO, Fla —  It could cost more than $88 million to expand commuter service SunRail to seven-day-a-week operation, the agency overseeing the commuter rail line was told at a meeting last week. Chief Operating Officer Charles M. Heffinger Jr. told the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission at a July 24 meeting that regular Saturday and […]

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NTSB releases preliminary report on R.J. Corman conductor injury in Kentucky

Aerial image and diagram of injury switching accident in Kentucky

WASHINGTON — An R.J. Corman Railway Gorup conductor suffered a serious injury to his left foot when he was pinned between couplers on two railcars, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report on an accident that occurred during switching in Guthrie, Ky., on June 26, 2025. The accident occurred about 5 p.m. […]

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Grant from Norfolk Southern boosts efforts for Norfolk & Western No. 611

Steam locomotive sitting on a cloudy day

ROANOKE, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. has awarded a $40,000 grant to the Virginia Museum of Transportation as part of its Thriving Communities Grant Program, according to a July 23 post on the Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 social media pages. This funding will support the museum’s Rail Heritage Initiatives: Education, Engagement, and […]

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Florida’s Tri-Rail says it could run out of money in two years

White and blue locomotive pushing commuter train

MIAMI — Commuter operator Tri-Rail could run out of money within two years — earlier than previously anticipated — because of cuts in funding approved by the state legislature in June, according to the executive director of the service’s parent agency. The Palm Beach Post reports David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional […]

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NTSB issues preliminary report on rail death at Alabama steel plant

Aerial view of rail yard with overlaid graphics showing details of fatal accident

WASHINGTON — A Fairfield Southern Co. employee involved in remote-control switching died from injuries suffered when he struck a railcar on an adjacent track, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report on the June 16, 2025, accident issued today (July 16, 2025). During switching work at the U.S. Steel Flintridge Yard in […]

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CSX and BNSF team up on Florida National Guard’s biggest rail deployment since World War II

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX and BNSF Railway recently completed the Florida National Guard’s largest rail deployment since World War II. CSX originated 10 unit trains that carried 1,265 military vehicles, containers, and systems that were loaded at Fort Stewart, Ga., and transported to Birmingham, Ala., for interchange with BNSF, which then operated the trains to […]

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Media report says Brightline death toll is higher than previously believed

Train approaches after passing through small S curve

MIAMI — Brightline trains have hit and killed more than 180 people since the passenger service began operation in South Florida — a higher toll than had been publicly recognized, the Miami Herald and public broadcaster WLRN report in a joint investigation that also looks at causes of the deaths and a lack of safeguards […]

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NTSB issues final report on 2024 injury to Norfolk Southern conductor in Norfolk, Va.

Aerial view of railyard used to illustrate workplace accident

WASHINGTON — A Norfolk Southern conductor suffered serious injuries in an accident in Norfolk, Va., when did not confirm that rolling stock was stationary before working in the path of a free-rolling car — and NS operating rules did not explicitly address the need to do so, the National Transportation Safety Board said in determining […]

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Brightline seeks private activity bonds for Tampa extension: Analysis

Commuter train at station

ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline has petitioned the Florida Development Finance Corp., seeking to have the state agency issue up to $400 million of private activity bond funding to advance design and planning for its long-sought extension to Tampa, as well as improvements to existing routes. The request for more debt financing comes as the company […]

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