CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday announced a deal with Norfolk Southern allowing the extension of Amtrak service to the New River Valley in the southwest portion of the state, as well as additional service to Roanoke. The agreement, known as the Western Rail Initiative, includes $28.2 million to acquire 28.5 miles […]
Swamp Rats Argent Lumber 2-6-2 No. 5, a 1910 Lima (left) brings logs to the Bear Creek transfer point as 2-6-0 No. 2, a 1906 Baldwin (right) waits for the exchange. The operation was based in Hardeeville, S.C., and lasted into the late 1950s. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
Amtrak sale, offering 50% off or $50 for anniversary, ends Wednesday As part of events marking its 50th anniversary, Amtrak is offering a non-refundable “50% off or maximum $50 fare” sale that ends Wednesday, May 5. The offer is good on any train in coach or Acela Business Class for travel between June 2 and […]
Dutchtown Southern, the smallest railroad you’ve never heard of, just might be the biggest story in railroading. The Watco short line began operations in January on 1.76 miles of track leased from Canadian National in Geismar, La. Located some 20 miles south of Baton Rouge along a bend in the Mississippi River, the Dutchtown Southern […]
WASHINGTON —The latest salvo in Amtrak’s attempt to launch two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., has landed at the Surface Transportation Board in the passenger railroad’s 80-page “Response in Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss.” Responding to a 284-page filing by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern on April 5, the passenger […]
Selected comments of politicians, organizations, and communities on the fight over Gulf Coast passenger service, as expressed in letters to the Surface Transportation Board [see “Analysis: Amtrak defends its Gulf Coast access request in new STB filing,” Trains News Wire, April 29, 2021]: Calling for completion of traffic modeling Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R): “For […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National has raised its financial outlook for the year amid record first-quarter intermodal and Canadian grain volumes, and expectations for continued economic improvement that will boost merchandise traffic. CN now expects volume to grow in the high single-digit percentage range this year, up from around 5% forecast in January, executives said while […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National could finalize a merger deal with Kansas City Southern in the next 30 to 40 days, executives said today. With the KCS board agreeing over the weekend to consider CN’s unsolicited $33.7 billion merger offer, CN tomorrow will begin poring over confidential KCS data and negotiating a final merger agreement. Rival […]
CALGARY, Alberta — A combined Canadian National and Kansas City Southern system would reduce railroad competition across wide swath of its expanded service territory, which would pose a regulatory challenge to a potential merger, Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel says. “The competition between KCS and CN is not limited to a ‘handful’ of shippers as CN […]
Allagany County, Md., plans to ask STB to intervene in bridge dispute with CSX The Allagany County, Md., Board of Commissioners will file a complaint against CSX Transportation with the Surface Transportation Board over a bridge closure in Cumberland, Md., saying the railroad has blocked any effort to address the issue, although the railroad says […]
Aberdeen Carolina & Western rebuilds six locomotives for Savage North Carolina’s Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway and rail operations and logistics company Savage Services have combined to rebuild six locomotives for a Houston industrial facility. The four SD40-2 and two MP15 were rebuilt at the AC&W’s shops under the direction of Steven Weathers, the railroad’s […]
Newsworthy New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal’s newsstand is centrally located in the facility’s main room. The $25.5 million facility had 12 tracks and opened in May 1954. Photo by James G. La Vake […]
