Bull Sheet Newswire
RBMN WINS NRHS HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD: The National Railway Historical Society, Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures have awarded Reading Blue Mountain & Northern its third annual Historic Preservation Award, recognizing and honoring it for its historically significant preservation steam locomotive project. The railroad owns three steam engines: Canadian D-10 No. 225 (on static display), light Pacific No. 425 (currently undergoing work), and Reading T-1 No. 2102 (the reason for the award after several years of work and investment to restore it. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-21-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S KNOXVILLE DISTRICT RIVER LINE REOPENED: For the first time since the Sept. 2024 devastation caused by hurricane Helene, freight service has returned for Asheville, N.C., and points west along Norfolk Southern's Knoxville District River (AS) Line connecting eastern Tennessee to western North Carolina. Service restoration follows the replacement of the Pigeon River bridge in Newport, Tennessee, and rebuilding of 128 locations totaling more than 13 miles of track. The return to rail also enables the resumption of service on 92 miles of Watco short line Blue Ridge Southern Railroad. [Railway Age, 5-21-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 490,775 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending May 17, 2025, up 3.4 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 7.1 pct, and intermodal was up 0.3 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 5-21-25]
STB ADDS SENIOR ADVISORY TEAM: There is a new three-person senior advisory crew at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The crew's focus will include streamlining processes, improving collaboration and transparency, and ensuring a more efficient and effective regulatory environment for the nation's surface transportation network. [Freight Waves, 5-21-25]
MINNESOTA COMMERCIAL RWY TO BE ACQUIRED: 3i RR Holdings, Regional Rail Holdings and their related entities intend to acquire Minnesota Commercial Railway, a short line that operates 86 miles of line near Minneapolis and St. Paul, according to a notice filed with the Surface Transportation Board. [Progressive Railroading, 5-20-25]
AMTRAK'S BOREALIS EXCEEDED RIDERSHIP PROJECTIONS IN FIRST YEAR: Amtrak's Borealis between the Twin Cities and Chicago surpassed anticipated ridership levels for its first year of service. Since it began running May 21, 2024, ridership reached 212,515 passengers through April, while a 2015 feasibility study had originally estimated annual ridership to be 155,500. [Progressive Railroading, 5-20-25]
NJT STRIKE TO END AS TENTATIVE LABOR AGREEMENT WITH BLET REACHED: New Jersey Transit engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen will return to work on Tuesday, May 20, following a tentative contract agreement. [Railway Age, 5-19-25]
UNION PACIFIC CEO JIM VENA NAMED 2025 RAILROAD INNOVATOR: Progressive Railroading and RailTrends have named Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena the 2025 recipient of the Railroad Innovator award. He became CEO in 2023 after serving as chief operating officer from 2019 to 2020, and as a senior adviser to the chairman in 2021. He began is rail career in 1977 with Canadian National as a brakeman. [Progressive Railroading, 5-19-25]
BRITAIN'S HISTORIC PONTS MILL VIADUCT UPGRADE PROJECT COMPLETED: Britain's Network Rail has completed its upgrade to the 152-year-old Ponts Mill Viaduct near St. Blazey. Work took place to the structure on the Newquay branch line over the River Par assuring that it remains safe and reliable long into the future. [Rail Business Daily, 5-19-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Thirty-one percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending May 18, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 42 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 5-19-25]
BLET INITIATES STRIKE AT N.J. TRANSIT: The locomotive engineers of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen have voted to strike, which means the complete suspension of N.J. Transit rail service, including Metro-North west of Hudson service. N.J. Transit has developed a contingency plan which includes adding very limited capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations, and contracting with private carriers to run buses from key park & ride locations during weekday peak periods. [N.J. Transit, 5-16-25]
ONTARIO INTRODUCES TAX CREDIT FOR SHORT LINE RAILS: The government of Ontario and ministry of finance have introduced a tax credit for short line railroads in the province. The Railway Association of Canada says each dollar invested through the tax credit in Ontario is expected to create $10.58 in economic output. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-16-25]
SEVERE WEATHER DISRUPTS CSX IN MD, PA, WV: Severe weather on May 13 led to shipment delays for CSX across portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Stuart Tunnel on the Cumberland subdivision was closed on both tracks; landslides occurred on the Mountain subdivision west of Keyser, W.Va.; and there was a 200-foot washout on the Keystone subdivision west of Cumberland, Md. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-15-25]
LANCASTER, PA., AMTRAK STATION GETTING UPGRADES: Amtrak has been making upgrades and repairs to the historic station in Lancaster, Pa. These include replacing the existing platforms, foundations, HVAC equipment, and windows with historically accurate fenestrations. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-15-25]
CN REPORTS 2025 CAPEX PROGRAM: Canadian National plans to spend $3.4-billion (C) this year on capital projects. The program includes $2.9-billion (C) allocated to maintenance and strategic infrastructure initiatives across Canada and the U.S. [Progressive Railroading, 5-15-25]
MBTA BEGINS PILOT PROJECT USING RENEWABLE DIESEL FUEL IN LOCOMOTIVES: Boston's MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services have launched a pilot project to use renewable diesel fuel in locomotives at the Newburyport facility. The locomotives are now being fueled with hydrotreated vegetable oil, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions. [Progressive Railroading, 5-15-25]
BRITAIN'S LONDON LIVERPOOL STREET STATION TO GET 'FUTUREPROOFED': Network Rail has developed a vision to transform Britain's busiest station, London Liverpool Street. Opened in 1875, it currently connects 118 million people a year within London, East Anglia, and the east of England. The proposals would 'futureproof' the stations for decades to come, providing more space and creating a connected station across the rail network, London Underground, Elizabeth line and buses. [Rail Business Daily, 5-15-25]
MAN KILLED BY CSX TRAIN IN ABERDEEN, MD.: A 28-year-old man was struck and killed late May 14 by a CSX train in Aberdeen, Md. [WMAR, 5-15-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 495,552 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending May 10, 2025, up 5.7 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 6.2 pct, and intermodal was up 5.4 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 5-14-25]
STRIKE POSSIBLE AT VIA RAIL IN JUNE: Unifor is preparing a vote to strike at VIA Rail Canada in the coming weeks after the union and the passenger rail company failed to come to an agreement on a labor contract during negotiations. If a tentative agreement is not reached, Unifor could legally begin a strike on June 22. [Progressive Railroading, 5-14-25]
AMTRAK APPLIES CRAYOLA CRAYON DESIGNS TO TWO ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES: Amtrak has applied two ACS-64 Sprinter electric locomotives with Crayola crayon designs to commemorate Crayola's limited-edition collection of 'unretired' crayon colors. [Progressive Railroading, 5-14-25]
FIRST OF EIGHT ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF., STREETCARS DELIVERED: Orange County, California, has taken delivery of the first of eight vehicles for its streetcar line expected to open in spring of next year. The route between Santa Ana regional transportation center and Harbor boulevard in Garden Grove will serve densely populated neighborhoods in the L.A. metropolitan area, connecting with bus and Metrolink. [Progressive Railroading, 5-14-25]
TRAIN TRAVEL EXPACTED TO SOAR VS. FLYING IN COMING YEARS, STUDY SAYS: Hitachi Rail published a new study finding that ciizens around North American and Europe anticipate train travel to soar in the coming years at the expense of flying. Almost two-thirds back legislation supporting a ban on short-haul flights where high-speed rail alternatives exist. The survey collected the opinions of 11,000 people from cities and countries across the globe. [Progressive Railroading, 5-14-25]
WAREHOUSE FIRE IN BALTIMORE DISRUPTS AMTRAK, MARC SERVICE: A seven alarm warehouse fire next to Amtrak's Northeast corridor disrupted train service May 13 between Baltimore and Washington for the morning commute. Service was reopened to one track later in the morning, but with residual delays. MARC trains began running on a Saturday schedule. [6ABC Philadelphia, 5-13-25]
BELT REACHES TENTATIVE LABOR AGREEMENT WITH CSX FOR ENGINEERS: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen has reached a tentative agreement with CSX for locomotive engineers. If ratified, it would run through Dec. 31, 2029. [BLET, 5-13-25]
FEDS AWARD $157-M TOWARD SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, RAIL PROJECT: The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has fully obligated $157-million in federal funding for the final segment of the Springfield, Illinois, rail improvement project. It is designed to alleviate rail congestion in downtown Springfield by consolidating train traffic between Third and Tenth streets and constructing a series of overpasses and underpasses along the route. The funding wail also provide for building a new transportation center. [Progressive Railroading, 5-13-25]
SERRMI PRODUCTS ACQUIRES MODERN MANUFACTURING: Serrmi Products, manufacturer of enclosures and structures for the rail sector, has acquired all assets of Modern Manufacturing, now operating as a division of Serrmi. It will continue to design and produce aluminum equipment enclosures and custom-fabricated metal products from its facility in Eudora, Kansas. [Rail Market Reporter, 5-13-25]
CAPACITY CRUNCH BECKONS FROM U.S.-CHINA TRADE DEAL: Much of the volume that has been locked up over the past month will come flooding back into the market after U.S. and China agreed to significantly slash their respective tariffs for 90 days. [Journal of Commerce, 5-13-25]
SOUND TRANSIT'S DOWNTOWN REDMOND LINK EXTENSION OPENS: On May 10, Sound Transit passengers were able to take light-rail from downtown Redmond to South Bellevue, Washington, now that the 3.4-mile extension of the number 2 line is open. This includes Marymoor Village and downtown Redmond stations. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-13-25]
GEORGIA STUDYING ATLANTA-SAVANNAH HIGH SPEED RAIL OPTIONS: The Georgia Dept. of Transportation is exploring several options for high-speed rail between Atlanta and Savannah. While planning continues through 2027, a possible service opening could occur by 2035, with stations in Augusta, Athens and Macon. The department will be hosting public meetings to gather input. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-13-25]
AMTRAK'S FLORIDIAN 10 HOURS LATE ARRIVING INTO MIAMI: Amtrak's southbound Floridian originating May 10 arrived into Miami 10 hours late. According to Amtrak's on-line performance report, most of the train's en route delay was due to locomotive issues. [Amtrak, 5-13-25]
CSX LOST $1-MILLION REVENUE EACH DAY IN 1-Q AMID HURRICANE, TUNNEL WORK: Rebuilding from hurricane damage and the Howard street tunnel project cost CSX a million dollars a day in lost revenue in the first three months of the year, Sean Pelkey, chief financial officer, said at a recent conference in New York. CSX continues to rebuild its 60-mile line through eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina after hurricane Helene struck the region in Sept. 2024, and detours due to tunnel construction have impacted operations. [Freight Waves, 5-13-25]
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON AMTRAK MAINTENANCE FACILITY IN SEATTLE: Crews have begun building the foundation for a 100,000-square-foot maintenance facility in Seattle to support new Cascades trains as well as maintenance for long-distance trains Empire Builder and Coast Starlight. The project is expected to be finished in 2027. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-12-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Thirty-seven percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending May 11, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 12 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 5-12-25]
RUSSIAN RAILWAY FREIGHT TRAFFIC DECLINING: The decline in freight traffic on the Russian railway network that has become apparent over the last year is becoming more pronounced, according to data published by Russian Railways. Just 92.9 million tons of freight moved by rail in Russia in April, a year-on-year decline of 8.6 pct and a 16-year low. [International Railway Journal, 5-12-25]
FIVE INJURED AS SEPTA TRAIN STRIKES BUMPING BLOCK AT STATION: Five people were injured after a SEPTA train crashed at the Norristown, Pa., transportation center May 11. The single-car Norristown high-speed line train collided with the bumping block at the end of the tracks at about 10 miles per hour. One of the passengers was airlifted to a hospital, and the remaining individuals had minor injuries. [RandSpear, 5-11-25]
RAIL EMPLOYEE INJURED WHEN TRAIN COLLIDES WITH VEHICLE IN K.C.: A rail employee was injured May 10 after a vehicle was driven around lowered crossing gates and collided with a remote-controlled train in Kansas City. The employee was standing on the rear platform of a train of cars being shoved. The employee was seriously injured, but the driver of the vehicle was not injured. [Kansas City Star, 5-11-25]
AMTRAK CUTTING MANAGEMENT BY 450 POSITIONS: Amtrak has cut about 450 management roles, over 10 pct of its management team, throughout layoffs and eliminating open positions. This work force adjustment, combined with other cost-saving actions, will help the company save $100-million annually, its officials said. [Progressive Railroading, 5-9-25]
UNION PACIFIC PRESIDENT TO TRANSITION TO ADVISOR: Beth Whited, Union Pacific's president, will transition to company adviser effective July 1. She will remain an adviser until early 2026. A new president to replace her has not been named. [Progressive Railroading, 5-9-25]
PORTLAND & WESTERN R.R. TO ACQUIRE TRACKAGE FROM PORT OF TILLAMOOK BAY: Genesee & Wyoming-owned Portland & Western Railroad has filed for approval to acquire about one mile of rail line near Banks, Oregon, from the Port of Tillamook Bay. [Progressive Railroading, 5-9-25]
U.K. TO SWITZERLAND HSR WORKING GROUP TO BE ESTABLISHED: A joint working group is to bring together the British and Swiss governments and rail industry experts to examine how to overcome the commercial and technical barriers to creating a direct high-speed train service between the two countries. [Railway Gazette, 5-9-25]
BNSF REDUCES TECH STAFF IN RESTRUCTURING EFFORT: BNSF has laid off a portion of its technology services staff as part of a departmental restructuring effort. The cuts are believed to have affected between 140 and 175 workers. The company noted that some positions are being repurposed or eliminated, and a reduced reliance on contractors and third-party vendors over time. [Freight Waves, 5-9-25]
BLET, WNYP REACH TENTATIVE FIVE-YEAR LABOR PACT: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen has reached a tentative five-year agreement with the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad. If approved by the membership, the agreement will run through 2030. [BLET, 5-8-25]
MANY COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEMS STILL STRUGGLE POST-PANDEMIC: The U.S. Government accountability office has reported that many commuter rail systems are still struggling post-pandemic. Although a number of workers are now returning to their offices, rail demand has not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, and travel patterns may be shifting. Commuter rare revenue was down 31 pct overall in FY-2023 compared to FY-2019. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-8-25]
CONNECTING TRACK ADDED AT WEST HARBOUR STATION IN ONTARIO: Starting May 17, all Metrolinx passenger trains on the Lakeshore West GO line in the Niagara Falls area of Ontario will begin stops at the West Harbour GO Transit station. The new stop is the result of a new connecting track that will enable trains to travel directly through the station rather than back in and return to the main line. Riders will now have four more train trips on weekdays and six more on weekends. [Progressive Railroading, 5-8-25]
PRESIDENT TRUMP PLANS TO ELIMINATE FUNDING FOR CALIF. HSR PROJECT: President Trump has announced that he will eliminate funding for the California High-Speed Rail project. One of his concerns is cost overruns. Initially, the entire project was to cost $40-billion. But over time it increased to $89-billion, then to $128-billion. Meanwhile, there is active construction along 119 miles in the Central Valley, and design and pre-construction activities are underway on the extensions in Merced Bakersfield, totaling 171 miles. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-7-25]
AMTRAK OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATES HEALTH CARE FRAUD BY EMPLOYEES: Amtrak's office of inspector general has issued an investigative report detailing a widespread scheme in which at least 119 employees conspired with New York health care providers to bilk Amtrak's of more than $12-million from 2019 to 2022. A dozen employees have already been criminally charged, seven have pleaded guilty with sentences pending, 28 resigned or retired as a result of the investigation, and 30 left the company for other reasons. Findings on remaining active employees have been given to Amtrak for further action. The scheme involved cash kickbacks from three health care providers in exchange for the use of their insurance information. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-7-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAINS OPERATING AGAIN ON BERRY BRANCH IN ALABAMA: Norfolk Southern has announced its trains are now operating on the Berry branch in Alabama. The railroad has invested over $200-million in upgrades. Along with increasing capacity, it has expanded sidings and enhanced its crossings. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-7-25]
EAST RIVER TUNNEL PROJECT DELAYED UNTIL MAY 23: Amtrak's eastbound reroute project, which was already six months behind schedule, is once again experiencing delays and will not be completed on schedule. Because of this, the planned closure of the East River tunnel first tube will need to be delayed, and Amtrak is working to move the beginning of construction to May 23. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-7-25]
CSX PROVIDES TABLES TO TRAIN, ENGINE CREWS: More than 8,000 train and engine employees across the CSX network are now equipped with iPads, providing tools to support their on-duty job functions. They are equipped with custom technology to enable distraction-free access to the CSX T&E portal and other essential work applications during duty hours. The rollout reached more than 260 work sites. [Progressive Railroading, 5-7-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 498,693 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending May 3, 2025, up 7.6 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 5.6 pct, and intermodal was up 9.4 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 5-7-25]
AAR SEEKS REPEAL OF FEDERAL TWO-PERSON CREW RULE: The biggest U.S, railroads are asking the Trump administration to repeal the federal rule requiring two-person crews on freight trains. The trade group Association of American Railroads, representing six Class-I railroads, terms the rule 'an unsubstantiated mandate' that conflicts with goals of regulatory reform, technological advancements, and data-driven rule-making. The filing marks a resumption of the carriers' campaign for single-person crews, which they say have been successfully implemented by many smaller railroads. [Freight Waves, 5-7-25]
NEW LEASE AGREEMENT FOR MOFFAT TUNNEL SIGNED: A new lease agreement was signed May 5 for use of Moffat Tunnel in Colorado, replacing its original 1926 lease. It includes a 25-year access agreement ensuring continued freight and passenger operations through the 6.2-mile tunnel. Included is access for the future Mountain Passenger Rail, and finalizes the purchase and sale of the Burnham lead line that will unlock transit-oriented development potential for the Burnham Yard property. Progressive Railroading, 5-6-25]
PAUL DUNCAN NAMED CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF CANDO RAIL & TERMINALS: Cando Rail & Terminals has announced the appointment of Paul Duncan as chief operating officer. He was most recently Norfolk Southern's executive vice-president and chief operating officer. He will succeed Steve Bromley, who plans to retire at the end of the year. [Progressive Railroading, 5-6-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Thirty-four percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending May 4, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and six minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 5-5-25]
BNSF REPORTS 1-Q EARNINGS: BNSF's pretax profit increased 5.5 pct in the first-quarter to $1.6-billion, and revenue increased 0.6 pct to $5.67-billion. Net income rose 6.2 pct to $1.2-billion. Railway operating ratio was 67.9 pct, a 1.6-pct improvement compared to last year's first-quarter, as expenses fell 1.7 pct. [Freight Waves, 5-5-25]
NJ TRANSIT DRAFTS PLAN FOR POTENTIAL MAY 16 STRIKE: New Jersey Transit has released a contingency plan for a potential strike by locomotive engineers. It calls for adding limited capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes near rail stations and contracting private carriers to run buses from key locations during peak travel periods. Unless there is a settlement, a strike could begin May 16. [Progressive Railroading, 5-5-25]
PSR EXACERBATES CARGO THEFT, BLET CLAIMS: Eddie Strom, president of a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen local in Tucson, Arizona, recently testified at a Congressional discussion, saying that excessive train length under the precision scheduled railroading model has contributed to the growth in train cargo thefts. According to the Association of American Railroads, train cargo thefts in 2024 increased 40 pct over 2023. He also said that PSR-driven job cuts of carmen and railroad police have made it more difficult for railroads to respond to raids by thieves. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 5-5-25]
SOUTHWEST CHIEF 10 & ONE-HALF HOURS LATE INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's eastbound Southwest Chief was ten and one-half hours late arriving into Chicago the early morning of May 5. According to Amtrak's on-line disruption report, the train had been delayed en route by 'mechanical assessment' and resulting hours of service issues with crews. [Amtrak, 5-5-25]
BLET, UNION R.R. OF PITTSBURGH REACH TENTATIVE LABOR PACT: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen has reached a tentative agreement with the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh governing pay, benefits and work rules. If approved by members, it will run through July 2028. [BLET, 5-2-25]
FORMER AMTRAK OFFICIAL INDICTED ON CHARGES OF FRAUD, BRIBERY: Richard Thompson, a 57-year-old former director of network planning and engineering with Amtrak, has been indicted on charges of fraud and bribery in an alleged scheme to take kickbacks from companies seeking consulting and computer-related services. It is alleged that from about 2015 through 2021, he engaged in schemes with each of three companies which were vendors in the Amtrak contracting process. [Railway Track & Structures, 5-2-25]
UNION PACIFIC UNVEILS ABRAHAM LINCOLN LOCOMOTIVE: Union Pacific on April 30 unveiled its newest locomotive, No. 1616, paying tribute to President Abraham Lincoln. It was he who signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862. [Railway Age, 5-1-25]
APRIL 2025 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in April 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 12 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 5-1-25]
CN REPORTS 1-Q RESULTS: Canadian National reported revenues in the first-quarter grew by $111-million to $3.18-billion, a 4 pct increase. Operating income rose by $46-million to $1.2-billion, a 4 pct improvement. Revenue ton miles saw a 1 pct increase to 60 billion. [Freight Waves, 5-1-25]
LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO INCREASE SHORT-LINE R.R. TAX CREDIT: Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate seeks to modernize the short-line railroad maintenance tax credit that has driven more than $8-billion in private spending for short-line infrastructure since 2005. That credit covers 40 cents of every dollar of qualified track expenditures, capped at $3,500 per mile. The new legislation would raise the credit to $6,100 per mile. [Freight Waves, 5-1-25]
TWO MORE UNIONS RATIFY BARGAINING CONTRACTS WITH CSX: CSX on April 30 announced the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and the Brotherhood of Boilermakers have ratified new five-year collective bargaining agreements with the company. CSX now has ratified contracts with 13 unions accounting for 54 pct of its unionized work force. [Progressive Railroading, 5-1-25]
CPKC REPORTS 1-Q RESULTS: Canadian Pacific Kansas City has announced first-quarter 2025 revenues of $3.8-billion, diluted EPS of 97 cents, and core adjusted diluted EPS of $1.06. Reported operating ratio decreased to 65.3 pct from 67.4 pct. [CPKC, 4-30-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 502,105 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 26, 2025, up 5.5 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 9.0 pct, and intermodal was up 2.6 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 4-30-25]
N.Y. GOVERNOR ASKS AMTRAK TO CONSIDER 'REPAIR-IN-PLACE' FOR EAST RIVER TUNNEL REHAB: New York's governor is urging Amtrak to reevaluate its plans to shut down the East River tunnels for its rehab project. Instead, she asked that it shift to a 'repair-in-place' method, overnight and on weekends, to mitigate passenger service disruptions. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-30-25]
CUMBERLAND & KNOX R.R. TO RESTART SERVICE ON ROCKLAND BRANCH: Cumberland & Knox Railroad will restart operations on the Rockland branch on the southern Maine coast. The railroad will serve longtime branch customer Dragon Cement Products of Thomaston, which is resuming rail freight transportation. [Freight Waves, 4-30-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN TESTING CARBON-CAPTURING RAIL CAR: Norfolk Southern is piloting what it says is the rail industry's first carbon-capturing rail car, working with Remora, which retrofits locomotives and trucks with zero-backpressure carbon capture. The project places a tender car behind a locomotive to scrub emissions, preventing them for entering the atmosphere. The technology is built to capture 70 pct of carbon dioxide and reduce other air pollutants by 90 pct, but not affecting the train's power. [Progressive Railroading, 4-29-25]
HOTEL-THEME DELUXE TRAIN PRODUCED FOR CHINA'S HENAN PROVINCE: Chinese companies have produced a hotel train themed on the Yellow River which will take tourists to scenic destinations in Henan province. There are 14 sleeping cars with two, three or four berth compartments, a dining car, a multifunctional car and a staff car. The train is intended to act as a mobile exhibition of the province's history. [Railway Gazette, 4-29-25]
POWER OUTAGES DISRUPT TRAVEL IN SPAIN, PORTUGAL: Widespread power outages across Spain and Portugal on April 28 severely disrupted travel, affecting train networks, underground railways and airports. Train services in Spain were halted, causing chaos for travelers. [Rail Business Daily, 4-29-25]
FREIGHT CAR AMERICA RECEIVES $141-M IN 1-Q ORDERS: FreightCar America has received total orders valued a $141-million, representing 1250 rail cars, during the quarter ending March 31. These orders reflect ongoing demand for the company's offerings. [Progressive Railroading, 4-28-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending April 27, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and four minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-27-25]
AMTRAK'S CARDINAL TERMINATED EN ROUTE IN INDIANAPOLIS: Amtrak's westbound Cardinal on April 26 was annulled beyond Indianapolis following its nearly eight-hour arrival at that location, having been delayed en route by locomotive trouble. Passengers traveling further were transported by bus. [Amtrak, 4-26-25]
'MARDI GRAS' IS NAME FOR NEW NEW ORLEANS-MOBILE AMTRAK SERVICE: Amtrak on April 24 announced the new train service between New Orleans and Mobile will be called the Mardi Gras service. The route will feature morning and evenings departures from both cities. A specific start-up date has not yet been announced. [Progressive Railroading, 4-25-25]
GROUND BROKEN FOR NEW RIVER VALLEY AMTRAK SERVICE: Officials on April 24 broke ground on the $265.4-million Virginia Passenger Rail Authority New River Valley rail project in Christianburg. The project will extend Amtrak service from Roanoke to Christiansburg for the first time since 1979. [Progressive Railroading, 4-25-25]
CALIF. HSR AUTHORITY COMPLETES WHITLEY AVE. UNDERPASS PROJECT: The California High-Speed Rail Authority has completed the underpass at Whitley Avenue, east of Corcoran in Kings County, making it the second rail structure the authority has completed so far this year. Over 170 miles of the project from Merced to Bakersfield are under design and construction. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-25-25]
NICKEL PLATE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 765 RETURNS FOR STEAM IN THE VALLEY EVENT: Nickel Plate steam locomotive 765 has returned to Independence, Ohio, for the Steam in the Valley event to be held April 25-27 and May 2-4 by Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. The engine, owned by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, made its journey on April 22 via Norfolk Southern and Wheeling & Lake Erie. [Railway Age, 4-24-25]
UNION PACIFIC REPORTS 1-Q RESULTS: CSX said net income for the first-quarter was $1.6-billion or $2.70 per diluted share, basically flat from the year before. Operating income of $6-billion was flat on 7 pct volume growth and solid pricing gains offset by business mix, reduced fuel surcharge revenue and the impact from leap year in 2024. [Freight Waves, 4-24-25]
BLET PRESIDENT EDDIE HALL ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: Eddie Hall is retiring as national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen effective May 1. Mark Wallace, first vice-president, will assume the office of national president, and vice-president Gary Best will elevate to first vice-president. [BLET, 4-24-25]
SPEED RESTRICTIONS ON THREE DENVER COMMUTER RAIL LINES LIFTED: Denver's Regional Transport District has eliminated speed restrictions on its D, H and R lines, and will complete needed maintenance work on the A line between the airport and Union Station from April 26 to May 8. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-24-25]
IRON MINE IN UTAH CLOSES, IMPACTING RAILROADS: Citing the recent tariff situation with China, an iron ore mine in Utah closed so suddenly that nearly 200 workers found out on social media that they no longer had jobs. The mine had supplied Chinese steelmakers with iron ore. The closure will have a ripple effect on Union Pacific and Pacific Harbor Line. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 4-24-25]
CHINESE LOCOMOTIVES BEING DELIVERED TO MOZAMBIQUE: CRRC Ziyang has begun delivering six-axle SDD1 diesel locomotives to Mozambique's state-owned rail and port authority. [Railway Gazette, 4-24-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 496,053 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 19, 2025, up 4.5 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 3.4 pct, and intermodal was up 5.4 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 4-23-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN REPORTS 1-Q EARNINGS: Norfolk Southern's first-quarter railway operating revenues of $3-billion were down $11-million compared with the same quarter in 2024. Income from railway operations was $1.1-billion, an increase of $933-million. Operating ratio was 61.7 pct compared with 92.9 pct last year. Diluted EPS was $3.31, up from 23 cents, when the company agreed to a $600-million settlement following the 2023 derailment and fire in East Palestine, Ohio. [Freight Waves, 4-23-25]
NEW SWITCHING RAILROAD OPENS IN INDIANA: The Mount Vernon Railroad opened April 22 serving the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon. It will coordinate rail connections and assemble outbound trains for interchange with the Evansville Western Railway, which provides direct access to BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. [Progressive Railroading, 4-23-25]
AMTRAK'S N.J. DOCK BRIDGE REHAB PROJECT SCALED BACK, CUTTING COST: Amtrak's New Jersey Dock Bridge rehabilitation project will be scaled back to lower costs and reduce its time of completion by nearly two years. The process will shave $140-million off the original $375-million cost by removing 'unnecessary aesthetic costs,' such as enhanced lighting and deferring rehab work on structural elements still having a useful life. [Progressive Railroading, 4-23-25]
AMTRAK'S LATROBE, GREENSBURG STATIONS IN PA. GETTING UPGRADES: Improvement and repair projects at Amtrak's Latrobe and Greensburg stations in western Pennsylvania are beginning. Both date to the early 1900's and are served by the Pennsylvanian route. [Progressive Railroading, 4-22-25]
N.Y. SUBWAY MAP RESTYLED: The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has introduced a redesigned network map. The first such full redesign since 1979, it comprehends a more diagrammatic style, designed to help simplify wayfinding, with lines shown either on a rectilinear grid or at 45 degrees, instead of the previous flowing curves and irregular geometry. [Railway Gazette, 4-22-25]
SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO HEAR CSX'S ANTITRUST SUIT OVER ACCESS TO NORFOLK PORT: The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear CSX's bid to revive its antitrust lawsuit accusing Norfolk Southern of restricting access to Norfolk International Terminals. The court rejected an appeal to a lower court's ruling that it sued too late, missing a four-year window to bring claims for antitrust law violations. [Railway Age, 4-21-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-five percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending April 20, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and seven minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-21-25]
FORMER PITTSBURGH RAIL CORRIDOR TO BECOME TRAIL: A former 3.6-mile rail corridor will be transformed into a trail that stretches across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh to Aspinwall, Pa. The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County has completed acquisition of the Brilliant Branch line from the Allegheny Valley Railroad, and the trail will connect neighborhoods to Aspinwalls' Allegheny River Trail Park, and ultimately to the Allegheny Shores development in Sharpsburg. Officials say the trail will also link to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail into downtown Pittsburgh. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4-19-25]
MAN CHARGED WITH BRINGING WEAPONS ABOARD AMTRAK TRAIN IN N.J.: A 34-year-old Florida man has been indicted for having a 'small arsenal' of weapons on an Amtrak train in Trenton, N.J. Authorities found a handgun with a loaded 18-round magazine an AR-style magazine, and an AK47-style rifle with multiple loaded magazines, silencers, and a booby-trapped rifle that discharged during his arrest. [700wlw, 4-19-25]
U.S. DOT TO ASSUME CONTROL OVER N.Y. PENN STATION RECONSTRUCTION: The U.S. Dept. of Transportation will be asserting federal control over the Penn Station reconstruction project in New York City, replacing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as project lead. Amtrak, backed by USDOT, will take over management of the project that USDOT deemed 'critical.' [Rail Passengers Assn., 4-18-25]
FEDS CANCEL TEXAS HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT GRANT: The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has canceled a $63.9-million grant awarded to Amtrak toward the Texas high-speed rail corridor, previously known as the Texas Central railway project, comprehending a bullet-train running between Dallas and Houston. The grant funding will now be allocated to other rail projects. Meanwhile, the main investor to the project, who has bought out the previous Japanese interest in the project, still intends pursue the project using Japanese Shinkansen technology. [Railway Gazette, 4-17-25]
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD FIELD OFFICES TO REMAIN OPEN: The Railroad Retirement Board has been advised that an earlier decision to close upwards of 40 field offices has been reversed, and that the nine offices that had their leases scheduled to be terminated will stay open. The decision will ensure that 680,000 active and retired rail employees and their families will continue to receive in-person services. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 4-17-25]
CSX REPORTS 1-Q RESULTS: CSX has announced first-quarter operating income of $1.04-billion, compared with $1.34-billion in the prior year quarter. Net income was $646-million or 34 cents per diluted share, compared with $880-million or 45 cents per diluted share. Revenue totaled $3.42-billion, decreasing 7 pct year-over-year, as declines in coal revenue, fuel surcharge, and merchandise volume were only partially offset by the effects of higher merchandise pricing and growth in intermodal traffic. [CSX, 4-16-25]
CSX COMPLETES UPGRADE TO CUMBERLAND, MD., YARD: CSX on April 15 announced it has completed its upgrade to its Cumberland yard in Maryland, doubling its switching capacity, removing its hump, and replacing it with a new lead. Additional yard upgrades are underway at CSX facilities in Avon, Indiana; Montgomery, Alabama; Hamlet, N.C.; and Walbridge, Ohio. [Progressive Railroading, 4-16-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 491,908 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 12, 2025, up 5.4 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 4.3 pct, and intermodal was up 6.3 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 4-16-25]
D.C. METRO TO DELAY FURTHER ATC IMPLEMENTATION BEYOND RED LINE: The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission has directed D.C. Metro to stall its expansion of automatic train control beyond the Red line for the time being. The Red line's ATC reactivation occurred in Dec. 2024. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-16-25]
STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IN U.K. FITTED WITH TRAIN-CONTROL SYSTEM: Hitachi Rail's European train-control system has been fitted onto historic Peppercorn class A1 Tornado 60163, said to be the first steam locomotive in the world to operate on a digital signaling route. [Progressive Railroading, 4-16-25]
COAST STARLIGHT DELAYED 11 HOURS BY DISABLED FREIGHT TRAIN: Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight was delayed 11 hours overnight April 15-16 between Eugene and Chemult, Oregon, due to a disabled freight train blocking the route. [Amtrak, 4-15-25]
BLET MEMBERS AT N.J. TRANSIT REJECT TENTATIVE CONTRACT OFFER: Locomotive engineers at New Jersey Transit, represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, have rejected a tentative contract offer with the commuter agency. The rejection sets the clock for self-help where engineers are permitted to strike of be locked out as soon as May 15. [BLET, 4-15-25]
SEPTA RELEASES BUDGET PROPOSAL CUTTING SERVICES, INCREASING FARES: The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has released a budget proposal that would require a 45 pct cut in services, significant fare increases, work force reductions, and a 9 P.M. curfew on all rail services to address a budget deficit in FY-2026. [Progressive Railroading, 4-14-25]
U.K. TO ABANDON PRIVATIZATION OF PASSENGER RAIL: While the current U.S. administration is talking of privatizing passenger rail, the British will begin nationalizing its passenger rail next month after decades of failed privatization. British rail unions welcome the change. Railways will now be run as a public service, not for private profit, said the general secretary of the country's locomotive engineers' union. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 4-14-25]
KENTUCKY AWARDS GRANT TOWARD 580-FOOT RAIL SPUR IN MADISON COUNTY: Pittsburgh Glass Works has been awarded a $1.4-million Kentucky state grant toward construction of a 580-foot spur line in Madison County which will connect to CSX and improve rail car storage capacity. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-14-25]
YARDMASTERS, BNSF REACH TENTATIVE FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT: BNSF yardmasters represented by SMART-YM reached a tentative five-year collective bargaining agreement on April 11. If ratified, the agreement would cover about 320 yardmasters and bring the percentage of BNSF's work force covered under agreements to 42 pct. [Progressive Railroading, 4-14-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-two percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending April 13, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 16 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-14-25]
METRO-NORTH HUDSON LINE CLIMATE CHANGE, FLOODING PROTECTION PLANS ANNOUNCED: Plans have been announced to protect the Metro-North Hudson line from the future effects of climate change, stormwater runoff and flooding. It is a blueprint to rebuild critical infrastructure, such as culverts, drainage, retaining walls, slopes and shorelines. Focus is on a 20-mile stretch between Riverdale and Croton-Harmon, but will also include guidance on the best course of action to protect the entire line. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-11-25]
STOCKTON, CALIF., RAIL BOTTLENECK ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED: The San Joaquin Council of Governments in California has approved $14-million in funding for its Stockton diamond grade separation project. It seeks to resolve bottleneck issues at the intersection of BNSF and Union Pacific lines south of downtown. The project will provide better efficiency and improve on-time performance for Altamont Corridor Express and Amtrak San Joaquins trains. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-11-25]
D.C METRO APPROVES FY-26 BUDGET: The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's board has approved a $4.9-billion capital and operating budget that the agency says will improve service while not raising fares. [Railway Age, 4-11-25]
LEGISLATION WOULD ADDRESS CARGO THEFT ON RAILROADS: Legislation introduced April 10 in the U.S. Senate would create a coordinated federal response to a rising wave of cargo thefts, many of which target freight in containers carried in double-stack trains. The bill would enhance federal law enforcement tools and establish a centralized center that would bring together federal, state, local law enforcement, and railroad police to counter organized theft operations. [Freight Waves, 4-11-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN COMPLETED $1-B IN IMPROVEMENTS IN 2024: Norfolk Southern's engineering teams completed $1-billion worth of infrastructure improvements along its system in 2024, including the replacement of 43 bridges. More than 5000 employees worked over one million collective hours and reached more than 50 consecutive days without a reportable injury. [Progressive Railroading, 4-11-25]
SEIMENS CEO OF RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE DIES IN HUDSON RIVER HELICOPTER CRASH: Agustin Escobar, CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, along with his wife and three children, and the pilot were killed when a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on April 10. His wife was global commercialization manager at Siemens Energy. [Railway Gazette, 4-11-25]
PROGRESS RAIL TO MODERNIZE, SUPPORT LOCOMOTIVES IN EGYPT: Egyptian National Railways has awarded Progress Rail long-term contracts to modernize 100 AA22T diesel locomotives and provide technical services and parts support for a total of 141 locomotives for up to 15 years. [Railway Gazette, 4-11-25]
BLET MEMBERS RATIFY QUALIFY-OF-LIFE AGREEMENT WITH BELT RWY OF CHICAGO: For the first time, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen members will have paid sick days and access to the company's 401k program under a new quality-of-life agreement with the Belt Railway of Chicago ratified late last month. [BLET, 4-10-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 500,584 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending April 5, 2025, up 11.2 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 8.5 pct, and intermodal was up 13.6 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 4-9-25]
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON FINAL TUNNEL SEGMENT OF EGLINTON CROSSTOWN WEST EXTENSION: Ontario has begun construction of the last tunnel segment of the Eglinton Crosstown West extension. The 5.6-mile line will provide service to seven additional stations and provide transit access to over 37,500 people. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-9-25]
SIERRA NORTHERN RWY COMPLETES TESTING OF HYDROGEN-FUELED SWITCHING LOCOMOTIVE: Sierra Northern Railway has completed testing of the first four-axle, hydrogen-fueled, zero-emission switching locomitve in West Sacramento. The test proved that short lines can retire pre-Tier 0 to Tier 4 diesel locomotives and replace them with a hydrogen-powered units. [Progressive Railroading, 4-9-25]
GREENBRIER COS. REPORT 2-Q RESULTS: The Greenbrier Cos. reported results for its second-quarter ending Febr. 28, posting net earnings of $52-million or $1.56 per diluted share on revenue of $762-million. Greenbrier reported lease fleet utilization of 98 pct, and it ordered 3100 fleet units. [Progressive Railroading, 4-9-25]
STATES SEEK TO EMULATE VA. PASSENGER RAIL EXPANSION MODEL: Virginia is making progress with its passenger rail investment, which will see the number of passenger trains operating within the state double from the year 2019 to 2030. The current priority is completing a series of upgrades to the former RF&P main line between Washington and Richmond, used by both Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express. Virginia has a close collaboration with North Carolina, which is also investing a lot of their money by adding new infrastructure. Other states interested are Tennessee and Ohio, which do not yet have state-supported rail services. [Railway Gazette, 4-9-25]
ONE DEAD AS AUTO PLUNGES FROM OVERPASS, GETS PINNED BETWEEN WALL AND TRAIN: At least one person died April 8 after a car drove off of a highway overpass and landed on train tracks in Lone Tree, Colorado, causing a crash with a light-rail train, pinning the car between the train and a wall. [Denver Post, 4-8-25]
ITALIAN OPERATOR PLANS HSR SERVICE BETWEEN PARIS AND LONDON: Italian national railway FS Group has announced plans to begin a high-speed train service connecting Paris and London through the Channel Tunnel by 2029. This is the latest operator to announce a proposal to compete with Eurostar. Plans are also being developed by Gemini and Virgin. [Railway Gazette, 4-8-25]
RED RIVER VALLEY & WESTERN R.R. JOINS BNSF'S SHORT LINE SELECT PROGRAM: BNSF has announced that the Red River Valley & Western Railroad has joined BNSF's short line select program. The short line serves more than 70 customers along over 500 miles of track in southeast North Dakota. Other short lines that have joined the program are Alabama & Gulf Coast, Portland & Western, Burlington Junction, and Texas Northwestern. [Progressive Railroading, 4-8-25]
N.C., VA. STATIONS AMTRAK'S BUSIEST IN SOUTHEAST: North Carolina and Virginia passenger rail stations are among Amtrak's busiest in the U.S. Southeast, with multiple departures and flexible service boosting ridership. In FY-2024, the busiest were Richmond, Alexandria, Lorton, Norfolk, Charlotte and Raleigh. [Progressive Railroading, 4-8-25]
CPKC NAMES BRETT REYNOLDS, TRACK FOREMAN, RAILROADER OF THE YEAR: Canadian Pacific Kansas City has named track maintenance foreman Brett Reynolds the company's 2025 Railroader of the Year. With 36 years of service, he exemplifies what it means to be a railroader - working though snow, wind and sub-zero temperatures on the Maple Creek subdivision in Saskatchewan - he leads by example to keep trains moving safely, BNSF said. [Progressive Railroading, 4-8-25]
CANADIAN ARBITRATOR AWARDS CN TEAMSTERS MEMBERS TERMS OF NEW THREE-YEAR CONTRACT: Teamsters Canada Rail Conference received an arbitrator's decision regarding the terms of its new collective agreement with Canadian National. It closely resembles the status quo and includes annual 3 pct wage increases. The company failed to secure any concessions related to scheduling, rest or fatigue protections, and the arbitrator emphasized that these issues are best addressed through free collective bargaining. [Teamsters Canada, 4-8-25]
AMTRAK RESTORES ALL BOREALIS, HIAWATHA, CASCADES TRAINS: All Amtrak trains on the Borealis, Hiawatha and Cascades routes have been restored. This follows the recent sidelining of 70 Horizon rail cars from those routes after inspections uncovered corrosion. [Progressive Railroading, 4-7-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Thirty-eight percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending April 6, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 20 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-7-25]
SEVERE WEATHER IMPACTS BNSF, CSX, NORFOLK SOUTHERN: BNSF, CSX and Norfolk Southern reported service delays due to last week's severe weather causing derailments, track damage and obscurement. The carriers are still assessing their infrastructure and implementing recovery plans. A BNSF train derailed April 5 in Arkansas when a bridge it was stopped upon was washed out by floodwaters. CSX's Southwest region was hit with high winds and heavy rainfall April 3-6. Flooding caused a washout and power outages on the Memphis sub; weather-related conditions slowed traffic into and out of the CC sub and Henderson sub in Kentucky. A flash flood warning April 6 in Birmingham is impacting service. Norfolk Southern reported delays and reroutes due to storms across four states. [Progressive Railroading, 4-7-25]
MD. PURPLE LIGHT-RAIL LINE VEHICLE DYNAMIC TESTING BEGINS: The Maryland Transit Administration has begun dynamic testing of the Purple line light-rail vehicles. When it opens, the Purple line will be a 16-mile, 21-station line between Bethesda and New Carrollton. [Progressive Railroading, 4-7-25]
NORTHBOUND FLORIDIAN 14 HOURS LATE INTO TOLEDO, TERMINATED FROM THERE TO CHICAGO: Amtrak's northbound Floridian was over 14 hours late when it arrived into Toledo on April 6, and it was terminated at that point with bus transportation provided to Chicago. [Amtrak, 4-6-25]
TRAIN CARS FALL INTO RIVER FROM DAMAGED BRIDGE IN ARKANSAS: Several train cars derailed as torrential rains led to swollen rivers that wiped out a bridge in northern Arkansas early April 5, Photos from Mammoth Spring State Park showed multiple cars toppled and heavily-damaged train tracks spanning Warm Fork Spring River. [Fox Weather, 4-5-25]
CN SETS MONTHLY GRAIN MOVEMENT RECORDS IN MARCH: Canadian National last month moved more than 2.85 million metric tons of grain from western Canada and 2.98 million metric tons nationally, setting new monthly records. This follows severe weather conditions in January and February, when reduced train lengths impacted volumes. [Progressive Railroading, 4-4-25]
CSX BLUE RIDGE SUB RECOVERY UNDERWAY: CSX reports work is underway on its Blue Ridge Subdivision recovery effort following damage from hurricane Helene. Crews have been operating in the Nolichucky River to remove rail, ties and other equipment. About 60 miles of the line between Tennessee and North Carolina suffered damage. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-4-25]
GROUND BROKEN ON LIRR YAPHANK STATION: Ground was broken April 3 on a Long Island Rail Road station in Yaphank, N.Y. The new $20-million facility, a relocation of one at Ronkankoma Beach, will be closer to east end highways and Brookhaven National Laboratory research facility. The existing station dates to 1844, which will be demolished when the new station opens. [Progressive Railroading, 4-4-25]
INDIANA'S WEST LAKE CORRIDOR SET TO OPEN BY EARLY FALL: The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District seeks to open its West Lake corridor branch to Dyer sometime in late summer or early fall. Construction if now about 96 pct complete. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-4-25]
N.Y.-PHILADELPHIA AMTRAK SERVICE SUSPENDED BY FATAL ACCIDENT IN PA.: Amtrak suspended service for about four hours late April 3 between New York and Philadelphia after one of its trains struck and killed a family of three in Bristol, Pa. [Progressive Railroading, 4-3-25]
STRONG WINDS TIP OVER RAIL CARS IN OHIO: There were no injuries when 18 intermodal rail cars tipped over in strong winds early April 3 in Washington Twp., Ohio. The train was stationary at the time, Hancock County sheriff's office said. [WTVG, 4-3-25]
OMNITRAX NAMES COLBY TANNER CEO: OmniTRAX has named Colby Tanner as its new chief executive officer effective April 15. He joins the company from BNSF where he has been a sales and marketing executive. [Progressive Railroading, 4-3-25]
NEW COMPOUND INTRODUCED TO EXTEND LIFE OF WOOD TIES: Tietan, an advanced asphalt coating to help increase wood tie longevity, has been introduced by Railway Innovation Solutions. The asphalt is applied hot to the top of the tie, where the Tietan goes into the cracks and grooves of the tie and flexes with the expansion and contraction of the wood. Once cooled, it forms a flexible membrane that bonds with solvent-based treatments, protecting against UV rays and water damage. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-3-25]
BNSF, NS PARTNER TO OFFER FASTER SERVICE FROM PACIFIC N.W. TO CHICAGO: BNSF and connecting partners Norfolk Southern and the Northwest Seaport Alliance have collaborated to redesign and develop a three-day faster service product for inland point intermodal traffic from he Pacific Northwest to Chicago. The plan encompasses the alliance building trains in fewer than two days dwell off the dock with the density to seamlessly connect to and through Chicago. [Progressive Railroading, 4-3-25]
PARIS-MILAN RAIL SERVICE RESTARTED AFTER 19 MONTHS OF REPAIR WORK: Through rail services between Paris and Milan restarted on March 31 after 19 months of work to repair landslide damage near Maurienne in Aug. 2023. Freight traffic and French regional services along the route will restart gradually. [Railway Gazette, 4-3-25]
PANAMA CANAL RAILWAY SOLD TO NEW OWNER: APM Terminals, a global terminal operator, has bought the 47.6-mile ocean-to-ocean passenger and freight Panama Canal Railway from CPKC and Lanco Group/MiJack. In a typical year, the railway handles about 300,000 containers. [Freight Waves, 4-2-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 513,553 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 29, 2025, up 8.6 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 7.8 pct, and intermodal was up 9.4 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 4-2-25]
SOUND TRANSIT TO OPEN DOWNTOWN REDMOND LINK EXTENSION IN MAY: Seattle's Sound Transit's Downtown Redmond Link light-rail extension is set to open on May 10. Two new stations will be added to the line. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-2-25]
CPKC ISSUES NOTES FOR REFINANCING AND CORPORATE PURPOSES: Canadian Pacific Kansas City has issued $600-million 4.8% notes due 2030 and $600-million 5.2% notes due 2035 to be used primarily for refinancing of outstanding debt and general corporate purposes. [Railway Gazette, 4-2-25]
TEXAS HIGH-SPEED RAIL PLAN HITS ANOTHER OBSTACLE: The Texas legislature has filed a bill that would pevent the construction of high-speed rail service between Houston and Dallas from interfering with or altering any existing roads or highways, making routing of the proposed service much more difficult. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-2-25]
BRITISH REGULATOR OPENS DOOR TO CROSS-CHANNEL COMPETITION: An independent report for Britain's rail regulator says that Eurostar's maintenance depot in East London is able to accommodate additional trains, offering encouragement to new entrants on cross-channel services. [International Railway Journal, 4-2-25]
NEW ZEALAND FUNDS NEW TRAIN FERRIES: New Zealand's rail ministry has announced that the government will fund two new inter-island train ferries, which will enter service in 2029. [International Railway Journal, 4-2-25]
MARCH 2025 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in March 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 30 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 4-1-25]
INLAND PORT GREER EXPANSION COMPLETED: South Carolina Ports Authority has marked the completion of its $55-million expansion at Inland Port Greer, designed to strengthen its statewide intermodal capabilities and connection from the Port of Charleston to inland markets. The port can now handle 300,000 rail lifts annually and meet projected customer demand through 2040. [Progressive Railroading, 4-1-25]
CHICAGO TRANSIT BREAKS GROUND ON UPGRADES AT AUSTIN STATION: The Chicago Transit Authority has broken ground on major accessibility upgrade work on the Austin Green line station. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-1-25]
ILLINOIS TO IMPLEMENT SAFETY UPGRADES AT CROSSING LOCATIONS: The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved its FY-2026-2030 crossing improvement program seeking to implement safety upgrades at more than 900 crossing locations across the state. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-1-25]
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF., SEEKS TO EXPEDITE STABILIZATION WORK AT SAN CLEMENTE: Orange County Transportation Authority has submitted an emergency permit to allow it to expedite work to stabilize four landslide-prone areas along the rail line through San Clemente. Work on the four areas is expected to occur at different times due to the complexity of the project and the availability of contractors and material. [Railway Track & Structures, 4-1-25]
SOUTHWEST CHIEF DELAYED BY LOCOMOTIVE TROUBLE: Eastbound Southwest Chief arrived into Chicago six hours and 50 minutes late on April 1. According to Amtrak, the train's principal en route delays were because of locomotive trouble. [Amtrak, 4-1-25]
STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 80080 TO JOIN BRITAIN'S NORTH NORFOLK RWY.: Britain's North Norfolk Railway has announced that locomotive 80080 is set to join their steam locomotive fleet in late-May. Built in 1954, the engine initially work commuter runs on the London Tilbury & Southend line. It is owned by the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, and has worked on a number of heritage railways since 2010. [Rail Business Daily, 4-1-25]
INVESTIGATION REPORT ON FEBR. 2024 REAR-END COLLISION IN B.C. ISSUED: The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has issued its investigation report into a Febr. 16, 2024, accident in which CPKC train 805 collided into the rear of stationary train 301 near Greely, B.C., derailing four locomotives of train 805, one of which caught fire, and four cars of train 301, one of which also caught fire. Both crew members of train 805 were injured. The investigation determined that the crew of train 805 had missed a signal indicating that the train should be prepared to stop at the next signal. This happened when the crews' attention was diverted by a call from the train dispatcher. They were then unable to stop at the next signal, and then plowed into the standing train just beyond that point. [Progressive Railroading, 4-1-25]
AMTRAK, MARC TRAINS DELAYED BY OVERHEAD POWER LINE FAILURE IN BOWIE, MD.: An overhead power line failure near Bowie State University station in Maryland caused a number of Amtrak and MARC delays between Washington and Baltimore late in the day March 31. [MARC, 3-31-25]
MBTA REOPENS WALPOLE STATION FOLLOWING ACCESSIBILITY UPGRADES: Boston's MBTA reopened its Walpole station on March 31 following accessibility upgrades. Crews installed mini-high free-standing platforms on top of the current inbound and outbound platforms. Other stations to receive similar upgrades include Concord, Wyoming Hill, Endicott and Lincoln. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-31-25]
GRAND CENTRAL 42ND STATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED: Skanska has announced the substantial completion of the $74.2-million circulation improvement project at the Grand Central 42nd street station in New York City. The newly-unveiled passageway creates a direct connection between the Flushing, Queens, 7 train and the 4, 5 and 6 subway lines. [Progressive Railroading, 3-31-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-four percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending March 30, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 12 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-31-25]
PUNK BAND IN OHIO RELEASES PROTEST SONG 'PRECISION SCHEDULED DISASTERS': Ohio-based progressive punk band Abertooth Lincoln has released a protest song about the East Palestine derailment and fire. Titled 'Precision Scheduled Disasters,' the song is described by Metal Planet Music as a Molotov cocktail hurled at the railroad's 'profit-driven neglect' leading to the 2023 incident. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 3-30-25]
TEXAS EAGLE EIGHT HOURS LATE INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's northbound Texas Eagle on March 30 was eight hours late arriving into Chicago, having been delayed en route by engine trouble. [Amtrak, 3-30-25]
ONE KILLED, DOZENS INJURED AS TRAIN DERAILS IN INDIA: A 22-year-old man from Bengal was killed and more than 30 passengers were injured March 30 when 11 rail cars of an express passenger train carrying over 1000 passengers derailed near Manguli-Choudwar, India. [Times of India, 3-30-25]
R.R. SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WORKING GROUP DEACTIVATED: The Federal Railroad Administration has deactivated the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee Working Group. It had been charged with exploring industry-wide implementation of the program known as Confidential Close-Call Reporting (or C3RS). The process was to allow rail workers to confidentially report near-miss accidents and safety lapses without fear of reprisal. Freight railroads promised to join the program following the disastrous derailment and fire in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023. But a sweeping investigative report by the New York Times exposed how freight carriers lobbied to try and weaken the system. They wanted to be allowed to discipline workers under a softened version of the program. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 3-28-25]
SOUTH JORDAN, UTAH, DOWNTOWN STATION OPENS ON TRAX RED LINE: Utah Transit Authority has opened the South Jordan downtown station on the TRAX Red line. It provides a connection to the Ballpark at America First Square. This is the third TRAX station for South Jordan. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-28-25]
PORTLAND TO IMPROVE OVERHEAD LIGHT-RAIL WIRE SYSTEM: Portland's TriMet will undertake a project to improve its overhead wire system for light-rail. Crews will replace and upgrade equipment on the MAX Blue line from April 27 to May 10. At issue is the need for wires to remain tight for trains while heat above 90 degrees causes the wires to sag due to thermal expansion. The agency has used weight stacks to keep wires tight during high temperatures, but due to record-setting temperatures over recent years, those weights stacks have been known to hit the ground. An improved process is expected to fix the situation. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-28-25]
CO-CHAIR NAMED FOR B&O MUSEUM'S CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR BICENTENNIAL: Brown Advisory partner and senior adviser Ben Griswold will join CSX CEO Joe Hindrichs as co-chair of the B&O Railroad Museum's $38-million capital campaign to raise funds to transform the museum's Baltimore campus in preparation for the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027. [Progressive Railroading, 3-28-25]
JUDGE ORDERS STRIKING SANTA CLARA VALLEY TRANPORATION WORKERS BACK TO WORK: A judge has ordered 1500 striking Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority front-line workers back to work. They have been on strike for the past 17 days at the California agency. [Progressive Railroading, 3-28-25]
SOUND TRANSIT NAMES NEW CEO: Seattle's Sound Transit has approved the hiring of Dow Constantine to serve as its CEO beginning April 1. He is the county executive of King County, Washington. [Progressive Railroading, 3-28-25]
AMTRAK MULLS CUTS TO MANAGEMENT, OTHER COST-CUTTING MEASURES: In the wake of the departure of its CEO and threats of potential privatization, Amtrak is considering cuts to management and other cost-cutting moves. [Trains Magazine, 3-28-25]
BRITAIN'S SEVERN VALLEY RWY READIES FOR RAILWAY 200 CELEBRATION: Britain's Severn Valley Railway will be joined by two distinguished locomotives for 'Trains Through the Ages' celebration of Railway 200 the weekend of July 5 and 6. LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60163 will haul the railway's set of rail cars dating back to 1922, and U.K.'s HydroFLEX hydrogen-ready passenger train will also be there. [Rail Business Daily, 3-28-25]
MINING COMPANY IN BRAZIL ORDERS 50 WABTEC LOCOMOTIVES: Brazilian mining company Vale has ordered 50 Wabtec Evolution Series diesel locomotives to modernize operations and lower carbon emissions on its Vitoria a Minas and Carajas railways. [Railway Gazette, 3-28-25]
AMTRAK REMOVES 70 HORIZON RAIL CARS FROM SERVICE TO CHECK FOR CORROSION: Amtrak on March 26 removed 70 of its Horizon rail cars from service after routine inspections discovered corrosion in some of them. Removal of the cars impacts service on its Borealis, Hiawatha, Downeaster and Cascades runs. Certain trains are annulled, or reduced to fewer cars than normal. [Progressive Railroading, 3-27-25]
MARYLAND SEEKS PARTNER TO OPERATE, MAINTAIN FREIGHT LINES ON STATE'S EASTERN SHORE: The Maryland Dept. of Transportation is seeking a private partner for an anticipated 40-year lease to operate, maintain and improve about 92 miles of freight-rail corridors on the state's eastern shore. Goals will be to modernize the rail infrastructure, increase efficiency and stimulate economic growth in the region. [Progressive Railroading, 3-27-25]
JAGUAR TRANSPORT PARTNERING WITH UNION PACIFIC WITH NEW SHORT LINE IN K.C.: Union Pacific has announced a new partnership with multimodal logistics provider Jaguar Transport Holdings to enhance rail services in Kansas City, Mo. Union Pacific will lease about 12 acres and four miles of track to Jaguar to operate a new short line called Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad. [Freight Waves, 3-27-25]
OVERHEAD POWER ISSUES INTERRUPT AMTRAK N.Y.-BOSTON SERVICE: Downed power lines in New Haven, Connecticut, caused Amtrak delays between New York and Boston for several hours early March 27. Partial service was restored about 1 p.m., but residual delays followed. One Acela train was canceled. [ABC Boston, 3-27-25]
MASSACHUSETTS SOUTH COAST RAIL PROJECT PHASE 1 SERVICE BEGINS: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and operator Keolis Commuter Services have launched passenger services on Phase 1 of the South Coast Rail project, providing Fall River and New Bedford with trains to Boston for the first time in more than 65 years. [Railway Gazette, 3-26-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 496,214 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 22, 2025, up 5.5 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 4.5 pct, and intermodal was up 6.3 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 3-26-25]
HYUNDAI STEEL INVESTING IN A NEW UNION PACIFIC-ACCESSED FACILITY IN LOUISIANA: Hyundai Steel is investing $5.8-billion in a new steel manufacturing facility in Donaldsonville, La., to boost auto production. It will be located in the existing RiverPlex MagaPark, which offers access to Union Pacific. [Progressive Railroading, 3-26-25]
COLUMBUS & OHIO RIVER R.R. GETS STATE GRANT TOWARD SIDING EXTENSION: The Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved a $705,994 grant to Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road toward extending an existing rail siding by about 4800 feet and add a crossover. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-26-25]
MARYLAND PURPLE LINE PROGRESS REPORT: Currently 20 Maryland Purple light-rail line stations are under construction, and 67,500 feet of track has been installed. At the Glenridge operations and maintenance facility, crews continue to install the overhead catenary system poles and track switches. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-25-25]
CSX, SIGNALMEN HAVE TENTATIVE FIVE-YEAR BARGAINING PACT: CSX and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen have tentatively agreed to a new five-year collective bargaining pact, it was announced March 25. [Progressive Railroading, 3-25-25]
BART RESOLVES FY-26 BUDGET DEFICIT, FOLLOWING YEARS UNCERTAIN: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District on March 24 reported eliminating what was projected to be a $35-million budget deficit for FY-2026, starting July 1, 2025. But structural deficits of $350-million to $400-million loom in the following years, unless long-term, stable funding sources can be identified. [Railway Age, 3-25-25]
ASCE GIVES U.S. RAIL INDUSTRY B-MINUS GRADE: The American Society of Civil Engineers has graded U.S. railroads a B-minus, a downgrade from the B received on the 2021 report card. For the rail industry to raise its grade, some of the recommendations made include encouraging passenger rail infrastructure investment in high-population centers, enacting public-private programs to enhance both freight and passenger service, implementing safety technologies on additional defect detection systems, and enacting renewed legislation addressing highway grade crossings, hazardous materials, rail-car inspections, and emergency response. [Progressive Railroading, 3-25-25]
BMWED WORKERS RATIFY NATIONAL RAIL CONTRACT: Over 8,700 members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees of the Teamsters Rail Conference have voted to approve a new contract with the National Carriers' Conference Committee. [Freight Waves, 3-24-25]
CANADA TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TOWARD TO QUEBEC TRANSIT PROJECTS: The Canadian government has announced an additional federal contribution of more than $1.1-billion (C) to help complete the Quebec City electric tramway and Montreal Metro Blue line extension projects. They will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and consolidate the public transit network in both cities. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-24-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-one percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending March 23, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 46 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-24-25]
AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES, KILLS MAN IN FLORIDA: A man was struck and killed by Amtrak's southbound Floridian the afternoon of March 24 in Dover, Florida. The train was delayed several hours as a result of the incident. [WFLA, 3-24-25]
GEMINI ANNOUNCES CROSS-CHANNEL PASSENGER TRAIN AMBITIONS: Gemini Trains is the latest company to announce ambitions to begin cross-channel passenger services to compete against Eurostar. It aims to use 'brand new cutting-edge trains' and a 'fresh approach' to offer competitive fares and high-quality, frequent services. [Railway Gazette, 3-24-25]
AMTRAK'S CITY OF NEW ORLEANS ARRIVES INTO CHICAGO EIGHT HOURS LATE: Amtrak's northbound City of New Orleans was over eight hours behind schedule arriving into Chicago on March 23. According to Amtrak, its principal delay was because of mechanical issues. Between Carbondale and Chicago the train was combined with Saluti train 390, itself five and one-half hours late. [Amtrak, 3-23-25]
MBTA'S SOUTH COAST RAIL SERVICE BEGINS MARCH 24: The Federal Railroad Administration has approved Boston's MBTA rail service to Fall River and New Bedford, and the service is planned to begin on Monday, March 24. South Coast Rail will bring service to Fall River, Freetown, Middleborough, New Bedford and Taunton for the first time in 65 years. [WJAR, 3-21-25]
AMTRAK DEDICATES LOCOMOTIVE TO MARK KENNY, LATE BLET GENERAL CHAIRMAN: Amtrak on March 14 dedicated locomotive 174 in honor of the late Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen general chairman Mark B. Kenny at a ceremony in Philadelphia. He died in late 2024 after a railroad career spanning over 40 years. [BLET, 3-21-25]
UNION PACIFIC NAMES CHRISTIANA CONLIN SENIOR V.P., CORPORATE SECRETARY, CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER: Union Pacific has announced the appointment of Christiana Conlin as senior vice-president, corporate secretary and chief legal officer to replace the retiring Craig Richardson at the end of March. [Union Pacific, 3-21-25]
RIVERVIEW INDUSTRIAL PARK ACCESS IN TENNESSEE TO BE RESTORED FOLLOWING STORM DAMAGE: After sustaining damage from hurricane Helene last fall, $2.1-million has been awarded to restore access to the Riverview Industrial Park in Unicoi County, Tennessee. The project will cover eligible costs to repair over 6700 linear feet of track. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-21-25]
OMNITRAX ENTERS BATTERY-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE INTO REVENUE SERVICE: OmniTRAX's Ohio-based Newburgh & South Shore Railroad has entered its first battery-electric locomotive into revenue service in the U.S. The AMPS Traction G9 locomotive operates at 1700 gross horsepower and is designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while maintaining the reliability required for freight operations, the company said. [Progressive Railroading, 3-21-25]
HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE IN NEW ORLEANS NEEDS EVALUATION FOR RISK OF COLLAPSE FROM VESSEL STRIKE, NTSB SAYS: The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad is among 30 bridge owners identified in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board recommending that 68 bridges in 19 states be evaluated for risk of collapse from a vessel strike. NOPB owns the Huey P. Long Bridge which supports both vehicular and rail traffic across the Mississippi River. [Progressive Railroading, 3-21-25]
BERNARD JACKSON TO BE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT MTA IN N.Y.: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has announced that its senior executive vice-president and chief operations officer Bernard Jackson has accepted a position as chief operating officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York. His last day at DART is May 2. [Progressive Railroading, 3-21-25]
UNION PACIFIC TRAIN DERAILS IN TEXAS, NO INJURIES: About 33 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed March 21 near Kent, Texas. No injuries were reported, and no hazardous materials were involved. KWES-TV, 3-21-25]
CSX TRAIN DERAILS IN CONNELLSVILLE, PA.: Three intermodal cars of a CSX train derailed late March 20 in Connellsville, Pa. One of the cars cut down a utility pole resulting in a local power outage. No injuries were reported. [KDKA, 3-21-25]
BNSF'S SOUTHERN TRANSCON IMPACTED BY EXTREME WIND CONDITIONS: BNSF's Southern Transcon has been affected by 'excessive and extended winds' often exceeding 75 MPH. The railroad said that the winds have impacted service consistency and unexpected service incidents. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-21-25]
STEPHEN GARDNER, CEO OF AMTRAK, RESIGNS: Amtrak's CEO Stephen Gardner has resigned and is leaving the organization, the railroad announced March 19. He had served with Amtrak for 16 years. No specific reason for his abrupt resignation was given, but Reuters later reported that his resignation was due to pressure from the White House. [Progressive Railroading, 3-20-25]
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR HELD 20 HOURS IN DENVER DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER: Amtrak's eastbound California Zephyr was held in Denver for 20 hours on March 20 due to the effects of severe weather conditions and subsequent track repairs ahead. [Amtrak, 3-20-25]
AMTRAK'S CRESCENT STRIKES, KILLS MAN IN MISSISSIPPI: A 33-year-old man was struck and killed by Amtrak's Crescent in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on March 20. [3-20-25]
LUXURY TRAIN CANYON SPIRIT ADDS SALT LAKE CITY TO SOUTHWEST ROUTE: The Canyon Spirit, formerly known as the Rocky Mountaineer, is expanding its itinerary to include Salt Lake City beginning in 2026. The new three-day journey from Denver will include overnight stops in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. The Salt Lake City route will operate in addition to its existing two-day Rockies to the Red Rocks route between Denver and Moab. [Progressive Railroading, 3-19-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 503,473 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 15, 2025, up 6.2 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 3.1 pct, and intermodal was up 8.8 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 3-19-25]
EXPANSION OF TRAIN STATION IN WELLS, MAINE, BEGINS: Work to expand the facilities at the Wells Transportation Center in Maine has begun. Crews will replace the high-level boarding platform that is next to the building and build another platform across the tracks that will connect to an overhead pedestrian bridge. By having the second platform, Amtrak Downeaster platform can board and detrain at the same time. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-19-25]
CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON HIGH-SPEED TRAINS FOR TAIWAN: Production of 12 high-speed trains ordered by Taiwan from the Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium will now begin following the signing of a supplementary agreement finalizing the interior design of the new trains. [International Railway Journal, 3-19-25]
MARCH 18 NATIONAL TRANSIT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY: March 18 is National Transit Employee Appreciation Day, dedicated to those who operate and maintain U.S. public transit systems. The date was chosen to mark the day in 1662 when public buses were first introduced in France. In 2009 it was first observed as National Bus Driver Appreciation Day, but in 2014 the day was expanded to include all transit employees, including those in commuter rail. [SMART-TD, 3-18-25]
PROPOSED PASSENGER RAIL IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CALIF., WOULD REQUIRE $1-B TO REPLACE BRIDGES: Officials say that in order to bring passenger rail service to Santa Cruz County, Calif., it would require replacing 28 out of 33 bridges at a cost of up to $1-billion. Most of the current bridges were installed by Southern Pacific as far back as the early 1900's. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-18-25]
UNION REPRESENTING CPKC CLERICAL, INTERMODAL EMPLOYEES IN CANADA RATIFY LABOR PACT: The union representing 600 Canadian Pacific Kansas City clerical and intermodal employees in Canada has ratified a four-year collective bargaining agreement with the railroad. The pact is the third collective agreement ratified so far this year by Canadian CPKC employees. [Progressive Railroading, 3-18-25]
FRA DELAYS PROPOSED DISPATCHER, SIGNAL EMPLOYEE CERTIFICATION RULES BY ONE YEAR: The Federal Railroad Administration has granted a one-year delay in its planned March 17 implementation of its dispatcher and signal employee certification rules. The agency is also reopening petitions for reconsideration of the rules. [Progressive Railroading, 3-18-25]
CONTRACT AWARDED TO DEVELOP, OPERATE RAIL INDUSTRIAL PARK IN LAREDO, TEXAS: Ironhorse Resources has signed a contract to develop and operate the Gateway Rail Industrial Park in Laredo, Texas. The future facility will provide short-line access to Union Pacific for tenants to support U.S.-Mexico trade. [Progressive Railroading, 3-18-25]
CURRY RAIL SERVICES OPENS RAIL CAR REPAIR FACILITY IN WYOMING: Curry Rail Services has opened a rail car repair and coatings facility in Shoshoni, Wyoming. The new site marks the third facility of the company, joining locations in Pennsylvania and Texas. [Progressive Railroading, 3-18-25]
WABTEC TO ACQUIRE DELLNER COUPLERS: Wabtec will acquire Dellner Couplers, manufacturer of equipment and services for passenger rail rolling stock. Dellner is based in Sweden, and has an 84-year history in train connections systems with facilities in 13 countries. [Freight Waves, 3-18-25]
NINE RAILROAD RETIREMENT FIELD OFFICES LISTED TO BE CLOSED: It appears that nine Railroad Retirement Board field offices may be closed later this year or the next by actions initiated by the Dept. of Government Efficiency. They include Mesa, Ariz.; Joliet, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; Covina, Calif.; Scranton, Pa.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Paul, Minn.; and Altoona, Pa. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 3-18-25]
CANADIAN PORTS HAMPERING WITH INTERMODAL DELAYS, RAIL DWELL TIMES CITED: Delays are hampering intermodal operations at container ports in Canada as railroad woes hit gateways. Port of Halifax is seeing significant vessel delays due to North Atlantic weather, compounded by rail dwell time averaging 18 days. Vancouver is experiencing delays while dwell time for outbound containers is 20 to 30 days due to major rail issues. At Port of Montreal, current rail dwell is over five days, but inconsistent rail car supply is expected to take seven to 10 days to recover. [Freight Waves, 3-18-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Thirty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending March 16, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 37 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-17-25]
COUNTY LINE RAIL ACQUIRES SABINE RIVER & NORTHERN: County Line Rail has acquired the Sabine River & Northern Railroad, a 40-mile short-line in east Texas. The acquired line runs from Bessmay to Echo, with a branch line from Buna to Evandale. It connects with CPKC, UP and BNSF. [Freight Waves, 3-17-25]
TEXAS EAGLE DELAYED TWO & ONE-HALF HOURS AWAITING RESTED CREW: Amtrak's westbound Texas Eagle of March 16 was delayed over two and one-half hours in St. Louis on availability of a rested crew. [Amtrak, 3-16-25]
CHICAGO TRANSIT TRAIN DERAILS, DISRUPTS SERVICE: A Chicago Transit train derailed Saturday afternoon March 15, disrupting service between 87th and 95th streets. The agency called the derailment 'minor,' and said no passengers were on the train when it happened. [ABC Chicago, 3-15-25]
EMPIRE BUILDER OVER EIGHT HOURS LATE INTO CHICAGO: Eastbound Empire Builder of March 12 arrived into Chicago eight hours and 40 minutes behind schedule. According to Amtrak, the train was extensively delayed en route by mechanical issues and a locomotive addition, also because of rail congestion and speed restrictions. [Amtrak, 3-15-25]
HISTORIC BRITISH TRAIN BEING RESTORED: Work has begun to restore a U.K. train bought by enthusiasts. Class 507 electric multiple-unit was one of the oldest trains on the U.K. network when it was withdrawn from service in Nov. 2024. Back in 1978, it carried Queen Elizabeth when she officially opened the Merseyrail network. The three-car train is being restored by apprentices at Alstom ahead of its transfer to the Tanat Valley Light Railway in Shropshire. [Rail Business Daily, 3-15-15]
TWO INJURED AS CSX TRAIN COLLIDES WITH ANOTHER TRAIN IN BALTIMORE: Two crew members were injured and taken to hospitals early March 14 after a train derailed when colliding with another train in CSX's Curtis Bay yard in Baltimore. A locomotive and four rail cars were derailed, according to officials. [WBFF, 3-14-25]
STB TO REVIEW PROPOSAL BY NORFOLK SOUTHERN TO ACQUIRE NORFOLK & PORTSMOUTH BELT LINE R.R.: The Surface Transportation Board on March 14 reported it will review Norfolk Southern's proposal to acquire Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad as a 'significant' transaction. [Railway Age, 3-14-25]
BNSF-SERVED SHUTTLE LOADING FACILITY OPENS IN WISCONSIN: ALCIVIA, a member-owned agricultural and energy cooperative, has opened a new train shuttle loading facility in Hager City, Wisconsin, on BNSF's network. With access to year-round rail shipping, ALCIVIA will have the flexibility to sell and move grain during the winter months when other terminals are closed. [Progressive Railroading, 3-14-25]
BRITISH RAIL LINE INSTALLS BIRD, BAT BOXES AT TRAIN STATIONS: Dozens of bird and bat boxes have been installed at nine of Britain's TransPennine Express stations to provide additional habitats for native wildlife. They are part of the railroad's plan to grow biodiversity at its stations and create spaces that are good for nature across its network. [Rail Business Daily, 3-14-25]
OMNITRAX IN JOINT-VENTURE TO ACQUIRE SHORT-LINE IN CALIFORNIA: OmniTRAX has entered into a joint-venture partnership with Coast Belle Rail for the acquisition of Santa Maria Valley Railroad. Santa Maria's system consists of 14.7 miles of main line track track which interchanges with Union Pacific in Guadalupe, California. [Progressive Railroading, 3-13-25]
LIRR'S MASTIC-SHIRLEY STATION RENOVATIONS COMPLETED: Renovations to Long Island Rail Road's Mastic-Shirley station on the Montauk branch have been completed. LIRR crews and Orange County Engineering Contracting worked together to perform the $7.49-million work needed at the station. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-13-25]
FREIGHTCAR AMERICA REPORTS INCREASED REVENUE, PROFIT: FreightCar America reported results for the fourth-quarter and full year ending Dec. 31, 2024, that included full-year revenue and gross profit up 56 pct and 60 pct respectively. [Railway Age, 3-13-25]
SWISS LOOKING AT ORDERING UP TO 40 HIGH-SPEED TRAIN SETS FOR INTERNATIONAL RUNS: Swiss Federal Railways is looking at ordering up to 40 high-speed train sets for use on international services to Italy and France, and potentially to Barcelona and London. [Railway Gazette, 3-13-25]
TRAIN SLAMS INTO MINIBUS IN EGYPT, KILLING EIGHT, INJURING 12: A passenger train slammed into a minibus in Egypt's Ismailia province on March 13, killing at least eight people and injuring 12. Authorities said the vehicle was crossing the tracks in an unauthorized location. [AP News, 3-13-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 497,412 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 8, 2025, up 5.4 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 2.6 pct, and intermodal was up 7.7 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 3-12-25]
GO TRANSIT BI-LEVEL COACHES TO BE REFURBISHED: The province of Ontario has awarded Ontario Northland a $350-million (C) contract to refurbish 121 GO Transit bi-level coaches used on Toronto commuter services. The work will extend their lives by 20 years. Ontario Northland is also refurbishing 13 F59 diesel locomotives that were purchased from California's Metrolink. [Railway Gazette, 3-12-25]
STRIKE AT SANTA CLARA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION: The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority on March 11 filed a legal complaint against Amalgamated Transit Union claiming that a strike that began the day before is a breach of a no-strike clause in the parties' agreement. [Progressive Railroading, 3-12-25]
AMTRAK LEASE MANAGEMENT CASE ON D.C. UNION STATION OFFICIALLY CLOSES: A judge has formally ended the case regarding the lease of the majority of the customer-facing area of Washington Union Station involving Amtrak and Rexmark. Amtrak is responsible for the day-to-day management, security, maintenance and operation of the station, including the drop-off lanes between the station and Columbus Circle. [Progressive Railroading, 3-12-25]
PATRIOT RAIL, CPKC PARTNER TO ESTABLISH TRANSLOAD FACILITY IN TEXAS: Patriot Rail and Canadian Pacific Kansas City will establish a multi-commodity transload facility on CPKC's network in Denton, Texas. Patriot Rail owns 31 short lines and three tourist railroads. [Progressive Railroading, 3-12-25]
LEAGUE OF RAILWAY WOMEN SELECT AMTRAK'S ELDIE ACHESON AS 2024 RAILWAY WOMAN OF THE YEAR: The League of Railway Women has selected Amtrak's Eldie Acheson as the 2024 Railway Woman of the Year. She served an 18-year career with Amtrak, mostly as chief legal officer. [Progressive Railroading, 3-12-25]
EMPIRE BUILDER 10 HOURS LATE INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's Empire Builder of March 9 was over 10 hours late arriving into Chicago in the early morning of March 12. Amtrak said most of the train's en route delays were due to equipment issues. [Amtrak, 3-12-25]
RECONFIGURED CSX YARD IN CUMBERLAND, MD., IMPROVES FLUIDITY, LOCOMOTIVE UTILIZATION: CSX has completed a reconfiguration of its yard in Cumberland, Md., that nearly doubles the flat-switching capacity of the former hump yard. This allowed the former B&O main line to handle merchandise traffic between Midwest and Mid-Atlantic that had previously been routed the long way around via. Selkirk, N.Y., on the former NYC route. CSX has reduced train starts by 1000 per week, or roughly 10 pct, which has pushed locomotive utilization to the highest level since 2016. [Freight Waves, 3-11-25]
CPKC DEPLOYS HYDROGEN LOCOMOTIVE FOR MAINLINE SERVICE: Canadian Pacific Kansas City's hydrogen locomotive CP1201 and its tender, now based in Golden, B.C., have become the first high-horsepower unit to be deployed to a field location for regular mainline service. CP1201 has resumed runs in bulk service in collaboration with Elk Valley Resources as the railroad continues to test performance in challenging operating conditions. [Progressive Railroading, 3-11-25]
WINTER HAVEN, FLA., GETS STATE GRANT TO EXTEND RAIL ACCESS AT LOGISTICS PARK: Florida's governor has awarded $1.5-million to the city of Winter Haven to extend rail access within the Central Florida Integrated Logistics Park. The park is close to major thoroughfares and a dedicated CSX intermodal facility. [Progressive Railroading, 3-11-25]
COLUMBIA BASIN R.R. DONATES THREE-MILE TRACK TO ADVANCE PORT PROJECT: The Port of Moses Lake in central Washington State has accepted a three-mile track donation from Columbia Basin Railroad to advance the port's northern Columbia Basin Railroad project. The donated segment is an inactive line that will connect rail in the industrial corridor with a line to be built near the airport. [Progressive Railroading, 3-11-25]
TRANSLINK BEGINS TESTING OF NEW MARK V TRAIN SETS: British Columbia's TransLink has begun testing the first of its new Mark V train sets which will run on the Sky Train automated rapid-transit system in metro Vancouver. [Progressive Railroading, 3-11-25]
ROB GLEASON NAMED TO AMTRAK BOARD: Rob Gleason of western Pennsylvania has been named to the Amtrak Board of Directors. He has been an advocate for expanding rail service, and is a former chair of the state's Republican Party. [Pa. Capital-Star, 3-11-25]
E. JAPAN RWY FINALIZES DESIGNS OF E10 SHINKANSEN TRAINS: East Japan Railway has finalized exterior and interior designs of its planned next-generation 199-MPH E10 series Shinkansen trains incorporating new technology trialled on its Alta-X experimental trains. They are expected to enter service in 2030 and replace E2 and E5 fleets on the Tohoku line. [International Railway Journal, 3-11-25]
FRANCE SEEKS BIDS ON NEW LOCOMOTIVES, CARS FOR OVERNIGHT TRAINS: The French transport ministry has published a tender notice worth $2.3-billion seeking bids to supply new locomotives and cars for the overnight trains that form part of the TET network of long-distance services funded by the government. [International Railway Journal, 3-11-25]
AMTRAK TEASES S.W. AIRLINES OVER CHECKED BAG FEES: Southwest Airlines made waves when it announced charges to their checked bag policies, and Amtrak took a shot at the company. "Guess we're the only ones doing free baggage, now," the rail carrier said. According to Amtrak, passengers are permitted to bring one personal item less than 25 pounds up to 14x11x7 inches, and two carry-on pieces of luggage of no more than 50 pounds up to 28x22x14 inches. [NBC Chicago, 3-11-25]
NJT, BLET REACH TENTATIVE LABOR CONTRACT, AVERT STRIKE: New Jersey Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen have reached a tentative contract agreement, averting a possible locomotive engineer strike or lockout. [Railway Age, 3-10-25]
METRA ASKS STB TO REQUIRE UNION PACIFIC TO ALLOW SERVICE ON THREE LINES: Chicago's Metra has asked the Surface Transportation Board to require Union Pacific to allow Metra to continue operating on three Union Pacific lines. Metra said it was applying for terminal trackage rights since Union Pacific could terminate Metra's use on July 1. Metra claims that Union Pacific is demanding excessive rates to continue use of the lines for commuter trains. [Progressive Railroading, 3-10-25]
VIA RAIL NAMES JONATHAN GOLDBLOOM CHAIRMAN: VIA Rail Canada has appointed Jonathan Goldbloom to serve as chairman for a five-year term beginning April 12. He has been a board member since 2017 and has served on multiple VIA Rail committees. [Progressive Railroading, 3-10-25]
VIRGIN GROUP SEEKS TO RUN CROSS-CHANNEL RAIL, COMPETING WITH EUROSTAR: Virgin Group is aiming to raise funding for its plan to launch high-frequency cross-channel rail services that would compete with Eurostar. The company is seeking to become the first direct rival to Eurostar, which has run services across the English Channel for 30 years. [Rail Business Daily, 3-10-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending March 9, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 23 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-10-25]
METRA PLANS RENAMING ITS RAIL LINES: Chicago's Metra is launching a survey and scheduling public outreach events this month to ask riders what they think of potentially renaming rail lines to make them simpler and easier to understand. Some of the current line designations are ambiguous. For example, there are two lines with 'Milwaukee' in their names, but neither of them go there. They were originally named for the now-former 'Milwaukee Road,' not for the city. Metra patrons have been asked to participate in a survey to select one of three suggested options for new line designations. [Metra, 3-10-25]
PROVIDENCE & WORCESTER TRAIN DERAILS IN WORCESTER, NO INJURIES: Six cars of a Providence & Worcester Railroad train derailed March 9 in Worcester, Mass., with two of the cars containing ethanol crashing into an industrial building. Neither cars appeared to be leaking, and the building was not damaged, officials said. No injuries were reported. [Telegram & Gazette, 3-9-25]
CAMPAIGN IN DETROIT CALLS FOR RAIL TRANSIT ALONG MICHIGAN AVE.: A new campaign called 'Bring Back the Tracks' aims to boost Detroit's transit system. The campaign raises concerns about the state's lack of attention to public transit in plans to reconstruct Michigan avenue, which is set to start next year. [Click-on Detroit, 3-9-25]
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYRS DELAYED BY BOULDER INCIDENT WITH FREIGHT TRAIN: Both east- and westbound-sections of Amtrak's California Zephyr of March 5 were extesively delayed the following day in the mountains of Colorado because a freight train came into contact with a boulder, blocking the track ahead. Both Zephyrs were more than 10 and one-half hours behind schedule when they finally arrived into their respective destinations. [Amtrak, 3-8-25]
BNSF TRAIN DERAILS IN IOWA, NO INJURIES: A BNSF freight train derailed during the afternoon of March 6 near Templeton, Iowa. No injuries were reported. BNSF said the main track was returned to service early March 7. [BNSF, 3-7-25]
VALLEY METRO TO BEGIN TESTING OF SOUTH CENTRAL AVE. LIGHT-RAIL EXTENSION: The city of Phoenix and Valley Metro will begin testing of its new South Central avenue light-rail extension on March 8. The 5.5-mile extension will connect South Phoenix with a new downtown hub. It will include eight stations, and it is expected to be ready for service in several months. [Rail Passengers Assn., 3-7-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN EXPECTS TO REBUILD STORM-DAMAGED ASHEVILLE-OLD FORT LINE: While there is no exact timeline for the repairs, Norfolk Southern has reportedly told the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation that the line between Asheville and Old Fort will be rebuilt. Hurricane Helene caused historic flooding in the area, washing away part of the line. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-7-25]
AMTRAK'S CRESCENT DELAYED NINE HOURS DUE TO DISABLED FREIGHT TRAIN IN ALABAMA: Amtrak's northbound Crescent, while en route March 5 was delayed over nine hours north of Anniston, Alabama, due to a disabled freight train blocking the track and compounding congestion. The Crescent was over 10 hours late when it finally arrived into its destination New York in the early morning hours of March 7. [Amtrak, 3-7-25]
EUROSTAR LONDON-PARIS TRAINS CANCELED AFTER WW-II BOMB WAS FOUND ALONG RIGHT-OF-WAY: Eurostar trains between London and Paris were canceled March 7 after an unexploded World War II bomb was found along the tracks in the Saint-Denis area of Paris during overnight work. The disruption also impacted services to Belgium and Holland. [Rail Business Daily, 3-7-25]
AMTRAK DEVELOPS COLOR-CODE SYSTEM TO HELP PASSENGERS FIND BOARDING LOCATIONS: A new color-coded system is making it easier for Amtrak passengers to find boarding locations at a glance. The first trains featuring the design went into service from Bear, Delaware, on March 3. [Railway Age, 3-7-25]
ELON MUSK URGES PRIVATIZATION OF AMTRAK: Elon Musk, the appointed consultant to oversee the Dept. of Government Efficiency, told attendees at a technology conference that Amtrak is among government services that should be privatized. He advised U.S. visitors not to ride Amtrak, calling the national railroad 'embarrassing.' In response, Amtrak said, in part: "Amtrak's business performance is strong. Ridership and revenue are at all-time highs, and transformative projects are underway that will greatly improve the customer experience. By maintaining this momentum and the ongoing support we've built with our federal, state and private-sector partners, the train service we operate across out nationwide network, as mandated by law, is on-track to reach operational profitability - for the first time in history - during this administration." [Progressive Railroading, 3-7-25]
CSX APPLIES FOR USE OF AIR-BRAKE CONTROL FEATURE OF TRIP OPTIMIZER: CSX has submitted a petition for approval of a product safety plan for the Wabtec trip optimizer air-brake control. Wabtec says the feature can automatically start and stop the train using brake control, and CSX has been testing the feature. Meanwhile, labor unions believe implementation would bring it closer to automated train operation, resulting in one-person crews, or even no crews at all. According to SMART-TD, trip optimizer has been in use for basic functions for nearly 20 years, but it often struggles with throttle control, making erratic adjustments that violate CSX's own operating rules. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-7-25]
FEDS INVESTIGATING NORFOLK SOUTHERN, NORFOLK & PORTSMOUTH BELT LINE, OVER CONDUCT AGAINST CSX: The U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division is investigating Norfolk Southern and Virginia terminal railroad Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line for alleged anticompetitive conduct against CSX at the Norfolk International Terminal. CSX alleges, among other things, that the two railroads set a switching rate that effectively prevents CSX from competing at the terminal. [Freight Waves, 3-7-25]
ALASKA R.R. GETS STATE FUNDING APPROVAL TOWARD NEW DOCK, TERMINAL FACILITY IN SEWARD: Alaska's governor has signed legislation that grants Alaska Railroad the ability to issue up to $135-million in revenue bonds to fund the construction of a new passenger dock and terminal facility in Seward. The existing dock and terminal facility date to the mid-1960's, and replacement is needed for Seward to continue to receive cruise ships. [Progressive Railroading, 3-7-25]
PROPOSAL WOULD MOVE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, REDESIGN N.Y. PENN STATION: A public-interest group is suggesting moving Madison Square Garden across the street and replacing it with a much larger train station and park. Madison Square Garden currently sites on top of the station, but the group proposes demolishing it and moving it across Seventh avenue to make room for a new station. They are also suggesting replacing it with a green space the size of Bryant Park, and the station itself would feature a 604,000-square-foot concourse with additional capacity. [ABC7 New York, 3-7-25]
PORTAL BRIDGE SET TO BE FINISHED IN MID-2026: The Portal Bridge spanning the Hackensack River in Kearny, N.J., is set to finish in mid-2026. It will replace its 114-year-old counterpart that has been the cause of many train delays over the last decade. The $2.3-billion project is about 80 pct of the way through construction. [N.J. Digest, 3-7-25]
TRI-RAIL SEES RIDERSHIP GROWTH, BUT FUNDING SHORTAGE LOOMS: Tri-Rail's service now averages 15,000 riders daily, but the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority says with rising costs from equipment to labor, and covid money running out, the three counties in the service area need to increase their funding and pay $6-million more than they currently do, or eventually the service will have to be reduced. [CBS News Miami, 3-7-25]
WATCO TO ACQUIRE GREAT LAKES CENTRAL R.R.: Watco has announced that it is acquiring the Great Lakes Central Railroad, the largest Class-III regional railroad in Michigan. The road's lines run north from Ann Arbor to Cadillac with branches to Thompsonville, Traverse City and Petoskey. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-6-25]
MICHAEL NAATZ NAMED CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF ANACOSTIA RAIL HOLDINGS: Anacostia Rail Holdings has hired Michael Naatz to be chief operating officer of the short-line holding company. Most recently he was chief marketing officer of Kansas City Southern. [Progressive Railroading, 3-6-25]
WABTEC APPROVED AS RAILPULSE CERTIFIED TELEMATICS VENDOR: Wabtec has been approved as a RailPulse certified telematics vendor. The certification marks a milestone in Wabtec's commitment to safety and productivity of rail shipments, Wabtec said. [Progressive Railroading, 3-6-25]
PORT BIENVILLE R.R. STORAGE YARD IN MISSISSIPPI COMPLETED: The Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission announced on March 6 the completion of the Port Bienville Railroad storage yard in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. [Railway Age, 3-6-25]
NJT TO REPLACE WINDOWS OF MULTILEVEL I & 2 RAIL CARS: New Jersey Transit will replace all the windows of its fleet of nearly 400 multilevel I and 2 rail cars in revenue service over the next three years. [Progressive Railroading, 3-6-25]
DART TO REMOVE CENTER CROSSWALKS AT SEVEN LIGHT-RAIL STATIONS: Dallas Area Rapid Transit will remove the center crosswalks at seven light-rail station platforms to improve safety. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-6-25]
MINERAL EXPORTS FROM PORT OF CHURCHILL TO INCREASE: The Arctic Gateway Group will ramp up its critical mineral export partnership with Hudbay Minerals, which will double the volume of critcal minerals shipped through Manitoba's Port of Churchill and use of the Hudson Bay Railway. [Progressive Railroading, 3-6-25]
DAVRAIL, AFFECTIVE RAIL & PLANT PARTNER IN DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS: DavRail has announced its partnership with Affective Rail & Plant allowing DavRail distribution rights to Affective Rail & Plant's rail handling and logistics equipment in North and South America. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-6-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 508,531 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending March 1, 2025, up 5.4 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 1.4 pct, and intermodal was up 8.8 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 3-5-25]
BELT RWY OF CHICAGO NAMES JERRY PECK PRESIDENT, GENERAL MGR.: The Belt Railway of Chicago has named longtime railroad executive Jerry Peck as its president and general manager. Belt Railway is collectively owned by the six Class-I railroads that connect with it. It dispatches more than 8400 rail cars per day through its clearing yards, and operates 28 miles of main line track with more than 300 miles of switching track. [Freight Waves, 3-5-25]
IAM MEMBERS RATIFY AGREEMENT WITH CSX: CSX has announced that employees represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) have voted to ratify a five-year collective bargaining agreement. To date, CSX has ratified agreements with 11 labor unions covering 47 pct of its unionized work force. [Freight Waves, 3-5-25]
N..Y. CITY TRANSIT ADDS OPEN-GANGWAY CARS TO G-LINE: New York City Transit on March 4 introduced two of what will be four open-gangway cars on the G-Line. Open gangway cars are open from end to end, enabling riders to walk from car-to-car, making it easier to find more seating or space for standing. [Progressive Railroading, 3-5-25]
CLEVELAND ORDERS ADDITIONAL S200 LIGHT-RAIL VEHICLES: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has exercised an option for Siemens to supply an additional 18 S200 light-rail vehicles to replace the current fleets on the Red, Blue and Green lines. The latest order advances the total ordered so far to 48. [Railway Track & Structures, 3-5-25]
STRIKE ACTIONS PLANNED FOR EUROTUNNEL: Union United says around a dozen of its driver and maintenance members working at Eurotunnel Services plan to strike on five Sundays beginning March 9 following a breakdown in labor negotiations. [Rail Business Daily, 3-5-25]
BOWLING GREEN, KY., SEEKS MAJOR PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE: Plans are moving ahead as discussions of putting Bowling Green, Ky., back on the map of a major rail route continue. The city released a recent survey asking the public if they would use the service, and 98 pct of respondents said that they would. The next step is to apply to a federal development program to help fund and develop passenger rail service. [WBKO, 3-5-25]
UNION PACIFIC-SERVED FEED GRAIN FACILITY TO BE DEVELOPED IN DALHART, TEXAS: 5V, a newly-formed partnership between Five Rivers Cattle Feeding and Viserion Grain, will develop a new Union Pacific-served facility in Dalhart, Texas. [Railway Age, 3-5-25]
FRA DATA CONFIRM RAIL SAFETY PROGRESS: Data from the Federal Railroad Administration confirm that continued investments in innovation, infrastructure and work force expertise are making rail transportation safer. Class-I railroads set a second consecutive all-time record-low rate of injuries and fatalities last year. The train accident rate declined for all railroads by 33 pct since 2005, and 15 pct year-over-year. Despite these gains, grade-crossing and trespassing accidents remain the leading causes of rail-related injuries and fatalities, accounting for 95 pct of all incidents. [Assn. of American Railroads, 2-5-25]
CARGO THEFT COST U.S. CLASS-I RAILROADS $100-M LAST YEAR: Cargo theft cost U.S. Class-I railroads more than $100-million in 2024, the Association of American Railroads said, calling for more federal efforts to address the problem and more effective prosecution of those arrested. Many of those arrested are repeat offenders, the association said. [Railway Age, 3-4-25]
AMTRAK L.D. DISRUPTIONS MARCH 4: Southbound Crescent on March 4 was delayed about four hours in Meridian, Mississippi, due to high wind warnings. Southbound Texas Eagle was annulled with bus substitution offered at Marshall, Texas, because of mechanical issues. Southbound City of New Orleans arrived at its destination three hours and 24 minutes late. Southbound Floridian arrived into Miami two hours late. Northbound Auto Train arrived into Lorton three hours and 13 minutes late. [Amtrak, 3-4-25]
WATCO EMPLOYEES VOTE TO JOIN BLET: Employees at Watco have voted to join the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen. Watco owns and operates 45 regional short lines throughout the U.S. [Progressive Railroading, 3-4-25]
BRITISH RAIL LINE USES HAWKS TO SCARE PIGEONS AWAY FROM STATIONS: Britain's Northern Rail has deployed a pair of trained hawks to take to the skies above three of its stations to scare away trouble-making pigeons and stop them from nesting. The 12-week trial began last month in East Yorkshire, and it is intended to chase away the pigeons, but not to hunt them. [Rail Business Daily, 3-4-25]
IOWA NORTHERN MERGES OPERATIONS WITH CANADIAN NATIONAL: Canadian National and Iowa Northern Railway on March 1 officially merged their operations. The joining of Iowa Northern's 175 route miles with CN's nearly 20,000-mile network will offer single-line service to CN's North American network. [Progressive Railroading, 3-3-25]
BLET SUES CSX OVER USE OF MANAGERS AS LOCOMOTIVE PILOTS: CSX has been rerouting trains over Norfolk Southern tracks as a detour around Howard street tunnel reconstruction in Baltimore using managers as pilots. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen filed a suit in federal court claiming the use of managers as pilots violates labor agreements. The carrier has now backed off, and CSX is no longer using managers as locomotive pilots. [BLET, 3-3-25]
FEBRUARY 2025 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in February 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 34 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 3-1-25]
PITTSBURGH'S DOWNTOWN LIGHT-RAIL TUNNELS REOPENING FOLLOWING REFURBISHMENT: The Pittsburgh Regal Transit's downtown light-rail tunnels reopen Febr. 28 following completion of their refurbishment project. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-28-25]
MARYLAND PURPLE LINE PROJECT ADVANCES: The Maryland Purple line project is now more than 74 pct complete with 35 pct of the track installation finished. Several miles of sidewalk have been installed, and 20 of 21 future stations are currently under construction. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-28-25]
SEPTA EXPLAINS REASON FOR FEBR. 25 SERVICE DISRUPTION: SEPTA addressed the reason for a service disruption during the Febr. 25 evening commute. Equipment located on top of a train car had become entangled with an overhead wire which led to a power outage resulting in delays of two hours or more to passengers. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-28-25]
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON ALABAMA'S MONTGOMERY INTERMODAL TRANSFER FACILITY: The Alabama Port Authority and CSX on Febr. 27 began construction of the Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer facility, which is expected to be in operation by 2027. [Railway Age, 2-28-25]
METRO-NORTH UNVEILS HERITAGE LOCOMOTIVE HONORING NEW HAVEN R.R.: Metro-North has unveiled a sixth locomotive as part of its heritage series with a special design used by the then New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, Genesis-model dual-mode P32AC-DM locomotive No. 222. Other designs for heritage locomotives already in use include No. 208 in Metro-North's original scheme; No. 201 in Conrail scheme; No. 211 in New York Central scheme; No. 217 in Penn Central scheme; and No. 214 in a special scheme in tribute to Metro-North's work force. [Railway Age, 2-28-25]
AMTRAK L.D. DISRUPTIONS FEBR. 28: Southbound Palmetto of Febr. 28 arrived Savannah two hours and 18 minutes late (assisting another train account locomotive failure); southbound Carolinian arrived Charlotte three hours and 40 minutes late (equipment issues); northbound Silver Meteor arrived New York two hours late; southbound Silver Meteor arrived Miami four hours and 17 minutes late; northbound Auto Train arrived Lorton eight hours late (emergency services hold in Florida, equipment issues in Virginia); southbound Auto Train was an hour and 42 minutes late arriving Sanford (rail congestion); westbound Sunset Limited arrived Los Angeles seven hours late (freight train interference), and eastbound Sunset Limited arrived New Orleans five and one-half hours late (freight train interference and crew availability). [Amtrak, 2-28-25]
GROUND BROKEN FOR NEW U.P.-SERVED GRAIN FACILITY IN TEXAS: Viterra on Febr. 25 broke ground on a new grain-handling facility in Dalhart, Texas, while will have a loop track served by Union Pacific. [Progressive Railroading, 2-28-25]
BRITAIN'S GB RAILFREIGHT TO POWER LOCOMOTIVES WITH HYDRO-TREATED VEGETABLE OIL: Britain's GAB Rail freight has signed a year-long agreement with Drab to use hydro-treated vegetable oil for its rail freight services from the ports of Liverpool and Tyne to Drax Power station in Selby. [Rail Business Daily, 2-28-25]
AMTRAK MOVES FORWARD WITH PLANS FOR DALLAS-HOUSTON HSR: Amtrak has moved forward with plans for a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston as it launches a procurement process for a delivery partner. Amtrak says the project will construct a new grade-separated system with top speeds up to 205 MPH. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-27-25]
UNION PACIFIC TRAIN DERAILS IN OREGON, NO INJURIES: Eleven intermodal rail cars of a Union Pacific train derailed late Febr. 27 blocking two grade crossings west of La Grange, Oregon. Officials said there were no injuries and no hazardous materials involved. [Union County Emergency Services, 2-27-25]
SUNSET LIMITED ONE DAY LATE ARRIVING LOS ANGELES: Amtrak's westbound Sunset Limited of Febr. 24 was a full day behind schedule when it arrived into its destination Los Angeles, having been delayed in Arizona by a freight train derailment blocking the track ahead. [Amtrak, 2-27-25]
AAR RELEASES STUDY OF CHALLENGES TO ELECTRIFICATION OF RAIL FREIGHT NETWORK: The Association of American Railroads has released a new independent analysis highlighting the challenges of transitioning the U.S. freight rail network to overhead catenary electrification. The study estimates the cost for the nation's 139,000-mile freight rail network at $1.1-trillion, equivalent to 47 years of combined net income from all Class-I carriers. [Assn. of American Railroads, 2-26-26]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 458,513 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Febr. 22, 2025, down 5.1 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 13.6 pct, and intermodal was up 2.3 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 2-26-25]
MINNESOTA'S NORTHSTAR COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE MAY BE ON THE WAY OUT: Local media outlets report that Minnesota's Northstar commuter rail service between Minneapolis and Big Lake may be replaced by buses. A state study found that transitioning to buses would cost millions less than the status quo. It costs about $12-million a year to operate Northstar, but would shrink to $2-million if buses were used instead. The 40-mile Northstar opened in Nov. 2009. It was originally envisioned to link with St. Cloud, but connects to that city via bus. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-26-25]
BNSF REPLACES 350-FOOT-LONG BRIDGE IN FENNER, CALIF.: BNSF has replaced a 350-foot-long, double-track concrete beam bridge in Fenner, California, with new steel beams and track panels. The work was done in two phases, one track at a time, and completed ahead of schedule. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-26-25]
NEW TRAIN STATION PLANNED FOR HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.: Various entities are working together to build a new train station in Hillsborough, N.C. The project is estimated to cost around $8-million, with $7-million toward the structure and $1-million toward the platform. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-26-25]
CHICAGO TRANSIT AWARDS FUNDING TO TEST INTRUSION DETECTION SYSTEM: Chicago Transit Authority's Innovation Studio has awarded $60,000 in funding to test the use of a machine-vision track intrusion detection system at two stations. The authority says it receives about 2000 reports every year of people on the track. The most common reason is people jumping off a platform to retrieve a dropped mobile phone. [Railway Gazette, 2-26-25]
BNSF COAL TRAIN DERAILS IN MONTANA, NO INJURIES: A BNSF coal train derailed late Febr. 24 on the Forsyth subdivision west of Miles City, Custer County, Montana, involving between 25 and 27 cars. No injuries were reported. [KULR, 2-25-25]
CPKC INTERMODAL TRAIN DERAILS IN SASKATCHEWAN: Railway crews are responding to the scene of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City train derailment 15 miles west of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, that occurred shortly after midnight Febr. 25. About 18 intermodal rail cars were involved. No injuries were reported. [Northeast Now, 2-25-25]
CANADA TO FUND PIER CONSTRUCTION AT PORT OF TROIS-RIVIERES: The Canadian government has announced it would award up to $87.1-million (C) to the Port of Trois-Riieres, Quebec, for the construction of a new Pier 16 and the reconstruction of Pier 17 to improve the flow of cargo traffic. [Progressive Railroading, 2-25-24]
S.F. MUNI TO CLOSE CENTRAL SUBWAY FOR WATER MITIGATION: San Francisco's Muni will be closing its central subway from Febr. 26 to March 14 to allow for water mitigation work. The Chinatown station sits 100 feet below ground, and water has begun to cause damage to the subway structure and wall panels. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-25-25]
UNIFOR MECHANICAL EMPLOYEES RATIFY AGREEMENT WITH CPKC: Unifor members employed as mechanical employees at Canadian Pacific Kansas City in Canada have ratified a new four-year collective agreement with the railroad. [Progressive Railroading, 2-25-25]
PATH HOBOKEN STATION REOPENS FOLLOWING IMPROVEMENTS: Port Authority of New York & New Jersey reopened on schedule following a 25-day closure to address critical infrastructure repairs and improvements across several elements of the 117-year-old system. Tracks and a switch system were replaced, and many components of the station were refreshed and renewed. [Port Authority of NY & NJ, 2-25-25]
CSX TRAIN STRIKES CAR IN ABERDEEN, MD.: A CSX freight train struck a car early Febr. 25 in Aberdeen, Md., after a driver failed to stop at the automatic crossing device, officials said. Neither the driver nor anyone on the train was injured, according to a news release. [WBAL, 2-25-25]
AMTRAK ADJUSTING SPRING SCHEDULE FOR N.Y. TO ALBANY, NIAGARA FALLS SERVICES: On Monday, April 28, the new spring schedule will take effect to allow Amtrak to rehabilitate the East River tunnel in New York City. This schedule will provide 10 round-trips between Albany and New York, and a fifth car will be added to 28 trains per week for certain trains trains between New York and Albany and between New York and Niagara Falls, to offer increased capacity. [Railway Age, 2-24-25]
METRO-NORTH PLANS TO ADD SERVICE ON NEW HAVEN LINE TO THE BRONX AND PENN STATION: Metro-North has shared details of a future expansion of the agency's service by adding new trains that will provide New Haven line service to New York Penn Station and four other stations in the Bronx. In a first for North America. the passenger trains will be powered by electric-battery locomotives. They will draw their power from catenary, but switch to battery mode in and around Penn Station where electrical traction has different characteristics. [Railway Age, 2-24-25]
AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES, KILLS MAN IN MASSACHUSETTS: A 60-year-old man was struck and killed by Amtrak's northbound Vermonter on Febr. 24 in South Deerfield, Mass. There were no injuries to those on board the train, but the train was substantially delayed by the incident. [Western Mass News, 2-24-25]
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR NEARLY NINE HOURS LATE INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's eastbound California Zephyr of Febr. 22 arrived into its destination Chicago eight hours and 47 minutes late Febr. 24. Principal delays involved debris and downed power lines east of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and a disabled freight train blocking the track ahead. [Amtrak, 2-24-25]
RAILWAY AGE RECOGNIZES SHORT LINE, REGIONAL RAILROADS OF 2025: Railway Age magazine has recognized Rochester & Erie Railway as short line railroad of 2025, and Iowa Interstate Railroad as regional railroad of 2025. [Railway Age, 2-24-25]
BNSF'S PRETAX PROFITS INCREASE SLIGHTLY IN 2024: BNSF's pretax profits increased slightly in 2024 as traffic-mix changes saw more intermodal and less coal, and lower fuel surcharge revenue offset an overall 6.5 pct increase in freight volume. Pretax earnings increased 0.5 pct. to $6.64-billion, while revenue declined 0.5 pct to $23.35-billion, Net income declined 1.1 pct to $5.03-billion, and operating ratio improved 0.4 points to 68 pct. [Freight Waves, 2-24-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Thirty-six percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending Febr. 23, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 26 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 2-24-25]
ELEVEN ARRESTED IN NIKE SHOE HEIST FROM BNSF TRAIN IN ARIZONA: Eleven people have been detained as suspects in a Jan. 13 robbery of Nike shoes worth more than $440,000 from a BNSF train in a remote section of Arizona. Ten of the suspects were in the country illegally. [AP News, 2-24-25]
WESTBOUND EMPIRE BUILDER ANNULLED EN ROUTE IN MONTANA: Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder was annulled at Shelby, Montana, on Febr. 23 due to 'impending severe weather conditions.' [Amtrak, 2-23-25]
BRIAN ROSENWALD DIES, FORMER V.P. AT AMTRAK: Brian D. Rosenwald, 72, a retired vice-president at Amtrak, died Febr. 19. Those who are familiar with the Pacific Parlour Car, that formerly adorned the Coast Starlight on its daily run between Seattle and Los Angeles, will be endeared to the efforts this man undertook to make their first-class journey uniquely memorable. It was he who had arranged for five former ATSF El Capitan cars to be rebuilt with a bar and lounge with swivel chairs on the upper level, and a movie theater on the lower level, replete with wine tastings and stylish service for the exclusive domain of first-class patrons. One could only wish that such finery might some day be repeated. (NOTE: The Bull Sheet previously mis-spelled Mr. Rosenwald's name. We regret the mistake.)
BERKSHIRE & EASTERN TRAIN DERAILS IN CONNECTICUT, NO INJURIES: Roads in Plainville, Connecticut, were blocked for more than three hours after a Berkshire & Eastern Railroad train derailed early Febr. 22. Officials said the derailment was caused by an accumulation of ice. No injuries were reported. [WTNH, 2-22-25]
AMTRAK L.D. DISRUPTIONS FEBR. 22: Southbound Carolinian of Febr. 22 was delayed shortly after departure from Washington more than three hours due to a locomotive problem. A rescue engine was needed. Both sections of the Empire Builder were delayed by a disabled freight train blocking the track east of Havre, Montana, westbound by more than three hours, and eastbound by more than four hours. [Amtrak, 2-22-25]
FRA LAUNCHES COMPLIANCE REVIEW OF CALIFORNIA HSR, CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT: The Federal Railroad Administration has launched a compliance review of the California High-Speed Rail Authority and its project to build a system in the state's Central Valley between Merced and Bakersfield. The review is to determine whether the high-speed rail authority will receive $4-billion in federal funding, granted under the Biden administration, for the project. The entire San Francisco-to-Los Angeles project was initially to be completed by 2020 at a cost of $33-billion. Now the estimate is more than three times its original estimate. Moreover, the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment alone would now cost more than the original $33-billion estimate for the entire project. [Progressive Railroading, 2-21-25]
CN'S MONTREAL-TORONTO RAIL CORRIDOR CONGESTED FOLLOWING EXCESSIVE SNOW, DERAILMENT: Canadian National is working to relieve congestion along its Montreal-to-Toronto due to excessive snow and a derailment in Taschereau Yard. Two storms dropped nearly 29 inches of snow in Montreal in four days, and the derailment involved 12 cars, contained within the yard, but with no fires, leaks or injuries to report. [Railway Tracks & Structures, 2-21-25]
GROUND BROKEN ON SACRAMENTO'S DOS RIOS LIGHT-RAIL STATION: Sacramento Regional Transit has broken ground of the future Dos Rios light-rail station on the agency's Blue line. The station will provide riders with a connection to the River District and Mirasol Village. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-21-25]
UNION PACIFIC TO LEASE 1.25 MILES OF TRACK TO NEW SHORT LINE IN K.C.: Union Pacific will lease 1.25 miles of trackage in Kansas City to a new Jaguar Transport short line beginning in March. The Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad will serve a cluster of customers off KC Big Mary subdivision, and will also lease and operate the adjacent State Line yard trackage. [Freight Waves, 2-21-25]
TRINITY INDUSTRIES' REVENUE, PROFIT FALL IN 4-Q: Trinity Industries saw its revenue and profit fall in the fourth-quarter on fewer rail car deliveries. Pretax earnings fell to $191-million from $225-million a year ago, and diluted EPS totaled 39 cents from 82 cents. The company delivered 3,760 rail cars in the quarter and recorded 1,500 new orders. [Freight Waves, 2-21-25]
AMTRAK ADDING CARS THIS SPRING TO TEXAS EAGLE, CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR: Amtrak's spring 2025 consist plan includes putting a sightseer lounge back on the Texas Eagle by March 3. The California Zephyr is slated to add a third full sleeper and a third coach to accommodate increased capacity. [Rail Passengers Assn., 2-21-25]
SAUDI ARABIA TO ADD LUXURY PASSENGER TRAIN NEXT YEAR: 'Dream of the Desert' is to be a luxury passenger train Saudi Arabia Railways plans to enter service in the third-quarter 2026 to run between Riyadh and Qurayyat. It will have 34 suites in 14 cars, and the dining car will feature panoramic views of the desert with a menu designed by both local and international chefs. [Rail Passengers Assn., 2-21-25]
HISTORIC WROUGHT IRON RAILROAD VIADUCT IN BRITAIN GETS REFURBISHMENT: Britain's Network Rail has completed a $4.4-million project to refurbish its Awe Viaduct near Taynuilt on the Oban branch of the West Highland line. The three-span, wrought iron viaduct, completed in 1879, carries the railway over the River Awe. [Rail Business Daily, 2-21-25]
COLAS RAIL JOINS EXEC. COMMITTEE OF U.S. HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSN.: Colas Rail, an international railway infrastructure company, has joined the executive committee of the U.S. High-Speed Rail Association. [Railway Gazette, 2-21-25]
AUSTRALIAN SUGAR CANE FIRM ORDERS HYBRID NARROW-GAUGE LOCOMOTIVES: Mackay Sugar has awarded a British company a contract to supply five diesel-battery hybrid locomotives and radio-controlled brake vans for use on its vast two-foot-gauge rail network in Queensland. [Railway Gazette, 2-21-25]
NTSB ISSUES FINAL REPORT, PROBABLE CAUSE OF APRIL 2024 CSX HEAD-ON COLLISION: The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the probable cause of the CSX head-on collision on April 15, 2024, near Folkston, Ga., was an improperly-lined dual-control switch that an employee did not know how to properly operate, and failure to verify its position as required. Prior to the collision, the track signals were suspended for maintenance, and movement through the area was controlled by track warrants. Contributing to the accident was recurring insufficient training along with failure to implement operational procedures. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-20-25]
SOUNDER SERVICE BEING SLOWLY RESTORED: Seattle's Sounder system was impacted Febr. 13 with S-line commuter runs being canceled due to equipment being taken out of service. Amtrak is responsible for the maintenance of Sound Transit rolling stock. Sounder officials now report that Amtrak has been working around the clock to restore service, and all but four trains have been returned to service. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-20-25]
METRA TO RENOVATE MORGAN PARK STATION: The board of Chicago's Metra has approved an $8.69-million contract to renovate the 115th street/Morgan Park station on the Rock Island line. [Progressive Railroading, 2-20-25]
DONNIE STILWELL NAMED V.P. OPERATIONS SOUTH AT R.J. CORMAN R.R.: R.J. Corman Railroad has named Donnie Stilwell as vice-president of operations south. He has 27 years of railroad experience, including leadership positions at BNSF. [Progressive Railroading, 2-20-25]
N.M. HOUSE BILL WOULD REQUIRE RAIL DETECTORS EVERY 10 MILES: A House bill in the New Mexico legislature would require railroads to install wayside defect detector systems every 10 miles. [BLET, 2-20-25]
PA. DOT BEARISH ON FEDERAL FUNDING FOR PASSENGER RAIL PROJECTS: Pennsylvania's secretary of transportation is wary about moving forward with projects involving a capacity increase to accommodate a second Pennsylvanian train and efforts to commit to passenger service between Reading and Philadelphia, both due to the uncertainty of federal funds under the Trump administration. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-20-25]
AMTRAK L.D. DISRUPTIONS FEBR. 20: Amtrak's northbound Floridian arrived into destination Chicago four hours late, having reportedly been delayed en route by freight train interference and 'technical issues with the train's equipment.' Westbound Cardinal was almost ten hours late arriving into Chicago, having been delayed en route by locomotive trouble and the need of a rescue engine to be added in Clifton Forge, Va. Eastbound Cardinal of Febr. 20 did not leave Chicago until it was over eight hours behind schedule due to late arrival of westbound section (see above). Northbound Vermonter was two hours and 25 minutes late arriving into destination St. Albans, resulting from delays from rail congestion. Northbound Auto Train was one hour and 48 minutes late arriving into Lorton. Eastbound Lake Shore Limited did not leave from Chicago until it was more than three hours behind schedule due to mechanical issues. Southbound Coast Starlight left Seattle two hours and 48 minutes late due to mechanical issues with the dining car. [Amtrak, 2-20-25]
TRAIN IN SRI LANKA STRIKES HERD OF ELEPHANTS, DERAILS: A passenger train derailed after striking a herd of elephants near a wildlife preserve in central Sri Lanka in the early hours of Febr. 20. There were no injuries among the passengers, but six elephants died from the incident. Two other elephants were injured, and were being treated at the scene. [BBC News, 2-20-25]
TRESPASSER ON BRITISH RAIL LINE CAUSES MASSIVE DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS: A man who trespassed upon one of Britain's busiest rail lines caused hundreds of trains to be delayed or canceled. While being pursued by police, the man ran across four live tracks where, on average, trains pass every two minutes. One train operator was forced to initiate an emergency stop at 75 MPH, and power was turned off requiring trains to come to a halt outside of stations. This in turn resulted in a domino-effect of disruptions impacting a total of 921 train services at a cost to the rail system and taxpayers of an estimated $1.5-million. The man was apprehended, and has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. [Rail Business Daily, 2-19-25]
NS, CSX IMPACTED BY FLASH FLOODING, WASHOUTS: Norfolk Southern crews are working around the clock to restore service due to severe flooding and washouts in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and eastern Ohio. CSX teams, meanwhile, are responding to the impact of extreme weather with flash flooding, bitter temperatures, ice, snow and downed power lines.across multiple regions. [Progressive Railroading, 2-19-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 480,740 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Febr. 15, 2025, up 1.5 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 4.8 pct, and intermodal was up 7.0 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 2-19-25]
CONSORTIUM SELECTED TO CREATE TORONTO-QUEBEC CITY HSR: Canada is getting high-speed rail. The Cadence consortium has been selected to co-design, build, finance, operate and maintain the planned 186-MPH high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City. The line will have dedicated tracks with intermediate stops in Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval and Trois-Rivieres, with an end-to-end journey time of three hours. [Railway Gazette, 2-19-25]
FRA RECOMMENDS RE-EXAMINATION OF RAIL ELECTRIFICATION: The Federal Railroad Administration thinks it has a plan to help freight railroads switch from diesel to electric power. A study on main line electrification recommends that the industry develop a prototype dual-mode freight locomotive and battery tender that could test the feasibility of leaving cost-saving gaps between sections of overhead catenary. North American railroads have heretofore concluded that stringing wire over every mile of main line is prohibitively expensive. But the study, released last month, notes that locomotive technology has changed considerably since the completion of the last such study 45 years ago. Chief among those changes are the shift to AC power and rapid improvements in batteries. [Freight Waves, 2-19-25]
NTSB ISSUES FINAL REPORT, PROBABLE CAUSE OF OCT. 2023 BNSF DERAILMENT, BRIDGE COLLAPSE: The probable cause of the Oct. 15, 2023, BNSF derailment and collapse of bridge spanning Interstate 25 in Pueblo, Colorado, killing a driver, was the train encountering a rail break from a mismatched thermite weld failure. It is likely that the welder had not used a required compromise kit during the earlier welding process, according to the National Transportation Safety Board in its final report. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-19-25]
FRANCE PLANS NIGHT TRAIN FLEET REPLACEMENT: The French government has called for expressions of interest to supply locomotives and rail cars to renew the national night train fleet. About 950,000 passengers were carried last year, a 23 pct increase from the previous year. [Railway Gazette, 2-19-25]
VIETNAM APPROVES PLANS FOR RAIL LINK WITH CHINA: Vietnam's parliament has approved plans for an $8-billion rail link from the port city of Haiphong to the mountainous city of Lao Cai, which borders China's Yunnan province, also serving the capital Hanoi. [Rail Business Daily, 2-19-25]
AMTRAK, RAIL COMPANIES MEET OVER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS: Amtrak and dozens of industry partners in construction, manufacturing, supply, engineering and other sectors convened Febr. 14 for a roundtable discussion of trends and the many rebuilding projects that Amtrak and its partners are delivering across the country. Collectively, the projects are creating the largest boom in improvements in the railroad's history, Amtrak officials said. [Progressive Railroading, 2-18-25]
COASTER, SURFLINER SERVICES SUSPENDED FEBR. 22-23 FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS: Due to maintenance and infrastructure improvements along the Southern California Coastal rail corridor, Coastal and Surfliner trains are suspended the weekend of Febr. 22-23, according to the North County Transit District. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-18-25]
GULF GATEWAY TERMINAL EXPANDS AT PORT NOLA: Gulf Gateway Terminal is doubling its liquid bulk storage capacity at the Port of New Orleans following the addition of a new storage tank. The facility is served by New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, which connects with BNSF, CN, CSX, CPKC, NS and UP. [Railway Age, 2-18-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-four pct of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending Febr. 16, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 25 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 2-17-25]
UNION PACIFIC HONORS PRESIDENT LINCOLN WITH COMMEMORATIVE LOCOMOTIVE: Union Pacific has unveiled commemorative locomotive 1616 in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. It was he who connected the nation through the transcontinental railroad. This is the second presidential locomotive in the company's heritage fleet, joining 4141 honoring President George H.W. Bush. [Union Pacific, 2-17-25]
CONSORTIUM AGREES TO ACQUIRE TALGO STAKE: A Basque consortium has agreed to acquire about 29.7 pct of the share capital of Talgo from largest shareholder Pegasco Transportation International, which owns 40 pct of Talgo. [Railway Gazette, 2-17-25]
BNSF TRAIN DERAILS IN MONTANA, NO INJURIES: A BNSF freight train derailed near Poplar, Montana, early Febr. 16. Poplar is 60 miles east of Glasgow. There were no injuries, and the company estimates that the main track will be reopened about mid-day Febr. 17. [BNSF 2-16-25]
AMTRAK L.D. DISRUPTIONS FEBR. 16: Westbound Empire Builder on Febr. 16 was delayed east and west of Libby, Montana, about 10 hours due to a disabled freight train ahead, availability of a re-crew, and equipment problems. Eastbound Cardinal was canceled between Huntington, W.Va., and Washington, due to severe weather conditions, with passengers returned to their origin points. Vermonters in both directions were canceled between Springfield, Mass., and St. Albans due to severe weather. Northbound Carolinian was delayed two and one-half hours due to fallen trees in North Carolina. Northbound Palmetto was delayed two hours by downed trees north of Dillon, S.C. [Amtrak, 2-16-25]
STAMPEDE AT TRAIN STATION IN INDIA KILLS AT LEAST 18: At least 18 people were killed late Febr. 15 at a railway station in New Delhi, India, according to a news agency. Many of the victims were Hindu pilgrims who were planning to travel to a festival. The incident happened after some of the passengers slipped and fell on others when descending from a footbridge that connects train platforms. [CBS News, 2-16-25]
SOUND TRANSIT CANCELS SOUNDER S-LINE COMMUTER SERVICE DUE TO MAINTENANCE ISSUE: Seattle's Sound Transit canceled its Sounder S-line commuter service for the Febr. 13 morning rush. Amtrak is responsible for the maintenance of Sound Transit rolling stock. Thousands of riders from Everett to Tacoma were stranded. Amtrak explained that while reviewing inspection records, its personnel proactively identified an inspection data discrepancy that required a number of Sound Transit cars to be removed from service. Meanwhile, inspections and maintenance of certain cars are being expedited, and it is expected that a sufficient number of affected cars will be returned to service over the coming weeks to permit normal service. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-14-25]
MBTA TO OPEN WELLESLEY STATION FEBR. 17: Boston's MBTA commuter rail station in Wellesley will open on Febr. 17. This is Wellesley's first accessible commuter rail station. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-14-25]
WABTEC REPORTS 4-Q RESULTS: Locomotive builder Wabtec's revenue and profits increased in the fourth-quarter 2024, but the company's stock tumbled 11 pct July 12 after the results and new five-year outlook both came in below Wall street expectations. Quarterly operating income increased 8.4 pct to $334-million, as revenue grew 2.3 pct to $2.58-billion. Earnings per share increased 2.5 pct to $1.23. [Freight Waves, 2-14-25]
S.F. MUNI'S RAIL SIGNALING SYSTEM TO BE MODERNIZED: Hitachi Rail has won a contract to modernize signaling on San Francisco's Muni light-rail network using SelTrac communications-based train-control equipment. The Muni network has a mixture of light-rail, streetcar, heritage, and cable cars operating on streets and through tunnels. The upgrade project will provide a single network-wide system to regulate the flow of vehicles. [Railway Gazette, 2-14-25]
WOMAN GIVES BIRTH ON NYC SUBWAY TRAIN: A 25-year old woman gave birth to a baby girl on a New York City subway train early Febr. 12. The train stopped at the Herald Square station under Macy's flagship store. Several passengers assisted her in the delivery, with one even cutting the umbilical cord with a pocket knife. [Rail Business Daily, 2-14-25]
PORTS OF INDIANA MARKS SECOND-HIGHEST VOLUME IN ITS HISTORY: Ports of Indiana on Febr. 13 reported shipping 13 million tons of cargo in 2024, the second-highest annual volume in its 60-year history. [Railway Age, 2-14-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN DERAILS IN ATTICA, OHIO, NO INJURIES: About 20 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed late Febr. 11 in Attica, Ohio. Four of the cars were leading, one of which was carrying ethanol. Cleanup will take one or two days, according to the railroad. No injuries were reported. [WKYC, 2-13-25]
TRAIN DERAILS IN N.M., NO INJURIES: Multiple train cars derailed early Febr. 13 near Abeytas, N.M., south of Belen. Some of the cars were carrying hazardous materials, according to police, but they say there is no danger to the public. There were no injuries. [KRQU, 2-13-25]
BREACHED BEAVER DAM BLAMED ON APRIL 2023 DERAILMENT IN RURAL MAINE: An April 2023 derailment in rural Maine that spilled hundreds of gallons of fuel, injured three workers and led to a forest fire, has been blamed on a flood resulting from a breached beaver dam. Canadian Pacific Kansas City led cleanup and repair efforts after the derailment in which three locomotives and six rail cars went off the track. Three rail workers were treated for minor injuries. Restoration at the site was completed by late 2024. [Our Midland, 2-13-25]
NS, CSX SHARE SIMILAR PERFORMANCE LEVELS IN JANUARY: Norfolk Southern and CSX have shown relatively similar performance levels to start 2025, with some variations across metrics. Norfolk Southern had a slightly higher manifest on-time percentage at 88 pct in January vs. CSX's 86 pct. CSX had a small advantage in average train speeds at 22.8 MPH vs. Norfolk Southern at 22.1 MPH. Terminal dwell times were nearly identical with CSX averaging 24.9 hours, and Norfolk Southern at 25.2 hours. [Freight Waves, 2-13-25]
N.Y. STATE TO FUND $150-M PROJECT LINKING LIRR FROM RONKONKOMA TO NORTH TERMINAL MACARTHUR AIRPORT: New York will fund $150-million to a project to connect the Long Island Rail Road station with the proposed north terminal at Long Island MacArthur Airport. [Progressive Railroading, 2-13-25]
CANDO SOUTHLANDS RAIL YARD OPENS IN ALBERTA: Cando Rail & Terminals has opened its Cando Southlands rail yard in Strathcona County, Alberta. It will provide rail capacity to serve Imperial's Strathcona refinery, which is adjacent to the new terminal, along with other area customers. [Progressive Railroading, 2-13-25]
BLET, MARC LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS REACH TENTATIVE FIVE-YEAR PACT: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen has reached a tentative contact with Alstom for 20 locomotive engineers of MARC commuter trains in the Washington-Baltimore area. The tentative agreement covers the period 2024 through the end of 2028. [BLET, 2-13-25]
EUROSTAR RESUMES LONDON-AMSTERDAM SERVICE: A larger, more modern terminal for UK-bound passengers at Amsterdam Central station opened on Febr. 10 when Eurostar resumed direct services through to London. Eurostar is now offering three daily services between the two cities Sunday-Friday, and two on Saturdays. [Railway Gazette, 2-13-25]
RUNAWAY ENGINE DERAILS ON BIG SOUTH FORK RWY IN KENTUCKY: A runaway SW9 locomotive on Big South Fork Railway in Kentucky derailed after employees made a failed attempt to get it started after it had stalled. The incident occurred Jan. 28 on an off-season inspection run from Stearns to Blue Heron. The employees left the scene to get help of an additional locomotive, and it appears that the hand brakes they had applied on the unit along with chocks failed. The unit rolled downhill at increasing speed with nobody on board for about two miles when it came off the track. [McCreary Journal, 2-12-25]
BNSF TRAIN DERAILS ON CHICAGO'S WEST SIDE: Six cars of a BNSF train derailed Febr. 12 on Chicago's West Side. There were no injuries. [ABC-7 Chicago, 2-12-25]
TWO HONORED FOR RAIL SAFETY: The American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association has selected Matthew Lane, general manager Pioneer Valley Railroad as the 2025 safety person of the year; and Herman Crosson, chief safety officer Anacostia Rail Holdings as the 2025 safety professional of the year. [Freight Waves, 2-12-25]
TAX CREDIT LEGISLATION REINTRODUCED TO UPGRADE, EXPAND U.S. FREIGHT CAR FLEET: Legislation reintroduced Febr. 11 in the House of Representatives would establish a 10 pct tax credit to help upgrade and expand the U.S. freight car fleet. The three-year tax credit is designed to help offset the costs of replacing two existing rail cars with one new car that improves fuel efficiency or capacity by at least 8 pct, or modernizing one existing rail car to improve fuel efficiency or capacity by at least 8 pct, or to upgrade tank cars to DOT-117 specifications. [Freight Waves, 2-12-25]
U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 502,449 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Febr. 8, 2025, up 3.7 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 0.7 pct, and intermodal was up 7.4 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 2-12-25]
AMTRAK TO CONTROL WASHINGTON UNION STATION LEASEHOLD: Amtrak has agreed to pay real estate firm Rexmark $505-million to control Washington Union Station's commercial spaces. If the move is approved by a federal court, it would end a ears-long dispute. [Railway Age, 7-12-25]
FRIGID TEMPS IMPACT BNSF NORTHERN TRANSOM: The BNSF Northern Transcon through Montana and North Dakota, route of the Empire Builder, is seeking a disruption of operations due to a winter weather blast that has brought temperatures down to 20 degrees below zero. Train-length restrictions have been implemented to support braking performance in the impacted areas and will remain in effect until conditions improve, the company said. Some trains have been re-routed on a more southerly route to help minimize disruption, when possible. [Railway Track & Structures, 7-12-25]
KANSAS STATE TEAM DEVELOPING IN-TRACK MEASUREMENT FOR RAIL STRESS: Engineers from Kansas State University are working to develop advanced technology to monitor stress in tracks without physical contact. It will monitor rail neutral temperature and the state of rail stress through simultaneous non-contact measurement of rail axial displacement and rail temperature. Detecting rail stress in a number of extreme temperatures under heavy traffic loads is necessary to prevent derailments and other issues. [Railway Track & Structures, 7-12-25]
GROUND-BREAKING SET FOR RAIL DEPOT RESTORATION IN PONCA CITY, OKLA.: A ground-breaking will be held for the $2.1-million former ATSF depot restoration project in Ponca City, Oklahoma, on Febr. 17. Ponca City has been identified as a stop on the planned extension of Amtrak's Heartland Flyer route northward into Kansas. [Ponca City govt., 2-12-25]
BLET, NJT CEO MEET TO DISCUSS CONTRACT DISPUTE: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen representatives met this week for the second time with New Jersey Transit CEO Kris Kolluri in an effort to reach a voluntary resolution to their lengthy contract dispute. BLET and NJT are in the midst of a 60-day cooling-off period with a deadline of March 21 to reach an agreement, unless blocked by new legislation to impose a contract. [BLET, 2-11-25]
METRA TO ASSUME TRAIN OPERATION ON UNION PACIFIC LINES IN MID-APRIL: Chicago's Metra in mid-April will assume train operations on Union Pacific's North, Northwest and West lines. Mechanical and station services, along with some management services, have already been assumed by the agency. Negotiations continue over trackage compensation and other financial agreements. [Progressive Railroading, 2-11-25]
BRITAIN'S ROYAL TRAIN ENDORSEMENT EXTENDED TO DB CARGO UK: Britain's King Charles has awarded DB Cargo UK a new endorsement for the operation and maintenance of the Royal Train. The royal cypher will be updated on its locomotives 67005 'Queen's Messenger,' which will be renamed 'King's Messenger,' and 67006 'Royal Sovereign.' [Railway Gazette, 2-11-25]
MBTA TO BEGIN SOUTH COAST SERVICE MARCH 24: Boston's MBTA expects to begin its South Coast rail passenger service on March 24, pending final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration. It will be the first passenger rail service to operate between Boston and Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River in 65 years. [Progressive Railroading, 2-11-25]
HUDSON RIVER RAIL EXCURSIONS TO TAKE HIATUS: Due to upcoming operational changes at Amtrak, Hudson River Rail Excursions has announced that their day trips using historic rail cars will be going on an indefinite hiatus. The excursions use cars with special amenities attached to scheduled trains from New York City to Albany and return on selected dates. Final trip is March 2. [Hudson River Rail Excursions]
AMTRAK'S CRESCENT STRIKES TRUCK ON CROSSING IN N.C.: Amtrak's Crescent struck a truck at a crossing early Febr. 11 in Gaston County, N.C. There were 113 people aboard the train, which was en route to New York. There were no injures, but the train was significantly delayed by the incident. [WCNC, 2-11-25]
TEXAS EAGLE SEVEN HOURS & 45 MINUTES LATE INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's Texas Eagle of Febr. 10 arrived into Chicago seven hours and 45 minutes behind schedule on Febr. 11, having been delayed en route by mechanical issues, rail congstion and speed restrictions. [Amtrak, 2-11-25]
HISTORIC FLYING YANKEE STREAMLINER TO BE RESTORED: The Flying Yankee Association in Nashua, N.H., will begin restoring the Budd-built 1935 Flying Yankee diesel streamliner of the Boston & Maine, a contemporary of Burlington's (later Pioneer) Zephyr. The three-car articulated train was acquired from the New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation, and will be restored with a traction motor rebuild project costing about $30,000. Once the design process has been completed, later this year, the association will initiate a capital campaign. [Railway Age, 2-10-25]
SUNSET LIMITED STRIKES CAR IN LOUISIANA, ONE INJURED: A man is recovering after a crash involving his car and Amtrak's westbound Sunset Limited in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Febr. 10. All passengers on the train were reported safe. [KATC, 2-10-25]
SIERRA NORTHERN RWY ACQUIRES RAILPOWER LLC: Sierra Northern Railway on Febr. 7 reported acquiring the assets of locomotive manufacturer RailPower LLC in an aim to build additional hydrogen-powered units. [Railway Age, 2-10-25]
MEXICO PLANS EXTENSION OF TREN MAYA RAIL NETWORK: Mexico's president has set out plans to extend the country's 918-mile Tren Maya rail network to Belize and Guatemala, adding about 186 miles of new lines. [Railway Gazette, 2-10-25]
D.C. METRO TO MODERNIZE 27 STATION ELEVATORS: Washington DC Metro will modernize 27 elevators across more than 12 stations beginning Febr. 10. The first station receiving the work is the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station, other stations to follow. Each project will take up to three months to complete. Passengers with disabilities will be accommodated via shuttle to nearby stations. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-10-25]
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR DELAYED OVER TWO HOURS BY EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS: Amtrak's California Zephyr of Febr. 10 was delayed leaving Chicago by two hours and 15 minutes because of equipment problems. [Amtrak]
MBTA TRAIN COLLIDES WITH ANOTHER TRAIN IN SOMERVILLE, MASS.: A Boston MBTA Green line train with passengers collided with an out-of-service train at a station in Somerville, Mass., early Febr. 9. One passenger and four train crew members were transported to a hospital, the agency said. [NBC Boston, 2-9-25]
TWO UNION PACIFIC TRAINS DERAIL IN NEBRAKA: Two separate Union Pacific train derailments occurred early Febr. 9 in Nebraska. One happened west of Dix involving about 60 double-stacked intermodal containers with several other cars remaining on the track while blocking a railroad crossing. The other happened east of North Platte near Highway 30. According to law enforcement, 25 rail cars carrying corn derailed blocking the three-track main line. No injuries were reported in either incident. [Panhandle News, 2-9-25]
ONE KILLED AS AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES VEHICLE IN N.Y. STATE: A 19-year-old male was killed late Febr. 7 when his vehicle was struck by Amtrak's westbound Lake Shore Limited in Manlius, N.Y. The train was significantly delayed by the incident with damage to its locomotive. [Syracuse.com, 2-8-25]
EMPIRE BUILDER DELAYED NINE HOURS BY LOCOMOTIVE PROBLEMS: Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder of Febr. 7 was delayed about nine hours while en route in North Dakota and Montana on Febr. 8 because of locomotive problems. [Amtrak]
SEPTA TRAIN CATCHES FIRE ALONG NORTHEAST CORRIDOR IN PA., NO INJURIES: Amtrak service along the Northeast corridor was impacted after a SEPTA train traveling from Philadelphia to Wilmington went up in flames late Febr. 7 near the Crum Lynne station in Ridley Park, Pa. The six-car train was carrying about 350 people, all of whom evacuated safely. Crews were credited with 'very quick action' to avoid an unsafe outcome. [ABC-7 NY, 2-8-25]
MBTA COMMUTER TRAIN DERAILS, NO INJURIES: A Massachusetts Bay Keolis commuter train with about 130 passengers on board derailed at low speed Febr. 8 causing delays and Boston's South Station. No injuries were reported. [Boston 25 News, 2-8-25]
CPKC OFFICIALLY OPENS SECOND LAREDO CROSS-BORDER BRIDGE: Canadian Pacific Kansas City has officially opened its second cross-border bridge linking Laredo, Texas, with Neuvo Laredo in Mexico. Both bridges are in service. Named in honor of the late Patrick Ottensmeyer, who was CEO and president of Kansas City Southern from 2015 until 2023, the bridges span the Rio Grande 35 feet apart, and double the capacity at that location. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-7-25]
JUSTIN VONASHEK NAMED TO SUCCEED AS PRESIDENT OF METRO-NORTH: Metro-North's executive vice-president & chief operating officer Justin Vonashek has been named to succeed Catherine Rinaldi as president. [Railway Age, 2-7-25]
EMPIRE BUILDER 20 HOURS LATE INTO WESTERN DESTINATIONS: Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder of Febr. 5 arrived into its respective Seattle and Portland destinations an average of about 20 hours behind schedule. Amtrak's explanation of en route delays involved locomotive problems, for which a freight locomotive was summoned, and availability of crews due to late operation. [Amtrak]
CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR ARRIVES INTO DESTINATION NINE HOURS LATE: Amtrak's westbound California Zephyr of Febr. 4 arrived into Emeryville nine hours behind schedule early Febr. 7. The train was almost on time leaving from Chicago, but Amtrak's on-line explanation of en route delays only comprehended it having 'mechanical problems.' [Amtrak]
UTAH TRANSIT FINALIZES PLAN TO EXPAND LIGHT-RAIL CONNECTING AIRPORT, RESEARCH PARK: The Utah Transit Authority has finalized plans to expand the TRAX light-rail line to connect Salt Lake City International Airport with the University of Utah's Research Park.. The new Orange line will be open by 2032, two years before the region will host the Winter Olympics. Eight new stations will be built and existing rail lines will also be altered. [Rail Passengers Assn., 2-7-25]
RAILS SEEK USE OF DETROIT'S RESTORED MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION: Michigan Central hosted a group of Amtrak, VIA Rail and other officials late last year after the train depot's grand reopening following Ford Motor Company's six-year restoration process. The last train left the station in 1988. The station would fit with a proposed Chicago-Detroit-Toronto corridor, rail official said, utilizing at least some portion of the station's campus. [Axios, 2-7-25]
DAVID MCLEAN, FIRST CHAIR OF CN FOLLOWING PRIVATIZATION, DIES: David McLean, Canadian National's first board chair following privatization in 1995, died late last month. He was 86. [Railway Age, 2-6-25]
NORTH CAROLINA R.R. LAUNCHES NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: The North Carolina Railroad has launched a new economic development program aimed at preserving land for future industrial users. The program will assist local governments and economic development organizations with site control. [Progressive Railroading, 2-6-25]
D.C. METRO UPDATES PREQUALIFICATION RULES: Washington DC Metro will change its prequalification rules for certain contracts valued at $500,000 or less, except for construction and public works contracts. Previously the prequalification was $100,000, so any contractor on a contract above that threshold had to go through a prequalification review. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-6-25]
AMTRAK'S FLORIDIAN ARRIVES INTO CHICAGO SIX HOURS & 46 MINUTES LATE: Amtrak's northbound Floridian of Febr. 4 arrived into Chicago six hours and 46 minutes behind schedule on Febr. 6. According the Amtrak's website, the only delays explained were due to heavy rail congestion en route. [Amtrak, 2-6-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 513,622 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Febr. 1, 2025, up 4.5 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 0.1 pct, and intermodal was up 8.2 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 2-5-25]
CPKC, USW REACH TENTATIVE FOUR-YEAR AGREEMENT: Canadian Pacific Kansas City announced on Febr. 5 that it reached a tentative four-year collective agreement with United Steelworkers representing clerical and intermodal employees in Canada. [Railway Age, 2-5-25]
CANADA TO PROVIDE FUNDING TOWARD HUDSON BAY RWY: The Canadian government on Febr. 4 announced it would provide $43-million (C) to support rail operations and maintenance of the Hudson Bay Railway. The funding will support year-round transportation to 33,000 residents in northern Manitoba. [Progressive Railroading, 2-5-25]
SITE CHOSEN FOR PALMER, MASS., TRAIN STATION: The Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation on Febr. 3 announced South of Palmer Yard as the best site for the future Palmer train station. The site offers the amount of property needed for a platform to accommodate ADA requirements and passenger train length. [Progressive Railroading, 2-5-25]
COAST STARLIGHT DELAYED FIVE HOURS BY TRACK CLOSURE, POLICE ACTIVITY: Amtrak's northbound Coast Starlight on Febr. 5 was delayed more than five hours due to a track closure and police activity between Richmond and Berkeley, Calif. [Amtrak, 2-5-25]
CSX MOTHER-ROADSLUG SETS DOWN TO FOUR: As of Febr 5, 2025, only four (4) mother-roadslug locomotive sets were still known to be working on CSX. They are 6470+2239, 6925+2284, 6970+2370, and 6982+2382. Other mated sets are likely in storage. [Robert Michaels, 2-5-25]
WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATIVE BILLS SET ENHANCED TARGETS FOR CASCADES RAIL SERVICE: Bills have been presented in both Washington State legislative houses setting targets for enhanced Amtrak Cascades service and accountability. Included in the 2035 goals are 2.5-hour trip times between Seattle and Portland with at least 14 daily round trips; and 2.75-hour trip times between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., with at least five daily round trips. The goals comprehend corridor improvements over the next decade to reach the targeted characteristics. [The Urbanist, 2-5-25]
RAIL LINE TO BE BUILT LINKING TANZANIA, BURUNDI: The governments of Tanzania and Burundi have signed a $2.15-billion agreement with firms in China to build a standard-gauge railway between the two countries. [International Railway Journal, 2-5-25]
INDIA ANNOUNCES 2025-2026 BUDGET FOR RAILWAYS: India's finance ministry has announced a $30.44-billion allocation for Indian Railways in the national budget for 2025-26. This is unchanged from the previous budget, but a cut in real terms given the 5 pct annual inflation rate. [International Railway Journal, 2-5-25]
AG BUSINESS TO EXPAND RAIL FLEET FOR GRAIN, SUGAR IN BRAZIL: Global agribusiness firm Cofco International has announced a $204-million investment in 23 locomotives and 979 rail cars for use in grain and sugar shipments from the central-west region of Brazil and the state of Sao Paulo to a new terminal at the Port of Santos. [International Railway Journal, 2-5-25]
ADELAIDE COMMUTER NETWORK RETURNS TO PUBLIC SECTOR: South Australia's government took over operations of Adelaide's commuter network on Febr. 2 from Keolis Downer Adelaide. The private-sector joint venture ran the system for four years, just half the term of the original operating contract. [International Railway Journal, 2-5-25]
CSX REOPENS TWO MILES OF N.C. CLINCHFIELD LINE FROM STORM DAMAGE: Freight trains are once again running through the western North Carolina town of Spruce Pine after CSX crews reopened about two miles of its Clinchfield line from storm damage. The project gains access to local freight customer Quartz Corp. Its business, along with the railroad, was affected by flooding caused by hurricane Helene in Sept. 2024. [Freight Waves, 2-4-25]
CSX CLOSES HOWARD STREET TUNNEL FOR RECONSTRUCTION: CSX has closed its Howard street tunnel in Baltimore for reconstruction to allow for double-stack containers, slated for completion in the latter half of 2025. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-4-25]
METRA SLATED TO OPEN ROSEMOOR STATION, CLOSE CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY STATION: Chicago's Metra plans to reopen its 103rd street/Rosemoor station on March 3 following a year of rehab construction. Additionally, the 95th/Chicago State University station will close for two years. Both stations are on Metra's Electric line. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-4-25]
INTERMODEX DEVELOPING TRANSLOAD, LOGISTICS FACILITY AT PORT OF PRINCE RUPERT: IntermodeX is developing a transload and logistics facility at the Port of Prince Rupert, B.C., to support global cargo owners, ocean carriers and forwarders. The port if directly connected to Canadian National. [Progressive Railroading, 2-4-25]
AMTRAK FLORIDIAN STRIKES PICKUP TRUCK IN S.C., KILLING ONE: One person is dead following an early morning Febr. 4 crash involving an Amtrak train and a pickup truck in Columbia, S.C. The train was the northbound Floridian en route from Miami to Chicago while the truck was traveling westbound at the crossing at Sunset drive. Preliminary information is that the driver drove around the crossing gates. According to Amtrak, the train was delayed almost four hours by the incident. [WLTX, 2-4-25]
NEW VENTURE OFFERING END-TO-END U.S. INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES: Boxlink is a new joint venture of liner operator Ocean Network Express and South Korean forwarder LX Pantos. It is offering end-to-end U.S. domestic intermodal transportation services managing inland-to-coastal needs through a domestic reposition program by leveraging empty containers for intermodal operations. Boxlink has secured direct agreements with Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and BNSF. [Freight Waves, 2-4-25]
PORT OF BALTIMORE INTRODUCES ELECTRIC RAIL CAR MOVER: The Port of Baltimore's Wallenius Wilhelmsen Terminal has rolled out an electric rail car mover in what the port says is a first for the contemporary U.S. maritime industry. The zero-emission LOK 16.150E, manufactured in Italy, features an 80-volt rechargeable battery system with on board charger powering two 30-Kw alternating current brushless motors. At just over 21 feet in length, the 63,900-pound unit has drawbar pull of 39,500-pound force. [Freight Waves, 2-3-25]
RAIL UNIONS URGE ALL CLASS-I CARRIERS TO JOIN CONFIDENTIAL CLOSE CALL REPORTING SYSTEM: On the second anniversary of the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the nation's rail labor unions are asking all Class-I railroads to fully-join the Federal Railroad Administration's confidential close call reporting system. The program allows workers to confidentially report close call safety incidents that could help prevent future incidents, without fear of discipline or retaliation. [Progressive Railroading, 2-3-25]
CALIFORNIA COMPLETES FARGO AVENUE OVERCROSSING PROJECT FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL: The California High-Speed Rail Authority has completed the Fargo avenue overcrossing in Kings County. It will relocate traffic over the future high-speed line. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-3-25]
GENESIS RAIL NAMES RANCE RANDEL AS CEO: Genesis Rail Co. has announced the appointment of Rance Randle as its CEO. With more than two decades of railroad experience, he has served at BNSF, CN and Cathcart Rail. [Railway Track & Structures, 2-3-25]
IOWA INTERSTATE UNVEILS HAZMAT TRAINING TANK CAR: Iowa Interstate Railroad has introduced a hazmat training tank car fitted with telemetry technology including GPS location and load status monitoring to enhance preparedness of first-responders. [Railway Gazette, 2-3-25]
CONTRACT AWARDED FOR MANHATTAN TUNNEL PROJECT: The Gateway Development Commission has awarded a contract to Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV to proceed with construction of the $1.8-billion Manhattan Tunnel project. Construction is expected to begin in the coming months, with substantial completion anticipated in 2029. [Railway Age, 2-3-25]
CALTRAIN'S RIDERSHIP UP 41 PCT DURING FIRST THREE MONTHS OF ELECTRIC SERVICE: Caltrain's ridership grew 41 pct during the first three months of electric service in 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. Ridership in Dec. 224 reached over a half million passengers. [Progressive Railroading, 2-3-25]
COMPOSITE R.R. TIE PRODUCER EVERTRAK PARTNERS WITH SUMITOMO IN EXPANSION: Evertrak, a producer of composite railroad ties, has entered a partnership with Sumitomo Corp. of America, a global trading company, to expand its production capabilities and scale operations. [Progressive Railroading, 2-3-25]
AMTRAK'S CASCADE TRAINS BRAKE RIDERSHIP RECORD: Amtrak's Cascades rail service linking Vancouver, B.C., with the Pacific Northwest broke ridership records in 2024. Currently, Amtrak operates two daily cross-border trains each way, six daily round-trip trains between Seattle and Portland, and two trains each way between Portland and Eugene. The line served over 984,000 passengers in 2024, up from 746,000 the year before. [Planetizen, 2-2-25]
JANUARY 2025 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-seven percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in January 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 29 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 2-1-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN HITS ROCK SLIDE IN W.VA., DERAILS: Norfolk Southern says that a rock slide was the reason about 18 rail cars derailed late Jan. 31 in Crum, W.Va. No injuries were reported, and there were no leaks. [WOWK, 2-1-25]
CN REPORTS 2024 RESULTS: For the year 2024, Canadian National reported revenue of $17-billion (C) and net income of $4.4-billion, a 1 pct increase and a 21 pct decrease, respectively, compared to the previous year. The adjusted operating ration was 62.9 pct for the year, up from 60.8 pct a year ago. [Progressive Railroading, 1-31-25]
IBEW REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH NCCC: The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has reached a new five-year tentative collective bargaining agreement with the National Carriers' Conference Committee. The agreement has terms similar to ones ratified last month with BNSF and CSX. [Progressive Railroading, 1-31-25]
MARTA UNVEILS FIRST OF NEW CQ400 TRAINS: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority officials on Jan. 30 unveiled the first of the agency's new CQ400 trains. The units feature open gangway designs, upgraded lighting and seating, digital displays, charging stations and improved safety measures. [Progressive Railroading, 1-31-25]
SOUND TRANSIT TO OPEN REDMOND EXTENSION MAY 10: Seattle's Sound Transit's Link 2 line light-rail route between Redmond Technology station and downtown Redmond will open for passenger service May 10. The 3.4-mile extension includes two not stations. The initial segment of the line between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology opened in April last year. The full line is expected to open late this year. [Progressive Railroading, 1-31-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN IMPLEMENTS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM FOR TRUCKERS AT LANDER TERMINAL: Norfolk Southern has introduced a mandatory appointment system for truckers to retrieve containers at its Lander Terminal in Chicago to reduce congestion and improve efficiency. This is the third terminal the company has adopted the appointment system. Others were Memphis and Atlanta. [Journal of Commerce, 1-31-25]
SPARKS TS ACQUIRED BY RAILCUBE: Dutch rail freight software company RailCube has acquired Sparks TS, a U.S.-based rail industry compliance safety and drug & alcohol testing software and services provider to about 100 railways. It is RailCube's first add-on acquisition since the start of its partnership with Main Central Partners in 2023. [Railway Gazette, 1-31-25]
CPKC REPORTS 2024 EARNINGS: Canadian Pacific Kansas City reported 2024 revenue of $14.5-billion (C) and net income of $3.7-billion, compared with 2023 revenue of $12.6-billion and net income of $3.9-billion. [Progressive Railroading, 12-30-25]
PHOENIX RAIL ACQUIRES LEHIGH VALLEY RAIL MANAGEMENT: Short-line rail business Phoenix Rail has been launched by infrastructure investor Ancala. Its first deal was the acquisition of Lehigh Valley Rail Management, which owns short-line and terminal facilities in Bethlehem and Johnstown, Pa. [Railway Gazette, 12-30-25]
U.K. COMMUTERS PREFER MUSIC DURING TRAIN JOURNEYS, RESEARCH SHOWS: British rail operator c2c Trenitalia is celebrating new research that shows 98 pct of U.K. commuters listen to music during their train journeys. Forty percent of responders say that not listening to music would negatively impact their mood and mental wellbeing. [Rail Business Daily, 12-30-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 454,797 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Jan. 25, 2025, down 2.5 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 8.8 pct, and intermodal was up 2.5 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 1-29-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN REPORTS 4-Q 2024 RESULTS: Norfolk Southern reported fourth-quarter 2024 revenue declined 2 pct to $3-billion, and income from railway operations rose 40 pct to $1.1-billion compared with the same period in 2023. The company posted diluted earnings per share of $3.23, and an operating ratio of 62.6 pct for the quarter. [Progressive Railroading, 1-29-25]
CATHCART TO PROVIDE REPAIRS FOR PORTLAND & WESTERN: Cathcart Rail will be the running repair agent for car inspection and mechanical services for Portland & Western Railroad's 478-mile network. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-29-25]
GRAND CENTRAL MADISON WINS CIVIL ENGINEERING AWARD: The Grand Central Madison passenger rail project won the 2025 American Society of Civil Engineering's outstanding civil engineering achievement award. The project was selected as one of 14 finalists. It expands the Long Island Rail Road capacity into Manhattan's East Side. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-29-25]
SEAN DUFFY SWORN IN AS U.S. SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: Sean Duffy on Jan. 28 was officially sworn in as the 20th secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. [Railway Age, 1-29-25]
CN, IBEW REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT, AVOID STRIKE: Canadian National and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of Canada have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract, averting a strike that was slated to begin Jan. 28. The union represents 750 signal and communications employees across Canada. [Freight Waves, 1-28-25]
EAST PALESTINE, NORFOLK SOUTHERN AGREE TO $22-M SETTLEMENT: The town of East Palestine, Ohio, and Norfolk Southern have announced a $22-million settlement resolving all of the town's claims arising from the Febr. 2023 train derailment. The settlement is to be used for priorities the town identifies in connection with the derailment, but it also recognizes about $13.5-million that the railroad has already paid to the town. It also reaffirms the company's commitment of $25-million to ongoing improvements to East Palestine City Park. Both parties agreed that a proposed regional safety training center in the village is not feasible, and will not build it, but Norfolk Southern will transfer about 15 acres acquired for that purpose to the town. Additional legal actions are pending. Residents challenging the railroad's $600-million settlement have asked a court to reject a judge's order requiring them to put up an $850,000 bond to continue their appeal for higher compensation and more information about the contamination. [Fortune, 1-28-25]
LORI RYERKERK NAMED TO BOARD OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN: Norfolk Southern has appointed Lori J. Ryerkerk to its board of directors. She is former chair, chief executive officer and president of Celanese Corp. [Railway Age, 1-28-25]
CSX UNVEILS SPECIALIZED LOCOMOTIVE FOR FIRST-RESPONDER TRAINING: CSX on Jan. 27 unveiled training locomotive 911343, which is designed to simulate emergency scenarios to offer first-responders hands-on experience to mimic incidents. Former SD70AC unit 4507, it has been modified with custom features to enhance safety and facilitate the training. Its fuel tank is filled with water, not fuel. [Progressive Railroading, 1-28-25]
SEPTA TO UPGRADE FARE PAYMENT SYSTEM: Cubic Transportation Systems has been awarded a $211-million contract by SEPTA for the design, installation and operation of its Key 2.0 fare-payment system, which is an update to the agency's existing and outdated system. [Progressive Railroading, 1-28-25]
PHOENIX RAIL ACQUIRES LEHIGH VALLEY RAIL MANAGEMENT: Phoenix Rail, a joint venture of Ancala and Arkadia Rail Partners, has completed acquisition of Lehigh Valley Rail Management. [Railway Age, 1-28-25]
MBTA COMPLETES TRACK IMPROVEMENTS ON BRAINTREE BRANCH, INCREASES SPEED: Boston's MBTA has reached a milestone after work was completed for the Red line track improvement on the Braintree branch. On portions along the line maximum speed increased from 40 MPH to 50 MPH. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-28-25]
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RESCINDS FUNDING FREEZE: The Trump administraion on Jan. 28 rescinded a freeze on federal grants and other funding that could have had far-reaching effects on the transportation sector, one day after a federal judge temporarily blocked the measure. Included were programs affecting rail, such as Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements program; grants to Amtrak to fund new equipment and route expansion; capital assistance to states for intercity passenger service; high-speed rail corridors; federal-state partnerships for intercity passenger rail; Passenger Rail Investment & Improvements Act; grade crossing elimination programs; and other related programs. [Freight Waves, 1-28-25]
ONTARIO TO FUND OVERHAUL OF 121 GO TRANSIT CARS: The Ontario government is investing more than $350-million (C) to refurbish 121 GO Transit bi-level commuter rail cars at Ontario Northland's reanufacturing & repair center in North Bay. [Railway Age, 1-28-25]
AMTRAK'S FLORIDIAN OVER EIGHT HOURS LATE INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's northbound Floridian of Jan. 26 arrived into its Chicago destination more than eight hours late on Jan. 28, having been significantly delayed en route by mechanical issues and the need to remove a bad-order car from the consist. There were also locomotive issues, rail congestion and speed restrictions. [Amtrak, 1-28-25]
WABTEC TO SUPPLY EVOLUTION SERIES LOCOMOTIVES TO GUINEA: Wabtec has landed a $248-million order for Evolution Series ES43ACmi dual-cab locomotives for operations on a high-grade iron ore project in eastern Guinea. [Railway Age, 1-28-25]
AMTRAK ANNOUNCES TWO-FOR-ONE ROOMETTE SALE: Amtrak has unveiled a flash sale on roomette fares ahead of Valentine's Day. The sale runs from Jan. 28 to Febr. 6 for selected long-distance routes for travel between Jan. 29 and April 17. [RailNews, 1-28-25]
AMTRAK COMMISSIONS QUILT DISPLAY AT LANCASTER, PA., STATION: Amtrak has commissioned an art installation at its Lancaster, Pa., station. Entitled 'A Place for Every Piece: Lancaster's Living Quilt,' it tells the story of the people of Lancaster through fabric donated by more than 100 local residents, using the station to celebrate the city;s heritage and present. [Amtrak, 1-28-25]
COUNCIL IN TEXAS GRANTING $100,000 TO KEEP HEARTLAND FLYER RUNNING: Amtrak's Heartland Flyer, which faced a shortfall of about $72,000 for FY-2024, will receive $100,000 after the Regional Transportation Council in Texas approved funds to avoid service interruptions. The council allocated the money from toll revenues. Each year, Texas pays about $2.6-million for the Heartland Flyer, an amount that has not increased in over a decade, despite costs having risen. Passenger rail ridership to Fort Worth increased more than 14 pct in 2024, funneled by both the Heartland Flyer and Texas Eagle. Extending the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas, is under consideration. [Fort Worth Report, 1-28-25]
CSX ADDS ANN BEGEMAN TO ITS BOARD: CSX on Jan. 27 named former Surface Transportation Board chair Ann Begeman to its board of directors. [Freight Waves, 1-27-25]
GATX REPORTS 4-Q 2024 EARNINGS: Rail car and locomotive lessor GATX reported 2024 fourth-quarter net income of $76.5-million or $2.10 per diluted share, compared with $66-million or $1.81 per diluted share in the same quarter of 2023. [Freight Waves, 1-27-25]
SOUND TRANSIT DECLARES EMERGENCY OVER LIGHT-RAIL DELAY ISSUES: Seattle's Sound Transit has declared an 'emergency' because of light-rail issues resulting in delays. They include a damaged train wire next to University of Washington station, overhead wires in the downtown tunnel in need of tightening, grime on rails inside the downtown tunnel impeding the flow of power, flaws at the dispatch center, shifting ballast, fragile software, and North Tunnel power and rail car outages. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-27-25]
DOWNED POWER LINES DISRUPT COAST STARLIGHT: Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight of Jan. 25 was annulled the following afternoon at San Luis Obispo, Calif., due to downed power lines near Los Angeles. [Amtrak, 1-26-25]
EAST PALESTINE RESIDENTS BALK AT NEED TO PUT UP $850,000 BOND TO CONTINUE SETTLEMENT LITIGATION: Residents challenging Norfolk Southern's $600-million settlement for the disastrous East Palestine train crash have asked a court to reject a judge's order requiring them to put up an $850,000 bond to continue their appeal for higher compensation and more information about the contamination. Nearly $300-million of the settlement has been on hold because of the appeal, even though a judge approved the deal in Sept. 2024. The holdout residents are urging the court to stop them from having to put up the sum to continue with their claims. An attorney for the clients said they are pressing ahead with the appeal in the belief that the settlement is not enough to compensate them for possible health effects in the future, and they want to know what the lawyers uncovered during their investigation so they can better judge the risks. [KDKA, 1-25-25]
AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES VEHICLE IN OHIO, KILLING DRIVER: A 45-year-old man is dead following the collision of an Amtrak train and his vehicle in Columbiana, Ohio, early Jan. 24. The driver reportedly attempted to go around the gates at a crossing. The train was Amtrak's Floridian, en route to Miami. [The Review Online, 1-25-25]
KEOLIS SEEKS BATTERY-ELECTRIC TRAINS FOR MBTA FAIRMOUNT LINE: Keolis Commuter Services has issued a request for proposals for new battery-electric multiple-unit train sets for Boston's MBTA Fairmount rail line. Keolis is seeking seven trains, with an option for additional trains in the future. [Progressive Railroading, 1-24-25]
RAIL-SERVED LITHIUM REFINERY COMING TO OKLAHOMA: Stardust Power has broken ground on a battery-grade lithium refinery in Muskogee, Okla., that will be served by Union Pacific via Port Muskogee's Midland Valley Branch line. [Railway Age, 1-24-25]
DINING CAR STEWARDS RATIFY AGREEMENT WITH AMTRAK: Dining car stewards represented by SMART-TD have voted to ratify an agreement with Amtrak spanning the period July 1, 2022, through Dec. 1, 2028. [Railway Age, 1-24-25]
BNSF ANNOUNCES CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN FOR 2025: BNSF has announced a $3.8-billion capital investment plan for 2025, down from $3.92-million in 2024. The main component of the plan is $2.84-billion toward maintenance projects such as upgrading rail, ballast and ties, and maintaining rolling stock. [Progressive Railroading, 1-24-25]
METRO-NORTH POSTS RECORD ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IN 2024: Metro-North in 2024 posted its strongest on-time performance, hitting a record high of 98 pct. The record was reached in spite of several steel-structure replacements projects along the system. [Progressive Railroading, 1-24-25]
RAIL INDUSTRY, LABOR EXPRESS SAFETY CONCERNS AT HOUSE HEARING: Widespread support for a federal grade-crossing safety program emerged during a Jan. 23 House subcommittee hearing. Representatives of the rail industry and labor lay down their priorities, focusing on freight issues, cargo theft and blocked crossings. [Freight Waves, 1-24-25, from Trains Magazine]
HIGH WINDS HALT ALL TRAINS IN SCOTLAND: Storm Eowyn caused extraordinary travel chaos across Britain Jan. 24 as 92 MPH winds halted all trains in Scotland. Train operator ScotRail suspended all services, warning it would not be safe to run passenger services. [Rail Business Daily, 1-24-25]
CALIFORNIA STARTUP UNVEILS DESIGNS FOR PROPOSED LA-SF OVERNIGHT TRAIN: Dreamstar Lines, a California startup that has proposed a Los Angeles-San Francisco overnight rail service, has unveiled designs for its overnight train service. Accommodations would include a lounge, standard-class equivalent to first-class international air, a bedroom that sleeps two, a suite with a queen-size bed, and a family room for six. All rooms will feature a private bathroom with shower. The company needs to secure agreements with the three host carriers controlling the 470-mile route. [Progressive Railroading, 1-23-25]
UNION PACIFIC REPORTS 2024 EARNINGS: Union Pacific reported net income for the year 2024 was $6.7-billion or $11.09 per diluted share, compared with $6.4-billion or $10.45 per diluted share in 2023. Fourth-quarter profit increased 7 pct from the same quarter the previous year, with net income of $1.76-billion. Intermodal volumes during the quarter increased 6 pct. [Freight Waves, 1-23-25]
PATH TO CLOSE HOBOKEN STATION 25 DAYS FOR REPAIRS: Beginning Jan. 30, Port Authority Trans Hudson will close its Hoboken station for 25 days to perform round-the-clock track, infrastructure and rehabilitation work. [Railway Age, 1-23-25]
CANADIAN RAIL RIDERSHIP INCREASED IN 2024: Canadian passenger railways increased ridership in 2024. According to the Railway Association of Canada, the number of rail commuters increased 70.5 pct, and intercity passengers increased 30.7 pct. [Progressive Railroading, 1-23-25]
FRIGID TEMPS CAUSE SOME AMTRAK CANCELLATIONS: Due to frigid temperatures, Amtrak on Jan. 23 has annulled its Borealis, Illinois Zephyr, Wolverine trains 351-353, Hiawatha trains 330-353, and Lincoln service train 300. Northbound City of New Orleans will originate at Memphis. [Amtrak, 1-23-25]
CSX REPORTS 2024 EARNINGS: CSX reported 2024 operating income of $5.25-billion, down 5 pct from the previous year. Net income was $3.47-billion or $1.79 per share, compared with $3.67-billion or $1.82 per share in 2023. Adjusted for a pre-tax, non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $108-million in the fourth-quarter, operating income for 2024 was $5.35-billion. [Freight Waves, 1-23-25]
AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES, KILLS PERSON IN MIDDLE RIVER, MD.: An Amtrak train en route from Washington to New York struck and killed a person early Jan. 23 in Middle River, Md. Amtrak said the train was No. 114, and the incident occurred at the Martin State Airport commuter station used by MARC. [Eldersburg Patch, 1-23-25]
SELF-PROPELLED FLATCAR SYSTEM TO BE TESTED ON G&W LINES: The Federal Railroad Administration will allow Parallel Systems to test its autonomous, self-propelled flatcar system on a pair of Genesee & Wyoming shortlines in Georgia. Parallel and G&W plan a seven-phase test program, and the complexity of the operations will increase with each phase. The FRA must deem each phase successful before the companies may move to the next phase. [Freight Waves, 1-23-25, from Trains Magazine]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 500,160 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Jan. 18, 2025, up 25.9 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were up 25.1 pct, and intermodal was up 26.5 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 1-22-25]
ARMY TO EXPAND ITS RAIL YARD AT FORT BLISS: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded Granite a contract to expand and update the rail yard at Fort Bliss in El Paso. The yard is served by Union Pacific. [Railway Age, 1-22-25]
N.Y. 14TH STREET SIXTH AVENUE SUBWAY STATION UPGRADED: New York City's 14th street Sixth avenue subway station is now fully-accessible, with upgraded technology and circulation, following a $300-million renovation. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-22-25]
READING BLUE MOUNTAIN & NORTHERN RECORDS RECORD RIDERSHIP IN 2024: Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad recorded an all-time high ridership of 340,000 passengers in 2024. The railroad opened new departure facilities, and spent $6-million on new equipment and train cars. [Progressive Railroading, 1-22-25]
BLET REJECTS PRESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY BOARD DECISION ON CONTRACT DISPUTE WITH NJT: The Presidential Emergency Board declared New Jersey Transit's final offer as the most reasonable in its labor negotiations with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, but the union rejected that decision. Accordingly, the union's rejection now sets off a 60-day cooling-off period before a strike can occur at N.J. Transit. [Progressive Railroading, 1-22-25]
BART TO ENHANCE NAVIGATION INFO SYSTEM: Bay Area Rapid Transit is upgrading its passenger information system to show line colors and connections as part of a larger effort to make its navigation system easier for passengers. [Railway Gazette, 1-22-25]
NORTHBOUND AUTO TRAIN EIGHT & ONE-HALF HOURS LATE ARRIVING LORTON: Amtrak's northbound Auto Train of Jan. 21 did not arrive into Lorton the following day until it was more than eight and one-half hour behind schedule. According to Amtrak, the train was significantly delayed north of Charleston, S.C., by a disabled freight train blocking the track ahead. [Amtrak, 1-22-25]
AMTRAK EXPLAINS NEED TO CANCEL TRAINS IN FRIGID WEATHER: Amtrak has shared its concerns for the occasional need to annul or truncate trains under obnoxious weather conditions. Amtrak never wants to delay or annul a train. But while Amtrak is often able to provide reliable service when other transportation modes are disrupted, sometimes adverse factors make it the right thing to do. Extreme conditions can take a significant toll on equipment, displacement of crews, loss of power, downed trees, risks of stranded trains, and potential interruption of service for days. Advice from host carriers is also considered. A delicate balance must be struck. [Railway Age, 1-21-25]
UNIVERSITY, UNION PARTNER TO ADVANCE RAIL SAFETY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has entered into a $9.7-million research partnership with the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen to advance rail safety and workforce development to help integrate predictive technologies into PTC systems through lab testing and data analysis. [Progressive Railroading, 1-21-25]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN TOUTS 2024 SAFETY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Norfolk Southern has reported on its safety accomplishments in 2024. Included are a 40 pct reduction in reportable mainline accidents, double the number of autonomous track inspection locomotives, five new digital train inspection portals, more than 130 new hot bearing detectors, and 17 new acoustic bearing detectors across its system. [Progressive Railroading, 1-21-25]
PATRICK FUCHS NAMED STB CHAIR: President Trump has named Patrick Fuchs, 36, chair of the five-member Surface Transportation Board, of which he was already a member. He succeeds Robert Primus, who was its chair since May 2024, and will remain a member of the board until the end of 2027. [Freight Waves, 1-21-25]
MBTA ANNOUNCES FIRST-HALF 2025 CONSTRUCTION AGENDA: Boston's MBTA says its first-half 2025 construction schedule will shift its focus to include upgrading signal systems and improving accessibility. Included are the Green line protection system to automatically stop trains at stop signals, completing bridge work, continue inspections of bridges, tunnels and stations, and making upgrades to station entrances, elevators and platforms. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-21-25]
SMART-TD TO REPRESENT WILMINGTON TERMINAL R.R. WORKERS: Workers at Wilmington Terminal Railroad, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming, have voted to join SMART-TD, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation Workers Transportation Division. [Railway Age, 1-21-25]
FEDS AWARD CONNECTICUT $11.6-M TOWARD HARTFORD LINE PROJECT: The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded the Connecticut Dept. of Transportation $11.6-million toward increasing and extending service along the CTrail Hartford Line. The overall $25-million Hartford line expanded & enhancement project will increase service and reliability across the entire Hartford line, including stations in New Haven, Hartford, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, and Springfield, Mass. [Progressive Railroading, 1-21-25]
FREDERICK DOUGLAS TUNNEL TO SPEED NORTHEAST CORRIDOR SERVICE: Amtrak's Frederick Douglas tunnel in Baltimore will replace the 151-year-old B&P tunnel, which suffers from a variety of age-related issues. B&P tunnel is currently at capacity, and its tight curvature requires trains to run at just 30 MPH. The Frederick Douglas tunnel will feature a pair of two high-capacity tubes designed for Amtrak and MARC trains, with each tube about two miles in length. Other improvements include a new accessible MARC station in West Baltimore. Pre-construction activities are underway, and major work will begin later this year. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-21-25]
BRITAIN'S HISTORIC STOCKPORT VIADUCT TO BE RESTORED: Britain's Stockport Viaduct, built in 1840, is set to be restored as part of a $1.23-million project. The 1800-foot-long, 112-foot-tall structure spans a road and River Mersey. It carries almost 400 Network Rail trains each day between the West Coast main line and Manchester Piccadilly. [Rail Business Daily, 1-21-25]
TRAIN DERAILS IN ATCHISON, KANSAS, NO INJURIES: Investigations are underway in Atchison, Kansas, after six cars of a train derailed late Jan. 20, near its downtown area. No injuries were reported. [Fox-4 KC, 1-21-25]
ELECTRIC MULTIPLE-UNIT TRAINS COMING TO ITALY'S LAZIO REGION: The first of 38 electric multiple-unit trains ordered by Italy's Lazio region has been unveiled. The $294-million pact covers the supply along with 10 years of maintenance for three types of 62-MPH train sets for use by operator Cotral. [Railway Gazette, 1-21-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Fifty (50) percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending Jan. 19, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 21 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 1-20-25]
FRA SENDS REPORT TO CONGRESS ON AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS: The Federal Railroad Administration has sent to Congress a report recommending that the Cardinal and Sunset Limited be run daily instead of there times a week. It also recommends forming a committee of stakeholders as a forum for feedback and discussion related to current long-distance services and projected expansion. [Progressive Railroading, 1-20-25]
SEPTA'S FIRST FEMALE ENGINEER RETIRES, WORKED 40 YEARS: On Jan. 10, Jacqueline Pettyjohn operated her last SEPTA train, capping a 40-year career, was no. 1 on the seniority roster, had a perfect attendance record, and never had an operating rule infraction. She hired out with the agency in 1984, and was their very first female locomotive engineer. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 1-20-25]
AMTRAK DISRUPTIONS JAN. 20: Southbound Palmetto arrived into Savannah over two and one-half hours late, having been delayed en route by switch and signal trouble, weather-related problems and rail congestion. Northbound Coast Starlight was delayed about three hours north of Sacramento due to 'equipment adjustments.' Northbound Floridian was delayed more than three hours west of Elkhart, Ind., due to mechanical issues. Westbound Lake Short Limited was delayed behind the Floridian, and both trains were combined, resulting in over two and one-half hours of delay to Lake Shore Limited. Eastbound Southwest Chief (of Jan. 19) was delayed Jan. 20 more than two hours between Denver and Fort Morgan due to track maintenance and rail congestion. Westbound Southwest Chief left Chicago one hour and 29 minutes late due to mechanical issues. [Amtrak, 1-20-25]
PORTLAND'S TRIMET INTRODUCES TYPE-6 MAX TRAINSETS: The first riders hopped on board TriMet's new Type-6 MAX trains, signaling another advancement in Portland's light-rail system. Two of the new vehicles, paired into one train, rolled out of Ruby Jct. facility on Jan. 16 to meet the riders. In total, 30 new vehicles will enter service in the coming months. [Progressive Railroading, 1-20-25]
UNION TANK CAR TO CLEAN, REPAIR CARS FOR OWNERS, SHIPPERS IN PASADENA, TEXAS: Union Tank Car (UTLX) has entered an agreement with 225 Rail to perform cleaning and repairs for railcar owners and shippers at 225 Rail's existing 1000-car storage terminal in Pasadena, Texas. [Progressive Railroading, 1-20-25]
BULK SPECIALTIES COMPLETES EXPANSION OF TRANSLOAD TERMINAL IN B.C.: Bulk Terminals Inc. has completed an expansion to its transloading terminal in Langley, B.C. The expansion includes a 20 pct increase in space for railcars, two new high-speed loading racks, and a state-of-the-art spill containment system. [Progressive Railroading, 1-20-25]
BLET, KEOLIS REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT FOR MASS BAY LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen has reached a tentative contract agreement with Keolis Commuter Services for locomotive engineers at MBTA in Boston, subject to ratification, retroactive to July 1, 2023. [BLET, 1-20-25]
NORTH FLORIDA INDUSTRIAL R.R. TO BE RAIL OPERATOR AT NORTH FLORIDA MEGA PARK: Pinsly Railroad's North Florida Industrial Railroad has agreed with Columbia County, Fla., to be the rail operator of the North Florida Mega Industrial Park. [Railway Gazette, 1-20-25]
VOLUNTEERS WORK TO BRING PUSH-PULL TRAIN TO BRITISH LINE AFTER HALF-CENTURY ABSENCE: Volunteers in Britain are working to bring a 1960's push-pull diesel train back to the Corfe Castle-Swanage branch line after an absence of more than half a century. They are restoring a car to complete a three-car British Rail train that they hope to begin running early next year. [Rail Business Daily, 1-20-25]
AMTRAK TRAIN COLLIDES WITH SEMI AT CROSSING IN AUBURN, WASHINGTON: Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight early Jan. 18 in Auburn, Washington, crashed into the cab of a semi-truck at a railroad crossing after it had made a wrong turn. Two persons in the cab were able to safely escape. The train was delayed over two and one-half hours by the incident. [KIRO, 1-18-25]
ELEVEN ARRESTED IN SHOE HEIST FROM BNSF TRAIN: Eleven people are in federal custody in connection with the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of Nike shoes off a BNSF train whose air brakes were cut as it traveled on tracks north of Phoenix. Officials attribute the activity to a criminal organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico. [CW39, 1-18-25]
RESTORATION OF READING STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 2100 ADVANCES: The American Steam Railroad Preservation Association is aiming for an initial test firing of Reading 4-8-4 No. 2100 within 60 days. The locomotive is being restored to operate as American Freedom Train No. 250. [Trains Magazine, 1-18-25]
EMPIRE BUILDER EXTENSIVELY DELAYED ON EASTBOUND RUN: Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder of Jan. 15 left Seattle more than three hours late due to late arrival of inbound equipment. It was further delayed en route in Montana by high wind warnings, by availability of crew in two North Dakota locations, and freight train interference. The train was almost 19 hours behind schedule when it finally arrived into Chicago. [Amtrak, 1-18-25]
CONTRACTORS SELECTED FOR LONG BRIDGE SOUTH PACKAGE PROJECT: Virginia has selected a joint venture of Trumbull Corp., Fay, S&B Construction, and Wagman Heavy Civil for the Long Bridge project South Package. The new bridge will be located between the existing Long Bridge and the D.C. Metro Yellow line bridge. The project has been separated into a North Package and a South Package. The North Package was previously awarded to Skanska/Flatiron joint venture. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-17-25]
PENNDOT ADVANCES NEXT STEP TOWARD SCRANTON-NEW YORK PASSENGER RAIL PROJECT: After receiving federal funding to expand passenger rail across the state, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation is taking the next step to pursue the Scranton to New York Penn Station rail corridor project. The route from Scranton to New York City last served passenger trains in 1970 as part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. [Progressive Railroading, 1-17-25]
DART'S SILVER LINE RAIL PROJECT IS 85 PCT COMPLETE: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has reached 85 pct completion of the 26-mile Silver line regional rail project, and will be ready to begin revenue service late this year or early 2026. When completed, the route will run from East Plano to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Terminal B. [Progressive Railroading, 1-17-25]
HITACHI TO ACQUIRE OMNICOM: Hitachi Rail has agreed to acquire Balfour Beatty's rail asset monitoring technology business Omnicom. Hitachi said this will form a 'key strategic pillar' of the Hyper Mobility Asset Expert platform. [Railway Gazette, 1-17-25]
OTTAWA'S O-TRAIN REOPENS EXTENDED TRILLIUM LINE: Ottawa's O-Train reopened its extended north-south Trillium line with weekday service on Jan. 6, with services to be ramped up over the next month. [[Railway Gazette, 1-17-25]
UNIFOR MEMBERS VOTE IN FAVOR OF STRIKE AT CPKC: Ninety-nine pct of Unifor Local 101R members at Canadian Pacific Kansas City voted in support of a strike if a deal is not reached by midnight Jan. 29. [Progressive Railroading, 1-17-25]
NORTHERN TRAINS IN ENGLAND SEEKS TO REPLACE UP TO 450 TRAINS: England's Northern Trains has moved a step closer to the largest ever investment in its fleet, which could eventually see up to 450 new trains. The publicly-owned operator has invited manufacturers to begin negotiations for new trains to operate across the north of England. [Rail Business Daily, 1-17-25]
STB CHAIR WARNS RAILROADS NOT TO RETALIATE AGAINST SHIPPERS: Robert Primus, chair of the Surface Transportation Board, has warned rail carriers to refrain from retaliating, or threatening to retaliate, against shippers and other stakeholders that participate in regulatory proceedings perceived as adverse to railroads. The board will monitor such claims, he said, adding that shippers should notify the board if they experience retaliation. [Progressive Railroading, 1-16-25]
CN BEGINS TESTING MEDIUM-HORSEPOWER HYBRID LOCOMOTIVE: Canadian National has begun a pilot project testing a medium-horsepower locomotive developed in collaboration with Knoxville Locomotive Works for use in yards and branch lines. [Progressive Railroading, 1-16-25]
ALSTOM TO OVERHAUL, MODERNIZE COACHES FOR GO TRANSIT: Toronto's Metrolinx has awarded Alstom a framework agreement for the mid-life overhaul and modernization of 181 bi-level Series VIII coaches used by GO Transit. [Railway Gazette, 1-16-25]
VIRGINIA AWARDS GRANT TO SIMS METALS TOWARD TRACK ACCESS CONSTRUCTION: Sims Metals in Chesapeake, Va., will receive a grant from the state toward track access at its facility to promote truck-diversion to connect a new or expanding business to the freight railroad network. [Railway Age, 1-16-25]
AMTRAK'S EASTBOUND CARDINAL OVER EIGHT HOURS LATE INTO DESTINATION: Amtrak's eastbound Cardinal of Jan. 14 was five hours leaving Chicago due to equipment issues. Further delays en route involved rail congestion and speed restrictions. The train finally arrived into New York eight hours and 15 minutes behind schedule. [Amtrak, 1-16-25]
FEDS GRANT $66.7-M TOWARD CROSSING ELIMINATIONS IN LINCOLN, NEB.: The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a $66.7-million grant toward eliminating two railroad crossings and intersections in Lincoln, Nebraska. The project is to build a new bridge over the railroad to eliminate crossings at North 33rd street and Adams street. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-16-25]
FRA, OSHA FAULT RAILROADS FOR HARSH EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE POLICIES: Class-I railroads are failing workers and making their operation less safe due to overly harsh employee discipline policies. That is according to letters from the Federal Railroad Administration and Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Employee protection from whisleblower statues has not stopped carriers from retaliating against workers for reporting workplace injuries or potential violations, the agencies said. Concern was also expressed over rail incentive programs which reward managers based on low numbers of injury reports, which have a 'chilling' effect on employees' willingness to report injuries and obtain medical treatment. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen, 1-16-25]
AMTRAK'S GULF COAST SERVICE SLATED TO BEGIN IN JUNE:Amtrak now expects rail service on the Gulf Coast to begin in June. Trains will run between New Orleans and Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. [WLOX, 1-16-25]
READING BLUE MOUNTAIN & NORTHERN ADDING CARS FOR EXCURSIONS: The Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad has acquired several new pieces of rolling stock in anticipation of a busy excursion season this year. Three former Delaware Lackawanna & Western coaches, a Pennsylvania Railroad commuter coach, a dining car, and a generator car are being added to the fleet. Excursions begin March 15. [Progressive Railroading, 1-15-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 465,390 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Jan. 11, 2025, up 1.8 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 6.4 pct, and intermodal was up 8.9 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 1-15-25]
AUSTIN'S DRAFT OF LIGHT-RAIL PLAN PRESENTED: The Austin, Texas, Transit Partnership has released a draft of its light-rail plan. The 9.8-mile line includes 15 stations and runs from 38th street to downtown to along East Riverside and south to Oltorf. Planners say construction can begin in two years. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-15-25]
BRIGHTLINE TRAIN ATTENDANTS VOTE TO JOIN TWU: The approximately 100 on-board and lead attendants at Brightline in Florida have voted to join Transport Workers Union of America. [Railway Age, 1-15-25]
U.S. HOUSE PASSES AMTRAK EXEC BONUS BILL: The U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 14 approved legislation that would require Amtrak to publicly disclose decisions to award bonuses to top executives, would require it to notify and brief Congress 30 days before the award of such bonuses, and to explain the metrics and criteria it used to determine the awards. [Progressive Railroading, 1-15-25]
CHICAGO TRANSIT'S PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: Dorval Carter Jr., president of Chicago Transit Authority, will retire on Jan. 31. He joined the agency in 1984, and has been its president for the past 10 years. He will now join St. Anthony Hospital in Chicago as its president and CEO. [Progressive Railroading, 1-15-25]
INDIA OPENING FINAL SECTION OF 169-MILE RAIL LINE: Indian Railways is planning to partially-open the final section of its 169-mile Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line in time for the Jan. 26 Republic Day national holiday. [International Railway Journal, 1-15-25]
KOREA REOPENS RAIL LINE TO PASSENGER TRAFFIC, CLOSED SINCE 2004: The 18.6-mile single-track Gyooe Line in Gyeonggi province in South Korea reopened to passenger traffic Jan. 11, having been closed since April 2004. [International Railway Journal, 1-15-25]
CN'S SUTTON-SPAULDNG DOUBLE-TRACK EXTENSION OPENS: Canadian National's double-track Sutton-Spaulding extension in Illinois is in service. The extension includes more than four miles of double-track, grading, signals and bridge work, and allows for a 30 pct increase in area speed, and 17 pct increase in capacity. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-14-25]
CN TO ACQUIRE, OPERATE IOWA NORTHERN RWY: The Surface Transportation Board has approved, with conditions, Canadian National's request for authority to acquire and operate Iowa Northern Railway's 218-mile rail system. The agency also approved notices of exception for track rights. [Progressive Railroading, 1-14-25]
IOWA NORTHERN EMPLOYEES SIGN ON WITH BMWED: Iowa Northern railroaders have signed on with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees division of Teamsters. [Railway Age, 1-14-25]
STB ON TRACK FOR DECISION THIS SUMMER ON SUNSET LIMITED PERFORMANCE: The Surface Transportation Board's investigation into the reasons behind poor on-time performance of Amtrak's Sunset Limited is on schedule with a decision possible in early summer, the agency's chair Robert Primus said Jan. 13. [Progressive Railroading, 1-14-25]
BNSF USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ASSEMBLE TRAINS: BNSF is using artificial intelligence to assemble trains more efficiently. The algorithm creates optimized switch lists based on cars' destinations by analyzing historical data. The process reduces the overall number of switches made, improves consistency, increases capacity, and reduces carbon emissions. [Progressive Railroading, 1-14-25]
TEXAS SHORT-LINE TO SERVE FUTURE SYNERGOS FACILITY: Texas Gonzales & Northern Railway will serve a future Synergos Cos. facility in Gonzales, Texas. The short-line owns and manages 12 miles of track between Harwood and Gonzales, 67 miles storage and loop track in Gonzales, and interchanges with Union Pacific. [Progressive Railroading, 1-14-25]
WABTEC TO ACQUIRE EVIDENT'S INSPECTION TECH DIVISION: Wabtec on Jan. 14 announced a definitive agreement to acquire Evident's Inspection Technologies division for $1.78-billion. [Railway Age, 1-14-25]
PORT OF NEW ORLEANS AWARDED $1-M FEDERAL GRANT: The Port of New Orleans on Jan. 13 announced it has been awarded $1-million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Louisiana International Terminal Sustainability Management Plan. [Railway Age, 1-14-25]
CALIFORNIA RESCINDS RULE REQUIRING ZERO-EMISSION LOCOMOTIVES FROM 2030: California has scrapped a rule that would have mandated use of zero-emission locomotives in the state beginning in 2030. Only those locomotives fewer than 23 years old would then have been permitted, unless they were zero emission units. The rule also limited allowable idle time. The railroads said no viable zero-emission locomotive technology and infrastructure exits at this time, so the rule's time line is not feasible, and that it would prematurely retire viable equipment and disrupt commerce. [Commuters, 1-14-25]
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN MALAYSIA OF PENANG METRO: Ground was broken Jan. 11 of Malaysia's Penang LRT Mutiara Pearl Line medium capacity metro. The first phase will run 14.7 miles along Penang Island with 19 stations. [Railway Gazette, 1-14-25]
TESTING BEGINS ON CAIRO MONORAIL: A driverless monorail on Jan. 8 took its first test trip on the 35.4-mile line in Cairo, Egypt. The Cairo Monorail along the East Nile line is the longest monorail, and driverless system, in the world. [Rail Business Daily, 1-14-25]
AMTRAK CANCELS SOME SERVICE IN L.A. AREA DUE TO WILDFIRES: Amtrak has announced significant service cancellations in southern California due to wildfires, urging passengers to prepare for disruptions and delays. [Railway Supply, 1-13-25]
FEDS GRANT $25-M TOWARD UPGRADES IN GALESBURG, ILL, BUSINESS PARK: Twenty-five million dollars in federal funding has been awarded toward a new rail track in the Galesburg, Illinois, Business Park. Additionally, crews will make upgrades that include supporting a new facility to export local agricultural products via BNSF. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-13-25]
FEDS GRANT $4.9-M TOWARD GRADE-CROSSING ELIMINATIONS IN BREVARD COUNTY, FLA.: The Space Coast Transportation Planning organization has announced a $4.9-million federal rail crossing elimination grant toward the design and construction of 15 exit gates and two medians at seven grade crossings in Brevard County, Fla. The county and two of its cities will provide a local match. Brightline is leading the project. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-13-25]
AMTRAK'S ELDIE ACHESON NAMED 2024 WOMAN OF THE YEAR: The League of Railway Woman has named Eleanor 'Eldie' Acheson, corporate secretary and ethics officer at Amtrak, as the 2024 Railway Woman of the Year. [Progressive Railroading, 1-13-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty (40) percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending Jan. 12, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 35 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 1-13-25]
CSX BMWED EMPLOYEES RATIFY FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH CARRIER: CSX employees represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees have voted to ratify a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the company. [Progressive Railroading, 1-13-25]
FEDS GRANT CHICAGO TRANSIT $1.97-B TOWARD RED LINE EXTENSION: The Federal Transit Administration has announced a $1.97-billion grant to the Chicago Transit Authority to support the 5.5-mile Red line extension to connect the city's far South Side to the L System. [Progressive Railroading, 1-13-25]
MARYLAND PICKS STV FOR ROLLING STOCK CONSULTING SERVICES: The Maryland Transit Administration has contracted with STV to provide a range of consulting services related to rolling stock, including passenger rail vehicles. The project allows the agency to procure new rolling stock to meet changing customer demands, or to keep existing equipment via upgrades and overhauls. [Railway Age, 1-13-25]
VIRGIN GROUP PREPS TO COMMENCE CHANNEL TUNNEL SERVICE: Virgin Group is preparing an order for a dozen high-speed trains as it bids to break Eurostar's monopoly on services through the Channel Tunnel. Virgin aims to begin service through the tunnel in 2029. [Rail Business Daily, 1-13-25]
STADLER DELIVERS EURO4001 LOCOMOTIVE TO SPANISH OPERATOR: Spanish operator Logitren has taken delivery of the first of two Stadler Euro4001 diesel locomotives ordered to bolster its fleet. They are fitted with a Caterpillar C175 prime mover to meet Euro Stage V emissions requirements. [Railway Gazette, 1-13-25]
WESTBOUND PORTLAND SECTION OF EMPIRE BUILDER ANNULLED JAN. 12: Amtrak's westbound Portland section of the Empire Builder was annulled at Spokane due to equipment and mechanical issues. Buses were provided to transfer passengers to destination. [Amtrak, 1-12-25]
AMTRAK'S FLORIDIAN STRIKES, KILLS TRESPASSER IN DOVER, FLA.: A 53-year-old man was struck and killed on Jan. 11 by Amtrak's southbound Floridian in Dover, Florida. [WTSP, 1-11-25]
LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO IMPROVE AMTRAK'S FOOD SERVICE: U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) has introduced legislation targeting improved on-board Amtrak food service. The Train Furtherance of Outstanding On-board Dining and the Train Establishment of Appetizing Table Service act. Include allowing coach passenger to access traditional sit-down dining, allowing passengers to pre-order meals to meet their dietary requirements, and to provide an 'affordable' food option such as currently provided through the cafe-lounge car. [Rail Passengers Assn., 1-10-25]
INTEREST SHOWN IN RESTORING SALT LAKE CITY's RIO GRANDE DEPOT FOR AMTRAK: The Rio Grande plan is an initiative introduced in 2020 to revitalize the west side of downtown Salt Lake City with the 114-year-old Rio Grande Depot as its focal point. The plan proposes rerouting the tracks via an underground alignment for use by Amtrak. [Rail Passengers Assn., 1-10-25]
AMTRAK'S EASTBOUND CARDINAL SEVEN HOURS LATE LEAVING CHICAGO: Amtrak's eastbound Cardinal of Jan. 9 left its Chicago origin point over seven hours late due to late arrival of inbound equipment. The inbound train due that date had been terminated in Cincinnati with passengers bused to destination. [Amtrak, 1-10-25]
AMTRAK CANCELS SOME TRAINS IN FACE OF NEW SNOW STORM: Due to the pending snow storm, Texas Eagle in both directions between St. Louis and San Antonio, the northbound Heartland Flyer, and southbound City of New Orleans are canceled Jan. 9. On Jan. 10, southbound Heartland Flyer, northbound Texas Eagle, and City of New Orleans in both directions are canceled. On Jan. 11, northbound City of New Orleans is canceled. [Amtrak, 1-9-25]
FEDS GRANT $204-M TO COLUMBIA, S.C., RAIL SEPARATION PROJECT: The city of Columbia, S.C., has received $204-million in federal funding for a project to separate Assembly street from the CSX and Norfolk Southern trains that cross it. One of three options for the projects will be chosen. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-9-25]
SAVAGE TO DEVELOP CRUDE-BY-RAIL TERMINAL IN UTAH: Savage has announced plans to develop a new crude-by-rail transload terminal near Wellington, Utah, to connect supply chains for transporting Uinta Basin crude to refineries across North America. It will have connections to Union Pacific and BNSF. [Progressive Railroading, 1-9-25]
SENATOR CRUZ TO BECOME CHAIR OF COMMERCE, SCIENCE & TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: The U.S. Senate Republican Conference has ratified Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) as chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. [Railway Age, 1-9-25]
CALIFORNIA SEEKS COMMENTS ON MERCED-BAKERSFIELD HSR PROJECT: The California High-Speed Rail Authority is inviting feedback on draft contract documents for the upcoming construction of the 171-mile early operating segment from Merced to Bakersfield. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-9-25]
TECH ADVANCES OFFER HOPE FOR SECONDARY RAIL LINES IN FRANCE, GERMANY: Around 10,500 miles of abandoned or poorly-used rail lines in France and Germany could be revived using small, frequent or on-demand vehicles as part of a decarbonization drive. Thanks to rapidly progressing technologies, with minimal investment and low operating costs, there is an opportunity to tap political support to make them a reality. [Railway Gazette, 1-9-25]
CSX COAL TRAIN DERAILS IN VIRGINIA: CSX is rerouting trains due to a 25-car coal train derailment in Bremo Bluff, Va., early Jan 7. There were no injuries. CSX is working to restore operations. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-8-25]
SOUND TRANSIT NEAR TO COMPLETING KENT LIGHT-RAIL STATIONS: Seattle's Sound Transit is getting closer to completing light-rail stations in Kent, and has begun testing operations. The Kent Des Moines station is expected to be completed in August. The other two stations along the extension are Federal Way and Star Lake. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-8-25]
TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED IN LONGSHOREMEN'S AGREEMENT, AVERTING PORT STRIKE: The International Longshoremen's Association and the U.D. Maritime Alliance have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract. It will replace the expiring contract which had been extended after a short strike in Oct. 2024. The agreement covers in container-handling at 14 ports and maritime cargo centers from Texas to Boston, and avoids a possible strike that could have begun as early as Jan. 15. [Freight Waves, 1-8-25]
HYBRID BATTERY-DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES APPROVED FOR N.Y. SUBWAY MAINTENANCE: New York City's MTA has approved the operation of battery-diesel hybrid locomotives ordered from Wabtec to haul maintenance trains in tunnels and work sites. Twenty-five of the locomotives were ordered, two of which were delivered in 2024. [Railway Gazette, 1-8-25]
TRAIN DISPATCHERS RATIFY NATIONAL CARRIER AGREEMENT: The National Carriers Conference has announced the ratification of a national bargaining agreement with the American Train Dispatchers Association. The contract covers freight-rail members through the end of 2029. [Progressive Railroading, 1-8-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 421,410 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Jan. 4, 2025, up 1.0 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 4.0 pct, and intermodal was up 6.6 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 1-8-25]
FEDS LOOK TO CLOSE SECURITY GAPS ON RAIL EXPORTS TO CANADA, MEXICO: Federal regulators will attempt to close security gaps on the U.S. rail system for exports destined for Canada and Mexico through a new rule-making by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The proposed rule would require the electronic transmission of rail export cargo manifest data, including an initial filing 24 hours prior to departure, and a final transmission of remaining data at least two hours prior to departure. [Freight Waves, 1-8-25]
BRIGHTLINE TRAIN STRIKES CAR AT CROSSING, DRIVER INJURED: A Brightline train on Jan. 8 struck a car that had run around crossing gates in North Miami Beach, Fla. The driver of the vehicle was transported to a trauma center. [WFLA, 1-8-25]
AMTRAK DISRUPTIONS JAN. 8: Amtrak's Southwest Chief on Jan. 8 arrived into Chicago five hours and 19 minutes late with en route delays of police activity at two locations, and mechanical issues at Kansas City assisting another train with a replacement locomotive. Eastbound California Zephyr was six hours late into Chicago. Southbound Auto Train was an hour and 20 minutes late into Sanford. Southbound Palmetto was late leaving from New York due to equipment issues. [Amtrak, 1-8-25]
CHINA AIMS TO EXPAND HIGH-SPEED RAIL BY 25 PCT OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS: China aims to expand its high-speed rail network by 25 pct by 2030, according to state operator China Rail. At the end of 2024, the Chinese high-speed network covered 29,800 miles. [International Railway Journal, 1-8-25]
AMTRAK'S CRESCENT TO BE IMPACTED BY TRACK WORK: Amtrak's New York-New Orleans Crescent will be cut back to Atlanta Monday-Thursday Jan. 7 through Febr. 27 (except Febr. 17) due to track maintenance. Trains will not operate between Atlanta and New Orleans, in either direction, but bus service will be substituted. [Amtrak]
AMTRAK TO RECEIVE, BEGIN TESTING OF TRACK-RENEWAL TRAIN: Swiss manufacturer Matisa is ready to deliver a novel track-renewal train to Amtrak to support work on the Boston-Washington Northeast corridor. The P95 machine will be the first of its type Matisa has supplied to the U.S. It will be shipped via Baltimore to the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, for certification trials an dynamic testing. [Railway Gazette, 1-7-25]
CALIFORNIA BEGINS RAILHEAD YARD CONSTRUCTION: Upon completion of a key 22-mile stretch of the state's future high-speed rail system, California has begun construction of its Railhead, a freight yard designed to receive materials and stage upcoming track-laying work. [Progressive Railroading, 1-7-25]
RAILROADS SEEK YOUNG, TALENTED WORK FORCE TO REPLACE THOSE RETIRING: U.S. railroads are facing an employment crisis and look to attract job seekers to replace an aging work force. This was explored during a Jan. 6 discussion at the Transportation Research Board. Immersing would-be employees at a young age can put the field on their radar. 'Tracks to the Future,' for example, is a summer program hosted by colleges for high school students. Educators say it is important to recognize that new job types are emerging in supply-chain and transportation. The American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association has established student chapters at 20 colleges, noting that of the 1,000 students who have gone through their rail program, half have gone on to internships or full-time jobs in railroading. BNSF has educational partnerships with community colleges in three locations, which collectively attracted 2,335 students and 12,700 participants. The Transportation Research Board is developing a research needs statement for education, as a way to attract funding. [Freight Waves, 1-7-25]
FEDS GRANT $21-M TO SUPPORT FIRST THREE YEARS OF GULF COAST AMTRAK SERVICE: The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding a $21-million grant that will support the operating cost for the first three years of service of the returning Amtrak service between Mobile and New Orleans. Two daily round-trip trains will be involved when the service begins. [Progressive Railroading, 1-7-25]
AMTRAK IMPLEMENTS NUMEROUS JAN. 6 CANCELLATIONS DUE TO SNOWSTORM: Due to the snowstorm, Amtrak canceled a plethora of trains Jan. 6. Included were 16 Acela, 26 Northeast Regional and 10 Midwest trains. Two Carolinian trains between New York and Raleigh were also canceled. [Amtrak, 1-6-25]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Sixty-nine percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending January 5, 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived 47 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 1-6-25]
DESIGNS RELEASED FOR NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S PITTSBURGH DOUBLE-STACK PROJECT: Norfolk Southern's vertical clearance projects include raising the height of the West North avenue and Pennsylvania avenue bridges on the North side, modifying the design of the Amtrak station, and a new pedestrian bridge through Allegheny Commons. Norfolk Southern already has a line accommodating double-stacks on the South side, but adding this second route on the North side will allow increase traffic. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-6-25]
N.Y. GOVERNOR CALLS FOR HUDSON VALLEY PASSENGER RAIL IMPROVEMENTS: New York's governor has proposed a major investment in Hudson Valley rail service to increase capacity and cut travel times. The proposal includes a second track at Spuyten Duvil, interlocking improvements at Croton-Harmon, capacity improvements at Poughkeepsie yard, and a signaling redesign near Yonkers. [Progressive Railroading, 1-6-25]:
L.A. METRO'S FOOTHILL GOLD LINE LIGHT-RAIL EXTENSION SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED: Los Angeles Metro's Foothill Gold line light-rail extension between Glendora and Pomona has reached substantial completion, on time and on budget. The project will not begin final testing and operational training. [Progressive Railroading, 1-6-25]
FIRECROWN ACQUIRES ENTERTRAINMENT JCT LAYOUT EXHIBITOR: Firecrown, a publisher of transportation and enthusiast titles, the parent company of FreightWaves Media, has acquired the railroad assets from EnterTRAINment Junction, and plans to relocate the layout exhibits to Chattanooga as part of a new transportation museum. Spanning 80,000 square feet, EnterTRAINment's Cincinnati center housed the world's largest indoor train display, with one G-scale layout taking up over 25,000 square feet. [Freight Waves, 1-6-25]
GRANITEVILLE RAIL TRAGEDY REMEMBERED: Jan. 6 marks 20 years since the fatal derailment of a Norfolk Southern train and the related chemical spill in Graniteville, S.C. Nine people were killed and more than 500 people were sent to hospitals due to chemical exposure. Some of those hospitalized are still suffering the aftereffects from breathing the toxic fumes from tons of chlorine released into the community. The train's 28-year-old locomotive engineer Chris Seeling survived the crash and heroically carried his unconscious conductor to safety, but later Seeling died from chorine exposure. The catastrophe directly led to the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which became law three years after the accident. It mandated that railroads provide emergency escape breathing apparatuses to keep train crews safe. But it was not until last year, Jan. 25, 2024, that the Federal Railroad Administration announced a 'final rule' requiring railroads to provide the breathing apparatuses to train crews who work on hazardous materials trains. [Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen]
RAIL BRIDGE COLLAPSES IN OREGON, DERAILING TRAIN: A railroad bridge spanning Marys River in Corvallis collapsed Jan. 4, sending one car of a Portland & Western train into the river. No injuries were reported. [Oregon Live, 1-5-25]
AMTRAK TO CANCEL SOME JAN. 4 SERVICE DUE TO IMPENDING STORM: Due to the impending snow storm, Amtrak will cancel its eastbound Southwest Chief, Cardinal and Texas Eagle from origin points on Jan. 4. Its Floridian and City of New Orleans will be canceled Jan. 5 in both directions, as well as the westbound Cardinal. A number of regional trains will also be canceled. [Amtrak, 1-4-25]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 389,700 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Dec. 28, 2024, up 5.1 pct compared to the corresponding week in 2023. Calculated separately, carloads were up 1.1 pct, and intermodal was up 9.0 pct. For the first 52 weeks of 2024, the number of carloads and intermodal units was up 3.4 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 1-3-25]
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN IDAHO RAIL BOMB PLOT: Union Pacific train activity was halted for several hours Jan. 1, as police investigated a report of suspicious activity along the tracks in Payette, Idaho. Found connected to a parked railroad car was an explosive device. A 40-year old male was arrested and charged with offensives in connection with the incident. [Idaho Statesman, 1-3-25]
CALIFORNIA AGENCIES TO USE FEDERAL GRANT FOR VALLEY RAIL SERVICE, NEW RAIL ACADEMY: The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority and San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission will use a $122-million federal grant to support the Valley Rail program, and to help fund the Rail Academy of Central California to educate future rail workers. [Progressive Railroading, 1-3-25]
MARYLAND PURPLE LINE UPDATE: Maryland's Purple Line senior project director has shared construction updates in Montgomery and Prince George's counties from May to September 2024. Project teams welcomed the first of seven light-rail vehicles to its operations and maintenance facility, completed work on Campus drive, and Purple Line Transit Operators took over the facility, which is now a hub of catenary installation and other testing preparation. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-3-25]
L.A. METRO BEGINS PREP WORK FOR UNION STATION TRACK EXPANSION: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has begun preparation work for its track expansion project at Union Station to improve capacity and connections. Once completed, the project will allow both Amtrak and Metrolink trains to enter and exit the station from both ends, as well as to accommodate future high-speed rail service. [Progressive Railroading, 1-3-25]
CARLOAD EXPRESS TO ACQUIRE MARYLAND & DELAWARE R.R.: The Surface Transportation Board has approved the petition by Carload Express to acquire the Maryland & Delaware Railroad, a short-line operating three unconnected rail lines - Centerville/Chestertown, Seaford, and Snow Hill lines. [Progressive Railroading, 1-3-25]
SNCF VOYAGEURS ORDERS 22 FURTHER OXYGENE TRAIN SETS: France's SNCF has awarded CAF a firm order to supply a further 22 Oxygene train sets for intercity services between Bordeaux and Marseille. [Railway Gazette, 1-3-25]
CSX HONORS EMPLOYEES, UNIONS WITH COMMEMORATIVE LOCOMOTIVE: CSX has unveiled newly-repainted SD70AC unit 4720, worded 'ONE CSX,' with a mostly-blue scheme with orange striping recognizing its employees and unions. [Railway Age, 1-2-25]
AMTRAK TRAIN STRIKES, KILLS MAN IN LANCASTER COUNTY, PA: A 34-year-old man was struck and killed in West Donegal, Pa., late Jan. 1 by Amtrak train 672 en route from Harrisburg to New York. None of the 85 passengers and crew on the train were injured, and Amtrak described the matter as a trespasser incident. [Lancaster OnLine, 1-2-25]
AMTRAK ISSUES EXTREME-TEMPERATURE WARNING: Amtrak on Jan. 2 issued a potential extreme temperatures warning to customers advising that conditions exist in various parts of its system of delays or cancellations due to cold weather. [Amtrak, 1-2-25]
HITACHI RAIL SUES HART OVER PROJECT DELAYS: Hitachi Rail has sued Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation claiming mis-management of the Skyline Rail project that led to delays, other errors and increased costs in performing design-build work. The complain states that HART allowed track to be installed by another contractor, which was not compatible to approved wheel specifications, and Hitachi had to fix the issue without compensation. [Railway Gazette, 1-2-25]
METRA TO UPGRADE COMMUNICATIONS: Chicago's Metra will upgrade its 900 MHz communications system to the DOT-16 standard. The upgraded system will provide a path to increase capacity, bandwidth, security and flexibility. [Railway Gazette, 1-2-25]
CPKC NAMED TO DOW JONES SUSTAINABILITY NORTH AMERICA INDEX: Canadian Pacific Kansas City has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America index for the second consecutive year, building on Canadian Pacific's three consecutive years on the index. It represents the top 20 pct of the largest 600 North American companies in the S&P Global BMI based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria. [Progressive Railroading, 1-2-25]
'RAILWAY 200' BEGINS IN U.K.: 'Railway 200' is a year-long celebration of two centuries of the modern railway. At midday Jan. 1 more than 50 heritage railways in the U.K. and abroad blew whistles of 200 vintage steam and diesel locomotives to begin the celebration. The occasion commemorated the launch of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825. [Rail Business Daily, 1-2-25]
ITALY TO BEGIN NEW DELUXE TRAIN IN APRIL: Italy's new deluxe train 'Orient Express-La Dolce Vita' will welcome its first passengers in April. It will traverse the country from north to south on six regular itineraries showcasing the Alps, Venice and Rome to Matera and Palermo in the south. Journeys to Sicily will include crossing the Strait of Messina on Europe's last passenger train ferry. The 11-car train features a stylish bar car with live music and games, deluxe wood-lined cabins and master suites, and five-star service. International routes to Paris, Istanbul and Split on Croatia's Adriatic coast will be added later. [CNN Travel, 1-2-25]
DECEMBER 2024 AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Forty-six percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in December 2024. The average arrival of all long-distance trains in the survey period was 40 minutes late. The average arrival of just those trains that were behind schedule was one hour and 14 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 1-1-25]
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