Rail Industry News
Rochester Amtrak station renamed in Geraldine Slaughter’s memory
(Source: The Daily News, March 26, 2019) ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A year after her March 16, 2018 death, Rochester’s Amtrak station has been renamed and dedicated as the “Louise M. Slaughter Rochester Station.” Full story: The Daily News
KCS responds to Mexican competition panel’s rail service report
(Source: Progressive Railroading, March 25, 2019) The Mexican Federal Competition Commission (COFECE) has issued a preliminary report that assesses freight-rail service for certain chemical and petrochemical products shipped on certain routes in the Mexican state of...
Activists keeping spotlight on oil trains six years after Lac-Megantic disaster
(Source: WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, March 21, 2019) ALBANY, N.Y. — A rail disaster in Quebec in 2013 touched off international concern about the safety of so-called "oil trains" that haul crude from oil fields to refineries and ports across North America, including...
CSX ends contract with Worcester rail yard manager; 53 layoffs
(Source: Worcester Telegram, March 25, 2019) WORCESTER, Mass. — Freight railroad CSX Corp. is ending its contract with the company that manages the Worcester rail yard, a move that will lead to the layoff of 53 workers in late May. Full story: Worcester Telegram
Mississippi River flooding at Hannibal, Mo., continues to impact NS
(Source: Norfolk Southern service alert, March 26, 2019) NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern continues to experience service interruptions due to flooding conditions at Hannibal, Missouri requiring NS traffic between Decatur, IL and Kansas City, MO to be diverted to...
PTC fully activated on Amtrak Cascades corridor, WSDOT says
(Source: Television station KIRO 7, March 25, 2019) SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Transportation announced Monday that positive train control (PTC) is fully active for the Amtrak Cascades corridor, which incorporates the Point Defiance Bypass. The Point...
Rail unions endorse two-person crew legislation
(Source: Progressive Railroading, March 25, 2019) The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART TD) have announced their support of a...
Head of NJ Transit, and his critics, grade his first year in office
(Source: www.nj.com, March 24, 2019) NEWARK, N.J. — About a year ago, Kevin Corbett went from being a commuter who rode the train to work to NJ Transit executive director, the man who runs the trains and buses. Full story: www.nj.com
Two GOP bills seek to redirect federal funds from California high-speed rail project
(Source: CNBC, March 21, 2019) LOS ANGELES — Two House bills introduced this month by Republicans from California seek to redirect federal funds from the state’s high-speed rail project and use the money for other purposes. The Trump administration in February...
Heartland Flyer extension may boost Kansas economy
(Source: Television station KWCH, March 24, 2019) WICHITA, Kan. — Kansas could see an extension to Amtrak travel in 2020. Amtrak has requested funding from the federal government to extend the Heartland Flyer north to the city of Newton. Full story: www.kwch.com
Editorial: Minnesota lawmakers should get on board with passenger rail study to twin ports
(Source: Editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, March 22, 2019) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers should get on board with Gov. Tim Walz’s request for $11 million in bonding to further explore passenger rail projects, including $5 million focused on the...
Canada’s crude-by-rail exports fall for first time in 11 months
(Source: S&P Global Platts, March 22, 2019) NEW YORK — Canadian crude-by-rail exports fell for the first time in 11 months in January as government-mandated production cuts took effect and differentials rose to levels that made rail shipments uneconomical. Full story:...
With its survival on the line, Amtrak shaves 15 minutes off Hoosier State line
(Source: Journal & Courier, March 21, 2019) LAFAYETTE, Ind. — With time running out at the Indiana Statehouse, where $3 million in annual state funding for the Hoosier State was stripped from the next two-year budget bill, Amtrak announced Thursday it had found a way...
NTSB: Impaired truck driver likely caused fatal Amtrak crash involving members of Congress
(Source: The Hill, March 21, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal investigation into a fatal crash between a trash truck and an Amtrak train carrying Republican lawmakers found Thursday that the accident was likely caused by the truck driver being under the influence of...
St. Paul-Chicago high-speed rail plans scrapped in favor of a second, slower train
(Source: Pioneer Press, March 21, 2019) ST. PAUL, Minn. — Advocates for high-speed rail to Chicago are now adopting a less ambitious goal. They now want to establish a second train daily between St. Paul and Chicago — traveling at roughly the same speed as the...
Cyber resiliency: A clear and urgent necessity for modern railroads
(Source: Railway Age, March 21, 2019) NEW YORK — The World Economic Forum’s most recent Regional Risks of Doing Business report lists cyberattacks as the top concern of corporate executives in 19 countries, including advanced economies in North America, Europe, and...
Flooding bottles up U.S. ethanol
(Source: Argus Media, March 21, 2019) NEW YORK — Devastating flooding in a key corridor along the Nebraska and Iowa border over the past week shut down rail routes and forced some ethanol plants to curtail production. The transportation outage has left some fuel...
Flooding cripples agriculture along Missouri River
(Source: Supply Chain Dive, March 21, 2019) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Snow melt and heavy rain have caused record flooding in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri — all along the Missouri river — bringing parts of the supply chain in the Midwest to a stop for the last...
Midwest floods stymie rail operations
(Source: Freight Waves, March 21, 2019) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — BNSF and Union Pacific are grappling with the aftermath of the recent historic floods, with both companies scrambling to assess and repair damage as quickly as possible. Full story: Freight Waves
Contractors, railroads battle catastrophic flood damage
(Source: Railway Age, March 22, 2019) NEW YORK — Record-setting floods have caused extensive damage to railroad infrastructure across large sections of the Midwest, prompting a surge in construction and repair work. Full story: Railway Age
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