Rail Industry News

(Source: Freight Waves, November 27, 2017) As FreightWaves reported earlier this year, this summer brought about major contentions between agricultural shippers and CSX Transportation. In July, the Agricultural Transportation Working Group called upon the Surface...

(Source: CBC News, November 27, 2017) MONTREAL — The railway accident expert who investigated the deadly 2013 derailment of a 74-car fuel train in Lac-Mégantic said Monday had another locomotive been at the head of the convoy, air brakes would automatically have been...

(Source: Associated Press, November 24, 2017) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A festive holiday train is preparing to start its trip through Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Full story: www.usnews.com

(Source: Seattle Times, November 23, 2017) SEATTLE — A major oil-by-rail terminal proposed on the Columbia River poses a potential risk of oil spills, train accidents and longer emergency-response times due to road traffic, an environmental study has found. Full...

(Source: CBC News, November 25, 2017) EDMONTON — An investigation into an October train derailment near Edmonton shows problems with the rails were identified one month before the incident, and were never fixed. Full story: www.cbc.ca

(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 22, 2017) A truck driver's failure to properly secure his unattended truck led to an Amtrak derailment that occurred in March 2016 near Cimarron, Kansas, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) latest...

(Source: National Public Radio, November 27, 2017) LAKELAND, Fla. — Four train cars that were carrying molten sulfur are among those that derailed near Lakeland, Fla., early Monday, prompting emergency officials to warn local residents to stay indoors and close their...

(Source: Albany Times Union, November 22, 2017) SELKIRK, N.Y. — Recent plans by CSX to consolidate its dispatch operations in Jacksonville, Fla., have been delayed, leaving workers in Selkirk and elsewhere in limbo. Full story: Albany Times Union

(Source: Sacramento Bee, November 21, 2017) SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Computer hackers directly attacked the Sacramento Regional Transit system computers this weekend, erasing data and threatening to do more harm if SacRT doesn’t pay them one bitcoin, now worth about...

(Source: ABC News, November 26, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — With terrorist groups renewing calls for would-be attackers to target American rail lines, at least one local law enforcement agency in the U.S. is using drones to help guard against such a threat. Full story:...

(Source: Progressive Railroading, November 22, 2017) Class Is employed 146,342 workers in the United States as of mid-October, down 0.2 percent since mid-September's employment figure and down 3.7 percent compared with mid-October 2016's level, according to Surface...

(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, November 22, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 18, 2017. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was...

(Source: Reuters, November 22, 2017) SEATTLE — CSX Corp will charge new fees for freight shipments to Mexico and hike charges for customers that fail to load or discharge railcars by agreed deadlines or ship unsafely loaded or overweight railcars as of Jan. 1, the...

(Source: Chicago Tribune, November 21, 2017) CHICAGO — An Aurora man is facing federal charges alleging he stole nearly three dozen firearms, including assault rifles, from a train yard on Chicago’s South Side last year, court records show. Full story: Chicago...

(Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, November 21, 2017) FORT WORTH, Texas — When General Electric announced in 2011 it wanted to build a railroad locomotive plant in far north Fort Worth, government and business leaders rolled out the proverbial red carpet — and a...

(Source: Television station WTOC, November 21, 2017) GARDEN CITY, Ga. — After almost a year of getting the cold shoulder and no railroad crossing improvements from CSX, Garden City Mayor Don Bethune has had enough. Train delays are causing some to face threats of...

(Source: Star Beacon, November 22, 2017) SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — CSX trains have been blocking railroad crossings at frequent intervals in Saybrook Township, prompting complaints from residents. The trains have been known to block the Gerald Road crossing, near North Bend...

(Source: Television station KSWO, November 21, 2017) APACHE, Okla. — In a span of about eight hours, two trains derailed in Southwest Oklahoma. Both trains were operated by Union Pacific. The first happened Monday night south of Ryan in Jefferson County. The second...

(Source: The Buffalo News, November 21, 2017) BUFFALO, N.Y. — CSX Transportation has put the brakes on a plan to reduce rail service to General Mills' Buffalo plant, according to two elected officials. CSX this week had planned to cut back its service to the cereal...

(Source: CBC news, November 21, 2017) MONTREAL — An expert witness in railway accidents told the judge and jury in the Lac-Mégantic trial none of the ill-fated train's 73 tanker cars had handbrakes applied, so once the runaway train broke away from its locomotives, it...