Rail Industry News

(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 9, 2017) Siemens today will open a new, 44,000-square-foot locomotive service hub in Delaware that will use digital and predictive technology to remotely maintain the units for several railroad operators. Full story:...

(Source: Topeka Capital-Journal, August 9, 2017) TOPEKA, Kan. — A Union Pacific freight train derailed Wednesday morning just northwest of downtown Topeka, authorities said. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred about 7:15 a.m. just west of N.W....

(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 2017 issue) Shortly after President Donald Trump took office in January, he warned that the United States would exit the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if the pact wasn’t renegotiated in the nation’s favor. Full...

(Source: Railway Track & Structures, August 9, 2017) NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is asking the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to reverse the withdrawal of pending regulation that would...

(Source: Crain’s Chicago Business, August 10, 2017) CHICAGO — CSX has nearly halved the workforce at its largest rail yard in the Chicago area and may shut it down entirely, as CEO Hunter Harrison continues to shake up operations. Full story: Crain’s Chicago...

(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 8, 2017) Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have reached a new agreement for the operation, maintenance and use of the 37.9-mile Attleboro Line between Boston and the Rhode Island state border....

(Source: Bergen Record, August 7, 2017) BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — Thousands of New Jersey commuters have found a way around what some are calling the "Summer of Hell." Full story: www.northjersey.com

(Source: Reuters, August 8, 2017) MEXICO CITY — Mexico's mining and infrastructure firm Grupo Mexico expects to expand its oil-by-rail business by building at least three terminals in Mexico, including one exclusively for U.S. refiner Valero Energy, its chief...

(Source: Philadelphia Inquirer opinion column by Michael A. Nutter, August 9, 2017. Mr. Nutter is a former Mayor of Philadelphia.) PHILADELPHIA — I am a loyal Amtrak rider. And I am proud of it. That’s why I am pleased to see that, in spite of great initial fears, the...

(Source: CN press release, August 8, 2017) MONTREAL — CN has announced that the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Conductors, Trainpersons and Yardpersons (TCRC-CTY) union that represents the company's conductors and yard crews in Canadahas ratified a new collective...

(Source: The Journal News, August 9, 2017) NEW YORK — Former Metro-North engineer William Rockefeller will be allowed to have a therapy dog at his side Wednesday when he answers lawyers’ questions about the Bronx derailment that killed four passengers and injured...

(Source: Associated Press, August 8, 2017) WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. officials are abandoning plans to require sleep apnea screening for truck drivers and train engineers, a decision that safety experts say puts millions of lives at risk. Full story: ABC News

(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 8, 2017) The U.S. Senate late last week confirmed Robert Sumwalt's nomination to a two-year term as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Full story: Progressive Railroading

(Source: Progressive Railroading, August 8, 2017) BNSF Railway Co. reported revenue jumped 14.5 percent to $5.3 billion on higher volumes and increased average revenue per car during the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago. Full story: Progressive...

(Source: Naperville Sun, August 7, 2017) CHICAGO — More than 100 years ago, a tunnel was built in downtown Naperville near Webster Street and the current BNSF railroad so cattle could roam between pastures, according to local legend. Now, a group of residents wants...

(Source: CBC News, August 7, 2017) SUDBURY — A piece of rail history is rolling into Sudbury on Tuesday. The CP Canada 150 Train is travelling across Canada to mark the country's big anniversary, and its next stop is the Sudbury Train Station. Full story: CBC News

(Source: Kansas City Star, August 8, 2017) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A study warns that shipping routes could get clogged by the chaos of climate change — tossing the world’s food supply into jeopardy. American railways carry two out of every three bushels of grain bound for...

(Source: ABC Chicago, August 7, 2017) CHICAGO — Amtrak planned a special train route to make the most out of the solar eclipse, but it was so popular that it sold out in the less than a day. Full story: ABC Chicago

(Source: The Columbian, August 7, 2017) VANCOUVER, Wash. — Two men protesting the proposed Vancouver Energy oil terminal were arrested during a demonstration Monday that blocked BNSF Railway tracks in west Vancouver. Full story: The Columbian

(Source: Bloomberg, August 7, 2017) NEW YORK — It’s a milestone Warren Buffett probably wishes he weren’t approaching. Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the conglomerate he’s run for more than five decades, reported Friday that it held just shy of $100 billion in cash at the...