28-Car Derailment in North Carolina; CSX Investigating Cause (UPDATED 8/20)
ENFIELD, N.C. – CSX is temporarily rerouting trains after a derailment occurred on Sunday, August 17 in Enfield, North Carolina.
Freight
Patriot Rail’s Engineering Team Celebrates EPIC Project Milestone
ELKHART, Ind. – Patriot Rail’s Engineering team celebrated the grand opening of a railroad crossing at Blazer Blvd.
CSX Installs Track Panels Along Blue Ridge Subdivision (UPDATED 8/18)
AVERY COUNTY, N.C. – CSX and partners are installing track panels along the Blue Ridge subdivision as part of its recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.
BNSF Rail Talk: Weeding Out Inefficiencies: AI Helps Vegetation Crews Go to the Right Place at the Right Time
With more than 15,000 crossings across our 32,500-mile rail network, our field crews work diligently to inspect each one to confirm that they meet state and federal regulatory standards.This includes making sure vegetation is under control and trimmed enough to allow full visibility for train crews and
Anthony Evett Named Vice President of Design and Construction at Patriot Rail
JACKSONVILLE –– Patriot Rail announced this week that Anthony Evett will become its Vice President of Design and Construction.
NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on July CN Derailment and Hazardous Material Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– The National Transportation Safety Board has released its Preliminary Report on a CN derailment in July that occurred on the Grenada Railroad near Sardis, Miss.
Railway Age Commentary Around UP+NS Proposed Merger – ‘It Will All Come Down to This’
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Cutting to the chase on the 2027 STB merger decision: On July 30, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern submitted to the Surface Transportation Board their prefiling notification, which is basically a heads up on their official merger application, expected in three to six months (between Oct. 30, 2025 and Jan. 29, 2026).
ASLRRA Announces Strong Congressional Support for Rail Tax Maintenance Credit Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– H.R. 516 – The Railroad Tax Maintenance Credit Modernization Bill now has 100 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
CSX ‘Elevates Freight Efficiency’ With CSX Howard Street Tunnel Bridge Project
CSX’s Howard Street Tunnel Project “is a pivotal step in enhancing freight transportation along the I-95 corridor,” the Class I reported Aug. 7. The comprehensive initiative includes upgrades to the historic Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, as well as three additional construction projects spanning from Baltimore to Philadelphia, “paving the way for double-stack trains to move seamlessly across the corridor, benefiting customers, the Port of Baltimore, and the state of Maryland.”
BNSF Worker Suffers Major Injury in Derailment
DENVER — A BNSF employee suffered a major injury in a yard derailment this week.
CN Shares Western Canadian Corridor Progress
MONTREAL – CN shares a video on the progress made on projects in the Western Canada Corridor.
Norfolk Southern Uses Goats To Control Kudzu Growth
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern is using goats to control the kudzu growth at Inman Yard in Atlanta.
BNSF’s Bismarck Bridge Construction Passes Halfway Mark
A hot summer day is best spent on the water, and in the Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota, area, boaters and anglers are safely doing that in the shadow of railroad bridge construction. For nearly two years, BNSF has been constructing a new bridge across the Missouri
Union Pacific Rebuilds 100th Tamper Machine
DENVER – Union Pacific’s Equipment Shop has rebuilt its 100th tamper machine.
Iowa Interstate and Jasper County in Iowa Team Up to Develop Newton Rail Park
NEWTON, Ia. –– The Iowa Interstate Railroad has joined Jasper County in Iowa to purchase land for development of Newton Rail Park.
CN Commits to Port of Prince Rupert’s Future With Zanardi Rapids Bridge Project
PRINCE RUPERT, British Columbia – CN is investing in work at the Port of Prince Rupert, namely the Zanardi Rapids Bridge Project.
Vena’s Art of the Deal With NS – Commentary
OMAHA and ATLANTA –– Union Pacific’s (UP) much-anticipated bid for Norfolk Southern (NS) was announced July 29. Both now embark on a lengthy review process, but we see the potential approval pathway justified due to U.S. supply chain benefits. NS operates well, supporting a pivot in focus to the review process. NS takeout PT moves to $320 in line with the announcement. Reiterate Buy as entry point is attractive while event-based investors remain on the sidelines.
Well, The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Merger Talk Arrived Sooner Than We Thought
ATLANTA – From the August 2025 issue of RT&S, Editor-in-Chief David Lester writes about Class I merger chatter.
CPKC MoW Team Marks Three Years Injury-Free
QUEBEC – CPKC recognizes its Dorion Subdivision maintenance-of-way team for achieving three years without injury.
American Chemistry Council Concerned About UP+NS
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– As expected, shipper concern about the announcement of the proposed UP+NS merger this morning has already begun. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) released a statement this afternoon.