The Changing Rail Engineering Workforce
––Candidate Expectations Have Shifted Significantly–– FROM THE DOME, JUNE 2026 RAILWAY TRACK AND STRUCTURES.
Opinion
NRC Chairman’s Column
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Graduates: Come build a career that keeps the country moving. Railway Track and Structures, May 2026 Issue.
Lou Thompson: California HSR ‘Has Reached a Dead End’ –– Commentary
SACRAMENTO, Calif. –– Above: Lou Thompson on a recent edition of CBS 60 minutes. From 2009 to 2024, Louis S. (Lou) Thompson, whose distinguished career has included formation of Amtrak in the early 1970s and railways advisor to the World Bank, was a member of the California High Speed Rail project Peer Review Group reporting to the California State Legislature. He was Chairman from 2012 to 2024.
The Value of University
ATLANTA –– Not Worth It?
Editor’s Notebook, April 2026, Railway Track and Structures
Please Don’t Mess With NS Heritage Locomotives
ATLANTA –– Norfolk Southern’s Rich Heritage Is Too Valuable To Toss. “From The Dome,” Railway Track and Structures, April 2026.
Rail Passenger Service Profitability – Fantasy Land?
ATLANTA –– From the March 2026 issue of Railway Track and Structures.
Appreciating Your History Will Enhance Your Future
From the January 2026 issue of RT&S. I confess that while I love to watch a good game on television, I also enjoy watching the History Channel. I appreciate history. Not the
Former Rail Executive: UP-NS Deal Likely to Get Done & Other Views –– Commentary From TD Cowen Via Railway Age
NEW YORK –– We hosted a former Class I CEO to review the recent Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application. He sees a very strong filing with acceptance likely though not until 2027. The CGP (Committed Gateway Pricing) solution enhances competition and should pass STB’s test. The network plan supports disclosed truck conversion opportunities in transcontinental and watershed lanes. Competitors are likely compelled to adapt and could eventually propose their own combinations.
Is Canadian National Considering a Merger of Its Own?
ATLANTA –– The CN webpage devoted to comment about UP+NS leaves one big question unanswered.
Why Not a Merger Timeout? –– Commentary from Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– WATCHING WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 2025 ISSUE OF RAILWAY AGE: Perhaps the gutsiest-ever regulatory agency decision was the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) 2001 imposition of a railroad merger moratorium. Its architect was then-STB Chairperson Linda J. Morgan.
Editor’s Notebook — Difficult Days — November 2025 RT&S Opinion
ATLANTA –– Uncertain Days Lead to Uncertain Outcomes.
From the Dome –– Whither The American Freedom Train? November 2025 RT&S Commentary
ATLANTA –– Chances are the majority of this magazine’s readership did not see, and may not even be familiar with, the two editions of The American Freedom Train that operated in the twentieth century.
CPKC: The UP-NS Merger Is Not in the Public Interest
CALGARY –– To express its concerns about the proposed UP+NS merger, CPKC has established a web page warning of the impact of the possible combination and also argues that CP+KCS to form CPKC was a necessary merger.
A Few Better Ideas: A Contrarian View (Commentary)
CHICAGO –– Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena claims to have identified a number of rail industry shortcomings that according to him can only be solved by his proposed transcontinental merger between the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads. The first of these shortcomings we would like to focus on is the well-known issue of the Chicago interchange.
Editor’s Notebook: The Marvel of Railroad Engineering
ATLANTA –– It doesn’t take much looking around to appreciate the amounts of creativity and ingenuity that go into our nation’s transportation infrastructure.
Remembering Don Phillips
ATLANTA –– From the October 2025 Issue of Railway Track and Structures.
A Ride on the Northeast Corridor: America’s High-Speed Showcase
ATLANTA – From the July 2025 issue of Railway Track and Structures, Editor-in-Chief David Lester writes about his recent experience on board Amtrak’s Northeast Regional.
Will Government Spending Cuts Impair Rail Safety?
Great Care Must Be Taken When Re-Scoping Projects RT&S “From The Dome” May 2025 Issue The debate over government spending has reached a fever pitch in 2025. While most spending can be
Editor’s Opinion and Commentary –– New York Governor Kathy Hochul Announces Budget Increases to Improve Subway Safety.
ALBANY, N.Y. — I have written before about the challenges of subway safety in New York and elsewhere in the United States. I am a huge fan of public transit, especially rail and light rail, and the safety challenges riders and operators have endured for years have been of great concern to me. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced funding measures to help combat safety issues. The question is, how much good will these investments really do?
Commentary –– Anecdotes Are Not Data
NEW YORK –– On Nov. 1, we ran a commentary by David Schanoes, a Railway Age Contributing Editor, in which David shares his thoughts on PTC regulations. Here is the second part of that piece, posted by RA today.