Norfolk Southern lays off 95 workers at Altoona Shops

Tuesday, November 5, was not a happy day for 153 Norfolk Southern workers.  The railroad laid off 95 employees at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa., and 58 workers at the

Norfolk Southern

Fifty-eight furloughed at Norfolk Southern yard in Tenn.

Layoffs continue to be part of the equation for Class 1 railroad companies in the U.S. Norfolk Southern announced 58 workers have been furloughed in the DeButts yard in Chattanooga, Tenn. Norfolk

CRRC’s “Chief Obligation is to the Chinese State”: Report

“CRRC AND BEIJING’S DASH FOR GLOBAL ROLLING STOCK DOMINANCE,” a report prepared by Radarlock, which describes itself as “a research organization that uses data-driven analysis to understand techno-economic dynamics in world affairs,”

MBTA

MBTA approves massive electrification project that will improve regional rail system

The feelings were electric. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board used one unanimous vote to clear the way for the electrification of the state’s commuter rail system.

Quad Cities to Chicago Amtrak service gets green light

The name “Quad Cities” refers to five U.S. cities, three in Illinois and two in Iowa located along the Mississippi River. The Illinois cities are Moline, Rock Island, and East Moline, and

MBTA considering commuter rail upgrades

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is currently reviewing a variety of options around upgrading their commuter rail system. Specifically, the Authority is considering six options, with price tags of $1.7 billion

Georgia Power Company responds to RT&S story on GATX lawsuit

Last week, RT&S reported on its website news service that GATX Corporation, one of the world’s largest freight car and locomotive lessors, is suing the Georgia Power Company, a subsidiary of Southern Company,

Bells & Whistles—Episode 15: A visit with a short-liner

This week’s episode of Bells & Whistles features RT&S Editor-in-Chief Bill Wilson’s recent visit with the California Northern Railroad Co.

Microsoft to host high-speed rail conference

Consideration of high-speed passenger rail service between Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland has been underway for several years. Now, the first conference to discuss this in detail will be hosted next week (November

Alberta to allow more crude-by-rail shipments

The government of Alberta, Canada announced today that starting in December, production limits on companies that produce oil will be raised, but any additional production must go by rail instead of pipelines.

Long Island Rail Road

FRA reports says a signal malfunction caused Memorial Day weekend crash on the Long Island Rail Road

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) says a Memorial Day weekend collision involving two Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains was “a signal-caused accident.”

FRA Issues $24MM Maglev NOFO

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently published a Notice of Grant Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a shade over $24 million for the Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Program (Maglev Grants Program). The funding

passenger train

NTSB preliminary report: Trains given permission to be on same track prior to collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on an accident involving a two-car Sacramento Regional Transit passenger train and a one-car RT maintenance train on Aug. 22. The

Progress Rail

Progress Rail to acquire Cleveland Track Material, Inc.

Progress Rail, a Caterpillar company, has signed an agreement to acquire Vossloh North America’s Cleveland Track Material (CTM) business. The proposed acquisition aligns with Progress Rail’s goal of profitable growth. With facilities

AAR traffic report for week ending October 26, 2019

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 26, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 513,147 carloads and intermodal units,

Canadian National strike threat worries farmers and potash miners

Canadian National may be facing a strike from its employees represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. The contract between the railroad and the union expired in July, and if an agreement

New Jersey commuters still waiting for Bergen light rail line a decade later

Talk is not action. For the last decade, residents in Bergen County, N.J., have been told a light rail was coming. Today they are still waiting.

railroad workers

Rail employment down 7.63% from September 2018 to September 2019

According to Surface Transportation Board statistics, the total number of railroad employees dropped from 148,171 in September 2018 to 136,865 in September 2019. That is 11,306 fewer employees, or -7.63% year over year.

freight

Georgia Power sued by GATX for railcar damage

Unless rail customers own their own cars, they either use ones owned by the railroad or they lease them. One of the largest freight car and locomotive lessors is GATX Corporation, which

Long Island Rail Road

Despite slow Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts on the Long Island Rail Road, MTA “proud” of what has been done

Hurricane Sandy hammered the East Coast in 2012, and the Long Island Rail Road is still looking defeated.

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