Central Maine & Quebec Railway to be purchased by Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific and Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC announced they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby CP will acquire the Central Maine & Quebec Railway (“CMQ”).

AAR rail freight traffic report for week ending Nov. 16, 2019

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 16, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 501,249 carloads and intermodal units,

CN strike continues – shipper worry grows

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) which is the union that consists of rail yard workers, conductors and trainmen, called a strike against Canadian National on November 19. The union is striking

Report: FreightCar America to close Roanoke plant this week

According to a report from WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Va., FreightCar America will soon wrap up the last of its production orders at its Roanoke facility.

Teamsters Canada Rail Conference on verge of strike at Canadian National

Given a lack of progress at the bargaining table, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) last night served notice of intent to strike to Canadian National Railway (CN). The union hopes to

freight railroad

Canadian National announces layoffs

Canadian National announced today that it is planning to lay off workers. FreightWaves is reporting that a source told The Globe and Mail that the railroad could lay off up to 1,600 employees,

BNSF coal train derails in Iowa

Radio Iowa is reporting that a BNSF coal train derailed between 20 and 30 cars as it traveled through the southwest Iowa town of Red Oak. The derailment occurred at 4 a.m.

Industrial accident kills Amtrak worker in Chicago

CBS Chicago 2 reports that an industrial accident on Saturday night killed an Amtrak mechanical worker at the company’s yard on 1600 S. Lumber St.

Amtrak train 501

Amtrak – You can’t sue us if we crash

Those who are generally disgruntled with Amtrak have another reason for wishing the rail passenger carrier would change for the better or simply go away.  The agreement with Amtrak that every passenger

Norfolk Southern has restored both mainlines impacted by Friday derailment

Norfolk Southern experienced a mainline crash and derailment on Friday afternoon, Nov. 8 in Luxor, Pa., approximately 40 miles east of Pittsburgh.

FRA

AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department – PSR is gutting American freight rail system

The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO released a statement about its view of precision scheduled railroading and the impact it’s having on freight railroads in America. Below are some excerpts from

Canadian National’s grain crop year 2019-2020 starting strong

Record Month and Strong Results Despite Challenging Weather Canadian National announced that its Western Canadian grain movements broke another record in the month of October, with shipments of 2.8 million metric tonnes

rail bridge

Genesee & Wyoming North America reports drop in third-quarter net profit

FreightWaves is reporting that Genesee & Wyoming North America reported a small drop in Q3 2019 operating revenue compared to the same quarter last year. Genesee & Wyoming North America operating income,

Weekly Association of American Railroads rail traffic report

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending November 2, 2019, as well as volumes for October 2019. U.S. railroads originated 1,224,477 carloads in October

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,”

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

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

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,

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.