CSX has unveiled its first hydrogen-powered locomotive, marking a significant milestone in sustainable freight transportation. This pioneering achievement is the result of a successful partnership between CSX and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship. The hydrogen locomotive was converted from an existing diesel locomotive using a hydrogen conversion kit developed by CPKC. The transformation took place at the CSX locomotive shop in Huntington, W.Va. Converting an existing unit into a next-generation locomotive ..read more

The Ontario government is moving ahead with the largest GO train service expansion in more than a decade, adding more than 300 trips per week on the Milton, Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Kitchener and Stouffville lines. The 15 per cent increase in weekly trips will give commuters more choice to get where they need to go faster. Starting April 28, 2024, weekend train service will increase from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes in the afternoon and evening on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East lines between Oakville GO Station, Union Station and Durham College Oshawa GO Station. For the ..read more

Amtrak has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to seek options to help transform the company’s rail fleet with zero-emissions technology. This important step marks progress towards the company’s long-range goal of eliminating emissions used to power Amtrak’s trains, which already provide one of the most sustainable modes of travel for many trips. All qualified parties are encouraged to respond to the RFI, which supports the US National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization by 2050. Aiming to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2045 sits at the heart of Amtrak’s Climate Commitment ..read more

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair and CEO Janno Lieber appointed Rob Free as the 42nd President of the Long Island Rail Road. Free served as LIRR’s Acting President for the last six months. He began his career with the railroad as a station cleaner 31 years ago, rising through the ranks to become Chief Transportation Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations before becoming President. Free was instrumental in the rollout of LIRR service to Grand Central Madison, helping to oversee a 41% increase in service that accompanied the terminal’s opening, the largest service incre ..read more

Upcoming Amtrak construction projects along the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. will impact MARC Penn Line service beginning on April 29.  Amtrak’s planned construction work will require complete track closures from 11:15 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and is expected to continue through November 2024.  As a result, the Maryland Transit Administration will need to temporarily cancel Penn Line Train 401, which departs at 4:15 a.m. from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.  In addition, the agency will modify departure times of two early morning and two late ..read more

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 6, 2024. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 450,142 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending April 6 were 209,142 carloads, down 4.5 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 241,000 containers and trailers, up 7.6 percent compared to 2023. Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 3,221 ..read more

Vermont Rail System announced, pending state and federal regulatory approvals,  it has entered into an agreement with New Hampshire Central Railroad of North Stratford, NH, to purchase certain assets and operating rights in connection with railroad freight operations in northern New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Central Railroad currently operates on track leased from the State of New Hampshire, between North Stratford and Colebrook and between Groveton and Littleton, New Hampshire. The railroad will continue to be known as the New Hampshire Central Railroad. Edward W Jeffrey, owner of the ..read more

CSX has launched another addition to its locomotive fleet – the Western Maryland heritage locomotive. This new locomotive pays homage to the rich history of railroads in the Western Maryland region and symbolizes CSX’s commitment to preserving and celebrating its railroad heritage. The Western Maryland Railroad operated between 1852 and 1983 in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was a small railroad that primarily transported coal and freight. “In 1983 the Western Maryland fully merged with the B&O (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad), which merged with the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio ..read more

Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Tuesday preliminary first quarter 2024 financial results. Norfolk Southern’s first quarter results include the impact of a $600 million agreement in principle to resolve a consolidated class action lawsuit relating to the East Palestine derailment. Additionally, preliminary GAAP results include charges associated with the company’s involuntary and voluntary separation programs that will eliminate management positions, as well as costs associated with the recruitment of a new chief operating officer, expenses associated with shareholder matters ..read more

Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Tuesday that it has reached a $600 million agreement in principle to resolve a consolidated class action lawsuit relating to the East Palestine derailment. If approved by the court, the agreement will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment. This is another promise kept by Norfolk Southern to make it right for the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities. In  ..read more