Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
July 8, 2026
AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending July 4, 2026
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 4, 2026. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 482,121 carloads and intermodal units, up 8.7 percent compared with the same week last year.
July 8, 2026
Amtrak Kicks Off New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study
Amtrak and its state and federal partners are progressing the New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study, which will develop strategies to preserve and increase the frequency, speed, reliability, and resiliency of commuter and intercity passenger rail between both cities, guided by a robust community engagement effort.
July 7, 2026
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Respond to STB’s Request for Supplemental Information, Submitting First Round of Their Responses
Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation today submitted the first portion of their responses to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) May 28, 2026, request for additional information to support their accepted merger application.
July 7, 2026
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with World’s Largest Steam Locomotive in Philadelphia
Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy No. 4014 took center stage in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July as tens of thousands gathered for the America250 Block Party, commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
July 7, 2026
NextGen Acela Fleet Continues to Grow
Amtrak now has 13 NextGen Acela trains in service. There are now 32 weekday NextGen Acela scheduled trips, allowing passengers more opportunities to travel on the new fleet
June 29, 2026
SEPTA Board Approves Fiscal Year 2027 Operating & Capital Budgets
SEPTA’s Board approved a total budget of $2.7 billion for Fiscal Year 2027 – a $1.84 billion Operating Budget and $920.7 million Capital Budget. The spending plan represents an increase of just 1.9% over the current year, and includes investments in new buses, more full-length fare gates and other enhancements for customers.
June 26, 2026
CPKC receives 170th Tier 4 Locomotive
This week, the 170th and final Wabtec Evolution Series ET44AC Tier 4 locomotive was delivered to CPKC, completing a multi-year order with Wabtec and marking another milestone in the renewal of the road locomotive fleet.
June 25, 2026
Amtrak and Partners Open New Brattleboro Station with Platform Upgrades
Amtrak, in conjunction with the town of Brattleboro, state of Vermont, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), New England Central Railroad (NECR) and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), officially opened the all-new Brattleboro Station for train travel.
June 25, 2026
AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending June 20, 2026
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 20, 2026. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 521,998 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
June 24, 2026
Metra Marks Nation’s 250th with Special Locomotive
Just in time for the 4th of July, Metra today unveiled a specially painted locomotive commemorating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
