Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
March 17, 2021
Rail Traffic for the Week Ending March 13, 2021
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 13, 2021. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 520,736 carloads and intermodal units, up 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 13 were 230,684 carloads, up 2.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 290,052 containers and trailers, up 22.4 percent compared to 2020.
March 17, 2021
Amtrak Releasing Six 50TH Anniversary Commemorative Painted Locomotives
Amtrak fans across the country may soon spot a few freshly painted locomotives featuring new anniversary logos rolling down the tracks as America’s Railroad® celebrates 50 years of service this year. The first of six different commemorative 50th anniversary locomotives has already entered service on the national network
March 16, 2021
Amtrak Announces Special Paint Schemes to Celebrate their 50th Anniversary
Amtrak will paint six locomotives special paint schemes for its upcoming 50th anniversary. The paint schemes include five P42 locomotives, along with the first Siemens ALC-42 locomotive in the new, upcoming, Phase 7 paint scheme.
March 16, 2021
Amtrak Seeks To Begin Gulf Coast Service
After more than five years of data-driven and federally-led studies, Amtrak has initiated a process before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to require CSX Transportation (CSX) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) to permit the operation of two daily Amtrak trains between New Orleans and Mobile starting in 2022.
March 15, 2021
Subway Ridership Hits Highest Single Day Total Since Beginning of Pandemic
MTA New York City Transit officials today announced that more subway trips were recorded Friday, March 12 than on any other single day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last March. The 1,912,774 paid trips on Friday surpassed the previous post-pandemic high of 1,881,024 trips on Thursday, March 11. The increase in ridership comes on the heels of news that the recently-passed federal stimulus package includes some $6 billion in MTA funding
March 12, 2021
New Report: MTA Has Achieved Reduction of $244 Million in Overtime Costs Since 2018
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today released a new report detailing dramatic reductions in overtime including a total reduction by $244 million since 2018. The reductions came thanks in part to the Authority’s aggressive and comprehensive ongoing efforts to improve overtime management and through the implementation of a series of recommendations that came out of a report issued by the law firm Morrison & Foerster in 2019.
March 11, 2021
Adirondack Railroad Expanding
The Adirondack Railroad is expanding service north to Tupper Lake. Upon completion of the rehabilitation, contractors will have installed over 90,000 new cross ties and will resurface the railroad between Snow Junction and Otter Lake. The project is expected to be completed by November 2021. This rehabilitation work has already begun toward the goal of the railroad becoming the longest excursion railroad in the United States.
March 10, 2021
With Increased Demand and Congressional Funding, Amtrak Restores 12 Long Distance Amtrak Trains To Daily Service
As part of its COVID-19 recovery efforts, Amtrak announces full restoration of daily service for 12 long distance routes following pandemic-related schedule reductions in 2020. Providing customers significantly more departures for the upcoming summer travel season, the new schedule has been updated on all Amtrak reservation systems, including Amtrak.com and the Amtrak app.
March 10, 2021
Rail Traffic for the Week Ending March 6, 2021
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 6, 2021. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 515,135 carloads and intermodal units, up 11.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 6 were 232,494 carloads, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,641 containers and trailers, up 21.5 percent compared to 2020.
March 9, 2021
CP To Employ Ballard Fuel Cells In Hydrogen Locomotive Project
Ballard Power Systems and Canadian Pacific announced today that CP will employ Ballard fuel cell modules in CP’s pioneering Hydrogen Locomotive Program. The modules will provide a total of 1.2 megawatts of electricity to power the locomotive.
