News Archive (September 11 through September 17)

This page contains a railroad news archive for a single week. For all recent rail news, please see RailServe.com's RailNews Home Page.

Note: Some stories may no longer be available, or a fee may be required for full access.

• New Jersey May Take Over Train Corridor, Corzine Says (Bloomberg)
  Governor says state may acquire Northeast Corridor between New York and Trenton.
• Governor Rendell, Amtrak Announce $145M Upgrade of Keystone Corridor
  90-minute, 110 mph, electric service begins Oct. 30 between Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
• Railroads on Track for Safest Year Ever (AAR)
  Train accident, employee casualty rates lowest ever after six months.
• US rails rush to turn raw recruits into old hands (Reuters)
  As thousands retire, railroads use simulators to train new hires.
• Big changes ahead on Commonwealth Railway's short line (Virginian-Pilot)
  Virginia shortline expanding as new cargo terminal opens in Portsmouth.
• Heartland Corridor project funding released (AP)
  Norfolk Southern and states agree to federal funding for double-stack clearance project.
• Greenbrier Purchases Assets of Rail Car America (GBX)
  $34M acquisition strengthens intermodal, railcar repair, and replacement parts business.
• Rail group's deal with Amtrak rapped (Boston Globe)
  Critics accuse NARP of receiving funds from Amtrak for customer feedback.
• Deal sends Wyo. coal to DM&E (AP)
  Dakota Minnesota & Eastern contracted to ship trial quantities of coal prior to expansion.
• Mayo turns to top guns to lobby against DM&E (AP)
  Mayo Clinic taps former top aide to Dick Cheney to lobby against DM&E expansion.
• Runaway Barge Crashes Into Railroad Bridge (Hartford Courant)
  Amtrak service suspended two hours after barge hits Connecticut bridge.
• Study says solvents used by railroad workers can cause brain damage (AP)
  Recent study finds degreasers used until early 1990s could cause brain damage.
• Derailment kills White Pass employee, injures three (AP)
  White Pass & Yukon Railroad derailment kills heavy equipment operator.
• Railway company withdraws idea to start freight service through city (Tribune)
  Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend Railway withdraws plan for South Bend service.
• Railroads Rise (AP)
  Railroad stocks rise despite analyst expectations for a moderating economy.
• False Security Alarm On Miami Amtrak Train (CBS 4)
  Suspicious passenger behavior forces evacuation of Amtrak train Jacksonville.
• CSX Lawsuits Could Lead to Sanctions (State Journal)
  Company's lawyers allowed to investigate suspected fraud in asbestos suits.
• Dinner train leaving Renton; owner looking for new route (Seattle Times)
  Spirit of Washington Dinner Train to end service due to interstate construction.
• Work to begin on $435 million expansion of Pittsburgh subway (AP)
  Project will link downtown to North Shore will two light rail tunnels under river.
• Study eyes FEC line for commuter rail service (Boca Raton News)
  FEC route would serve downtowns currently bypassed by Tri-Rail service over CSX.
• Railroad says RTD can't use light rail on Gold Line (Rocky Mountain News)
  BNSF will not allow Denver's RTD to operate light rail on freight route.
• Light-rail options on the table (Seattle Times)
  Seattle's Sound Transit considers 19-mile Eastside light rail extension.
• New light-rail routes considered (Arizona Republic)
  Phoenix considers light rail expansion while first line is under construction.
• Arlington gets started on rail plan (Star-Telegram)
  Arlington Texas considers commuter rail service to Ft. Worth.
• Bay area light rail idea back on radar (St. Petersburg Times)
  Light rail service considered for Tampa Bay area.
• Rail Traffic Up in August (AAR)
  Railroads originated 1,701,997 carloads of freight in August, up 1.1% from year ago.
• RailAmerica Reports August Carloads (RRA)
  Shortline operator's carloadings decline 2.1% in August.
• Dead Body Travels 1,000 Miles on Amtrak (AP)
  Daughter keeps dad's death secret for 1,000 miles to avoid shipping cost.
• Penn Station evacuated after suspicious package found (AP)
  NYC's Penn Station evacuated minutes prior to ceremony at ground zero.
• Driver grabs pup, hits train, lives to tell tale (AP)
  Woman turns to help a tumbling Chihuahua and drives into the side of a train.
• LIRR train derails on way into yard; no injuries (AP)
  Long Island Rail Road train derails Tuesday heading into West Side yards.