Feed aggregator

On March 14, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board ruled that Norfolk Southern’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Company — a Class III terminal railroad jointly owned with CSX Transportation — would be considered a “significant” transaction. The designation means the deal will receive extra security from the federal regulator.

NPBL is a terminal railroad that operates approximately 36 miles of track from Portsmouth to Norfolk, Va., and approximately 27 miles of trackage rights over NS from the City of Chesapeake to the City of Norfolk, Va. The trackage rights facilitate NPBL’s access to the Norfolk International Terminal, one of two primary container terminals at the Port of Virginia.  The short line is jointly owned by NS (57.14 percent) and CSX (42.86 percent), a split that dates back to the 1980s. The short line was created in 1896 by eight different railroads. Through various mergers and acquisitions, NS eventually became the majority owner. 

In 2018, CSX sued NS and the short line, alleging they had a monopoly on traffic in and out of the Norfolk International Terminal by basically boxing the competitor out of the facility. Later, the STB determined that while NS was the majority shareholder in the 1980s, federal regulators never formally permitted the railroad to control it. In hopes of resolving the issue once and for all, NS filed paperwork earlier this year to acquire formal control of NPBL. While NS suggested it was a minor transaction, the STB disagreed. The STB stated that NS’ application for a minor transaction would be considered its “prefiling notification” and that the railroad could file its formal application this summer. —Railfan & Railroad Staff

The post STB Calls NS Plan to Acquire Terminal Railroad ‘Significant’ Transaction appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Metra plans on closing one of its last staffed towers in the Chicago area next month. Metra officials tell Railfan & Railroad that the 16th Street Tower, located south of downtown Chicago, will be closed in mid-April, and the railroad’s Consolidated Control Facility will take over control of the junction. The tower is located at mile 1.1 on the Rock Island Line, where Canadian National’s Chicago/Freeport Subdivisions and the St. Charles Air Line cross. 

“The signal infrastructure is antiquated and being replaced with modern solid-state automated electronic systems that will enable remote operations,” said spokesperson Jarica Griffin. “The current machines can no longer be maintained efficiently as there are no existing manufacturers of replacement parts.” 

The 16th Street Tower was built in 1901 and was once controlled by the New York Central. After NYC successor Penn Central moved its passenger trains to Chicago Union Station in 1968, the tower was handed over to Rock Island. The wood tower sees an average of 120 Metra moves per day, along with ten CN trains. 

The closure of 16th Street Tower will leave just two other manned towers on the Metra system: BI Tower at Blue Island and A-2 at Western Avenue.

For more information about Metra’s towers, see the July 2022 edition of Railfan & Railroad. —Justin Franz 

Just shy of the midnight hour, 16th Street Relief Operator Madelyn Gonzalez jots down the passage of the last inbound Rock Island District train of the operating day. Various pieces of technology work side by side here, from early pistol-grip levers to more contemporary push-button hardware, as seen in the upper right of this November 2013 photo. Photo by Marshall W. Beecher. 

The post Metra to Close Manned Tower Next Month appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Updated: March 19, 7:50 p.m. EST

Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said he was resigning Wednesday to ensure the railroad “continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence” of the Trump administration.

Late Wednesday, Reuters reported that the White House had asked Gardner to resign. Amtrak officials declined to comment on whether or not Gardner was forced out.

“I am so proud of what the Amtrak team has accomplished to bring passenger rail service to more people and places across the country over these past 16 years, and I thank the Board for their trust and support,” Gardner wrote. “We did a lot together to make Amtrak safer, more modern, and a better travel experience for all our customers. From my start as an Amtrak intern back in the 1990s to ending as CEO, it has been my honor and privilege to lead this great American company, and I wish Amtrak every success. See you on the rails.”

Gardner’s sudden resignation came weeks after billionaire and presidential advisor Elon Musk said the government should privatize the national passenger carrier. Amtrak pushed back on that idea.

Amtrak has not named a successor. A spokesperson for the railroad said they did not have any additional information beyond the statements from Gardner and the board. Roger Harris remains president of the railroad.

Amtrak’s board of directors thanked Gardner for his service in a statement posted to the railroad’s website.

“As Stephen departs today, we thank him for his 16 years of service to Amtrak. We will build on his accomplishments and wish him every success. We look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy as we build the world-class passenger rail system this country deserves,” the board wrote.

Gardner became CEO in 2022, just a year after he had been promoted to president as part of a management restructuring. Before being elevated to president, Gardner was senior executive vice president and chief operating and commercial officer for Amtrak. Gardner first came to Amtrak in 2009 and previously worked on rail and transportation policy for the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation under U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and others. He also held various positions with Guilford Rail System and the Buckingham Branch Railroad in Virginia.

In a statement, Rail Passengers Association President Jim Mathews thanked Gardner for his time at Amtrak.

“On behalf of America’s passengers, I want to thank Stephen for working during his long tenure to build a better railroad. Under Stephen’s leadership, Amtrak recommitted to operating a truly national network, while making concrete investments to upgrade service and ensure the long-term viability of the U.S. intercity passenger rail system,” Mathews said. “In every interaction I’ve had with Stephen – and there were many – there was never any doubt that he loved trains, loved passenger rail, and loved Amtrak. He has been a good colleague and a great partner to this Association. We wish him every success, and look forward to continuing to work with President Roger Harris as Amtrak continues to grow and modernize.”

This is a developing news story and will be updated when additional information becomes available. —Justin Franz 

The post Amtrak CEO Resigns Amid Reports He Was Forced Out By White House appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The Rocky Mountaineer’s U.S.-based operations in Colorado and Utah have been rebranded “Canyon Spirit” and will expand to Salt Lake City in 2026. 

The luxury tour train’s operator, Armstrong Collective, announced the news on March 18. The Rocky Mountaineer, which has operated in British Columbia and Alberta since the 1990s, expanded to the United States in 2021 with excursions between Denver and Moab, Utah, along the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. 

“We could not be more excited to bring our Canyon Spirit train to Salt Lake City and to expand our Rockies to the Red Rocks route further into the beautiful state of Utah,” said Tristan Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong Collective, Canyon Spirit’s parent company. “Although the name of our train is changing, our world-class service and onboard experience will remain the same. Our family and team members all look forward to sharing the beauty of the American Southwest with even more guests from across the United States and around the world.”

Beginning next year, passengers will have two different riding options: the existing Rockies to the Red Rocks excursion, a two-day trip from Denver to Moab via Glenwood Springs, Colo., and a day-long extension across the Utah desert to Salt Lake City. While onboard the train, guests are treated to attentive service from onboard hosts, rich, historical storytelling of the areas the train travels through, and dining options that feature locally sourced and regionally inspired dishes paired with local beer, wines, and spirits.

The new three-day Rockies to the Red Rocks Extension journey will begin operating on April 21, 2026. It will travel weekly with one westbound departure from Denver and one eastbound departure from Salt Lake City. The three-day rail journey, including overnight hotel accommodation in Glenwood Springs and Moab, will start at $2,123 USD plus tax per person and is available to book at www.thecanyonspirit.com. —Justin Franz 

The post Rebranded Rocky Mountaineer Expands Service to Salt Lake City appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

For the second year in a row, elected officials in Alaska have introduced legislation that would require the state-owned railroad to be privatized. On February 26, Republican Rep. Kevin McCabe introduced House Bill 120 that, if enacted, would request proposals from companies to purchase the Alaska Railroad and its assets. Similar legislation was introduced in 2024 but never passed. 

The purchaser would have to promise to operate the railroad for at least 50 years, the Alaska Beacon reports. The railroad was built by the federal government in the early 20th century and then transferred to the state in the 1980s. Some in the state have said the railroad could be more efficiently operated by a private operator. The railroad itself, however, has been opposed to efforts to sell it. —Railfan & Railroad Staff

The post Legislator Calls For State to Sell Alaska Railroad appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has raised more than $283,000 to restore New York Central L-3a 4-8-2 “Mohawk” 3001, more than halfway to its initial $500,000 fundraising goal. To help meet that goal before May 1, a new grant has been established that will match every dollar given up to $20,000. 

The 3001 is the largest surviving NYC steam locomotive and the only member of the L-3a class to escape the scrapper’s torch. The locomotive was under the care of the City of Elkhart, Ind., and has been on display at the National New York Central Museum for decades. In October, FWRHS launched an effort to restore the locomotive for use on its popular Indiana Rail Experience excursions. 

FWRHS owns three other steam locomotives, most notably Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765, which it has operated since the 1970s. For the last few years, it has managed the Indiana Rail Experience, an excursion operation on the Indiana Northeastern Railroad, which has trackage in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Much of that track is former NYC, meaning locomotive 3001 will be right at home. NYC 3001 will also join the fleet of seven Budd streamlined cars built in 1941 for the NYC “Empire State Express” and purchased from Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum in 2023.

According to FWRHS, a mechanical evaluation of the locomotive has been performed by FMW Solutions with financial support from former Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman. The group estimates that it will take $4.3 million to restore the locomotive to operation. Donations can be made online at AmericanLoco.org. FWRHS is also encouraging people to join its pledge list. —Justin Franz 

The post Initial Fundraising to Restore NYC ‘Mohawk’ Passes Halfway Mark appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.