Bull Sheet Newswire
CSX DOUBLES DAILY CAR CAPACITY AT WILLARD YARD IN OHIO: Following retirement of hump operation at its Willard yard in Ohio, CSX has completed a two-year project to reconnect the dormant hump area with the classification yard to double the daily car capacity at the facility and improve its flow and reliability. [Progressive Railroading, 1-7-26]
L.A. METRO TRAIN CRASHES INTO TRUCK, DERAILS: A Los Angeles A-line metro train derailed early Jan. 7 after colliding with a pickup truck that ran a red light in the South-Central neighborhood. The incident disrupted service on the A-line, prompting a service alert. There were no immediate reports of injuries. [KTLA, 1-7-26]
WEEKLY U.S. RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC REPORT: U.S. railroads originated 404,293 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending Jan. 3, 2026, down 4.0 pct compared with the corresponding week last year. Calculated separately, carloads were down 2.6 pct, and intermodal was down 5.1 pct. [Assn. of American Railroads, 1-7-26]
STB PROPOSES RULE ALLOWING CAPTIVE SHIPPERS TO SEEK FREIGHT SERVICES FROM ANOTHER RAILROAD: The Surface Transportation Board has proposed changes that would make it easier for shippers to seek freight services from a railroad that does not directly serve their location. The proposal would allow captive shippers a second option to seek services and prices from more than one carrier. [Freight Waves, 1-7-26]
FIRST OF NEW BALTIMORE METRO RAIL CARS TO ENTER SERVICE JAN. 9: Maryland's Transit Administration will put the initial six of 78 Hitachi-built rail cars into service on the Baltimore Metro between Owings Mills and Johns Hopkins Hospital on Jan. 9. The balance of the new cars will be added as they become available for service. [Baltimore Banner, 1-7-26]
N.Y. MTA ORDERS ADDITIONAL R255 HYBRID WORK LOCOMOTIVES: Wabtec has secured a $386-million order to deliver additional R255 hybrid battery-diesel work locomotives to New York City's MTA to replace aging equipment. Use of the new locomotives will eliminate emissions by utilizing battery power during subway projects. [Progressive Railroading, 1-7-26]
ALSTOM TO SUPPLY 47 DMU'S FOR TWO EMERGING MEXICAN CORRIDORS: Mexico's transport regulatory agency and Alstom have signed a contract for the supply of 47 diesel multiple-unit four-car trains. They will be used on two emerging corridors, one linking Mexico City with Queretaro and Irapuato, and the other connecting Saltillo with the U.S. border. Both lines are now under construction. [Railway Gazette, 1-7-26]
EMPIRE BUILDER ANNULLED WEST OF SPOKANE BY SEVERE WEATHER: Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder on Jan. 7 was annulled, both to Seattle and Portland, because of severe weather. [Amtrak, 1-7-26]
COAST STARLIGHT ANNULLED SOUTH OF EMERYVILLE BY INUNDATION: Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight trains on Jan. 5 and 6, and northbound Coast Starlight on Jan. 6 and 7 were annulled between Emeryville and Los Angeles by severe weather and high water. [Amtrak]
MATTHEW IGOE NAMED PRESIDENT OF R.J. CORMAN RR: R.J. Corman Railroad has appointed Matthew Igoe as company president and chief operating officer, responsible for overall performance of its 19 short lines. Most recently, he was BNSF's executive vice-president of operations. [Progressive Railroading, 1-6-26]
AMTRAK FACES CHALLENGES IN SERVICING NEW EQUIPMENT : A program to modernize Amtrak's maintenance facilities is facing planning and management challenges, creating a risk that the company may be unable to operate its full fleet of new trains, according to a report from Amtrak's office of inspector general. The delays could force dozens of new Acela and Airo train sets to be intermittently idled as they await required shop time. [a2b Global Media, 1-6-26]
UNION PACIFIC EQUIPS ENTIRE FLEET OF DOMESTIC CONTAINERS WITH GPS: Union Pacific has equipped its entire fleet of domestic intermodal containers with embedded GPS technology. The initiative, affecting EMP and UMAX fleets, provides shippers with real-time visibility into their supply chains. [a2b Global Media, 1-6-26]
D.C. METRO COMPLETES CONSTRUCTION OF GREEN LINE: Construction on Washington D.C. Metro's Green line ended Dec. 30, and its Yellow line now extends to Greenbelt, Md. [Railway Track & Structures, 1-6-26]
THREE LOCOMOTIVES OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN DERAIL IN N.C., ONE LEAKS FUEL: Three locomotives of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Jan. 6 in Salisbury, N.C., with one of the locomotives having a small diesel fuel leak. There were four other locomotive units and 70 cars in the train, but they did not derail. [City of Salisbury, 1-6-26]
MAJOR TRAIN DERAILMENT IN AUSTRALIA DISRUPTS NATIONAL FREIGHT ROUTES: A major freight train derailment occurred early Jan. 6 on the east-west main line between Adelaide and Melbourne, disrupting national freight routes. Extreme heat may have led to the incident, and the heat is disrupting the effort to clean up. It is estimated that the track will be reopened about Jan. 10. [Google News, 1-6-26]
SOUTH KOREA PLANS 230-MPH TRAIN OPERATION: The development of technologies for a 230 MPH train set branded EMU-370 has been completed as part of a South Korean program. The ministry of transport is to order two train sets of eight cars for use by Korail. Commercial operation are planned to begin in 2031. [Railway Gazette, 1-6-26]
BIG BOY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE TO MAKE COAST-TO-COAST TOUR LATER THIS YEAR: Union Pacific plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S, by bringing out its Big Boy steam locomotive 4014 on its first coast-to-coast tour sometime later this year. Employees of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern may bring their families to key stops along the route. [Union Pacific, 1-5-26]
UNION PACIFIC GRANTS BNSF TRACKAGE RIGHTS ON TWO CALIFORNIA LINES FOR BALLAST SERVICE: BNSF has been granted a one-year trackage rights agreement over two Union Pacific lines on the Oakland and Canyon subdivisions in northern California to move empty and loaded ballast trains to and from the Elsey ballast pit. [Progressive Railroading, 1-5-26]
MARTA TO ADD FOUR NEW STADLER CQ400 TRAIN SETS, REPLACING LEGACY FLEET: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit's capital projects include implementation of four new CQ400 train sets built by Stadler to replace its legacy fleet. [Progressive Railroading, 1-5-26]
EMPIRE BUILDER DELAYED TWO & ONE-HALF HOURS IN WASHINGTON STATE BY DISABLED FREIGHT ENGINE BLOCKING ROUTE: Amtrak's westbound Portland portion of the Empire Builder on Jan. 5 was delayed two and one-half hours between Pasco and Wishram, Wash., due to a disabled freight train engine blocking the route ahead. [Amtrak, 1-5-26]
TWO GOLD RUNNER TRAINS ANNULLED THROUGH MARCH 5 DUE TO EQUIPMENT REPAIRS: Due to equipment repairs, Amtrak's California Gold Runner trains 713 and 714 will not operate their Oakland-Bakersfield route January 5 through March 5. [Amtrak, 1-5-26]
UP, NS REJECT RIVAL CLASS-I RAIL CLAIMS THAT MERGER APPLICATION IS INCOMPLETE: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have defended their merger application, rejecting claims from four Class-I rival rail carriers that the filing is not complete. The procedural battle marks the first major hurdle in a consolidation proposal that could see rail traffic change in key corridors. [a2b Global Media, 1-5-26]
SEPTA MID-DAY FOX CHASE RAIL LINE TO BE REPLACED BY BUSES THROUGH APRIL: Beginning Jan. 5, buses will replace mid-day trains on SEPTA's Fox Chase regional rail line for a renewal project scheduled through April. [Google News, 1-5-26]
WEEKLY AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE: Fifty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in the week ending January 4, 2026. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and eight minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 1-5-26]
HARBOR INDUSTRIAL SERVICES BEGINS OPERATIONS AT PORT OF PORTLAND TERMINAL 6: Harbor Industrial Services on Jan. 1 began operating the Port of Portland's Terminal 6. and will formally launch vessel, rail and break bulk services at the newly-branded Oregon Container Terminal on Jan. 7. Intermodal container service has already started. [Progressive Railroading, 1-5-26]
ENTHUSIASTS SEEK TO EXTEND NORTH DORSET RAILWAY IN U.K.: Rail enthusiasts in the U.K. who have been rebuilding a section of line ripped up in the 1960's are now in talks with a council about further extending the line about 1.25 miles south of the station on the North Dorset Railway, home to a museum. A half-mile portion of track had been reinstated by the group earlier. [Rail Business Daily, 1-5-26]
NORTHLANDER SERVICE RETURNING TO ONTARIO LATER THIS YEAR: The Northlander passenger rail service is slated to return to Ontario later this year following an absence since 2012. It will connect Toronto to Timmins with a rail connection to Cochrane. The 460-mile route will include 16 stops. [Google News, 1-5-26]
SOUTH SHORE LINE TESTING BEGINS ON MONON WEST LAKE EXTENSION: Dynamic testing has begun on the new eight-mile West Lake Extension on the Monon Corridor branch in Indiana, with service expected to open to passenger service later this year. [Google News, 1-3-26]
EMPIRE BUILDER, COAST STARLIGHT ANNULLED OVER ROUTE PORTIONS: Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder was annulled east of St. Paul on Jan. 4 following extensive en route delays from congestion, broken rail and mechanical issues; and the southbound Coast Starlight was annulled south of San Jose on Jan. 4 due to severe weather. [Amtrak, 1-4-26]
NORTHSTAR COMMUTER RAIL TO END OPERATIONS JAN. 4: Northstar, the only commuter rail line in Minnesota, will end operations Jan. 4, 2026. The service will be replaced by an expanded bus network beginning the next day. [Google News, 1-3-26]
MAJOR RAIL DISRUPTION IN CHANNEL TUNNEL: A major disruption occurred in Europe's Channel Tunnel during the New Year period. Chaos began Dec. 30 with major impacts continuing through the following day. The disruption included an overhead power supply failure and a broken-down LeShuttle train. Approximately 25,000 passengers were affected. Some travelers were stranded throughout the night on trains without power. [Google News, 1-3-26]
ITALY EMBARKING ON RAIL MODERNIZATION PLAN: Italy is embarking on a transformative railway modernization plan, aiming for a comprehensive network overhaul by 2030. The strategy positions the country as a leader in European high-speed rail development. [a2b Global Media, 1-3-26]
SIEMENS' VECTRON LOCOMOTIVES CERTIFIED FOR 143 MPH OPERATION IN EUROPE: Siemens Mobility's Vectron locomotive have received authorization from the European Union Agency for Railways to operate passenger services at up to 143 MPH. [a2b Global Media, 1-3-26]
FOUR CLASS-I RAILROADS CLAIM UP-NS MERGER APPLICATION IS 'INCOMPLETE': BNSF, CPKC, CN and CSX have told the Surface Transportation Board that the merger application filed by Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern is 'incomplete and should be rejected.' CSX, in its comments, said that the application lacks important information such as control of other railroads, fails to identify and analyze downstream effects of the merger fails to calculate net public benefits, and fails to provide evidence of how the merger would enhance competition. [Progressive Railroading, 1-2-26]
READING & NORTHERN SHIPS OVER A MILLION TONS OF ANTHRACITE COAL FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR: Reading & Northern Railroad in Pa. has shipped mover than one million tons of anthracite coal for the third straight year. It purchased additional covered hopper cars last month, with delivery expected in Jan. of Febr., to be added to its fleet of nearly 2000 rail cars. [Progressive Railroading, 1-2-26]
NORFOLK SOUTHERN CELEBRATES DECADE OF SAFETY TRAIN FOR 1ST RESPONDERS: Norfolk Southern in 2025 celebrates a decade of operating its Safety Train, completing 16 stops during the year to provide first responders with training on how to deal with rail-related emergencies. More than 5800 participants were trained through the program in 2025. [Progressive Railroading, 1-2-26]
N.Y. MTA COMPLETED 10 KEY ACCESSIBILITY PROJECTS IN 2025: New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the completion of 10 key accessibility projects in 2025. The work included comprehensive upgrades at seven subway stations and three Long Island Rail Road stations, bringing the total number of accessible stations to 154 and 117, respectively. [a2b Global Media, 1-2-26]
POLISH PASSENGER RAIL OPERATOR SEEKS 20 HIGH-SPEED TRAINSETS: Polish passenger rail operator PKP Intercity has announced a procurement process for 20 trainsets capable of speeds of at least 199 MPH, with an option to order up to 35 more. The first two trainsets are expected to be delivered by 2032. [Railway Gazette, 1-2-26]
INDIA EXPECTS FIRST BULLET TRAIN TO BE RECEIVED IN AUGUST 2027: India is likely to receive its first bullet train on Aug. 15, 2027, as it was reported by the country's railways ministry. Construction to accommodate the train is underway between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. [Akashvani News, 1-2-26]
AMTRAK LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN PERFORMANCE IN 2025: Forty-three percent of Amtrak's named long-distance trains arrived at their scheduled final destination on time or earlier in 2025. The remaining trains, on average, arrived one hour and 23 minutes late. MORE.. [Bull Sheet Statistical Dept., 1-1-26]
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK, KILLED BY TRI-RAIL TRAIN: A Tri-Rail train was involved in a fatal collision with a pedestrian early Dec. 31 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Southbound train 5693, which started in Mangonia Park, was involved. Service for that train was canceled, and the 19 passengers were able to alight safely. [WPBF, 1-1-26]
CN TRAIN DERAILS IN PA., NO INJURIES: A Canadian National train derailed late Jan. 1 near Branchton,Pa. Approximately 25 cars of loaded iron pellets were involved, derailing in various positions. There were no reports of injuries or fires, and there was no impact to public health or safety. [WPXI, 1-1-26]
SILVER METEOR DELAYED TWO & ONE-HALF HOURS BY MECHANICAL ISSUE: Amtrak's southbound Silver Meteor was delayed over two and one-half hours between Petersburg, Va., and Rocky Mount, N.C., on Jan. 1 due to a mechanical problem. [Amtrak, 1-1-26]
LAKE SHORE LIMITED TWO & ONE-HALF HOURS LATE ARRIVING INTO CHICAGO: Amtrak's westbound Lake Shore Limited arrived into Chicago two and one-half hours late on Jan. 1, the result of having freight train interference between Erie, Pa., and Toledo, Oh., [Amtrak, 1-1-26]
TRAIN STRIKES CAR IN JAPAN, TRAPPING DRIVER: A local train on Japan's JR Utsunomiya line partially derailed after colliding with a car at a crossing Jan. 1, causing severe damage to the car and a rescue operation for a person trapped inside. No injuries were reported among train passengers. [Google News, 1-1-26]
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