Rail Wrecks & Reform

10/21/2026

Railway Safety Act — bipartisan sponsors, passed committee 55-11, Trump DOT supports it, VP Vance wrote the original. A free market coalition opposed it October 1. AAR has fought it since 2023. Still no Senate floor vote. Three years after East Palestine. Civil penalties would go from $100K to $10M. Who is blocking it?

10/20/2026

Over $12 million stolen. 17 employees fired. 71 resigned. 19 prosecuted. Amtrak is fighting for its federal budget just to keep trains running. The latest sentencing happened this week — 20 months in prison and nearly $960,000 in restitution. From 2019 to 2022 at least 119 current and former Amtrak employees collected cash kickbacks from health care providers — acupuncturists, physical therapists, and doctors — who then billed Amtrak’s health plan for services never provided.

10/20/2026

October Rail Industry Overview, the third quarter of 2026 was the best quarter ever for U.S. intermodal.

High diesel prices and fewer truck drivers are pushing more freight onto the rails, and the numbers just hit a record.

According to the Association of American Railroads' October Rail Industry Overview, the third quarter of 2026 was the best quarter ever for U.S. intermodal. A record August was followed by a strong September, when railroads originated nearly 295,000 intermodal containers and trailers per week, only slightly below August's record despite the Labor Day holiday. The AAR credits record-high diesel prices, an exodus of truck drivers driven by both market and regulatory factors, and generally strong railroad service levels.

The strength goes beyond intermodal. September was the ninth straight month of year-over-year carload gains, and 17 of the 20 carload categories the AAR tracks rose, the most in five years. Excluding coal, carloads grew 4.4%, which the AAR says is faster than the overall economy. Steel carloads were the highest in five years in August and September, chemical carloads set a September record at nearly 33,200 per week, and coal carloads fell for the seventh straight month. The AAR's Freight Rail Index reached its second-highest level ever in September, and its Q3 average was a record. Railcars in storage fell to 17.7% of the fleet, the lowest share since April 2023.

Supporting the volume, inflation-adjusted spending on goods was up 2.7% in August, and the ISM Manufacturing PMI stayed above 50 for a ninth straight month.

The AAR is the railroads' trade group, and it notes real risks remain, including inflation, high energy prices, weak consumer confidence and geopolitical tension, and that conditions can change quickly. Still, for shippers it's a clear signal that intermodal is becoming a bigger part of the mix, which puts a spotlight on terminal, drayage and chassis capacity.

How much of your freight has shifted to rail this year?

🔗 https://www.aar.org/rail-industry-overview/

10/20/2026

Federal Funding Alert..

Federal Funding Alert: New CRISI grant awards $2.3 billion for 105 rail projects in 45 states. 🎉

The Federal Railroad Administration announced yesterday that the funding will improve more than 2,000 miles of track, with over $1.9 billion in additional state, local and private investment. Short line railroads account for 87 of the projects, including track and bridge rehabilitation, new locomotives and upgrades at more than 300 grade crossings.

Read the announcement on our Rail Grant Hub: https://bit.ly/RailGrantHub

10/20/2026

On October 8 a tunnel boring machine weighing 1,680 tons began digging the first new rail tunnel under the Hudson River in more than 100 years. The existing North River Tunnel has been in use since 1910 — it carries 200,000 daily commuters and is part of the most heavily used rail corridor in America. The new tunnel is part of the $16 billion Gateway Program. New tunnel opens 2035.

10/20/2026

Thank you Jennifer Homendy!

At the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s Sixth National Convention in Las Vegas, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy delivered a powerful message: Rail workers deserve to return home safely to their families.

In her remarks, she honored rail workers who lost their lives on the job, highlighted recurring safety failures, and called for urgent action on hundreds of open NTSB rail safety recommendations.

Every recommendation represents an opportunity to prevent another tragedy. As Chairwoman Homendy emphasized, honoring those we've lost requires more than a moment of silence. It requires real, measurable change.

Read her full remarks: https://bit.ly/4B9pYXv

10/20/2026

The NTSB just released. It’s final report on a July 2025 Norfolk Southern derailment near Brown’s, Illinois. 24 cars derailed. Two trains collided. Molten sulfur splashed onto a crew member who had to be airlifted. The cause- NS’s track department and signal department both worked switch the didn’t properly coordinate with each other. The signal maintainer completed work and release the track without running a required. 40 minutes later a train went through it. The NTSB called it an organizational gap.

10/19/2026

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10/19/2026

Steel mills — the second largest user — using metallurgical coal to make coke, which is used to smelt iron ore into steel. 5.4 million short tons of coal per year go to steel mills.

10/19/2026

Every day in America roughly 1.46 million short tons of coal come out of the ground. Nearly 75% of it moves by rail. About 1.3 million short tons per day goes directly to electric power plants — generating roughly 15% of all US electricity. Still a massive industry. Still moving on trains every single day.