Prototype News

Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 has returned to service just in time to lead the 2025 edition of the Steam Railroading Institute’s North Pole Express excursions. 

In 2024, just as the North Pole Express season was getting underway, the N-1 Class Berkshire had to be taken out of service because an issue was discovered with the locomotive’s superheaters. The superheaters — which pipe pressurized steam back through the hot gases of the fire a second time to add more heat and thus more power — are located deep in the boiler, making a quick repair impossible. The North Pole Express ran as planned, but behind diesels. 

Throughout 2025, SRI crews worked tirelessly to get the engine back running, and on November 20, it made a brief test run near its home base in Owosso, Mich. 

PM 1225 was built by Lima in October 1941. The locomotive is perhaps best known as the inspiration for the engine in the 2004 film “Polar Express.”

—Justin Franz 

The post Pere Marquette 1225 Returns to Service appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

A Cook County, Ill., jury has ordered Union Pacific to pay Metra $19.3 million after the freight railroad, which has previously operated commuter trains under contract, refused to have conductors walk trains and collect fares during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic. The verdict was announced on November 12, according to the Daily Herald. The legal battle is just one of the ongoing conflicts between the Chicagoland commuter operator and the Class I. 

Beginning in March 2020, as pandemic restrictions started to take effect, Metra and its freight contractors, UP and BNSF Railway, stopped having conductors collect fares to minimize face-to-face contact. A few months later, as restrictions eased and more was understood about the virus, Metra and BNSF resumed having conductors walk through the trains. However, UP waited until May 2021 to have conductors walk the trains and collect fares again. Metra reported that during this period, passengers complained about the difficulty of finding a conductor when issues came up onboard. They also mentioned that UP conductors shut off some cars, making it harder to socially distance from other passengers. Union Pacific plans to appeal the decision. 

Meanwhile, UP and Metra are still negotiating over how much the commuter agency will pay to use UP tracks. In spring 2025, after years of debate about UP no longer wanting to provide passenger service, Metra took over all services on the former Chicago & North Western lines. As part of that, hundreds of UP employees moved to Metra. But the payment issue remains unresolved. As this story went to press, both sides were still seeking a solution.

—Justin Franz

The post Metra Wins $19.3 Million From UP Over Covid Restrictions appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

CSX partnered with Saint Paul Commodities (SPC) & Bailey Feed Mill to bring SPC’s Selma Blending Plant to life! This facility will enhance SPC’s blending capacity & streamline #logistics across the region—and drive #growth & #efficiency for customers. Learn more:… pic.twitter.com/8rlyorPV26

CSX customer Saint Paul Commodities’ (SPC) on Nov. 7 opened its $2.33 million blending plant in Selma, N.C. Developed with the Class I and Bailey Feed Mill, the plant features 940,000 gallons of storage capacity, dual rail sidings accommodating up to 20 railcars, eight loading/unloading positions for railcars, and the ability to load and offload up to nine trucks per hour, CSX reported Nov. 19.

“This blending plant represents what’s possible when great partners come together with a shared vision,” said SPC CEO B. Shane Grutsch, who took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony with company Vice President of Operations Anthony Pellegrino and Director of Operations Spencer Schreiner, Bailey Feed Mill owners Douglas and Albert Daniel, and CSX’s Director of Sales Nick Hall and Senior Sales Manager Lauryn King.

“CSX is proud to partner with SPC and Bailey Feed Mill on this transformative project,” said Maryclare Kenney, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at CSX, whose leaders from sales, marketing, finance, site design, and train operations contributed to the project. “The Selma Blending Plant is a strong example of how rail can enable growth, efficiency, and sustainability for our customers. Together, we’re building the infrastructure that keeps America’s supply chains moving.”

Last summer, CSX released a special video (above) on how it contributed to the 400% growth over 2.5 years at SPC, which specializes in the purchasing and selling of renewable feedstocks, such as used cooking oil, yellow grease, and animal fats (poultry fat, choice white grease, tallow, etc.). SPC in 2024 recognized the railroad with an Excellence in Partnership Award.

In a related development, CSX in early November awarded Platinum Select Site status to a Dothan, Ala., industrial development property.

• BNSF, CSX Offering More, ‘Faster’ Coast-to-Coast Service
• CSX’s Steve Angel to Co-Chair B&O Railroad Museum’s Capital Campaign

Industry and innovation met in Osceola, Arkansas, on Nov. 12. That’s when BNSF customer Hybar opened its new rebar mill, which has direct connection to our line, the Mississippi River and the highway system, providing access to major markets throughout the U.S.
 
Hybar produces… pic.twitter.com/hcnP7vrtaI

BNSF customer Hybar on Nov. 12 held the grand opening of its rebar mill in Osceola, Ark., with more than 500 customers, suppliers, construction contractors, lenders, government officials and investors in attendance. BNSF reported working with Hybar—from site selection to rail design—to complete the project in 21 months.

“Hybar produces rebar using 100% renewable energy with connection to a solar installation,” the railroad wrote in a Nov. 19 social media post. “It’s the first steel producer in North America to be able to do this. Hybar’s scrap metal recycling steel production mill will produce more than 700,000 tons of rebar each year, accounting for approximately 7% of annual U.S. rebar demand.”

According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Hybar has now completed the mill, a “behind-the-meter solar and battery storage electrical energy facility,” and a Mississippi River port operation for a total investment of nearly $1 billion. The port is said to allows the company to “economically source its raw material and scrap metal and deliver its rebar steel along the Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Illinois river systems.” Combined with its central location, on-site BNSF rail connection, and proximity to Arkansas’s highway networks, Hybar can transport scrap metal from nearly any geographic area of the U.S., according to AEDC.

During the grand opening ceremony, BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tom Williams presented Hybar with a 2025 Sustainability Award (pictured above); the company was one of 32 recipients.

Prior to completing commissioning of its rolling mill and solar and battery storage facility, Hybar in June produced the first rebar at its steel mini mill.

NS in November teamed with Habitat for Humanity as part of Homelessness Awareness Month. It said 77 railroad volunteers helped to build, paint, and landscape homes for families in need across the cities of Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.; Atlanta, Ga.; Elkhart, Ind.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Pittsburgh, Pa. They worked on nine homes “to strengthen the communities we serve,” according to NS, which noted that in 2025 it has donated $1.73 million to organizations focused on housing insecurity.

“Home is the foundation on which we build our lives,” said Charlita Stephens-Walker, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Cause Marketing for Habitat for Humanity International. “When companies like Norfolk Southern dedicate their time and talent, we’re able to further our efforts of building stronger communities and better futures across the U.S.”

“Every build is a reminder that when we come together, we can create real, lasting change,” said Kristin Wong, Director of Norfolk Southern Foundation & Community Impact. “It’s inspiring to see how our employees show up for their neighbors and support the need for safe housing in our communities.”

Meanwhile, NS President and CEO Mark George (pictured above, right) has presented a $450,000 donation to Children’s of Alabama in support of an expansion project and health care education programs.

The donation “will help double the size of the hospital’s critical care space, equipping it with state-of-the-art technology and resources to serve more children in need,” NS reported Nov. 17. It also covers the cost of two simulation manikins, which “will strengthen the Community Healthcare Education Simulation Program, enabling staff to train parents and rural health care professionals in caring for critically ill or injured children,” according to the railroad.

NS’s support “is inspired by the families and care teams whose stories remind us that behind every hospital bed in this system is a child with dreams, a family with hope, and a team fighting for their future,” Mark George said.

“We are grateful to Norfolk Southern for their generous support, which will have a lasting impact on the care we provide to our patients,” said Tom Shufflebarger, President and CEO of Children’s of Alabama. “This generous donation underscores Norfolk Southern’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of children and families in Alabama and across the Southeast. By ensuring that medical teams and families are better equipped to deliver world-class care through training and simulation, this gift will help improve patient outcomes and reinforces the hospital’s dedication to providing exceptional care for children for years to come.”

• NS: Turning Customer Insights Into Better Customer Service
• NS Partners to Support Passenger Rail

UP’s Roseville Terminal in California “delivered exceptional results in 2024, driven by a strong safety culture and collaborative, cross-craft teamwork,” the Class I railroad reported on Nov. 20.

“Through daily engagement, hands-on coaching, and a commitment to ‘Stop the Line,’” the team there maintained more than 580 injury-free days, “while keeping one of the busiest terminals on the West Coast running safely and efficiently,” according to UP.

In recognition of these efforts, the team earned UP’s Building America Award (watch video, top).

• UP’s Jalali: No Hiccups With NS IT Integration
• UP, NS Shareholders Greenlight Merger
• UP Honors 2025 Sustainability Partners

The post Class I Briefs: CSX, BNSF, NS, UP appeared first on Railway Age.

Fortress Investment Group-backed Brightline West (a.k.a., DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC) on Nov. 20 reported entering into a “transaction support agreement that is expected to culminate in a private exchange by holders of a significant majority of the $2.5 billion of Series 2025A Bonds issued by California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and the Director of the State of Nevada Department of Business and Industry.”

According to Brightline West, it has “begun construction and is finalizing remaining construction contracts” as part of its 218-mile high-speed rail project that is slated to link Las Vegas, Nev., and Southern California. The company reported the “private exchange and the follow-on public exchange … are intended to facilitate the continued construction.” These transactions, it said, “are designed to allow Brightline West adequate time to obtain the additional equity funding, debt financing, and federal loans for the project while enabling construction to progress.”

“The contemplated private exchange has already received broad support from a supermajority of holders of the Series 2025A Bonds, who constitute most of the largest holders of the Series 2025A Bonds,” reported Brightline West, which noted that it “hopes that 100% of the Series 2025A Bonds will participate in either the private exchange or the follow-on public exchange and is enhancing the terms of the new Series 2025B Bonds that will be received by investors in the exchange.”

Brightline West said it “intends to launch the follow-on exchange, on a public basis, promptly after settlement of the private exchange to allow additional holders of the Series 2025A Bonds to participate on the same economic terms.” All holders that participate in the exchanges, it said, “will receive the same compensation in the form of, among other things:

• “A pro rata portion of up to $1.8 billion (depending on participation levels) of new senior secured bonds in Brightline West (on a par-for-par basis for exchanged Series 2025A Bonds not being repurchased as described below). The new Series 2025B Bonds will be senior in right of payment to Brightline West’s subordinated debt (including any Series 2025A Bonds that do not participate in the exchange).”
• “A pro rata repurchase of participating Series 2025A Bonds of approximately $700 million, at a 1% premium, reducing Brightline West’s outstanding bond debt (excluding escrow bonds anticipated to be issued substantially concurrently with the closing) to approximately $1.8 billion.”
• “Accrued and unpaid interest on such holder’s Series 2025A Bonds validly tendered for repurchase and exchange to, but not including, the closing date (expected to be on or around November 26, 2025.”
• “A pro rata number of warrants for up to 7.5% of the common units of BL Trains Holding West LLC and, in exchange for additional liquidity that may be retained by Brightline West, a pro rata number of warrants for an additional 7.5% of the common units of BL Trains Holding West LLC.”

Brightline West said it has also “committed to raise at least $400 million in equity by March 31, 2026 (and expects to receive $50 million of such equity on each of January 1, February 1 and March 1 of 2026), $250 million of which will be used to redeem the Series 2025B Bonds and the remainder would be used to continue to advance the project.”

Brightline West in April 2024 held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project, for which Siemens Mobility has been designated as the preferred bidder to supply 10 seven-car “American Pioneer 220” electric trainsets capable of speeds up to 220 mph.

Bloomberg this fall said the project will cost $21.5 billion, Railway Age reported, and “[a]ccording to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) website, which lists Brightline West as a ‘loan applicant,’ and as reported by Bloomberg, the price tag … has swelled by nearly 35%. The higher cost has led the … company to seek $6 billion from the POTUS 47 Administration.”

According to Railway Age’s report, Brightline CEO Mike Reininger acknowledged that costs are rising, and is working on raising the needed funds; Bloomberg reported that “the federal loan ‘will take the place of a $6 billion bank facility on Brightline West’s original financing plan.’ The company, Reininger said, ‘plans to raise equity to cover most of the $5.5 billion increase in construction costs. It initially targeted an equity raise of $1 billion.’”

• Brightline Financial Woes Continue
• Report: Brightline West Costs Balloon to $21.5B
• Brightline Loses Nearly $550MM in 2024, but Keeps on Going

The post Brightline West Entering ‘Transaction Support Agreement’ appeared first on Railway Age.

TriMet recently announced that it is in the process of completing a round of organizational changes as part of the agency’s ongoing effort to address a significant structural budget gap and bring staffing levels in line with revenue.

In total, the agency eliminated 68 positions—more than half of which were vacant. Twenty-six employees were laid off. No union employees were laid off this round, but some were transferred to other jobs under the Working and Wage Agreement, as their positions were among those being eliminated.

These staff reductions, TriMet says, “come after months of difficult decisions and careful planning as part of a thorough workforce analysis. They were based on operational streamlining and are not a reflection of the contributions of individuals who held the positions. Where possible, reductions were made through attrition to reduce the need for involuntary separations.” For those employees who were laid off, TriMet is offering severance and reemployment assistance to support them. The staffing reductions follow earlier cost-cutting measures such as a hiring freeze, discretionary spending cuts and extensive efforts to identify internal efficiencies—work that continues today, the agency noted.

TriMet faces a $300 million shortfall between projected revenues and expenditures over the next several years, a challenge that, the agency says, “cannot be solved through short-term measures alone.” The internal budget cuts so far have decreased spending by $17.7 million. Those cuts include the reduction of staff, as well as internal reorganization of some work groups and reducing discretionary spending.

“These administrative cuts are part of a broader recovery plan to stabilize TriMet’s finances and ensure long-term sustainability so we can continue providing the public transit service our region needs for decades to come,” TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. said.

That plan, TriMet says, includes pursuing new funding sources, as well as exploring a fare increase and new revenue opportunities. The goal is to balance the agency’s budget by July 1, 2028.

“Layoffs are always a last resort,” Desue said. “We’ve worked hard to limit them as much as possible, but the financial realities we face made some layoffs unavoidable.”

Service changes being planned for Nov. 30, 2025, and March 2026 will mean fewer buses on some bus lines during times when ridership is lower, TriMet noted. “More extensive service cuts later in 2026 and 2027 will help bring service levels in line with our funding. As we scale back our transit service, staffing needs will naturally shrink. Again, any necessary employee reductions will first be made through attrition to limit the need for involuntary separations.”

“With rising costs and challenges around sustainable funding, our expenses have outpaced our revenue, despite our efforts to increase ridership and make riding easier and safer,” Desue added. “We remain committed to taking the action needed to protect the core transit services our community depends on.”

For service reductions, the agency says it has recently wrapped up an initial round of community engagement during which people shared feedback on the priorities they would like TriMet to consider in its service decisions. In January, TriMet will be releasing proposals for the broader service cuts to be implemented in the latter part of 2026 and will open up another round of community engagement to gather rider and public sentiment.

More information is available here.

All 28 of Maryland’s Purple Line Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) have arrived in New Carrollton, marking a major milestone for the project, which, officials say, “will knit communities, ease commutes, promote public transit, and link riders to 21 stations—from New Carrollton to Bethesda—and key destinations across the corridor.”

28 of 28! All 28 Light Rail Vehicles have arrived in Maryland; a major milestone for the Purple Line. This vital connection will knit communities, ease commutes, promote public transit and link riders to 21 stations and key destinations across the corridor. #PurpleLineprogress pic.twitter.com/fPPt88PsYd

The post Transit Briefs: TriMet, Maryland Purple Line appeared first on Railway Age.