RailNews
Your source for news compiled by the staff of Railfan & Railroad magazine. Please contact us if you have a story to share!
May 21, 2026
First Amtrak Airo Train Arrives in Pacific Northwest
The first Amtrak Cascades Airo trainset arrived in the Pacific Northwest on May 16.
May 20, 2026
Amtrak President to Step Down
Amtrak President Roger Harris will step down on July 31 and be replaced by Byl Herrmann while the railroad’s board of directors searches for a new permanent chief executive officer.
May 19, 2026
Former UP ‘Desert Victory’ SD40-2 Preserved
A former Union Pacific SD40-2 that was painted in the 1990s to honor military members who served during Operation Desert Storm has been saved.
May 18, 2026
UPDATE: Long Island Strike Ends
It was the first strike on the nation’s busiest commuter railroad in more than 30 years.
May 15, 2026
Rio Grande 2-8-0 Comes ‘Home’ for Restoration
A narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-0 that has spent the last 70 years at a California amusement park will run on “home rails” in early June.
May 14, 2026
David Plowden, Noted Documentary Photographer and Author, Dies at 93
David Plowden captured the end of steam and went on to become an acclaimed American documentary photographer.
May 14, 2026
Union Pacific Defends Revised Merger Application
Union Pacific said its revised application to acquire Norfolk Southern — a deal that would create a 50,000-mile rail system covering 43 states — is “comprehensive and complete.”
May 13, 2026
Fundraising Continues to Restore Louisville & Nashville 152
The Kentucky Railway Museum needs to raise about $400,000 to complete the restoration of Louisville & Nashville 4-6-2 152.
May 12, 2026
NYC Mohawk on Track to Move this Summer
The 3001 is the largest surviving NYC steam locomotive and the only member of the L-3a class to escape the scrapper’s torch.
May 11, 2026
BNSF to UP-NS: Keep Trying
On May 8, BNSF Railway filed its response to the application with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.
