Since 2020, Class I railroads have acquired more than 3,000 miles of trackage from short line and regional carriers—some of which they previously owned www.railwayage.com/freight/shor... My latest for Railway Age Magazine.

Shareholders of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern overwhelmingly approved a plan to merge the two Class I railroads during a special meeting held on November 14. railfan.com/shareholders...

This summer, I got to know a fascinating railroad: Rocky Mountaineer. Offering luxury rail tours in the U.S. and Canada, it's an impressive operation with more than 1,000 employees, 2,000 route miles, and 2.4 million happy passengers.

After a successful service expansion last year, Amtrak’s Winter Park Express is back for another big season, beginning December 19 railfan.com/winter-park-...

@josephpolitano.bsky.social . Who needs the Fed or the BLS when you have DoorDash.

The Flathead has long been a popular destination for Albertans. However, credit card spending by Canadians in Kalispell has decreased by 39% due to ongoing tensions between the two countries. Latest for @montanafreepress.org montanafreepress.org/2025/11/10/k...

A short line in British Columbia that depends on wood products is suffering due to the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada. Now, it’s leading to the cancellation of popular holiday excursions railfan.com/tariffs-hit-...

San Francisco is saying goodbye to a fleet of light rail vehicles that expanded transit service in the city during the 1990s dot-com boom. However, at least one of the retired cars is heading to a new home at the Western Railway Museum. railfan.com/bye-bye-bred...

The Railway Museum of British Columbia has completed a long-awaited cosmetic restoration of British Columbia Electric Railway motor 960 railfan.com/bc-museum-re...

Chicagoland transit authorities, including Metra and the Chicago Transit Authority, will avoid falling off the fiscal cliff in 2026 after the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation to provide $1.5 billion in funding without creating new taxes railfan.com/illinois-pas...

every AI ad is like “hey gemini, what would i have for lunch?” and then the phone is like “sandwich” and the guy is like “wow”

The Hospital on the Corner flatheadbeacon.com/2025/10/25/t... Logan Health Whitefish and its predecessors have served the North Valley for 120 years. Latest for Flathead Living Magazine.

An annual guide to Canadian trains (often called the "Bible of Canadian railfanning") can no longer be sold and shipped to the U.S. because of tariffs. So now my nerdy train friends and I must organize a smuggling ring to help our fellow train nerds. What a time to be alive.

What started as a joke actually turned out pretty well. Keeping this in the back pocket for a future leasing company scheme.

"Most of his knowledge of the craft comes from magazines such as the Model Railroader and the Railroad Model Craftsman. 'A lot of people like to Youtube it, but personally I find I learn best from reading,' he said." The kids are alright. therealwv.com/2025/10/29/1...

Some exciting news in the world of narrow gauge railroading!

When This Reporter Comes Calling, the White House Insults Go Flying www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/b...

Dear Metra, Do it. -Everyone

BNSF Railway announced this week that the years-long effort to install Positive Train Control along the former Montana Rail Link is nearly complete. Activation of PTC is expected to bring about several significant changes along the route railfan.com/ptc-almost-d...

While the government shutdown has led to some canceled vacations, locals say they are more worried about the long-term health of the National Park Service after drastic staffing cuts by the Trump administration montanafreepress.org/2025/10/28/s... Latest for @montanafreepress.org

One of the nation’s largest railroad unions is calling for a drone ban at rail yards and along main lines, a move that could significantly impact railroad photographers who have recently taken to the sky to capture photos railfan.com/rail-union-c...

Latest for @montanafreepress.org

BNSF made its strongest argument yet against the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger by releasing a position paper that states the combination would cause chaos on the national rail network, negatively affect shippers railfan.com/bnsf-no-cust... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

The snowmaking operation on Spanish Peaks Mountain Club property will make Big Sky the first public ski area in Montana to turn wastewater into powder.

BREAKING NEWS: CSX Transportation announced on Monday that CEO Joe Hinrichs had departed and was being replaced by Steve Angel railfan.com/csx-ceo-sudd...

This week, one of the nation's largest rail unions made an unprecedented announcement, stating that it would throw its support behind the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger railfan.com/union-backs-... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

Railroad journalist and columnist Don Phillips died on September 23 after a years-long illness. He was 83. railfan.com/don-phillips...

For the first time in more than a year, Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 2816 appeared in public under steam for the premiere of a new documentary about CPKC's Final Spike Steam Tour railfan.com/cp-2816-make... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

Regular freight service has returned to the Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway railfan.com/freight-serv...

Full Steam Ahead www.distinctlymontana.com/full-steam-a... A small group of volunteers works to restore a vintage steam locomotive in Missoula that once worked in logging camps and even starred in a Hollywood film. My latest for Distinctly Montana Magazine.

Our annual Alco issue is out and it includes 18 pages (!!!) of diesel action on the Nevada Northern Railway, including an incredible photo essay by two of the greatest railroad photographers ever, Ted Benson and Dave Stanley. Really happy with how this one came out #PrintIsntDead

The announcement follows UP and NS competitors, particularly CSX Transportation, that have launched several new partnerships to enhance transcontinental service and demonstrate to stakeholders that another merger isn’t necessary railfan.com/up-ns-launch... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

Steam has returned to the slopes of the Northeast’s highest peak. Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

While it has faced intense pressure to join with another railroad to form a transcontinental line that would rival a combined UP-NS, CSX has chosen a different path railfan.com/amid-pressur... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

And the winners are... Today, we're sharing the winners of the 2025 Center Spread Contest. Be sure to keep an eye in print for information about next year's competition! railfan.com/2025-railfan...

CPKC becomes the second Class I railroad to come out against UP+NS. But with Trump firing the STB's lone voice against mergers, will it matter? railfan.com/cpkc-were-no... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

Good afternoon and welcome on board this beautiful Amtrak NextGen Acela train! I’m joining Amtrak for its “Acela-bration” ride northbound out of New York Penn Station. Very excited to finally get on one of these trains after seeing them sit idle across the Northeast for half a decade!

After years of delays and anticipation, Amtrak’s new NextGen Acela entered revenue service on Wednesday morning with departures from Boston and Washington, D.C. railfan.com/nextgen-acel... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

A month after Union Pacific announced its plan to acquire Norfolk Southern, Warren Buffett says BNSF Railway has no plans on merging with NS or CSX railfan.com/warren-buffe... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

About a decade ago, several stakeholders in western Montana came together to discuss issues related to beavers. Beaver dams occasionally wreaked havoc on roadways and property, but those involved recognized the animals' importance to the landscape. #mtnews

One of my favorite times trackside last year was sunrise at Metra's Highlands station on its famed "Racetrack." For @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social's annual Traction & Transit issue, I put together an essay about it. Check it out in the new issue shop.whiteriverproductions.com/products/rfr...

Latest on the Class I railroad merger mania...

I've been kind of terrible at sharing my photography work in recent months — work work and parenting will do that, I suppose. So here are a few favorites from the past few months.

Dwight A. Smith, founder of the Conway Scenic Railroad, died on August 8, 2025. He was 100 years old. railfan.com/dwight-a-smi...

Harnessing the Kootenai flatheadbeacon.com/2025/08/06/h... A half-century ago, the Libby Dam was the final piece of one of the most significant public works projects in American history. Latest for Flathead Living Magazine.

A day after Union Pacific announced its intent to acquire Norfolk Southern, many shippers and stakeholders withheld opinions on the proposal. The few who did expressed skepticism about a plan that could significantly change the North American rail network railfan.com/shippers-sta...

BREAKING NEWS: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced on July 29 that the two Class I railroads are merging to create the first single, transcontinental railroad in the United States railfan.com/union-pacifi...

BREAKING NEWS: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced Thursday that they are in talks to merge into a single transcontinental railroad railfan.com/up-ns-confir...

100 years ago, Chicago Union Station celebrated its grand opening as the heart and soul of America's railroad capital railfan.com/100-years-of... Latest for @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social

@justinfranz.bsky.social ‘s reporting in #Railfan is probably the best aggregation of all the news that’s come out in the past week about Merger Mania II. Well done. All the receipts handy.