19 from '19: Progressive Railroading's most-read news stories in 2019

In rail country, top-of-mind topics don’t always lend themselves to daily news coverage. Given the evolutionary nature of freight-rail traffic volumes, and positive train control (PTC) and precision scheduled railroading (PSR) implementation, there aren’t always news hooks upon which to peg stories (e.g., “PTC’s still being implemented, sources said”). But PTC, PSR and a few other trending topics wormed their way onto our most-read Daily News list for 2019.

So did short-line M&A activity in what independent transportation analyst and Progressive Railroading columnist Tony Hatch pegged “The Year of the Short Line.”A few perennial topics — Class I announcements that hint at growth (or the opposite), derailment-related items, regulatory agency pronouncements and, of course, Amtrak news of almost any variety — also piqued readers’ interest.

Here are 19 from 2019 — the ProgressiveRailroading.com Daily News stories our readers clicked on most often last year:

1. “Railroads’ flood-ravaged Midwestern tracks trigger FRA emergency declaration” (3/21/19)
2. “FRA withdraws proposed train-crew staffing rule” (5/24/19)
3. “Mantle Ridge sells most of its stake in CSX” (10/22/19)
4. “TSB: Canadian Pacific train moved on its own before fatal derailment” (2/6/19)
5. “BNSF receives FAA exemption to advance drone operations” (4/12/19)
6. “CP derailment in British Columbia kills 3 crew members” (2/5/19)
7. “Kansas City Southern posts 2019 Holiday Express train schedule” (8/21/19)
8. “Brookfield Infrastructure, partners to acquire Genesee & Wyoming
for $8.4B” (7/1/19)
9. “USDOT: Four railroads fully met PTC implementation deadline” (1/2/19)
10. “CN, CSX announce new intermodal service” (8/9/19)
11. “Union Pacific pauses Brazos Yard construction” (4/23/19)
12. “BNSF posts higher revenue, income in Q1; Buffett warms to PSR,
report says” (5/7/19)
13. “South Dakota DOT to sell all state-owned rail lines” (8/22/19)
14. “CN announces executive team changes” (5/21/19)
15. “Trump budget slashes funding for Amtrak long-distance service” (3/12/19)
16. “NTSB: Train struck CSX workers walking on active track in 2017” (4/10/19)
17. “Alaska Railroad OKs historic pact to build new U.S.-Canada rail
connection” (6/28/19)
18. “Amtrak to upgrade Auto Train customer service in 2020” (7/16/19)
19. “Former Amtrak CEO Boardman dies” (3/7/19)