Freight

Pictured (left to right): Alberto Lara, Metrolink; Misty Calder, NCTD; Nicholas Cumins, Bentley Systems; and Eloy Martinez, HNTB. (All Photographs Courtesy of the Respective Companies)
  • News

People News: Metrolink, NCTD, Bentley Systems, HNTB

Southern California’s Metrolink welcomes a new Chief People Officer. Also, North County Transit District (NCTD) in California appoints a Deputy General Counsel; Bentley Systems, an infrastructure engineering software company based in Exton, Pa., transitions its leadership; and infrastructure firm HNTB hires a Vehicles Project Director.

BNSF Honors Four State DOTs for Grade Crossing Safety

BNSF on July 1 announced that it is honoring four state Departments of Transportation (DOT) in Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming with the inaugural “Tracking to Zero” awards for their “dedication to improving crossing safety in their communities,” a first-of-its kind initiative to reduce grade crossing incidents across the Class I’s 32,500-mile network.

Commentary

‘Arbitrary and Capricious’

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on June 21, 2024 ordered the Federal Railroad Administration to cease its attempt to limit BNSF’s use of ATI (Automated Track Inspection).

“Thanks to Secretary Pete [Buttigieg], USDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration and all our partners for making the S-Line passenger rail a reality!!” NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins said in a July 1 LinkedIn post. “Thanks to the hard work of our NCDOT team we broke ground on the first construction project in the Raleigh to Wake Forest segment, a $19M project to grade separate Durant Road 7 months after the grant announcement!!” (Photograph Courtesy of Joey Hopkins)

S-Line Project Kicks Off in North Carolina

State and federal officials on July 1 participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in North Carolina for the S-Line Project, part of the Raleigh to Richmond Innovating Rail Program to create a faster passenger rail route between the two cities, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.

For GJR, Another Record Year

The City of Guelph-owned Guelph Junction Railway (GJR) has again set record revenue and carload counts for 2023, despite headwinds. According to its 2023 annual report, GJR handled 5,737 cars in 2023,

Commentary

FRA L-D Study Reveals ‘Interesting’ Numbers

The Federal Railroad Administration released the latest update of its Long-Distance Service Study in mid-June. While there is nothing definitive revealed as far as routes (if any) likely to be recommended for

Commentary

Bridging the Telematics Technology Gap: A Conversation With 2 RailPulse Members

As technology continues to evolve at the speed of light and make access to data increasingly available, how does rail keep pace, especially when it comes to monitoring logistics? Today’s solutions are at times considered antiquated and disparate across the industry. RailPulse seeks to answer this question and modernize rail shipping for today’s world and beyond.

Class I Briefs: CSX, NS, UP, CPKC, CN, BNSF

CSX is honored by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for “exceptional support” of military employees. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS) highlights Thriving Communities grant recipient Citi Fields; Union Pacific (UP) releases a video of the Big Boy heading westward; Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) is named the Most Sustainable Company in the Transportation Industry by World Finance; CN opens the protective enclosure for its 2747 locomotive in Rotary Park, Winnipeg, and congratulates its transportation service partner TransX Group of Companies for winning the 2023 Hershey Carrier Award; and BNSF celebrates its Montana employees and welcomes former Montana Rail Link employees with the Employee Appreciation (EAS) train ride.