WisDOT: $4.8MM for Freight Rail Improvement Projects
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on June 24 announced nearly $5 million to improve freight rail at facilities in Luxemburg, Reedsburg and Wrightstown.
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RRB Budget Under House Siege
The Railroad Retirement Board June 27 reported that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies has allocated $100 million for the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025
CHSRA Taps SYSTRA | TYPSA JV to Design Track, OCS for Initial Passenger Service (UPDATED)
The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) Board of Directors on June 26 approved the joint venture of SYSTRA | TYPSA to begin designing track and overhead contact systems (OCS) for the initial
Reports: Hochul Halts NYMTA Congestion Pricing; Suppliers Will Suffer; Agency Outlines Next Steps (UPDATED 6/27/24)
New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has unexpectedly—but perhaps not surprisingly—halted the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s controversial congestion pricing (Central Business District Tolling Program) plan, which was expected to raise up
OmniTRAX Named Rail Operator for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon
OmniTRAX on June 27 reported being selected as the exclusive rail operator for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon; the projected start date is Aug. 1. This will be the fourth domestic port in
People News: ASLRRA, MBTA
Sarah Yurasko, Senior Vice President, Law and General Counsel for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), has been admitted to the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, WTS International and its Boston Chapter have selected as member of the year Katie Kalugin, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Deputy Director of Administration.
Transit Briefs: Amtrak, TTC, WMATA
Amtrak and CSX team on a Positive Train Control (PTC) installation between Haverhill, Mass., and Brunswick, Maine. Also, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) addresses “systemic racism within the transit system”; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Takoma Station is reopening early with new amenities and a rebuilt interlocking.
Supply Side: L.B. Foster, Bohr Electronics
L.B. Foster Company (L.B. Foster) publishes its first Sustainability Report. Also, Bohr Electronics secures an order for 40 RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) base stations.
Class I Briefs: CPKC, CSX, NS, UP
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) opens a new automotive facility in Texas. Also, CSX earns a 2024 Navy Employer Recognition Award; Norfolk Southern (NS) launches its 2024 internship program; Union Pacific (UP) EVP Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker provides a service status report, and UP is teaming with Viterra to serve a new grain facility in Dalhart, Tex.
NTSB’s Homendy: ‘Our Mission is Solely to Improve Safety’
Following are National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy’s concluding remarks from the June 25, 2024 public meeting in East Palestine, Ohio on the agency’s investigation, Norfolk Southern Railway Train Derailment with Subsequent
New VIA Rail Siemens Fleet More Than 50% Complete
VIA Rail reached a milestone June 26 as CN Train P276 headed east with a special delivery from the Siemens Mobility plant in Sacramento, Calif. CN, in conjunction with Union Pacific, delivered
UP, ZTR Partner on Hybrid-Electric Locomotives (UPDATED, 6/27)
The first of six cutting-edge hybrid battery-electric locomotives designed and built by Union Pacific (UP) and its partner ZTR, a locomotive control systems supplier, are currently being tested at a UP facility and rail yard.
Supply Side: FreightCar America, Rail Vision
FreightCar America marks a milestone with the 10,000th railcar produced at its Mexico plant. Also, Rail Vision Ltd. receives a follow-on order from a U.S.-based rail and leasing services company.
Port of LA Debuts Battery-Powered Electric Cargo Top Handlers
The Port of Los Angeles on June 25 reported deploying “the first commercially available” battery-powered electric cargo top handlers in the U.S., as part of its zero-emissions strategy.
Class I Briefs: CSX, CN (UPDATED With Video 6/28)
CSX adds the 16th locomotive to its heritage fleet, and CN inaugurates a new high-efficiency loading fuel terminal in the Greater Toronto Area. Both Class I railroads are ranked on Time magazine’s inaugural list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies for 2024.
AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up in Week 25
U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 22, 2024 (Week 25) was up 3.6% from the prior-year period, as intermodal gains more than offset carload losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.
Transit Briefs: MBTA, MDOT, Metrolinx, CTA, AtkinsRéalis/NYMTA
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) releases a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) site in Attleboro. Also, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announces a TOD vision for Baltimore’s Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station; the original price of the Ontario Line didn’t include all costs, according to Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster; the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announces the name of the new Green Line Station, which is currently under construction; and AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. (AtkinsRéalis) will work with ECCO III Enterprises Inc. to design and build upgrades to the New York Metropolitan Authority’s (MTA) Broadway Junction Complex.
First Look: Rail-Related RAISE Grantees for FY24
More than $310 million in FY 2024 RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) program grants will be distributed to 23 freight and passenger rail-related projects in 19 states, according to a U.S. Department
Shenandoah Seeks Qualified Operator of Existing NS ‘B Line’
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Transportation Preservation Corporation (Shenandoah), in partnership with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Historic District, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a professional, qualified rail operator for the
BNSF Suffers South Dakota Bridge Collapse (Updated June 26)
At approximately 11:00 PM Central Time June 23, amid the heatwave, torrential rain and flooding plaguing the Midwest in recent days, the center span of BNSF’s Aberdeen Subdivision bridge over the Big