A railroad consultant predicts that high-speed trains between Hampton Roads, Va., and Washington, D.C., would not only be popular, but also highly profitable - operating at surpluses of up to $1 billion a year, The Virginian-Pilot reports.

CSX Transportation's plan to expand its freight yard between Shrewsbury and Franklin streets in Worcester, Mass., gained more momentum after the Planning Board last night endorsed a zone change and to street layouts essential to the expansion project modifications, the Telegram & Gazette reports. By a 4-0 vote, the board recommended changing the zoning of roughly three acres along the CSXT railroad tracks to manufacturing-general.

Beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 23, through Sunday, July 25, the Los Angeles Metro Blue Line Florence Station will be closed due to systems maintenance and track replacement at the Florence Avenue crossing. Metro customers will experience up to 20 minutes delays between the Florence and Firestone stations.

For the next several weeks BART will run northbound Pittsburg/Bay Point line trains on a single track due to ongoing weekend track work for the Central Contra Costa Crossover Project. Single-tracking will take place on weekends only and the agency expects to complete this work in late September. Single-tracking may result in delays of up to 15 minutes on weekend trains going toward the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station.

Kansas City Southern said that its Mexican subsidiary, Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. estimates that, if there are no new complications, its Nuevo Laredo gateway will be reopened for service sometime the weekend of July24-25 with the Anahuac Bridge repairs under way and expected to be in service by then. With the anticipated restoration of service, all current service embargoes imposed on July 3 are expected to be lifted early the week of July 25.

Pandrol USA has been awarded the contract to supply captive fastenings for the concrete tie to wood tie change out on the MBTA's Old Colony Line in the Boston area. 

Norfolk Southern is about to clear the final hurdle needed to begin work on its Rossville intermodal terminal, where cargo containers will be transferred between trucks and trains, The Memphis Daily News reports. The Norfolk, Va.-based railroad, which is preparing to formally break ground on the massive $112-million project, will unveil the federally mandated environmental assessment that was recently approved in preparation for the facility.

Moline, Ill., is one step closer to being a hub in the return of passenger rail service to the Quad-Cities, the Quad-City Times reports. In a unanimous vote July 20, the city council approved spending $993,000 to purchase property near existing railroad tracks for conversion to an Amtrak terminal. The property is at 1201 4th Ave., the site of the O'Rourke Building, and an adjacent vacant parcel at 323 13th St. The property is owned by High Rent LLC.

The state has offered $18 million to purchase the 233 miles of rail line that Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway is seeking to abandon in Aroostook and Penobscot counties, the Maine Public broadcasting Network reports.

Officials estimate construction of the long-awaited Colton Crossing project in Southern California will be complete sometime in 2014, the Contra Costa Times reports.