MTA Inspector General Releases Report Warning Of The Dangers Of ‘Self Evacuation’ Of Passengers On The New York Subway

NEW YORK –– The Inspector General responsible for the New York Subway, Daniel G. Cort, announced this week that incidents of passenger self evacuation must be reduced.

Montana Passenger Rail Service Remains The Subject of Debate

MISSOULA, Mont. –– Montana just completed its state legislative session, and one of the issues on the table is a proposed rail corridor from Seattle to Chicago, which would run through Montana. Although the bill failed in this session, proponents are optimistic that the bill will be taken up again in the 2027 session.

Editor’s Opinion and Commentary –– New York Governor Kathy Hochul Announces Budget Increases to Improve Subway Safety.

ALBANY, N.Y. — I have written before about the challenges of subway safety in New York and elsewhere in the United States. I am a huge fan of public transit, especially rail and light rail, and the safety challenges riders and operators have endured for years have been of great concern to me. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced funding measures to help combat safety issues. The question is, how much good will these investments really do?

Does Your State Need Infrastructure Funds From The Federal Government? If So, USDOT Says You Must Scrap Your DEI Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced recently that states will no longer be eligible for federal infrastructure funds unless they follow the Trump administration’s directives regarding cooperation with immigration enforcement efforts and end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Norfolk Southern Must Pay The $600 Million Settlement In 2023 East Palestine Derailment

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio –– This week, an Ohio jury decided that Norfolk Southern was responsible for the $600 million settlement agreement with East Palestine residents and that GATX was not liable in the accident.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert Wants DOGE To Scrap Funding For Proposed Rail Service On Colorado’s Front Range

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Laura Boebert, a Republican Congresswoman who represents Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, wants DOGE to scrap plans and funding for proposed rail service along her state’s Front Range.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Says Revised Scope of NJ Dock Bridge Rehabilitation Project Will Reduce Funding Need By $140 million

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy announced this week that Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration have adopted a revised scope for a planned rehabilitation of the Dock Bridge over the Passaic River in New Jersey. The reduced funding is purported to save taxpayers $140 million. 

Mount Vernon Railroad and Southwest Indiana Creating ‘Mega Modal’ Opportunity

MOUNT VERNON, Ind. –– Indiana state and local officials this week opened what they term a “Mega Modal” opportunity at the Ports of Indiana – Mount Vernon with the addition of the Mount Vernon Railroad.

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Unveils $7B Funding Plan for Rail and Public Transit Projects

RICHMOND, Va. –– Amidst the uncertainty surrounding potential federal spending cuts, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation has just unveiled a draft improvement plan totaling approximately $7 billion dollars over six years.

Penn Station Reconstruction To Be Overseen By Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– The Penn Station Reconstruction project, for which MTA has served as the leading organization overseeing the project, will now be overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration, according to Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

Lexington Group Inaugurates H. Roger Grant Book Award

ATLANTA –– While this is not a typical story for RT&S, we thought it would be of interest to our readers. The Lexington Group for Transportation History is a distinguished group of railroaders, writers, librarians, professors, and others focused on the history of transportation.

Young Engineers Under 40: Focused on Engineering Excellence Every Day

Each year, we ask the railroad industry to nominate those young engineers it sees as being the leaders of tomorrow. Of course, with all the engineers in the industry, there are many

Automatic Train Operation (ATO) Used On WMATA Red Line Cannot Be Expanded To Other WMATA Lines For Time Being (Updated and Corrected 4/18/25)

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission has directed WMATA to not expand the use of Automatic Train Operation beyond the Red Line for the time being. OUR ORIGINAL STORY FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK HAD A COUPLE OF ERRORS AROUND REFERENCES TO AUTOMATIC TRAIN OPERATION AND AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL. WE REGRET THE ERRORS AND APPRECIATE WMATA POINTING THEM OUT. THESE ERRORS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED AND THE STORY UPDATED. MOST READERS LIKELY KNOW THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL AND AUTOMATIC TRAIN OPERATION. FOR A FULL DEFINITION OF EACH, READERS ARE REFERRED TO THE INTERTECH RAIL WEBSITE LISTED AT THE END OF THE STORY. DCL

Ontario Begins Construction Of Last Tunnel Segment Of The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension

TORONTO –– RT&S has reported on progress along the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension in Ontario for the past couple of years. This week, Ontario began construction of the last tunnel segment on this line.

South-Side Galesburg Rail Crossing Safety Overhaul Beginning To Show Signs Of Life

GALESBURG, Ill. –– Two years ago, a plan was announced to revamp several railroad crossings, but not a lot has happened on the project until now.

OmniTRAX Names Current BNSF Executive Colby Tanner CEO As Part Of Planned CEO Succession

DENVER –– OmniTRAX, the Broe Group’s rail and real estate affiliate, has named Colby Tanner as its new CEO.

Catherine Rinaldi, Former Metro-North President, To Serve As Gateway Development Commission Executive Vice President

NEW YORK –– The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announceed that Catherine Ridaldi, who served as President of MTA’s Metro-North Railroad from 2018 until last month, will be GDC’s first Executive Vice President effective today.

Severe Flooding Creates Havoc on Railroads Serving the Eastern U.S.

ATLANTA –– The South and Midwest have been inundated with storms and heavy rainfall for the past several days.

Windstorm Topples Section of CSX Intermodal Train

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ohio –– Part of a CSX intermodal train was blown off the tracks by a heavy windstorm associated with severe weather moving through Ohio.

Transportation Safety Board of Canada Continues To Call For PTC-Like System After Review of 2024 Collision

Calgary, Alberta –– This week, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report (R24C0020) into a 2024 accident where a train collided with a second stationary train near Greely, British Columbia (BC).

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