Robert “Bob” Cigrang

Robert ‘Bob’ Cigrang, 1942-2023

MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. – Robert “Bob” Cigrang, Vice President of Sales for Omni Rail Products, died Dec. 3. He was 74.

CN to Acquire Iowa Northern

MONTREAL –– CN on Dec. 6 reported signing and closing an agreement to acquire Iowa Northern (IANR), an approximately 275-mile U.S. regional railroad that it interchanges with in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. Terms were not disclosed.

CSX: Failed Wheel Bearing Behind Kentucky Derailment

ROCKCASTLE COUNTY, Ky. – An investigation has determined that a failed railcar wheel bearing caused the Nov. 22 CSX train derailment just north of Livingston, Ky., the Class I railroad reported Nov. 26. Sixteen cars, including two molten sulphur cars that breached and caught fire, were involved.

(Jonathan Chalon Photograph)

ENSCO Lands Brightline Contract

ENSCO Rail, Inc. on Nov. 17 reported receiving a contract for its track geometry and rail wear measurement technology from private-sector railroad Brightline, which operates intercity passenger service between central and south

CPKC’s Coby Bullard Headlines Railway Interchange

Railway Interchange kicked off Oct. 2 with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Senior Vice President Coby Bullard covering his railroad’s April 14, 2023, merger to form North America’s first and only transnational, plus its partnership with short

For SNC-Lavalin Group, a New Name for a ‘Transformed’ Company

Professional services and project management firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is rebranding to AtkinsRéalis on Sept. 13. “Building on more than a century of accomplishments from brands such as SNC-Lavalin, Atkins, Faithful+Gould, DTS and Atkins

The McCombs Road overcrossing in Kern County, Calif., is now complete, California High-Speed Rail Authority reported July 18. (Photographs Courtesy of CHSRA, via Twitter)

CHSRA Completes Fifth Structure of 2023

KERN COUNTY, Calif. – The McCombs Road overcrossing north of Wasco is the fifth structure to be completed this year for the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), whose 119-mile Central Valley segment is

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

USDOT: Applications Welcome for $5.575B in Infrastructure Project Funding

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is now accepting infrastructure project applications for up to $5.575 billion in funding from three major discretionary grant programs. Applications are being solicited together under a single Notice

“In cooperation with federal, state, and local authorities, Norfolk Southern is advancing environmental recovery efforts in East Palestine,” reports the Class I, which says it has “reconstructed both mainlines after successfully excavating the impacted soil under the removed tracks and transporting it off-site.”

NS Reaches East Palestine Remediation Milestone

Norfolk Southern (NS) on June 26, nearly five months after the East Palestine, Ohio derailment, reported completing remediation of both tracks that run through the village, with rail traffic slated to resume “a normal schedule in the coming

Reports: Cleanup, Investigation Under Way After Bridge Collapses Under MRL Train (UPDATED)

STILLWATER COUNTY, Mont. – A bridge collapse in Stillwater County, Mont., on June 24 sent a Montana Rail Link (MRL) train, hauling hot asphalt and molten sulfur, into the Yellowstone River below. The regional railroad is leading cleanup efforts and an investigation is under way by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.)

Van Orden Debuts Rail Inspector Safety Act

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would be able to add more investigators to its team under the Rail Inspector Safety Act, which Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) introduced June 13 and

Stewart Southern Railway will receive $28,297 under the government of Saskatchewan’s 2023-24 Short Line Railway Improvement Program. (Government of Saskatchewan Photograph)

Saskatchewan Funding 13 Small-Road Infrastructure Projects

The government of Saskatchewan is awarding $530,000 in grants to 13 provincially regulated short lines for track upgrade and expansion, highway/rail grade crossing surface and sightline improvement, bridge maintenance, and other projects.

FRA Awards $570MM for Grade Crossing Elimination Projects

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on June 5 reported that 63 projects will share more than $570 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program funding to address safety at 400-plus at-grade crossings nationwide. The awards for

ICC OKs Highway/Rail Grade Crossing Projects

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has signed off on stipulated agreements to improve safety at highway/rail grade crossings in Bond, Champaign, Henry and St. Clair counties. Total cost: $3.17 million.

Report: ABS Boosting Yard Capacity in Tuscaloosa

Alabama Southern Railroad (ABS), a Watco subsidiary, is investing nearly $10 million to build a second rail yard in Tuscaloosa, Ala., according to a May 18 report in the Tuscaloosa Thread. The new

CTA is moving “closer to providing Chicago residents with an extended and improved commute on the Red Line, our busiest line, by selecting the best and most qualified firms to ultimately build this dream and make it a reality,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said during the May 12 announcement. (CTA Rendering)

CTA IDs Three Red Line Project Bidders

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has selected three prequalified teams to submit proposals for the $3.6 billion Red Line project to extend rapid transit service 5.6 miles to Chicago’s Far South Side.

The Expo Line was the first of three SkyTrain lines to launch. On Dec. 11, 1985, it offered eight days of free service as a showcase of Expo ’86, prior to officially starting revenue service in January 1986. Its running rails and rail pads are now being replaced. (SkyTrain/TransLink Photograph)

For Metro Vancouver’s SkyTrain, C$35MM for Running Rail Replacement

The government of Canada and TransLink are each contributing C$17.498 million to replace approximately 12.6 miles (20.2 kilometers) of running rail and some 24,000 rail pads for SkyTrain’s Expo Line in metro Vancouver.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit is gearing up for a June 30 launch of the first 10.8-mile segment of its nearly 20-mile light metro line. (HART Photograph)

HART Gears Up for Service Launch

The launch date has been set for the first segment of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit’s (HART) long-awaited light metro service.

(Screen-Capture from CHSRA Video)

Watch: CHSRA Spring 2023 Construction Update

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) on May 11 issued a video update (below) on spring 2023 construction. It highlights the high-speed rail project’s progress, including completion of several structures throughout the

NYMTA Transit Tech Lab Releases Results of Operational Efficiency, Human Capital Utilization Challenges

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Partnership for NYC Transit Tech Lab on May 9 reported the results of its Operational Efficiency and Human Capital Utilization challenges, in which 15 companies have been selected to collaborate with regional transit agencies and test technologies, such as AI (artificial intelligence), LiDAR and edge computing, to “mitigate service disruptions, automate operations and combat workforce shortages.”

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