NTSB Preliminary Report – Norfolk Southern Derailment in May 2023

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board yesterday released its preliminary report on a Norfolk Southern train derailment that occurred in New Castle, Pa. on May 10, 2023. [1]

Palmetto Railways’ Camp Hall Rail Line is Underway

SOUTH CAROLINA – Palmetto Railways Begins Construction on Camp Hall Rail Line in Berkeley County.

MxV Rail, CSU Pueblo Establish Partnership to Focus on Education, Training, and Research

PUEBLO, CO – MxV Rail and Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a framework to work together cooperatively on future education, training, and research related to the safety, security, and innovation of rail transportation in the State of Colorado.

Norfolk Southern

Ohio Senator Sends Letters to Class I CEOs

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, drafted several letters to each of the Class I CEOs who have rail lines in Ohio following reports sent to his office of eroding rail bridges.

NTSB to Hold East Palestine Investigative Hearing

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced May 24 that it will hold a two-day investigative hearing in East Palestine, Ohio, on June 22-23, as part of the ongoing investigation into the Feb. 3 derailment of

When in ROMA, Do As the ROMAns Do?

CN and the City of Sarnia, Ontario, are in a dispute over who pays for drainage work on CN’s right-of-way. Sarnia is a key U.S./Canada rail border crossing for CN. The matter

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.

PUCO Approves Rail Crossing Upgrades in Butler County

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on May 17 approved safety upgrades at a rail crossing in Butler County.

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

NCDOT Awards $2.1MM in FRRCSI Grants

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded five Class II railroads in the state $2.1 million in matching grant funds through the Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement (FRRCSI) Program

Ohio Rail Commission: $750,000 for CUOH

The Ohio Rail Development Commission (Rail Commission) on May 11 approved a grant of up to $750,000 to Columbus & Ohio River Rail Road (CUOH), a Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. Company, to improve capacity at the Class II’s Newark Yard and mitigate the possibility of blocked railroad crossings in Zanesville, Ohio.

FRA Safety Bulletin Aims to Increase Awareness of Hand-Operated Main Track Switches

Following a train collision that occurred on April 16 involving a misaligned switch, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a Safety Bulletin to remind railroads about ways to “ensure safe operation of hand-operated main track switches.”

Unit crude from North Dakota to the Pacific Northwest crosses Lake Pend Oreille outside Sandpoint, Idaho, on April 29, 2023, using BNSF’s new bridge that entered service in November 2022. Workers on the older, adjacent bridge are placing concrete caps on new piers as part of a major renovation of the 119-year-old structure. (Photograph and Caption, Bruce E. Kelly)

BNSF Rebuilds One Bridge, Begins Another in the Northwest

Progress is well under way on structural upgrades to BNSF’s 119-year-old Bridge 3.9A over Lake Pend Oreille outside Sandpoint, Idaho. The completion in November 2022 of the adjacent 4,873-foot long Bridge 3.9B allowed BNSF to

Loram Technologies, Inc., hosted U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-Tex.; pictured) at a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Global Rail Campus in Georgetown, Tex.

Loram Technologies to Launch Global Rail Campus

Loram Technologies, Inc. on May 3 held a groundbreaking ceremony in Georgetown, Tex., for its new Global Rail Campus, which will comprise a corporate office and facility for the production and manufacture of maintenance-of-way equipment and inspection technologies.

Team members of R. J. Corman Railroad Services Emergency. From left to right, Rob Ralcewicz, Austin Singer, Greg Feasel, Rodney Clayton, Austin Clayton, Mike Hahn, David Fields, Mike Buchanan, Colin Hill, and Tim Koon.

R.J. Corman Opens New Emergency Division in Maine

R.J. Corman Railroad Services, LLC, a subsidiary of R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC, has announced the establishment of a new Emergency Response Division in Waterville, Maine, which as of May 1, will provide support to customers in the Northeast region of the U.S., including Maine and surrounding states, the company reported on May 4.

BMWED, LS&I Ratify Agreement

A new collectively bargained agreement has been ratified by members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) working at Michigan-based Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad (LS&I), the union

CARB Passes New In-Use Locomotive Regulation

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on April 27 passed a new rule aimed at reducing emissions from locomotives when they operate within the state. According to CARB, under the In-Use Locomotive Regulation—the

FRA to Railroads: Approval Required for PTC System Outages Under Certain Conditions

Railroads now must seek Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval before temporarily disabling their Positive Train Control (PTC) systems during infrastructure upgrades or capital projects, according to a notification in the Federal Register. A previous provision allowing them to just notify FRA of the disablement has expired.

rail bridges

BNSF Receives Permits to Replace Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge 

The North Dakota Department of Water Resources has issued two state permits to BNSF Railway, which are the final regulatory approvals required to replace the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River between the two cities.

BNSF Rail Talk: Emphasizing Sustainability in Facility Expansion From the Start

BNSF is taking our environmental responsibility further, beyond our daily operations. Our Engineering Services team has heightened its emphasis on minimizing our carbon footprint on capital expansion projects – from design through construction.

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