Short line RR company buys road to close it permanently
Everything is for sale. Well, not everything, but certain roads can be bought.
News and Opinion
Pete Carpenter, former head of CSX, dies at 77
The Florida Times-Union reports that Pete Carpenter, the president and chief executive officer of CSX Transportation from 1992 to 1999, has died at the age of 77. During his career at CSX,
South Dakota rail lines can now be purchased
State-owned rail lines are now up for sale in South Dakota.
Greenbrier has new goals for freight car design
FreightWaves is reporting that Greenbrier, a railcar manufacturer and lessor, has new goals for freight car design that are part of the company’s sustainability plans. The report says that one goal is to
Outside of Atlanta, Gwinnett County eyeing MARTA – again
Gwinnett County is a large (436 square mile) suburban/exurban county included in the metropolitan Atlanta area, northeast of the city center. Proponents and opponents of extending the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
SEPTA General Manager resigning at end of 2019
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Jeff Knueppel, the general manager of SEPTA, is choosing not to renew his contract, and will be leaving at the end of 2019. Under Knueppel’s leadership,
U.S. rail traffic down again last week
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 17, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 537,617 carloads and intermodal units,
Short Line association tells DOT, “we’re important, too”
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), represented by Jo Strang, Senior Vice President, Safety & Regulatory Policy, testified Monday before a Small Business Administration hearing on National Regulatory Fairness.
Number of Class 1 employees continues to shrink
Class 1 railroad companies continue to rely on a leaking talent pool. In fact, not only did employee numbers continue to drop in July, the depth is the shallowest yet in 2019.
North County Transit District joins Confidential Close Call Reporting System
The North County Transit District (NCTD), which serves North San Diego County in California, reports it is participating in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), a program designed to allow employees
Erosion and a rising sea level put commuter train tracks in Calif. in danger
A proposal to construct railroad tracks in a bluff trench in Del Mar, Calif., is raising some eyebrows with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Facial expressions, however, are not always
Observance of fatal train collision 50 years ago reaffirms need for PTC
National Transportation Safety Board Member Jennifer Homendy will join Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal and rail safety advocates at a press conference scheduled for today at 11 a.m., calling for the full implementation
Tramont Manufacturing enters locomotive market
Tramont Manufacturing, a producer of components for the standby power industry, has acquired Compo Steel Products, marking its entry into the locomotive industry. The acquisition also greatly increases Tramont’s production capacity. Compo
Bells & Whistles, Episode 5
What were the top news items RT&S was following the week ending Aug. 16? For the latest episode of Bells & Whistles, click here.
Federal ruling on freight train crew size has states and unions up in arms
On May 29 of this year, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) withdrew from its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the issue of the number of crew members on a freight train.
Over $244M in grant money available for freight, passenger rail
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. The NOFO includes more than $244 million
Metro-North employees fight being fingerprinted before and after shift
Metro-North rail employees do not want to leave any fingerprints … and they have the backing of the Association of Commuter Rail Employees (ACRE).
REMSA member RailWorks hosts Congresswoman Angie Craig
Yesterday, Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) joined the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) and its member RailWorks at their project office in Lakeville, MN. Congresswoman Craig spoke with company executives and rail industry
Norfolk Southern names two to new executive positions
Norfolk Southern announced yesterday that its board of directors has approved new responsibilities for Vanessa Allen Sutherland and Michael Farrell, effective Aug. 16: Michael Farrell is senior vice president operations and mechanical.
Temporary railroad flood crossings to remain in place in Davenport, Iowa, until 2020
The temporary at-grade crossings that have taken over downtown Davenport, Iowa, will be extending their stay.