Railroad News

Caltrain OCS Fully Energized

From Our Colleagues at Railway Age:

SAN CARLOS, Calif. ––Caltrain, with partners Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and Balfour Beatty, have energized and tested the OCS (overhead catenary system) on the entire 51-mile Caltrain Electrification Project between San Francisco and San Jose. The next step is testing the system’s Stadler Rail-built EMUs (electric multiple-units) at maximum operating speed and prepare for electrified revenue service, expected to commence in September 2024.

Norfolk Southern Agrees in Principle to Settle East Palestine Derailment Class Action Lawsuit

ATLANTA –– Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Tuesday that it has reached a $600 million agreement in principle to resolve a consolidated class action lawsuit relating to the East Palestine derailment. If approved by the court, the agreement will resolve all class action claims within a 20-mile radius from the derailment and, for those residents who choose to participate, personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius from the derailment.

MxV Rail Announces Opening of New Loop Track for FAST®

PUEBLO, Colo. – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has headquartered rail industry research and test activities in Pueblo, Colo. for more than 40 years. Building on this legacy, AAR’s wholly owned subsidiary MxV Rail has transformed the organization and opened a new multi-campus operation to support the railways’ engineering, controlled on-track testing, and laboratory testing needs.

BNSF Reduces Workforce in Nebraska and Kansas

Fort Worth, Texas –– BNSF announced this week that it was cutting some jobs at mechanical shops located in Nebraska and Kansas. However, no details about the cuts were provided, such as where they took place or the number of people involved. News reports regarding the number of layoffs differed, but it appears that at least 100 positions were cut.

Orange County Coastal Rail Resiliency Study

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. –– The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the LOSSAN Rail Corridor (Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo) are working together on an Orange County Coastal Rail Resiliency Study. The study began in November 2023 and completion is expected in Fall 2025. OCTA is studying rail challenges in south Orange County to assess existing and future environmental risks and issues with operations and maintenance along the LOSSAN Rail Corridor. The study will evaluate strategies to address these challenges.

Amtrak Kicks Off Construction at Gray 30th Street Station 

PHILADELPHIA – A new era of passenger rail has officially launched in Philadelphia. Amtrak officials gathered today with federal, state and local representatives along with other community leaders to celebrate the construction kickoff for major renovations at William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. 

WATCH: Six-week MAX disruption begins Sunday as TriMet takes leap toward completing major Better Red milestone

Portland, Ore.––Construction on TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Improvements Project will close the Gateway Transit Center to MAX trains for six weeks starting Sunday, Jan. 14. With the MAX Blue, Green and Red lines impacted, shuttle buses will serve closed stations through the end of the disruption on Feb. 25. TriMet will also use this opportunity to perform reliability improvements to the MAX system along Interstate 84 and just east of the transit center.

MTA Announces Scarsdale Station Becomes Second Metro-North Station to Be Made Fully Accessible This Year

NEW YORK ––The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that the Scarsdale Metro-North Station has been made fully accessible with the opening of a second elevator, in an enclosed tower, that serves the Grand Central-bound platform. As part of the improvement project, the overpass was raised seven inches to provide greater vertical clearance for Metro-North work trains and was enhanced with new customer amenities.