Jim Florio, 1937-2022
James J. Florio, the former Governor of New Jersey and eight-term congressman who was the principal author of the 1980 Staggers Rail Act that partially deregulated the industry, died Sept. 25. He was 85.
Regulatory
TEXRail gets a visit from the Federal Transit Administration
Texas commuter rail TEXRail, a subsidiary of Trinity Metro, the transit agency for Tarrant County in north central Texas, got a visit from the FTA this week.
U.S. DOT announces grant awards for improvement of rail-highway crossings
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $59 million in grant awards for rail-highway grade crossings in California, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.
U.S. DOT announces $1.5 billion in INFRA grants
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has announced the award of $1.5 billion from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) competitive grant program for highway, multimodal freight and rail projects.
OmniTRAX signs letter of intent to buy San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad
OmniTRAX, the short line railroad company that owns and operates over 20 railroads in the U.S., has signed a letter of intent to purchase the bankrupt San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad.
ASLRRA program helps contractors comply with new safety regulation
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has developed a program to assist contractors with compliance requirements set forth by Part 243.
NTSB releases preliminary report on Amtrak and UP roadway maintenance machine collision
The National Transportation Safety Board released its initial report on a July railroad collision.
Opinion: What’s up with the FRA?
Why has the Federal Railroad Administration put the brakes on automated track inspection testing?
WMATA in hot water with WMSC again
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission issued a statement this week claiming that WMATA “did not follow through on all safety commitments made in April and May 2022.”
Transport Canada announces new rail safety measures
This week, the Canadian Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced that the Government of Canada is taking new actions to improve rail safety, in alignment with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s recommendations regarding the derailment in Field, British Columbia, in 2019.
Watch: First NTSB report on Amtrak collision with dump truck in June
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its first report on the collision between Amtrak’s Southwest Chief and a dump truck in rural Missouri.
U.S. DOT announces over $573 million in funding for new grade crossing elimination program
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing more than $573 million in available grant funding this year alone for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program.
Texas Central scores a win in court
The beleaguered Texas Central Railroad won a victory in the Texas Supreme Court, the first positive development since the railroad’s former CEO, Carlos Aguilar, resigned earlier this month.
BNSF places limited embargo on some shipments headed for California
In response to significant ongoing service challenges, BNSF plans to issue a temporary permit embargo affecting some westbound traffic moving to destinations in California.
METRO Blue Line Extension route recommendation gets the green light
The METRO Blue Line Extension officially has a new route after the Hennepin County Board and Metropolitan Council voted to adopt the revised route modification on June 22.
Canadian Minister of Transport announces new measures to improve track conditions
The Government of Canada is continuing to move ahead with concrete actions which improve railway track safety to better protect those living and working near Canada’s rail corridors.
NTSB releases initial report on Caltrain collision with hi-rail vehicles
Last month, a Caltrain commuter train collided with three stopped hi-rail vehicles on mainline track near San Bruno, Calif.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports on fatal Canadian Pacific 2019 derailment – CP pushes back
Last week, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report (R19C0015) into the 2019 derailment of two locomotives and 99 cars of a 112 car grain train, in which the three crew members were fatally injured near Field, B.C. CP disputes aspects of the report.
Rail Group on Air: 2022 legislative look-ahead with the Commuter Rail Coalition
Commuter Rail Coalition Director of Government Relations John Cline of Cline Strategic Consulting, industry lobbyists Julie Minerva of Carpi & Clay and Bennett Resnik of Cardinal Infrastructure, and CRC Executive Director KellyAnne Gallagher join Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono for a conversation on what 2022 may hold in store for commuter rail priorities.
Walla Walla County in Washington received approval of rail crossing safety upgrades
Washington state regulators approved $96,348 in grant funding for safety upgrades at railroad crossings in Walla Walla County.