RailPros Acquires Diverging Approach
DALLAS – Rail and transit consulting firm RailPros has completed its acquisition of Diverging Approach, Inc., a railway system contractor based in Williamsburg, Va.
Regulatory
TSB Releases Rail Transportation Safety Investigation Report on CN Derailment
DEVLIN, Ontario – The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) issued rail transportation safety investigation report R25W0047.
ORDC Awards Two Rail Rehab Grants
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) on Jan. 27 reported approving rail infrastructure project grants for Watco subsidiary Ann Arbor Railroad and AluChem of Jackson Inc., as well as funding for Ohio Operation Lifesaver.
NTSB Determines Probable Cause for BNSF M/w Employee Fatality
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released the final report for its investigation of the Nov. 4, 2024, accident involving a BNSF maintenance-of-way (m/w) employee who was fatally struck by a BNSF freight train while driving a welding truck across a highway/rail grade crossing near New Rockford, N.Dak.
HTP Work Stoppage on the Way?
NEWARK, N.J. – Construction on the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), a key component of the Gateway Program, will “pause if disbursements of federal funds do not resume in the coming days,” the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) reported
NCDOT’s Rail Division Invests $16.3MM
RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Rail Division announced a $16.3 million investment into its rail infrastructure.
STB Rejects UP-NS Merger Application as ‘Incomplete‘ – Railway Age Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– The Surface Transportation Board has rejected the first version of the UP+NS merger application.
Kentucky Invests in Rail Safety, Industrial Development Projects
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has awarded nearly $3 million to railroads and local government to finance a total of nine highway/rail grade crossing and industrial development projects.
2026 MDOT Grade Crossing Surface Repair Recipients Announced
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced recipients for the 10th annual Local Grade Crossing Surface Program.
OIG: Amtrak Has Opportunities for Improvement on HTP
WASHINGTON, D.C. – An OIG report shows Amtrak can reduce risk and improve the Hudson Tunnel Project.
Short Line Tax Credit Modernization Bill Gains Momentum
WASHINGTON, D.C. – H.R. 516 and S. 1532 bills are gaining support in Congress.
South Dakota Railroad Board Approves $5.7M+ for High Plains Processing
MITCHELL, S.D. – The South Dakota Railroad Board approved a $5,710,700 loan to complete rail infrastructure for High Plains Processing in Mitchell.
MnDOT Seeking Applicants for Freight Rail Project Funding
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced it is encouraging applicants to apply for up to $4 million in state grant funding.
Save the Date—March 10, 2026
NEW YORK –– Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono previews Next Generation Freight Rail Conference in 2026.
Hoeven, Klobuchar to STB: ‘Closely Scrutinize’ UP+NS
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– An Oct. 30 letter to the Surface Transportation Board co-authored by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asks the STB to “closely scrutinize” the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, stressing “the potential disruptions to U.S. rail service resulting from a merger of this scale” and “the need for the STB to fully analyze the potential impact on long-term competition, including for agriculture producers, many of whom already face limited options for accessing rail service.”
Some Long Island Rail Road Employees Abusing Time Cards to Get Paid When Not Working
NEW YORK –– The MTA Inspector General’s office announced this week that a three-year investigation uncovered a “culture of fraud and abuse.”
ICC Approves Upgrades in Kankakee and Carroll Counties
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has approved upgrades in both Kankakee County and Carroll County.
Eric Gebhardt Headlines Third Annual TTC Conference & Tour
Nearly 300 professionals from freight and passenger railroads, industry suppliers and consultants, universities, and research organizations gathered in Pueblo, Colo., earlier this month for the Third Annual TTC Conference & Tour, reported host
Rail Infrastructure Grants Totalling $5.6M Issued by State of Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. –– The State of Kentucky this week issued more than $5.6 million in railway infrastructure grants.
Another POTUS 47 Firing—NMB This Time
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– National Mediation Board member Deirdre E. Hamilton, a Democrat, was fired Oct. 14 by POTUS 47, making her one of many legally questionable independent regulatory agency terminations by the POTUS. Hamilton’s departure leaves the three-member NMB with one Republican (Chairperson Loren E. Sweatt) and one Democrat (Linda Puchala).