Canadian Pacific to improve brake tests
On February 4, 2019, a Canadian Pacific grain train derailed while rolling through Kicking Horse Pass, which is close to Field, B.C. All three crew members were killed. The tragedy began shortly
Technology
Siemens Mobility and Ondas Networks bring next-gen wireless to North American Rail Market
Ondas Networks’ Mission-Critical IoT (MC-IoT) radio technology to be featured in new Siemens-branded portfolio of radio products – available by year-end. Portfolio will include new dual-mode radios that implement Siemens Mobility’s ATCS
Cyberattacks may threaten operation of rail freight network
Operating a freight railroad has always been a challenge. While the North American network is generally safe and well-maintained, there are multiple headaches to deal with. Maintaining a sound right-of-way to minimize
Workers at LIRR’s Third Track project battle coronavirus head on the right way
You are not supposed to be able to work around something you can’t see, but the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic while still working on its
U.S. Department of Energy says that Bakken crude is no more volatile than other types of oil
The Department of Energy submitted a report to Congress on Tuesday that concluded, essentially, that Bakken crude oil is not any more volatile than other types of oil. The study was done
Is Ottawa’s Trillium Line the most efficient single-track line in North America? One expert seems to think so
The new light rail line in the city of Ottawa, Canada, has finally been put on the map the way officials had hoped. For months the rail line has been criticized for
WABTEC and TRONIX3D partner to provide PPE for local health system
Wabtec Corporation and Tronix3D are partnering to provide much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for Excela Health, a leading health system provider of advanced medical care in Pennsylvania. The partnership is leveraging
ZTR and BlackBerry team up to offer railcar monitoring
ZTR, a market leader in delivering innovative locomotive modernization solutions, and BlackBerry Limited , a trusted security software company, are combining their proven technology expertise to offer railcar owners, operators and suppliers
MacAllister Railroad Machinery named distributor of Gradall Machines
Gradall Industries, Inc., has named MacAllister Railroad Machinery as an authorized distributor for Gradall TrackStar Railway Maintenance Machines as well as factory-authorized parts and service.
HDR statement on coronavirus
HDR, an engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services company is familiar to many railroaders. Like most companies, they have issued a statement on how they’re dealing with coronavirus. Here is their statement,
Canadian Pacific announces virtual meeting of shareholders
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited announced yesterday that it has completed the filing of its notice of meeting and management proxy circular for CP’s 2020 annual meeting of shareholders with Canadian and U.S.
Metro-North’s Harlem, Hudson lines fully PTC-equipped
MTA Metro-North Railroad President Cathy Rinaldi announced that as of March 14 Metro-North’s full Harlem and Hudson lines are operating in Positive Train Control (PTC), bringing Metro-North’s total of PTC-equipped route miles
Coronavirus impacts Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific headquarters
The headquarters offices of both Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific have been impacted by the coronavirus, but in different ways.
Union Pacific pledges science-based targets to reduce emissions for a more sustainable future
Union Pacific recently announced its intention to set science-based targets to determine how much and how quickly the company will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to support global climate change goals. A
CSX successfully implements train inspection technology
For several years, Class 1 railroads have been searching for and experimenting with various types of machine vision along the tracks to identify any problems with a train while it is moving
Norfolk Southern debuts autonomous track inspection technology mounted on locomotive
Norfolk Southern announced that it has achieved a breakthrough in track inspection technology that will enhance railroad safety and operating efficiencies.
RailWorks reports data breach
RailWorks, a company specializing in rail transit and track, suffered a ransomware attack and data breach on January 27, 2020, according to a report in the computer journal, BleepingComputer, an information security
FRA Publishes Q4 2019 PTC Implementation Status Updates
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today released a quarterly status update on railroads’ self-reported progress, as of December 31, 2019, toward fully implementing positive train control (PTC) systems
NJ Transit says it will have PTC installed by deadline
On January 31, RT&S reported that a New Jersey state auditor report questioned whether NJ Transit would be able to meet the December 31, 2020 deadline for the installation operation of positive train
PTC in operation on over 98 percent of required Class 1 route miles
According to the Association of American Railroads, PTC is up and running on over 98 percent of the Class 1 rail mileage required by law to have it. Here is a AAR