In Alignment – Perfect Rail Symmetry Demands High-Quality Welding
RT&S AUGUST 2023 ISSUE – ATLANTA – While track maintenance has more than its fair share of challenges, it could perhaps be argued that rail welding is among the most challenging.
Technology
Caltrain Suspends Some Train Service to Expedite Electrification Project
SAN FRANCISCO –Caltrain announced this week that theywill suspend some service to help move the electrification project forward.
Mecalac’s New Next-Gen 216MRail Railroad Excavator
NORFOLK, Mass. – Mecalac introduces a powerful railroad excavator that can be operated both on and off the rails.
Kawasaki Announces Testing of Autonomous Track Geometry Monitoring System with BNSF
YONKERS, N.Y. – Kawasaki begins testing of its locomotive mounted autonomous track geometry monitoring system with BNSF.
Roanoke’s storied N&W locomotive shops seeing new use – Genesis Rail Services II moves in
ROANOKE – Norfolk Southern’s (née Norfolk & Western’s) locomotive shops in Roanoke, Va., originally known as the Roanoke Machine Works was the city’s largest employer and manufactured some of the best, most advanced steam locomotives to ride the rails.
‘Women in Rail’ Event Set for Nov. 2
CHICAGO – The industry conversation continues with Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail 2023—our first in-person Women in Rail conference covering the freight, passenger and transit rail sectors. The Nov. 2 conference, presented live at
Case Study of Autonomous Track Inspection Technology with MARTA and FTA to Gain Enhanced Safety and Asset Management
RT&S, JULY 2023 ISSUE – A team of researchers at TTC Operated by ENSCO worked with several partners to test autonomous track inspection technology.
Keeping on Top of Track Conditions from Down Under with ODIN
FORT WORTH, Texas – When it comes to safety at BNSF, there are many layers, starting from the ground up. Our Engineering team makes sure that our railroad track and all its components—roadbed, ballast, crossties, spikes, rail and more—are well maintained and dependable.
New technology revolutionizes elevator and escalator maintenance
SEATTLE –Transit stations are bustling hubs of activity, with thousands of passengers relying on elevators and escalators for efficient and seamless movement.
Nature’s Fury – Extreme Weather Can Ruin a Railroader’s Day
ATLANTA – A major challenge for the railroad industry is that it operates outside. Railroads build, own, and maintain their infrastructure, and when bad weather hits, it’s up to them to plan for and deal with it with their personnel and money.
KPA Constructors Awarded $3.7M Contract to Install Communication on LA Metro Project
LOS ANGELES – Through the CDABP, KPA Constructors was awarded a multi-million dollar contract to install radio communication system.
Tracks in the Sky: Overhead Lines Then and Now
SAN FRANCISCO – SFMTA’s transit service includes different types of vehicles, including regular buses, cable cars, and electric trolleys and buses that utilize overhead wires. Maintaining the overhead electric wires, an important part of the SFMTA infrastructure, and sometimes referred to as “tracks in the sky,” is a significant focus of the agency’s work.
MxV Rail, CSU Pueblo Establish Partnership to Focus on Education, Training, and Research
PUEBLO, CO – MxV Rail and Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a framework to work together cooperatively on future education, training, and research related to the safety, security, and innovation of rail transportation in the State of Colorado.
Balfour Beatty Awarded $60 Million On-Call Contract for Metrolink’s Passenger Rail System
LOS ANGELES – The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) awards Balfour Beatty an on-call installation service contract to deliver communication and signal systems installation services for the Metrolink regional passenger rail system.
Consortia Shortlisted for Surrey Langley SkyTrain Systems Contract
Three consortium have been shortlisted for the $2.91 billion project.
NYMTA Transit Tech Lab Releases Results of Operational Efficiency, Human Capital Utilization Challenges
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Partnership for NYC Transit Tech Lab on May 9 reported the results of its Operational Efficiency and Human Capital Utilization challenges, in which 15 companies have been selected to collaborate with regional transit agencies and test technologies, such as AI (artificial intelligence), LiDAR and edge computing, to “mitigate service disruptions, automate operations and combat workforce shortages.”
Loram Technologies to Launch Global Rail Campus
Loram Technologies, Inc. on May 3 held a groundbreaking ceremony in Georgetown, Tex., for its new Global Rail Campus, which will comprise a corporate office and facility for the production and manufacture of maintenance-of-way equipment and inspection technologies.
FRA to Railroads: Approval Required for PTC System Outages Under Certain Conditions
Railroads now must seek Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval before temporarily disabling their Positive Train Control (PTC) systems during infrastructure upgrades or capital projects, according to a notification in the Federal Register. A previous provision allowing them to just notify FRA of the disablement has expired.
NS Takes Home Technology Innovation Awards
Norfolk Southern (NS) late last month was presented with 2023 “Innovation-Driven Company” awards from the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) for its rail wear predictive analytics and digital train inspection programs.
Hall Joins PTSI as Route Learning System Project Manager
PTSI Transportation, a transportation management consultancy based in Rutherford NJ, announced that effective immediately, Ms. Em Hall has been appointed Product Manager of its Route Learning System™, and will also serve as Midwest Region Director for the company.