‘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.

(Photograph Courtesy of BNSF)

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. 

(British Columbia Government Photograph)

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, Inc., hosted U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-Tex.; pictured) at a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Global Rail Campus in Georgetown, Tex.

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.

The Norfolk Southern Data Science and Engineering teams were presented with a 2023 Innovation-Driven Company award at the Technology Association of Georgia Technology Awards ceremony on March 29. (NS Photograph)

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.

Ian Jefferies, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads

AAR Outlines Key Class I Safety Actions

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on March 8 reported seven initial steps the Class I railroads are taking “to drive toward a future with zero incidents and zero injuries—one where what

CN is among the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program award recipients, and will receive C$300,000 to develop a “Climate-Induced Ground Hazard Risk Assessment Tool.” (Photograph Courtesy of CN via Twitter)

Transport Canada Allocates C$5.4MM for Rail Resiliency

Transport Canada is distributing up to C$5.4 million to 20 infrastructure projects country-wide that it says will make railroads “more resilient to extreme weather risks.”

Kawasaki Begins Autonomous Track Fastener Monitoring Test in North America

Kawasaki Track Technologies announced the start of testing of track fastener monitoring technology in North America. This technology, while installed on a locomotive, will capture high resolution pictures and provide the necessary data for Kawasaki to utilize machine learning algorithms to identify potential track fasteners that need to be inspected and repaired.

ENSCO Creates Brazilian Subsidiary

Railway inspection technology supplier ENSCO, Inc. announced Feb. 14 that it has created a new subsidiary, ENSCO Tecnologias do Brasil LTDA, that will serve Brazilian and South American railway customers.

ICC Approves Grade Crossing Projects in Logan, Randolph Counties

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Feb. 6 reported signing off on stipulated agreements to improve safety at highway/rail grade crossings in Logan and Randolph counties.

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