Ballast maintenance

Ballast maintenance update: Better, faster ballast

Suppliers and contractors aim to provide railroads with efficient ballast delivery methods and long-lasting solutions. Here’s a look at what’s happening in ballast maintenance in 2019.

SOGR backlog

Amtrak state of good repair backlog tops $33.3 billion

There’s a lot of work to be done on Amtrak. The railroad said its state of good repair backlog (SOGR) has passed $33.3 billion, with $28.1 billion of that on the Northeast

Midwest flood

Midwest floods have maintenance crews scrambling to restore track

Record-setting floods have caused extensive damage to railroad infrastructure across large sections of the Midwest, prompting a surge in construction and repair work.

Shortline maintenance track joint

Shortline Maintenance: Focus on the Fundamentals

Shortlines rely on track inspection, efficient use of resources, application of the industry’s best practices, and compliance with railroad rules and federal regulations to meet day-to-day and long-term track maintenance challenges.

DART

DART rail replacement scheduled for Downtown Dallas

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will carry out rail replacement work during weekends beginning March 30 and continuing into September of 2019.

Rail milling cutting head

The anatomy of a rail milling cutting head

Rail milling is a spark- and dust-free rotational cutting process that is popular in Europe. In this article, we look at the key item that makes it work.

SpikeEase

‘SpikeEase’ pulls in big orders

Focused Technology Solutions is the recent winner of four major contracts for the first ever battery-operated spike puller, the “SpikeEase.”

rail milling machine

Rail milling comes to North America

There has been talk for years about if and when rail milling technology would be coming to America. Well, the talking is over. A milling machine, the product of a joint venture

Tie Marking

Tie-marking technology captures attention of maintenance teams

Norfolk Southern, looking to improve efficiency in tie replacement, is the first Class 1 railroad to adopt new automated tie-marking technology from Georgetown Rail (GREX.)

rail grinding

Refining Approaches to Corrective and Preventive Rail Grinding

Railroads and transit systems are adopting innovative approaches to improve efficiency and productivity. As service providers look to better define grind quality. When it comes to correcting or maintaining the profile and

Norfolk Southern

Pittsburgh and Norfolk Southern spar over maintenance; Politician seeks investigation

A Pittsburg politician has suggested that Norfolk Southern fails to follow up when its own inspections show damage to tracks or bridges.

Friction Management

Getting a Grip on Friction Management

Friction management remains one of the best tools available to reduce wear, lateral track loading and energy consumption. Managing friction is a balancing act. Too much friction (resulting from little or no

Vegetation management for railroads: Weeding out the problem

Though the winter months can pose additional challenges for railroads, vegetation management requires efforts year-round. This month, RT&S highlights the recent developments in brush fighting equipment and weed controlling herbicides, in addition

rail defect

Research: Future of Weibull Defects Analysis in the Railway Industry

Editor’s Note: From time to time we will publish cutting-edge research in the world of rail engineering. In this piece, researchers ponder the possible flaws of Weibull analysis in preventing defect-caused derailments.

MARTA taps RailWorks to perform rail upgrades

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has awarded RailWorks Corp., a provider of rail track construction and maintenance services, with a seven-year, $133 million contract to carry out upgrades along MARTA’s

Rep. Courtney visits NECR to view upgrade progress

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) visited the New England Central Railroad (NECR) near Stafford Springs, Ct., on Oct. 22, to view progress the shortline has made to upgrade the rail line between

Groundbreaking ceremony held for Presidio International Rail Bridge

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Texas Pacifico Transportation, LTD. (TXPF) held a groundbreaking event Oct. 22 for the reconstruction of the international rail bridge at Presidio, Texas.

Rehab planned for bridge carrying MBTA Franklin Line

The East Street Bridge that carries the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Franklin Commuter Rail Line will undergo weekend work Oct. 19 and Nov. 9, MBTA has announced.

Upgrade for Northern Lines crossings

A Midwest shortline operator will see grade crossings upgraded, per plans by a state transportation office.

Metra forms P3 to test reverse-commute service to Lake County

Metra has reached an agreement with Lake County business and civic organizations to split the costs of a potential two-year pilot project for two new reverse-commute trains along its Milwaukee District North

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