Will COVID-19 cripple chances of Austin’s Project Connect?
The future of Austin, Texas, is not going to change, it is just being delayed. City officials will turn to the public and ask if they want to still move forward with
City of Phoenix seeks virtual public input on light-rail project
The meeting might be virtual, but light-rail growth in the city of Phoenix is very real. Online public meetings began on May 27 and will run for about a month so officials
Rail traffic—a faint light at the end of the tunnel? ‘Perhaps,’ says AAR
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 23, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 428,715 carloads and intermodal units,
U.S. DOT announces $302.6 million in State of Good Repair grants
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced the recipients of more than $302 million in grant funds under the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program (Partnership
Measure would help infrastructure loan program for short lines, passenger rail
Legislation has been introduced that could help short line railroad companies and passenger lines with their infrastructure projects. The Railroad Rehabilitation and Financing Innovation Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate that
Indiana Rail Road and Venture Logistics win prestigious business development award for rail-served warehouse
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) selected the Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) as the winner of its 2020 Business Development Award, recognizing the INRD for its collaboration with
Railroad employment continues to shrink
Since before the worldwide pandemic hit, rail employment levels had been shrinking for many months. Declining traffic volume, especially reductions in coal movements, were considered the key culprits. Now, add the horrific
Settlements, problems, delays dim any bright side of L.A.’s Crenshaw Line
Settling with the contractor is creating one big money pit for L.A. Metro. The agency is looking for another $120 million for a $2.06 billion light-rail line from Mid-City to the South
Sunday Cinema: Railroad videos and pics of the week
We will start off in Ann Arbor, Mich., where workers installed a culvert under a railroad corridor in a 37-hour window. Work continues on the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire.
Bells & Whistles—5/22/20
Railroad track construction starts at Pikes Peak. Crews take just 36 hours to build tunnel system in Michigan. NTSB releases report on deadly train accident in N.Y. Discussions with Purple Line workers
Canadian National to offer new intermodal service between Moncton and Halifax
CN announced that, in collaboration with the Halifax Port Authority, stakeholders, ocean carriers and customers, it will offer integrated solutions through its Moncton yard aimed at reducing short-haul trucking in Halifax. “This
NRC names RailPros’ Erika Bruhnke to its board of directors
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) has appointed Erika Bruhnke, Vice President of Training Services with RailPros, to its Board of Directors. Ms. Bruhnke brings to the NRC board invaluable
Purple Line builders want millions in delay costs as negotiations continue
The two sides are talking, sometimes multiple times a day. However, Purple Line Transit Constructors (PLTC) is still planning on walking off the Purple Line project in Maryland. Negotiations are ongoing, and
Watch: Time-lapse video of 36-hour railroad construction in Ann Arbor, Mich.
There was an Amtrak train from Chicago due for arrival, and railroad construction crews in Ann Arbor, Mich., did just about everything in their power to keep it from stopping. Working with
Amtrak and PennDOT to restore Pennsylvanian and Keystone Service
In coordination with state partners at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, beginning June 1, Amtrak is fully restoring Pennsylvanian service (New York – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh) frequencies and Keystone Service (New York
Mega Fla. industrial site starts with railroad track construction
Earthmoving equipment is on the scene of a mega-industrial site in Gainesville, Fla. Crews are building railroad tracks that will include a spur that will feed into a future industrial park. As
$205 billion for high-speed rail? The idea has been granted a life
Congressman Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) is attempting to throw a lightning bolt into high-speed rail development in the U.S., an endeavor that has lost its charge over the last decade. Moulton introduced a
Pandemic to blame for Union Pacific layoffs at Bailey Yard
An “unspecified number of workers” are the latest casualties in railroad industry layoffs. These layoffs were in the mechanical department at Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, located in North Platte, Neb., according to
Railroad construction crews attack Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is full of activity these days when at one point it was passed off as dead. Construction crews have started laying track for the new $100 million Cog Railway, and
New short line railroad safety resource based on five years of data
Based on data collected from over five years of short line Safety Culture Assessments conducted, the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has developed and released a new resource for short line railroads,