North Carolina looks to benefit from Virginia/CSX deal via high-speed rail
There are plenty of moments to cheer when you are on the sidelines. Last week, the state of Virginia landed a game-changing deal with CSX, and now North Carolina is hoping it
CSX suffers two train derailments in 48 hours
There have been a couple of train derailments over the last 48 hours, both of them involving CSX trains. In West Virginia, rail cars fell into the Potomac River on Saturday, Dec.
Union Pacific wants to bail out of running Metra lines
The Chicago Daily Herald is reporting that Metra, the commuter rail agency for Chicago, may need to begin operating three more of its eleven routes into the city. The three routes in
Bells & Whistles, 12/20/19
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Canadian National reports network recovery from strike
Canadian National announced today that less than a month after the end of the 8-day labour action, performance indicators have normalized to pre-strike ranges indicating that train movements have recovered.
FRA launches web portal for public to report blocked crossings
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced it has established a new, dedicated webpage for the public and law enforcement to report blocked highway-rail grade crossings.
Virginia commits to passenger rail behind mega deal with CSX
The state of Virginia realizes that if it wants to expand passenger rail service in the region it needs to take ownership of the situation. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced an agreement
Democrats intensify their concern over LNG shipment by rail
Politico is reporting that the House Transportation Committee sent a letter to the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency requesting a comprehensive review and analysis of the feasibility and advisability of moving
FRA announces proposed rules for updating track and brake standards
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced issuance of two Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to promote safety innovation and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens. The first proposal would update the current Track
Wet leaves on rail? Long Island Rail Road zaps them
Wet leaves are more like a wet blanket around commuter railroad operations, especially for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). During the fall, it is not uncommon to read about train delays
High-speed maglev project paused for more design and engineering details
A high-speed superconducting magnetic levitation system (maglev) between Washington and Baltimore is still in the works. However, right now it is up to the engineers to hold the project up. That’s because
AAR traffic report for week ending December 14, 2019
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 14, 2019. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 520,589 carloads and intermodal units,
Toyota says U.S. railroads engaged in price-fixing
The Jacksonville Business Journal reports that Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. says that major U.S. railroads colluded to fix prices. Specifically, the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of
U.S. DOT initiates low-cost loan program for short line railroads
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) last week announced a new pilot program to expedite long-term, low-cost loans for America’s short line and regional freight railroads. The Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Financing
Contractors Massman, R.J. Corman claim project awards from NRC
Each year the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association recognizes exemplary performance among member contractors, their employees and retirees by presenting a series of awards. The NRC is pleased to announce the
What? Me worry? Despite I-976 Sound Transit hauls in big money from U.S. DOT
Despite the passage of Initiative 976 in the state of Washington, Sound Transit is still taking in major funding for light rail projects. The U.S. DOT just finalized $1.4 billion worth of
Union Pacific completes PTC implementation on its system
Union Pacific recently completed Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation, activating its final track segment. The technology is now implemented on all the company’s federally mandated rail lines, including required passenger train routes.
Canadian farmers say rail strikes should be illegal
The Canadian news agency, CBC, is reporting that Canadian farmers, hammered by the week-long strike at Canadian National by members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, is looking to federal government regulation
Virgin Trains USA could start construction of high-speed line in Calif., Nev., in late 2020
Virgin Trains USA now believes it can start construction of a 170-mile, $4.8 billion high-speed train line from Victorville, Calif., to Las Vegas as early as third quarter 2020.