Norfolk Southern continues to monitor Hurricane Delta

According to the New York Times, Louisiana has been hit by six major storms since June 2020, and the cleanup from Hurricane Laura, which hit the state in August, is still not

FRA publishes Final Rule on rail integrity and track safety standards

FRA is revising its regulations governing the minimum safety requirements for railroad track. The changes include allowing inspection of rail using continuous rail testing; allowing the use of flange-bearing frogs in crossing

Washington Metro chooses Hitachi Rail to build new cars

Metro has been looking for a manufacturer for the past two years to build its next group of rail cars. The Washington Post reports that last week, Metro chose Hitachi Rail. The

Plasser American Corporation expanding facilities in Chesapeake, Va.

A new era has begun with the signing of the contract to increase manufacturing capacities at Plasser American on August 28, 2020. The expansion is their commitment to the Chesapeake, VA site

U.S. intermodal traffic continues to show strength

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 3, 2020, as well as volumes for September 2020. U.S. railroads originated 1,119,546 carloads in September 2020,

Caltrain board considers options for addressing growing financial challenges

Ed. Note: The financial mess that most transit agencies have found themselves in as a result of the pandemic, and resulting plunges in ridership, are well known to most readers. Periodically, we

PS Technology releases Precision Train Builder

PS Technology (PST) has released Precision Train Builder, which the company says “is designed for analyzing derailments and improving the safety of train operations by physically accurate simulation. Precision Train Builder (PTB)

Norfolk Southern eyeing Tropical Storm Delta

Hurricane season is continuing to throw fast pitches in the Gulf Coast strike zone. Norfolk Southern released a service alert yesterday regarding Tropical Storm Delta, which is reproduced below. The New York

Canadian railroad grain movements blowing the doors off

Canada’s Class 1 railroads, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific are reporting record numbers for grain movements in the third quarter. Canadian National reported that it moved 7.76 million metric tons (MMT) (8.5

U.S. DOT: $10 million available to transit to address COVID concerns

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced the availability of $10 million in grant funding through a new Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program that will identify

Focused TS releases ‘LagEase’ battery-operated lag inserter

Focused Technology Solutions —a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway Company— is releasing their third battery-operated product to the rail market; the LagEase battery-operated lag inserter. Like FTS’ battery-operated tie drill, the DrillEase, the LagEase uses

VIA Rail Canada

Transportation Safety Board of Canada reports on 2019 VIA derailment

This week, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) reported that the April 2019 derailment of a VIA Rail passenger train traveling eastward at 60 mph on Canadian National’s (CN) New Castle

Vossloh supplies fastening systems for new heavy-haul line in Mongolia

Vossloh won a first contract for the supply of rail fastening systems for a heavy-haul line in Mongolia. The about 270 km long line will connect the Tavan Tolgoi with Gashuun Sukhait

American Society of Civil Engineers releases report on transportation infrastructure investment

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has just released a preliminary report on the investment gap in surface transportation investment, including transit, between what we’re spending now and what we should

Metra celebrates completion of Rock Island shops expansion

Government and Metra officials gathered yesterday to celebrate the expansion of its 47th/49th Street facilities, which serve as the mechanical shops where passenger cars and locomotives are rehabilitated for restoration to service.

Railroad intermodal traffic remains steady

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 26, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 518,290 carloads and intermodal units,

Watco continues to expand

Watco has just added to its network of short line railroads in the United States. The railroad is a new subsidiary of Watco called the Elwood, Joliet & Southern Railroad (EJSR), LLC.

Caltrain to hold virtual public meeting on bridge project

Caltrain will host a virtual public meeting to discuss the Marin & Napoleon Rail Bridge Improvement project on Wednesday, September 30. This meeting will allow local residents and community members to learn more

U.S. DOT announces over $1.2 million for capital improvements in Alaska

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has selected five projects in two states to receive more than $6.9 million in Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) Grants made available by the

Brightline in the middle of commuter rail discussions in Miami

Commuter rail and transit in Miami offers several rail options to move around different parts of the city and county. First, there is Metrorail, which offers rail transit service from southern Dade

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