BART photo

Transit Briefs: BART, MARTA, Amtrak, VIA Rail, WMATA, OC Transpo

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) announces new Safe & Clean plan. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s (MARTA) railcars head for Atlantic Ocean as part of Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Reef Project; Amtrak eyes restoring 63 more cars to active fleet; VIA Rail Canada Inc. (VIA Rail) increases service between Ottawa and London this fall; the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) adds more rail service; and OC Transpo faces a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.

NYMTA Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Lourdes Zapata

People News: MTA, NYMTA, NCDOT, AECOM

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) announces Red Line project leadership team and additions to Purple Line team. Also, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) appoints Lourdes Zapata as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer; Gov. Roy Cooper names Joseph R. “Joey” Hopkins as Secretary of North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT); and AECOM appoints Richard Barrett as Regional Chief Executive of its Canada business.

OLI Releases New Transit Rail Safety Posters

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) on Sept. 5 released five new transit posters in English and Spanish for nationwide use reminding transit riders to make safe choices when traveling on transit and commuter

“We’re proud to support construction technology that helps communities build transit projects more quickly,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Coalition of Organizations Call for DOT to Set Up Freight Office

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), along with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are calling for the establishment of the Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy, or Freight Office.

NYMTA photo

Transit Briefs: NYMTA, Amtrak, Tri-Rail, NFTA, PRT

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) combats “subway stupidity.” Also, Amtrak resumes service on the Adirondack Line; Tri-Rail takes added safety measures as it heads to downtown Miami; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) launches a new MetGo app; and Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) deploys mobile ticketing and validators across light rail powered by Masabi.

AAR: Rail Volumes Fall for Third Straight Month in August

“August was the third straight month in which total year-over-year U.S. rail carloads have fallen,” Association of American Railroads (AAR) Senior Vice President John T. Gray reported on Sept. 6. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 35 weeks of 2023 was 16,173,208 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 4.9% compared to last year.

BNSF photo

Argentine Alignments

RAILWAY AGE, SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE: IT systems at BNSF’s Argentine Yard improve efficiency and benefit customers.

NS Launches Safety and Community Grant Programs

Norfolk Southern (NS) has launched two new grant programs—the Safety First Grant Program and the Thriving Communities Grant Program—for first responders and community organizations across its 22-state network.

Class I Briefs: CSX, CPKC, NS, UP

CSX contributes to Hurricane Idalia relief. Also, Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s (CPKC) Hockey Tournament raises C$96,600 for Heart Beats Children’s Society; Norfolk Southern (NS) helps create an interactive rail exhibit at the Pullman State Historic Site and Pullman National Historical Park in Chicago; and Union Pacific (UP) seeks residents’ permission for extensive soil testing in the Fifth Ward.

TNW, Easy Recycling Announce Integrated Rail Services at TXNW Railway

TNW Corporation, a privately held operator of short line railroads and logistics centers on Sept. 5 announced that is has formed a strategic alliance with Easy Recycling Services to expand rail offerings at its Texas North Western Railway (TXNW) line in Sunray, Texas.

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