Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) releases its annual Sustainability Report. Also, the majority of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) PATH riders are now using the commuter rail’s new tap-and-go fare payment system; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad unveils its fifth heritage locomotive.
Norfolk Southern (NS) on July 11 released its latest “Forging a Better Tomorrow” report, detailing the Class I’s progress on “advancing its first Climate Transition Plan (CTP), enhancing safety and investing in its communities.”
Construction has begun on a $634.8 million project to replace the Livingston Avenue Rail Bridge, which will replace the Civil War-era passenger rail bridge spanning the Hudson River between the cities of Albany and Rensselaer and provide a “modern crossing that will improve service and reliability along New York State’s Empire Corridor and throughout the entire Northeast.”
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on July 12 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that makes available more than $153 million in funding for the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program.
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) completes its $62.4 million rail capacity optimization project at the Port of Montreal. Also, Port of Long Beach’s (POLB) data project receives $7.875 million to help speed cargo deliveries.
The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and the Purple Line project team on July 11 celebrated the arrival of the first Purple Line light rail vehicle (LRV).
CSX on July 11 announced that it has joined the RailPulse™ Coalition, becoming the fourth Class I railroad and the eleventh member of the coalition, which was established in late 2020 “to develop, broaden and accelerate the use of GPS and other telematics technologies on railcars that increase safety, efficiency, and visibility across North America’s freight rail industry.”
Light rail testing is under way on LA Metro’s Foothill Gold Line extension from Azusa to Pomona. Also, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) now offers a Youth Opportunity Pass for teens to explore their hometown; and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) celebrates 60 years of improving communities through its Federal Transit Program.
Norfolk Southern (NS) launches a Public Private Partnership (PPP) team. Also, CSX’s Jacksonville, Fla., team assembles care packages for troops deployed overseas.
Norfolk Southern (NS) on July 10 endorsed the national safety policy recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as part of the agency’s investigation of the 2023 East Palestine derailment. The recommendations, NS says, “align with safety initiatives currently under way at the railroad designed around the principles of accident prevention, mitigation and response.”