NS Confers 2023 Safe Shipping Award
Norfolk Southern (NS) has awarded its 2023 Thoroughbred Chemical Safety Award to 59 customers, recognizing their safe handling of rail-shipped hazardous materials.
Author: Marybeth Luczak
Three Teams Shortlisted for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension-SRS Contract
Canada’s Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx on Sept. 27 reported issuing a Request for Proposals (RPF) for the Stations, Rail and Systems (SRS) package for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, which will bring future Eglinton Crosstown LRT service 5.7 miles (9.2-kilometers) farther west, creating a transit line that will run from Scarborough all the way into Mississauga. Three teams have been prequalified and invited to bid.
Watco Roundup: WSOR, BHRR
Watco, a transportation and logistics company based in Pittsburg, Kans., recently reported the opening of subsidiary Wisconsin & Southern’s (WSOR) newest locomotive shop and the upcoming launch of a $1.9 million warehouse at Port Birmingham (Ala.), to be served by subsidiary Birmingham Terminal Railway (BHRR).
OKRL Replacing BNGR on Oklahoma Rail Line
The Oklahoma & Kansas Railroad, LLC (OKRL), a subsidiary of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, LCC (Rock Island), will lease and operate approximately 37.26 miles of rail line owned by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (OKDOT) and Blackwell Industrial Authority (BIA), according to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which has approved the transaction.
Report: USDOT Calls on Appeals Court to Reject Petitions Against its Two-Person Crew Rule
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reject petitions that seek to vacate its two-person crew rule, according to a Law360 report. The rule, issued earlier this year by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), was issued to establish “minimum safety requirements for the size of train crews.”
FRA Advances Brightline West Project With Signed Agreement
Brightline West on Sept. 26 reported that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has officially signed the $3 billion grant agreement awarded in December 2023 for its 218-mile high-speed rail project linking Nevada
People News: Amtrak, STV
Amtrak elevates Byl Herrmann to Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Also, professional services firm STV hires Miguel Santiago as Vice President and Newark, N.J., Area Manager for the Transportation Northeast Operating Group.
NY MTA Eyes $68.4B Capital Plan for 2025-29 (UPDATED 9/26)
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Sept. 18 released its proposed 2025-2029 Capital Plan that would invest $68.4 billion in rebuilding, improving, and expanding its system of subways, buses, commuter railroads, bridges, and tunnels. It would put the agency “on a path to state of good repair,” with investments in railcars, power, and signals; improve the customer experience, with investments in accessibility, stations, and modern fare gates; and take action on climate change, including resilience and sustainability initiatives, MTA said. While covering the cost of the plan is still in question, the MTA Board approved it on Sept. 25.
Mount Vernon Railroad Launches, Serves Southwest Indiana Port
The Ports of Indiana and OmniTRAX on Sept. 25 reported the name of their new switching railroad serving customers at the southwest Indiana port: Mount Vernon Railroad.
NTSB Determines Probable Cause for March 2023 NS Derailment
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Sept. 25 released the final report for its investigation of the March 9, 2023, derailment of a Norfolk Southern (NS) train on the Alabama East End District