Author: Marybeth Luczak

WMATA on May 23 brought Automatic Train Operation (ATO) to the Green and Yellow lines, following what it called “rigorous internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.” (WMATA Photograph)

Transit Briefs: WMATA, LACMTA, Metrolink, Trinity Metro

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) launches Automatic Train Operation (ATO) on the Green and Yellow lines. Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) releases new details about its Sepulveda Transit Corridor project; Metrolink, Southern California’s regional passenger rail system, offers riders customized service alerts; and Trinity Metro’s Richard W. Andreski joins the Executive Committee of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Board of Directors.

(BNSF Photograph)

AAR: North American Rail Volume Rises Through Week 21

North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 21 weeks of 2025 (ending May 24) was up 3.3% from the prior-year period, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest rail traffic report. While the United States and Canada both saw gains, Mexico experienced a loss.

Fort Gibson, Okla.-based Port Muskogee. (Photograph Courtesy of OmniTRAX)

OmniTRAX Lands PMR Operator Contract

OmniTRAX on May 28 reported that it is the exclusive operator of Port Muskogee’s Port Muskogee Railroad (PMR) in Oklahoma. Under a signed Railroad Facilities Operating Agreement with the Port, PMR becomes

RSI President Jim Riley (far right) moderated a fireside-chat style session with (left to right) Benji Schwartz, Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy, APTA; Greg Regan, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO; Robert Pearsall, Partnerships Director, USHSR; and Husein Cumber, Senior Advisor, Brightline Holdings. (Marybeth Luczak Photograph)

How to Position Passenger Rail for Federal Funding

Navigating passenger rail funding in a new political landscape was the theme of a May 21 session at Railway Interchange 2025. The Railway Supply Institute (RSI), one of the three associations hosting the event, brought together executives from Brightline Holdings, U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) to discuss how companies can adapt.