STB Dismisses BNSF, NTEC Case (UPDATED Dec. 14)

BNSF and Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC (NTEC) last month told the Surface Transportation Board (STB) that they had reached a settlement agreement to resolve their common carrier dispute. The STB on

UP, AAR Take STB to Court Over ‘Final Offer Rate Review’ Rule

The U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit is hearing a case brought by Union Pacific (UP) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) that challenges the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) Final Offer

(Norfolk Southern Photograph)

North American Rail Volume Decline Continues Through Week 49: AAR

Through the first 49 weeks of 2023 (ending Dec. 9), total North American carload and intermodal traffic fell 2.8% from the same period last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 13. The U.S. and Canada saw declines, while Mexico experienced a gain.

SBCTA’s first ZEMU train (pictured) arrived in the U.S. in September and is being tested at the DOT Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo. (ENSCO Photograph). The agency recently awarded a contract for a hydrogen storage and transfer system that will be used to fuel the ZEMU. (ENSCO Photograph)

Transit Briefs: SBCTA, SCVTA, Sound Transit, VIA Rail

San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) advances its hydrogen infrastructure project ahead of ZEMU (Zero-Emission Multiple Unit) train service in California. Also, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) lands a $2.98 million grant for the Tidal Marsh Restoration Project; Seattle’s Sound Transit launches an online open house for an access improvements project at Sounder commuter rail’s South Tacoma Station; and Saskatchewan mayors consider a new route for VIA Rail Canada’s Canadian intercity passenger rail service.

Cando’s new multi-purpose terminal in Lethbridge, Alberta, has 1,700 railcar spots and will offer daily services for railcar staging and storage, including unit-train storage, as well as other services such as windmill transloading and railcar repair. (Cando Photograph)

Cando Adds 12th Rail Terminal

Cando Rail & Terminals (Cando) on Dec. 13 reported acquiring its 12th multi-purpose terminal, Southwest Alberta-based Transmark, which adds capacity to its network and provides access to the Rocky Mountains, Western provinces and Pacific Northwest regions

OLI Issues Rail Safety Week 2023 Report

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) has published a results report on this year’s observance of Rail Safety Week (Sept. 18-24, 2023), which it said “reached millions of people with lifesaving rail safety messaging”

“Rural communities face some of the toughest transportation challenges, yet are often left out of major federal investments, a pattern that we are changing that under President Biden’s leadership,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Dec. 12. “The grants we’re announcing today will make transportation in rural communities better, safer and more reliable.”

USDOT Awards $25.5MM in Rail-Related Rural Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Dec. 12 reported funding 18 projects—two freight rail-related—as part of its FY 2023-24 Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (Rural), which is distributing a total of

“Our manufacturing operations are North American based, serving the needs of the freight and passenger rail industry,” NYAB President and CEO Ulisses Camilo said. “The new Springfield, Mo., center [for the Snyder Equipment division; pictured] is one more way we continue to address customer demand at the highest level possible today and tomorrow. (NYAB Photograph)

Supply Side: Snyder Equipment, VHB

Snyder Equipment, a division of New York Air Brake (NYAB), celebrates a new manufacturing center in Springfield, Mo. Also, VHB opens a larger office in Newark, N.J.

MTC, BART Advance Clipper® BayPass Pilot Program

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is the first employer to sign up for Clipper BayPass, the Bay Area’s first unlimited regional transit pass, according to San Francisco Bay Area Rapid

CN “EcoChampions” over the past two years have found smarter ways to improve safety in Winnipeg—protecting their team, rail assets and the environment, according to the Canadian Class I railroad. (CN Image)

Class I Briefs: CN, CSX, NS

CN “EcoChampions” reduced waste, conserved energy and improved safety at the Canadian Class I’s CargoFlo facility in Winnipeg. Also, CSX teamed with Nutrien to boost asset utilization and business, and marked a safety milestone in Orlando, Fla.; and Norfolk Southern (NS), Amtrak and two railcar owners ran a holiday train across New York’s Capital Region.

LOAD MORE