(Courtesy of POLB)

POLB: Cargo Volumes ‘Steady’ Through October (UPDATED 11/13)

“Shifting trade policies have brought uncertainty to consumers and the supply chain, but cargo continues to move smoothly,” California’s Port of Long Beach (POLB) reported Nov. 7.

Société de transport de Montréal in Canada “is aiming to reach agreements with the unions for bus drivers and maintenance workers by Nov. 15, in order to put an end to the month-long strike,” CBC News reported Nov. 7. (Photograph Courtesy of STM)

Transit Briefs: STM, CTA, CATS, Government of Canada

Société de transport de Montréal (STM) in Canada seeks an end to the Metro and bus strikes. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will offer 24-hour rapid transit service to Midway Airport; Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in North Carolina is providing mobile transit passes to community members with SNAP and WIC benefits; and the government of Canada’s Budget 2025 proposes a renewal of the Canada Strong Pass for the holiday season.

(Courtesy of Caltrain)

Caltrain: ‘Cuts to Come’ Without External Funding

Caltrain at its recent Board Meeting outlined “significant service cuts and operational impacts,” including the potential elimination of weekend service and of half-hourly trains, “to reduce budget shortfalls despite strong ridership recovery

WMATA is honoring veterans with patriotic wraps for trains and buses, plus MetroAccess vans. (Rendering Courtesy of WMATA)

Transit Briefs: TTC, WMATA, TriMet, WVU

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow launches an action plan to boost safety across the city’s transit system. Also, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) honors veterans with patriotic trains and buses for Veterans Day; Kroll Bond Rating Agency affirms its highest rating for Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon’s (TriMet) payroll tax revenue bonds; and West Virginia University (WVU) celebrates five decades of PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) service.

Fortescue to Take Delivery of Progress Rail BELs

Two battery-electric locomotives (BELs) from Progress Rail’s Brazilian plant are bound for Fortescue’s mining operations in the Pilbara region of Australia. The EMD® Joule series units are due for arrival in December,

“Our Holiday Trains have become an annual tradition for our riders and their families, and we are happy to be operating them again,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski (pictured right during the 2024 event). “It’s our way to spread a little holiday joy and thank our riders for making Metra part of their lives all year.” (Metra Photograph Via Instagram)

Transit Briefs: MDOT MTA, Phoenix Valley Metro, Metrolink, Metra

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) releases an updated regional transit plan. Also, a recent customer service survey highlights security progress across Valley Metro’s Phoenix, Ariz.-based system; and Southern California’s Metrolink and Chicagoland’s Metra commuter railroads are rolling out holiday trains.

(CN Photograph)

Class I Briefs: CN, CSX, UP, NS

CN, along with customers, partners, and Canadian farmers, breaks its all-time record for grain shipped in a single month. Also, CSX and Watco team to deliver growth and value; Union Pacific (UP) Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales Kenny Rocker provides customers with a railroad status report; and a Norfolk Southern (NS)-supported civil and human rights center expands.

At ASLRRA’s recent Central and Pacific Region Meeting, which included more than 300 attendees, ASLRRA Executive Board Members Otis L. Cliatt II (pictured, left; VP, Pacific Region) and Matthew O. Walsh (second from right; Chair) and ASLRRA President Chuck Baker (right) presented the Belt Railway Company of Chicago with the President’s Award in the “More than 500,000 Person-Hours Worked” category. Accepting the safety award were Junior Software Developer Mason Myre, Assistant Chief Mechanical Officer Robert Perham, Superintendent Jason Charbonneau and Manager of Signals Jorge Guerrero (second through fifth from left, respectively). (Photograph Courtesy of ASLRRA)

ASLRRA Members Honored for 2024 Safety Performance

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) presented President’s Safety Awards to members at its Central and Pacific Region Meeting, held Nov. 3-5 in New Orleans, La., and at its Eastern and Southern Region Meeting, held Sept. 9-11 in Charlotte, N.C.

(CN Photograph)

AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Slightly Through Week 44

North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 44 weeks of 2025 (ending Nov. 1) was up 2.0% 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.

While SC Ports enjoyed significant accomplishments in 2025, there are still challenges to navigate, President and CEO Micah Mallace acknowledged during his first State of the Port address. (Photo Courtesy of English Hurteau)

Intermodal Briefs: Lowndes County PA, SC Ports

Lowndes County Port Authority (PA) and Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) advance a $14.1 million rail spur project in Mississippi. Also, South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) President and CEO Micah Mallace details a growth plan in his first State of the Port address.

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