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

The Jake Awards are named for the late Lowell S. "Jake" Jacobson, President and General Manger of the Copper Basin Railway. (Photograph Courtesy of ASLRRA)

Safety Roundup: ASLRRA Members Earn Jake Awards, SLSI Releases Systematic Review

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) on May 27 reported its annual Jake Safety Award recipients, recognizing 394 member railroads—out of some 600 small roads nationwide—for their above-industry-average safety performance in 2024;

FRA Acting Administrator Drew Feeley (right) sat down for a “fireside chat” with Emily Kimball, Partner-Global Regulatory for Hogan Lovells, at Railway Interchange 2025. (Marybeth Luczak Photograph)

FRA’s Feeley: ‘We Want to Follow Your Lead’

“When it comes to innovation, when it comes to testing, we want to be there with you as a partner, not as a punitive, prescriptive agency that is going to tell you

The Cummins QST30 power module for 1,000 h.p. to 1,500 h.p. repowers. (Not pictured is the cooling package, which was not brought to Railway Interchange 2025.)

Cummins Exhibits Switcher Power Module at Railway Interchange

The QST30 power module was among the Cummins products on display at Railway Interchange 2025, held May 20-22 in Indianapolis.

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.

Mike Bradford, DELMIA Strategic Business Development and Marketing Director for Dassault Systèmes, presented at Railway Interchange on May 21. (Marybeth Luczak Photograph)

Dassault Systèmes Spotlights ‘Virtual Twin’ Tech at Railway Interchange 2025

Mike Bradford of Dassault Systèmes on May 21 covered how virtual models, driven by AI (artificial Intelligence) and data sciences, are helping businesses—from freight and passenger railroads to suppliers—improve performance, boost efficiency,

Alvaro Senador-Gomez (center) is Siemens Mobility’s new President of Rail Infrastructure in North America. He joins his team at Railway Interchange in Indianapolis to showcase the company’s latest technology. (Photograph by Marybeth Luczak)

On the Record … With Alvaro Senador-Gomez, Siemens Mobility

Alvaro Senador-Gomez, Siemens Mobility’s new President of Rail Infrastructure in North America, kicked off Railway Interchange with Railway Age to talk high-speed rail in the U.S., digitalization, and the company’s latest signaling

RBMN Iron Horse Ramble with iconic Reading Company T-1 class #2102 steam locomotive. (William C. Vantuono Photograph)

RBMN Earns NRHS-Railway Age-RT&S Historic Preservation Award

The National Railway Historical Society, Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures have awarded Reading Blue Mountain & Northern (RBMN) their third annual Historic Preservation Award, which recognizes and honors a North

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