Railroads Prepping for Strike Action: AAR (UPDATED)

The six Class I freight railroads participating in national bargaining will begin taking steps as early as Sept. 12 to manage and secure shipments of hazardous and security-sensitive materials “in light of the possibility of a rail labor strike,” the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said the evening of Sept. 9. The SMART-Transportation Division (TD) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen spoke out on embargoes* on Sept. 11.

NTSB Chair Homendy and NTSB investigators, along with investigation party members, walk the accident scene of the June 27 grade crossing collision and derailment between an Amtrak passenger train and dump truck near Mendon, Mo. (Photograph and Caption Courtesy of NTSB, via Twitter, June 29)

NTSB Investigation of Amtrak Southwest Chief Derailment Under Way, BNSF Track Opens, Lawsuits Filed (UPDATED July 1)

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief train 4 traveling eastbound from Los Angeles to Chicago on June 27 derailed after striking a dump truck that was obstructing a public grade crossing in Missouri.

Hitachi Rail, in partnership Intermodal Telematics, offers new digital railcar telematics products to provide GPS tracking and operational status information. (Image Courtesy of Hitachi Rail)

Hitachi Rail Debuts Digital Rail Products at RSSI

Hitachi Rail launched a new PTC onboard system and digital railcar telematics, and introduced enhancements to its current communications and signaling product line at this week’s Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. exhibition in Kansas City, Mo.

“With thermal detector technology, we can gather more data about the health of brakes on a moving train than can be collected from a visual inspection,” BNSF EVP and COO Matt Igoe reported.

Watch: BNSF Brake Health Pilot Program

BNSF is conducting a pilot safety program approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal detector technology for monitoring brake health.

STB Approves CSX-Pan Am Combination

All five Surface Transportation Board members on April 14 signed off on CSX’s proposal to acquire Pan Am Systems, Inc., and its short line railroad subsidiaries, effective May 14.

Railway Age 2022 Short Line and Regional Railroads of the Year: VTR, SKOL

Railway Age’s 2022 Short Line of the Year is the Vermont Railway (VTR). Our Regional of the Year is the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL), a Watco subsidiary.

Suspect in NYC Subway Shooting Apprehended (UPDATED)

Frank R. James, the suspect initially considered a “person of interest” in connection with the April 12 Brooklyn, N.Y. subway shooting that sent 23 people to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries (10 were shot and 13 were injured in the rush to get out of the 36 Street N Line station in Sunset Park or suffered from smoke inhalation or panic attacks) has been captured.

Commentary

Point/Counterpoint: STB Annual Rail Rate Index Study

Editor’s Note: The following is the conclusion to a respectful exchange of ideas between former Surface Transportation Board Director and Chief Economist Dr. William Huneke and Jay Roman, President of Escalation Consultants, Inc. about the

25 UNDER 40

RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2022 ISSUE: Railway Age is proud to recognize 25 “Fast Trackers” Under 40 in 2022.

Pictured: Parallel’s prototype railcar loaded with a shipping container. (Photo courtesy of Parallel Systems)

Parallel Testing Autonomous Battery-Electric Freight Cars

Culver City, Calif.-based Parallel Systems is testing autonomous battery-electric railcars for short-haul freight operations, and has raised $49.55 million in Series A funds to help build a fleet, continue testing and grow the company, it reported on Jan. 19.

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