The Federal Railroad Administration Fourth Quarter 2019 PTC Progress Report on railroads’ self-reported progress toward fully implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) by the Dec. 31, 2020 statutory deadline shows that, of the 42 railroads required to implement PTC, most are operating their systems in revenue service, or in advanced field testing known as revenue service demonstration (RSD).
Feb. 27, 2020 marks 25 years of service, with more than 33 million cumulative rides, for San Diego North County Transit District (NCTD) COASTER regional/commuter rail service. NCTD is celebrating the anniversary with free service.
Following the controversial departure of Andy Byford as MTA New York City Transit on Feb. 21, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has appointed former Federal Railroad Administrator and MTA board member and Transit Committee Chair Sarah E. Feinberg as his interim replacement. Feinberg will oversee NYCT subway, bus and paratransit services and the Staten Island Railway, operated by a 48,000-person workforce.
Canada’s railroads, and by extension the Canadian economy, are suffering from the blockades that First Nations peoples have been imposing since early February in protest of planned natural gas pipelines. The effect on the Canadian economy runs in the hundreds of millions of dollars per day, according to calculations by railroad economist and Railway Age Contributing Editor Jim Blaze (see below). Canadian Pacific President and CEO Keith Creel has called upon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to honor First Nations leadership’s request to engage in a dialogue.
Norfolk Southern is closing its historic, 137-year-old Locomotive Shop in Roanoke, Va., transferring all locomotive work to its Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pa. NS predecessor railroad Norfolk & Western began operating the locomotive shop, then Roanoke Machine Works, in 1883. The railroad is also closing its associated Roanoke Distribution Center, which supports the shop as well as other mechanical department facilities across its system.
Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners has entered into a binding agreement to acquire intermodal infrastructure provider TRAC Intermodal (TRAC) and its subsidiaries from investment funds managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC. “The transaction will provide Stonepeak with an industry leader to strengthen its infrastructure and transportation market portfolio and TRAC with a new sponsor and support for future growth,” Stonepeak said. “TRAC’s existing management team will continue to run the business in their current capacities.”
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a final rule—49 CFR Part 271 [Docket No. FRA–2009–0038, Notice No. 7] RIN 2130–AC11—launching the Risk Reduction Program (RRP) “to support an increasing standard of safety for the nation’s freight railroads.” The final rule is effective April 20, 2020.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved New Jersey Transit to begin Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD) of its Positive Train Control (PTC) system, “moving NJT one step closer to meeting the federally mandated deadline of PTC certification by Dec. 31, 2020,” the agency announced Feb. 18.
Listen to Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono’s interview with 2020 Railroader of the Year Pat Ottensmeyer, President and CEO of Kansas City Southern. Pat talks about his efforts on behalf of
MTA New York City Transit retired the last remaining R42 subway cars from service on Feb. 12, 2020, ending a 51-year run that began in May 1969. The cars have been used on all NYCT B Division lines, each accumulating more than seven million service miles. After a sendoff ceremony at the New York Transit Museum, the official last run took place on the A line from Euclid Ave. to 207 St. and back.
