Author: William C. Vantuono

With Railway Age since 1992, William C. Vantuono has broadened and deepened the magazine's coverage of the technological revolution that is so swiftly changing the industry. He has also strengthened Railway Age’s leadership position in industry affairs with the conferences he conducts, among them Next-Generation Train Control, Light Rail, and Rail Insights. He is the author or co-author or editor of several books, among them All About Railroading; John Armstrong’s The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does; Railway Age’s Comprehensive Railroad Dictionary; and Planning, Engineering, and Operating Light Rail, With Applications in New Jersey.

Conrail restores NJT service in less than three days

It took Conrail maintenance-of-way forces less than three days to repair heavy damage to its Lehigh Line, a busy main line used by New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line (RVL) passenger trains and CSX and Norfolk Southern freights, following the derailment of a 141-car CSX mixed freight late on the afternoon of Dec. 8.

  • M/W

ARRC elevates Hopp to COO

The Alaska Railroad (ARRC) has named Vice President of Engineering Clark Hopp as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective Jan. 1, 2018, when current COO Doug Engebretson retires.

  • News

Bomb explodes in NYC subway access tunnel

A pipe bomb exploded underneath the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey bus terminal in a subway access tunnel to New York City Transit’s A C and E lines at approximately 7:40 AM EST. The bus terminal and the affected subway lines were shut down and evacuated. NYCT re-routed several other subway lines that normally access the terminal.

NS Safety Train reaches 3,241 first responders

In 2017, Norfolk Southern provided free training to 3,241 firefighters, law enforcement, emergency management personnel and other first responders with the railroad’s Safety Train, described as “a rolling learning lab that helps communities prepare for and safely respond to potential rail incidents.”

Sound Transit finalizes Brookville contract

Sound Transit, Seattle, and Brookville Equipment Corp. have agreed to terms on a $26.5 million contract awarded Nov. 16 for design and manufacture of five Liberty Light Rail Vehicles for operation on a 2.4-mile extension of the agency’s 1.6-mile Tacoma Link line.

ZTR turns 30

On Dec. 4, ZTR Control Systems marked its 30th anniversary. The company was founded in 1987 by five coworkers who “suggested an idea for a new product that was ultimately rejected by the company they worked for at the time.”

NJT upping ALP-45DP fleet

New Jersey Transit is exercising an option with Bombardier Transportation for 17 ALP-45DP dual-power locomotives, to supplement its existing 35-unit fleet.

LIRR seeks M9A EMUs

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has issued an RFP (Request For Proposals) to prequalify firms for a minimum of 60 and up to 160 M9A married-pair (A Car – B Car) EMU (electric multiple-unit) railcars, structured as a base order with options.