Railway Age is pleased to present the results of its first annual Readers’ Most Influential Leaders poll. We asked subscribers, through an online poll, to nominate active (non-retired) people from all areas of the North American railway industry they believe are the most influential. Here are highlights of the top 10; full profiles will appear in the May issue of Railway Age.
5G wireless communications will be a big part of the railway industry’s future. 5G systems will provide many new capabilities, higher reliability, lower latencies and ultra-broadband connectivity to support many new and important applications. But making 5G a reality and moving on from GSM-R or other legacy radio technologies is complex. The questions are, how soon, and what is the best route to get there? There are different aspects of the transition to consider.
Wabtec Corp. and Tronix3D are partnering to provide much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for Excela Health, a health system provider of advanced medical care in Pennsylvania. The partnership is leveraging additive technology to produce 1,000 face shields for the hospital this week, which are critical for frontline healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Trump on March 27 signed H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, into law, following swift passage in the House of Representatives by voice vote, and one day after the U.S. Senate passed the bill in a unanimous 96-0 vote. The CARES Act is a $2 trillion stimulus package that addresses the devastating economic and societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes many funding measures that directly benefit the railway industry—all modes, freight and passenger.
In response to a Petition from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a 60-day emergency waiver for certain requirements of FRA’s rail safety regulations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The petitioners, on behalf of their member railroads, requested relief from certain requirements of 49 CFR Parts 213, 214, 217, 218, 219, 220, 228, 229, 232, 234, 236, 239, 240, and 242.
A Union Pacific locomotive engineer based in the Pacific Northwest who had just received his notice of exemption from travel restrictions proudly told Railway Age Contributing Editor Bruce Kelly, “We’ve gone from building America to saving it.” This UP field employee in Train & Engine Service has embraced his railroad’s slogan, “Building America,” and his heartfelt statement takes it to a higher level—from motto to mantra.
MTA Metro-North Railroad President Cathy Rinaldi announced that as of March 14 Metro-North’s full Harlem and Hudson lines are operating in Positive Train Control (PTC), bringing Metro-North’s total of PTC-equipped route miles to 189, which represents 68% of its mileage.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently released its Congressionally mandated quarterly report on 42 railroads’ progress implementing Positive Train Control (PTC). Missing from media coverage and other commentary on that report is an in-depth review of the challenges that stand in the way of passenger railroads meeting the Dec. 31, 2020 PTC deadline. These are challenges that have repeatedly been documented in assessments by the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO), and that neither the FRA nor—at this juncture—more financial resources can overcome.
OneRail Coalition has completed its reorganization as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization and named its first board of directors.
Railway Equipment Company (RECo) in 2020 is marking 40 years in business. “Since our humble beginnings in 1980 developing switch heaters for local Minneapolis railroads to innovating crossing gate arms and lamps for the industry, RECo has lead the charge in developing new technology,” Chief Operating Officer Russ Gehl notes.
