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Current photograph of Santa Fe Railway diesel-electric locomotive No. 93, (Courtesy of Wichita, Kans.-based Great Plains Transportation Museum)

Santa Fe No. 93 Restoration Under Way

A complete cosmetic restoration of the Santa Fe Railway diesel-electric locomotive No. 93 is well under way and expected to wrap up by spring or early summer, Wichita, Kans.-based Great Plains Transportation

Class I Briefs: BNSF, NS, CPKC, CN

BNSF and members of the Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU) intermodal group reach a new tentative labor agreement. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS) teams up with Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) to provide rail safety education; Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) participates in Canada’s Trade Mission to Mexico; and CN welcomes Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon to its campus in Winnipeg.

(Map Courtesy of GRTA)

STB Denies California Adverse Abandonment Request

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has denied a State of California agency’s application for third-party, or “adverse,” abandonment of Mendocino Railway’s (MRY) approximately 40-mile stub-ended rail line so that it can facilitate the development of a recreational trail on an adjacent rail corridor. The Board noted that, among other factors, “MRY has demonstrated a present and future need for use of its line” between Fort Bragg and Willits, Calif.

CSX in 2025 completed 75 training sessions and equipped 5,645 first responders with the skills and knowledge needed to handle railroad-related emergencies, the Class I railroad recently reported, sharing a specially produced video. (Screen grab from CSX video)

Class I Briefs: CSX, BNSF, CPKC

CSX trains thousands of first responders in 2025. Also, BNSF logged gains in grain last year; and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) continues testing biofuels.

Marc Molinaro (Photograph Courtesy of the U.S. Government)

FTA Administrator Molinaro Stepping Down

Marcus “Marc” J. Molinaro, confirmed last summer as the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) 16th Administrator, is stepping down Feb. 20. He reported his decision on X, the social media platform formerly known

Muni operates buses, light rail Metro trains, historic streetcars and iconic cable cars in San Francisco. (SFMTA Photograph)

For Bay Area Transit, a $590MM ‘Fiscal Bridge’ (UPDATED 2/20)

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on Jan. 30 reported reaching an agreement with the Office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s Department of Finance for a $590 million loan that will “avert major service cuts” at San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Caltrain, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Muni, and Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) during the 2026-27 fiscal year that begins July 1.

Construction is now under way along the entire Ontario Line in Toronto, which when complete will be a 9.7-mile (15.6-kilometer), 15-station stand-alone subway. (Map Courtesy of Metrolinx)

Transit Briefs: Metrolinx, HART, LACMTA, SEPTA

Metrolinx’s C$29.5 billion Ontario Line project advances in Toronto’s east end. Also, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) will study potential extensions to Skyline; the upcoming 2.3-mile Claremont extension of the LACMTA (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) A Line could generate more than $1 billion in economic output; and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) reports January ridership.

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HNTB Taps Deagostini, Fitzgerald to Advance CBTC Delivery

Julien Deagostini has joined HNTB as Senior Project Manager, and William Fitzgerald has joined as Technical Advisor, “strengthening the firm’s capabilities in planning, delivering and integrating communications-based train control (CBTC) for major rail operators.”

(Courtesy of BNSF)

Rail Traffic Uptick for Week 6

For Week 6 (ending Feb. 14, 2026), total U.S. rail traffic rose 6.2% from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads reported Feb. 18. This follows a two-week downturn.

Transit Briefs: Tri-Rail/SFRTA, Caltrain, Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act

The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) celebrates the groundbreaking of its first-ever transit-oriented development (TOD) adjacent to Tri-Rail’s Boca Raton Station. Also, Caltrain’s Electrification Project is awarded by the Associated General Contractors of California (AGC of California); and Maryland Governor Wes Moore testifies before the Senate Finance Committee in support of the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act.