ASLRRA Honors Safety Person of the Year
Matthew Lane, General Manager of Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR), has earned 2025 Safety Person of the Year from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).
news
STV Opens Jacksonville Office
STV on Feb. 12 reported opening a new 9,844 square-foot office in Jacksonville, Fla., which will support infrastructure projects across the state. This is the sixth Florida location for the professional services
Transit Briefs: CATS, CTA, DART
Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) Red Line commuter rail project advances with financing approved for right-of-way acquisition. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) completes final plans for a new community space, as part of its Red and Purple Modernization Phase One Project; and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) unveils a modernization program focused on vehicles, stations and passenger facilities, resiliency, a unified signaling system, and operating facilities.
AAR: Carloads Down, Intermodal Up for Week 6
Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 8, 2025 (Week 6) was up 3.7% from the prior-year period, with intermodal gains offsetting carload losses, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest report.
Wabtec: ‘Strong’ 4Q24, Full-Year Results
Wabtec Corp. on Feb. 12 reported “strong” fourth-quarter 2024 results that included 350-plus bps (basis points) of adjusted operating margin expansion, mid-single-digit revenue growth and a double-digit adjusted EPS (earnings per share)
Commentary
Building A Safer Future With Trustworthy AI
The buzz around Artificial Intelligence is deafening. We have all heard the motivational quotes about the accelerating pace of change, and much of that acceleration is powered by AI. At Alstom, we embrace this change, recognising its potential for the rail industry and create a sustainable future for mobility.
R.J. Corman Holds 10th Annual Company-Wide Safety Week
R. J. Corman Railroad Group dedicated Feb. 3-7 to reinforcing its commitment to safety, with each day focused on a different topic to ensure team members are “well-informed and prepared to maintain a safe working environment,” the company reported.
Commentary
Energy Enigma
The new Administration has apparently reversed course on its predecessor’s energy policies, dismissing and de-funding sustainable methods of electricity generation such as wind and solar, instead favoring domestically sourced coal and crude
Kelso Appoints Frank Busch as CEO
Frank Busch has taken on the permanent role of CEO at Kelso Technologies Inc. (Kelso), which specializes in the creation, production, sales, and distribution of proprietary products used in automotive and rail
Transit Briefs: Brightline West, DART, Amtrak/MDOT, MDOT
Construction on Brightline West could get under way this year. Also, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announces a streamlined fare structure; Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) eye Michigan Central for a new train station; and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) launches a grant program for small businesses along the Purple Line.
Commentary
To Electrify—or Not?
On Jan. 15, 2025, the Federal Railroad Administration released on its website the final report titled Cost and Benefit Risk Framework for Modern Railway Electrification Options (download below). The report is based
UP, Metra Move Closer to Service Transfer
Union Pacific (UP) on Feb. 10 provided an update on its work with Metra to “finalize the safe and seamless transfer of commuter rail services on three lines in the Chicago metropolitan area: the Union Pacific North, Northwest, and West Lines.”
NYMTA Announces Pilot Program for Live ASL Interpretation
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Feb. 10 announced a pilot program to connect people who are deaf or hard of hearing with an instant and on-demand American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter while using the transit system.
Commentary
Book Review: ‘The Lost Subways of North America’
“The Lost Subways of North America: A Cartographic Guide to the Past, Present, and What Might Have Been.” Written and illustrated by Jake Berman. University of Chicago Press, 2023. Hardcover, 272 pp.
Fundraiser Kicks Off for Flying Yankee Restoration
Nashua, N.H.-based Flying Yankee Association (FYA) has launched a fundraiser to begin restoring the Flying Yankee, a diesel-electric streamliner built in 1935 by the Budd Company for the Boston & Maine. FYA will
Transit Briefs: Caltrain, Denver RTD
Caltrain teams with Camlin Rail on a new automated pantograph inspection system. Also, Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District (RTD) receives an updated credit rating from Fitch.
MBTA: South Coast Rail Service to Begin March 24
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced that South Coast Rail passenger service will begin March 24, 2025, pending final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). For the first time
BLET Ratifies New Contract With Keolis, Reaches Tentative Deal With Alstom
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members have ratified a new contract with Keolis for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) engineers. Additionally, the BLET has reached a tentative contract with Alstom for locomotive engineers who operate Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) trains.
For NS, $1B in Infrastructure Upgrades in 2024
Norfolk Southern (NS) on Feb. 10 reported completing $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades across its 22-state system last year.
SNR Acquires RailPower LLC Assets
Sierra Northern Railway (SNR) on Feb. 7 reported acquiring the assets of locomotive manufacturer RailPower LLC in an aim to build additional hydrogen-powered units. RailPower, which has been the short line company’s