POLB Posts Record June TEUs
The Port of Long Beach (POLB) set a TEU record for June, moving 842,446 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), up 41.1% from the same month last year and surpassing the previous record set
news
MTS Taps CRA, STV for TPSS Replacements
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has contracted with Chen Ryan Associates (CRA) to replace five traction power substations (TPSS) for the San Diego Trolley light rail system. CRA subcontractor STV Inc. is
NTSB Issues Final East Palestine Report
Approximately three weeks after its June 25 public meeting in East Palestine, Ohio, site of the Feb. 3, 2023 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train that resulted in a hazmat release
SEPTA Stepping Up Safety
SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) said on July 16 it will implement “additional initiatives and a series of corrective action plans (CAPs)” in response to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Safety Management
Amtrak Awards Construction Contract for East River Tunnel Rehabilitation
Amtrak will begin major rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel—a critical link on the Northeast Corridor (NEC)—in New York City later this year following the award of a construction contract to a Skanska E-J ERT Joint Venture (JV).
Commentary
The Clock is Ticking: Railroads and the Net-Zero 2050 Goal
The Class I railroads set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the past 5-10 years, but a review of recent data shows mixed progress at best. Two of these
Commentary
CN Partners With First Responders to Keep Communities Safe
Local training in Memphis—and across CN’s network—focuses on emergency preparedness.
Mexico’s Next President Continues Passenger Train Revival
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will focus on routes from Mexico City to the north.
Transit Briefs: BART, PANYNJ, Metro-North
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) releases its annual Sustainability Report. Also, the majority of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) PATH riders are now using the commuter rail’s new tap-and-go fare payment system; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Metro-North Railroad unveils its fifth heritage locomotive.
Marier Appointed TSB Chairperson
The Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (TSB, Canada’s equivalent of the U.S. NTSB) has a new incoming Chairperson: Yoan Marier, a TSB member since September 2020. His appointment to a
PHL, BLET Division 214 Ratify Contract
Anacostia Rail Holdings subsidiary Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) and 145 members of BLET (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen) Division 214 (Long Beach) have ratified a three-year extension of their current Collective
NS Releases Latest Progress Report
Norfolk Southern (NS) on July 11 released its latest “Forging a Better Tomorrow” report, detailing the Class I’s progress on “advancing its first Climate Transition Plan (CTP), enhancing safety and investing in its communities.”
Construction Begins on Livingston Avenue Rail Bridge Replacement
Construction has begun on a $634.8 million project to replace the Livingston Avenue Rail Bridge, which will replace the Civil War-era passenger rail bridge spanning the Hudson River between the cities of Albany and Rensselaer and provide a “modern crossing that will improve service and reliability along New York State’s Empire Corridor and throughout the entire Northeast.”
Commentary
Has STB’s Primus a Pro-Labor Agenda?
NEWS ITEM: Robert E. Primus, named by President Biden in May to succeed Martin J. Oberman as Surface Transportation Board (STB) chairperson, last week scheduled a public hearing in Washington for Sept.
Transit Briefs: BART, CTA, Denver RTD, MBTA
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) releases its latest Measure RR rebuilding program report. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) marks a milestone in its commitment to delivering pre-pandemic levels of rapid transit service by year-end 2024; Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District (RTD) is set to serve its 50 millionth A Line commuter rail rider; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is launching a public access Naloxone (Narcan) pilot program.
FRA: $153MM Available for R&E Grant Program
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on July 12 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that makes available more than $153 million in funding for the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program.
Confirmed: VIA Rail Fleet Replacement for Outside Québec City-Windsor Corridor
VIA Rail Canada will “soon” launch the procurement process to replace its aging fleet on routes outside the Québec City-Windsor Corridor, the passenger rail company reported July 11, following the Canadian government’s
Intermodal Briefs: Port of Montreal, POLB
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) completes its $62.4 million rail capacity optimization project at the Port of Montreal. Also, Port of Long Beach’s (POLB) data project receives $7.875 million to help speed cargo deliveries.
First Look: MDOT MTA’s New Purple Line LRV
The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) and the Purple Line project team on July 11 celebrated the arrival of the first Purple Line light rail vehicle (LRV).
CSX Joins RailPulse™ Coalition
CSX on July 11 announced that it has joined the RailPulse™ Coalition, becoming the fourth Class I railroad and the eleventh member of the coalition, which was established in late 2020 “to develop, broaden and accelerate the use of GPS and other telematics technologies on railcars that increase safety, efficiency, and visibility across North America’s freight rail industry.”