Toronto Orders New Subway Train Fleet
Alstom will supply 70 six-car trains under $1.66 billion contract.
news
People News: Brightline, UTA, NCTD, TriMet
Brightline Trains appoints Nicolas Petrovic as CEO of Brightline Holdings LLC and Mauricio Anderson as Chief Financial Officer of Brightline Holdings and its subsidiaries (other than Brightline West). Also, Paul Ray joins Utah Transit Authority (UTA) as Government Relations Director; Adrienne L. Johnson transitions to Deputy Chief People Officer at North County Transit–San Diego Railroad (NCTD) in California; and Jamie Snook rises to Executive Director of Capital Project Delivery at Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet).
Commentary
AmeriStarRail’s Amtrak L-D ‘Grand Conveyance’ Trains
AmeriStarRail (ASR), through Chief Operating Officer Scott R. Spencer, has proposed a new fleet for Amtrak’s long-distance trains, the latest of several proposals that ASR has made recently. Spencer has already suggested
CN on UP+NS: ‘Show Us Schedule 5.8′ (UPDATED with BNSF, CSX and CPKC Filings)
CN on Jan. 8 filed a motion with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) “to compel additional information in relation to the proposed merger agreement between Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS).”
Class I Briefs: UP, NS
Union Pacific (UP) hosts U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer at its Training Center and Harriman Dispatching Center. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS) joins the Smart Freight Centre.
Transit Briefs: LIRR, CTA, Trinity Metro
POTUS 47 appoints a second Presidential Advisory Board (PEB) to help settle an ongoing contract dispute at MTA Long Island Rail Road in New York. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) advances an Innovation Studio pilot project; and Trinity Metro’s TEXRail breaks a ridership record in December.
For G&W, $1B in 2025 Industrial Development
Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. (G&W) customers invested more than $1 billion in industrial development along its 100-plus railroads in 2025.
Commentary
Rail Growth from Truck Conversions: Projected vs. Realistic – Part 1 of 5
This is the first in a five-part series about railroad growth coming from truck conversions. Given Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern, their Dec. 19, 2025 Surface Transportation Board application estimates
Wabtec, Indian Railways Celebrate Start of Locomotive Service in West Bengal
Wabtec Corporation (Wabtec) and Indian Railways recently celebrated the start of locomotive service operations at the West Bengal, India-based Siliguri Maintenance Shed, “expanding Wabtec’s locomotive service capabilities in the eastern part of the country and marking a new service model in India by leveraging existing Indian Railways infrastructure and staff.”
Commentary
TD Cowen: Lowering ’26 Expectations Amid Modest Shipper Optimism
Eastern railroad volumes finished 2025 weaker than expected, and we have lowered 4Q25 estimates. We remain below consensus on Union Pacific, and lower 2026 EPS estimates below consensus for all U.S. rails,
Transit Briefs: NYMTA, MARTA, NJ Transit
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) unveils a plan to reimagine Jamaica Station and advance the Second Avenue Subway Westward Expansion. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s (MARTA) streetcar returns to service; and NJ Transit launches a language survey to improve the customer experience.
Wright to Lead INRD
The Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) Board has elevated Derrick Wright to President and CEO, effective Jan. 16. He has served since November 2022 as Vice President, Operations and Mechanical for the
Commentary
No Clear Track Ahead
PASSENGER RAIL OUTLOOK, RAILWAY AGE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … in short, the period was … like the present period.” So
For North American Rail Traffic, a Positive Start to 2026
Total North American carload and intermodal traffic rose 7.7% for the first week of the new year (ending Jan. 10, 2026) compared with the same period in 2025, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Jan. 14. The United States and Mexico saw gains, while Canada experienced softness.
People News: HNTB, Greenbrier, Frauscher
HNTB announces key leadership appointments. Also, Greenbrier names Travis Williams as Head of Investor Relations; and Mayank Tripathi assumes the position of Vice President and General Manager of Frauscher Sensor Technology.
Class I Briefs: BNSF, NS, CSX
BNSF marks 2025 as the safest year in its history. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS) surpasses $18.2 million in charitable giving in 2025; and CSX reveals the “Spirit of Kingman” tribute on locomotive No. 8400.
USART Launches Second Louisiana Terminal
USA Rail Terminals (USART) on Jan. 13 reported opening a rail terminal in Monroe, La., to support the construction activity associated with Meta’s Richland Parish Data Center in Holly Ridge. It is
AITX, Telegraph Bring Predictive Intelligence to Railcar Shipping Operations
American Industrial Transport, Inc. (AITX) on Jan. 14 announced that it is partnering with technology company Telegraph to bring predictive intelligence to railcar shipper operations.
Commentary
Second Try for Kloster to STB
Republican Richard Kloster, whose nomination to an open seat on the Surface Transportation Board (STB) failed to exit the Senate Commerce Committee during the first session of the 119th Congress, has been
FRA Restoring Scrapped RSAC
Fewer than six months after scrapping a rail labor, management and supplier-supported Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is restoring it, but with a smaller membership to be