Class I Briefs: CPKC, CSX (UPDATED)
Two Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) hydrogen-powered locomotives enter regular service in Calgary. Also, CSX’s first responder training program reaches more than 6,000 individuals in 2023.
news
Transit Briefs: Amtrak, Caltrain, Maryland DOT, Metra, Montreal ARTM, New York State
Amtrak’s “Avelia Liberty” trainsets are cleared for testing on the Northeast Corridor. Also, Caltrain celebrates 160 years of rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, Calif.; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore restores $150 million in transportation funding; Chicago’s Metra is launching a pilot program for reduced fares systemwide; the Montreal region’s transit authority (ARTM) is considering new transit options that would link downtown Montreal with the city’s western boroughs; and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul provides highlights of the proposed FY2025 budget, which includes funding for the planned Interborough Express and the Second Avenue Subway’s westward expansion.
AAR: North American Rail Volume Down Through Week 2 (UPDATED with Larry Gross Commentary)
Through the first two weeks of 2024 (ending Jan. 13), total North American carload and intermodal traffic dipped 1.5% from the same point last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Jan. 17. The U.S. and Canada experienced declines, while Mexico saw a gain.
Commentary
TD Cowen Surveys: ‘Slight Positive’ Business Growth; ‘Mild Negative’ Railcar Demand
Our Fourth-Quarter 2023 Rail and Rail Equipment Surveys generated a positive read-through for the rail group, albeit with a mild negative for railcar manufacturing. 4Q23 Rail Survey Expected rate increases were +3.4%,
Sweet Deal for HOPA Ports
SucroCan Sourcing LLC has announced plans to build Canada’s largest sugar refinery at the Port of Hamilton, Ontario, on lands owned by HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority). The new refinery is expected
People News: J.B. Hunt, AllTranstek, Odyssey Logistics
Former Kansas City Southern (KCS) President and CEO Patrick J. Ottensmeyer joins the Board of Directors at J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Also, Chec Morrow has been elevated to Director of Field Services at AllTranstek LLC, a rail transport management and consulting firm; and Odyssey Logistics has appointed Omar Shamsie as Chief Commercial Officer.
Ready for Development: TexAmericas Center’s UP-Served Site (Updated)
TexAmericas Center (TAC) on Nov. 28 reported that its 250-acre Union Pacific (UP)-served industrial park in Hooks, Tex., is “shovel-ready.” On Jan. 16, TAC received a $1.5 million portion of $15.4 million in grant funding for infrastructure projects in military communities from the Texas Military Preparedness Commission’s (TMPC) Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) program.
Commentary
VIA Rail Adventures: Two Routes in Quebec
Fifth in a Series: In the first four articles in this series, as well as in a separate article that focused on rail transit and tourist railroads in Canada, I described my
Duos Secures $2.4MM AI Subscription and Services Agreement
Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Duos) announced Jan. 17 that it has secured a three-year agreement with a leading Class I railroad for advanced AI-Based Defect Detection models into its day-to-day operations, as
Intermodal Briefs: Port of Los Angeles, SC ports
The Port of Los Angeles finishes 2023 with five months of year-over-year growth. Also, South Carolina Ports (SC Ports) gives the Midlands region a big economic boost, according to a recent report.
Commentary
Highlights From the MARS Winter 2024 Meeting (Updated with Alan Shaw Video)
The Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) at its 2024 Winter Meeting at the Westin Chicago Lombard celebrated its 100-year anniversary with an attendance of 940, exceeding last year’s record-setting level. The
OmniTRAX Completes 2023 Good Neighbor Program
OmniTRAX announced Jan. 16 that it has completed its 2023 Good Neighbor Program, an annual community outreach initiative that included company contributions to 40 local non-profits in 23 markets and expanding access to critical community services for millions of local neighbors across the company’s rail network.
CUTA, APTA Renew Transit Advocacy Partnership
The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) on Jan. 12 reported signing a new memorandum of understanding with sister organization American Public Transportation Association (APTA) that reconfirms for the next three years their
FTA Releases Video Message Condemning Assaults on Transit Workers
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Jan. 12 released a video message from FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez regarding the impact of assaults on transit workers and the importance of the FTA’s proposed general directive requiring larger transit agencies to assess and address risks to transit workers.
DOE Releases RFI to Achieve Rail Sector Decarbonization (UPDATED, 1/17)
Recognizing that the rail sector generates 2% of U.S. transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Department of Energy (DOE) on Nov. 17 released a Request for Information (RFI) to understand applicable decarbonization strategies.
GAO on Commuter Rail PTC: O&M Costs Will Increase
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directs the U.S. GAO (General Accountability Office) to examine commuter rail PTC O&M (operations and maintenance) costs. GAO surveyed all 29 commuter rail agencies required to
Commentary
Thoughts on CBTC’s Future (Updated, With NGTC Conference Video and 1995 Railway Age Reprint)
Railway Age and Parsons held the 2023 Next-Generation Train Control Conference in Philadelphia on October 26 and 27. Dr. Alan Rumsey, one of the industry’s foremost, widely renowned experts on CBTC (communications-based
Transit Briefs: MTA Metro-North, VRE, Metrolinx, Amtrak
Metro-North’s Scarsdale Station becomes the second station to be made fully accessible this year. Also, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget receives approval; Metrolinx’s GO Expansion—On-Corridor Works project is ranked second on ReNew Canada’s Top100Projects report; and construction on a new Brattleboro Amtrak station is set to begin in March.
People News: MDOT/MPA, HDR, NS
Jonathan Daniels will head the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT/MPA), effective Feb. 5. Also, Adam Mercer is joining HDR as Construction Field Services Director; and Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Ed Elkins is tapped as Vice Chair of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Executive Committee.
Commentary
FTR: Freight Rail Transitioning to Growth in 2024
I have not been this optimistic about seeing real chances for future rail market share growth since about 2018. I became pessimistic during 2019, and then progressively more pessimistic with the oncoming