For the second time in four months, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has temporarily suspended operations at three U.S./Mexico international railway crossing bridges—two on Union Pacific and one on BNSF.
We spent two days in three Southeast cities with Trinity Industries CFO Eric Marchetto and head of Investor Relations Leigh Anne Mann. Management articulated what is arguably a railcar paradigm shift: a
The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of Southeast Michigan weighs a takeover of the QLINE. Also, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Transit Police ends its strike with a tentative agreement; and Sound Transit receives Moody’s highest-possible bond ratings and moves to a new flat fare structure for its Link light rail.
Norfolk Southern (NS) holds an interim home Value Assurance Program (VAP) workshop for residents of East Palestine, Ohio, and hosts the Georgia Safe Driving Summit. Also, Union Pacific (UP) earns a safety award from Gulf Coast plastics customer LyondellBasell.
The OneRail Coalition has recognized Arielle Giordano of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), and Kyle Fields, a professional staffer for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, for their “strong support for advancing rail in the United States.”
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced Dec. 14 that it has reached a tentative contract with Genesee & Wyoming’s (G&W) Portland & Western Railroad (PNWR) and the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad (CFE).
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Nov. 2 denied Union Pacific’s (UP) motion to dismiss Sanimax USA LLC’s (Sanimax) service case against it and set a procedural schedule for the submission of damages evidence. UP and Sanimax on Dec. 14 asked the STB to postpone the damages arguments and evidence briefing, as they have agreed “to conduct negotiations that could potentially resolve the dispute.”
Four trains per day are currently operating on the 294-mile (473-kilometer) line between San Francisco de Campeche and Cancun Airport.
Railway Age’s Next-Gen Freight Rail 2024 Conference will take place on March 12, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Union League Club of Chicago. Join us as we discuss
Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA), Railway Age’s 2020 Short Line of the Year, has renewed FLEXRail’s lease of 800 feet of track at the Madison Yard in Venice, Ill. The
Amtrak is seeking applicants for its scholarship program. Also, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) approves its 2024 budget that advances a new PATH fare payment system and the development of a new AirTrain Newark system, and awards a design and construction contract for AirTrain Newark; the DMU Trillium Line’s hand-over to the city of Ottawa, Ontario, has been delayed again; and U.S. government workers on official business will soon have to prioritize taking public transit.
Construction is under way at South Carolina Port Authority’s (SC Ports) Navy Base Intermodal Facility. Also, the Port of Los Angeles’ Alameda Corridor Terminus Gap Closure project is recognized as a top regional transportation improvement project by the American Public Works Association Southern California Chapter.
The acquisition of certain railcar assets and operations formerly owned by SMBC Rail Services LLC has been completed by American Industrial Transport, Inc. (AITX), a railcar leasing and repair and maintenance provider
Green Eagle Railroad LLC (GER), a non-carrier subsidiary of Texas-based Puerto Verde Holdings (PVH), is seeking Surface Transportation Board (STB) approval to construct some 1.335 miles of new common carrier rail line in Maverick County, Tex., extending from the southern border of the United States and connecting to Union Pacific (UP) at approximately milepost 31 on the Eagle Pass Subdivision. GER, which also seeks operating authority, reported that it is developing the proposed line as an element of PVH’s proposed Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge, which would “create a new trade corridor for freight rail and Commercial Motor Vehicles (‘CMV’) extending from the City of Eagle Pass to the U.S./Mexico border and then approximately 17.79 miles into the Mexican State of Coahuila.”
The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) appoints Graham Christie as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Also, Caterpillar Inc. appoints Jason Kaiser as Group President of the company’s Energy & Transportation (E&T) segment.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Dec. 14 that 2023 will mark the end of its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, the focus of the agency’s safety advocacy for nearly 35 years.
Norfolk Southern (NS) boosts service and intermodal velocity by decongesting yards, and recognizes 13 partners for outstanding achievements in energy efficiency, innovation and environmental stewardship. Also, CN and Union Pacific (UP) earn spots on both the World and North American Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 2023; and CSX Engineering Vehicle Operator McKinley “Mac” Williams celebrates 57 years of service.
New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul on Dec. 8 signed into law S.5775, a bill requiring railroads in her state to operate with minimum-two-person crews (2PC). Hochul a year earlier vetoed a
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) celebrates the groundbreaking of its Petaluma North Station. Also, Sound Transit expects to finish the planning phase for its West Seattle Light Rail Extension in 2024; Project Connect expects to wrap its initial light rail environmental review by next fall; Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Transit Police vote to strike after rejecting the latest contract from the agency; and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) introduces “Innovation Studio” to address public transit challenges.
BNSF and Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC (NTEC) last month told the Surface Transportation Board (STB) that they had reached a settlement agreement to resolve their common carrier dispute. The STB on
