INRD Promotes Ward to VP, Finance and Accounting
The Indiana Rail Road (INRD) on Dec. 1 elevated Josh Ward to Vice President, Finance and Accounting, succeeding Mike Engel, who will retire at the end of March 2024 after more than 33
news
Clark, Nair Elevated to CN VP Roles
CN has promoted Nicholas Clark and Girish Nair to Vice President, Transportation Southern Region and Vice President, Multimodal, respectively.
Transit Briefs: Metrolinx, STM, NYMTA, SEPTA
Metrolinx partners with MagnusCards. Also, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) releases its 2024 budget; the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board votes to begin the public review process for the Central Business District Tolling rate schedule; and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) launches a new, user-friendly website.
Industry Groups Urge Passage of Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act
Calling for swift passage of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, H.R. 5840 are more than 150 organizations, including the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), Association of American Railroads,
U.S., Canada Provide Statement on Taking Action to Reduce Rail Sector Emissions
Canada’s Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm on Dec. 6 issued a joint statement, on the margins of COP28, addressing
BLET Ratifies Agreement with Amtrak
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members on Dec. 6 ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Amtrak.
VPRA Selects Construction Partners for Long Bridge-North, Franconia-Springfield Bypass Projects
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) on Dec. 6 reported selecting Skanska/Flatiron Joint Venture for the Long Bridge-North Package and Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture for the Franconia-Springfield Bypass. “Selecting construction partners for the Long Bridge-North
Transit Briefs: CTA, MARTA, Phoenix Valley Metro, SacRT, Tri-Rail, TTC
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is developing a chatbot for customer assistance on its website. Also, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) advances its Five Points Station Transformation Project; Phoenix Valley Metro readies for the Northwest Extension Phase II project’s 2024 launch; the first of Sacramento (Calif.) Regional Transit District’s (SacRT) new Siemens Mobility SD700s enter the final testing phase; Tri-Rail’s commuter rail ridership recovery continues in Florida; and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) awards a radio communications coverage contract for a subway system pilot project.
Bohr Electronics Secures Multimillion-Dollar Contracts for Locomotive Rebuild Programs
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based railroad equipment supplier Bohr Electronics announced Dec. 6 that it has been awarded multiple million-dollar contracts to supply fully furnished electrical cabinets for Class I railroad operators’ locomotive rebuild programs beginning in 2024. Details of the clients remain confidential.
AAR: Volumes Up for Third Consecutive Month in November
Total year-over-year carload and intermodal volumes for U.S. railroads rose for the third consecutive month in November, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Dec. 6.
Rail Investments Acquires TCR Rail Systems
Simpsonville, Ky.-based TCR Rail Systems has been sold to Rail Investments, LLC, according to RR Mergers & Acquisitions, which facilitated the transaction. With a 98,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehousing facility, TCR Rail Systems
NS Advances East Palestine Assistance Program
With most of the “intensive” remediation work complete following Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the Class I on Dec. 5 reported turning its focus to long-term initiatives,
MDOT Tightening Budget Belt
The state of Maryland’s six-year transportation spending plan includes some $3.3 billion in proposed cuts across modal administrations to address “declining revenue projections,” it reported Dec. 5.
DeBruhl to Retire as DRPT Executive Director
Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) Executive Director Jennifer DeBruhl will retire at the end of June, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report.
USDOT: Nearly $3.1B for CHSRA
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Dec. 5 awarded the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) nearly $3.1 billion in grant funding for continued progress on the country’s first electrified 220-mph high-speed rail system.
Brightline West Lands $3B HSR Project Grant (Updated 12/8)
Brightline West will advance its 218-mile high-speed rail (HSR) project linking Las Vegas and Southern California with a new $3 billion grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Earlier this year, the
Commentary
Short Lines Are Dependable and Get the Job Done
ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE DECEMBER 2023 ISSUE: The story of “The Little Engine That Could” began as an American folktale popularized by various authors in the 1900s. An early published version of the tale appeared in 1906 under the title “Thinking One Can” in Wellspring for Young People, a national Sunday School Publication. A subsequent version was published in 1910 in the Kindergarten Review under the title “The Pony Engine.” In 1930, the story became widely known under the title “The Little Engine That Could” after a Chicago publishing house released it as an illustrated children’s book that was used in schools to teach children the value of optimism and hard work.
Transit Briefs: TransLink, Calgary Transit, CDOT, PANYNJ, NYMTA
Eight new station names are announced for TransLink’s Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension. Also, a section of Calgary Transit’s LRT Red Line reopens following a nine-day closure; the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) explores the market for passenger train cars and locomotives; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) installs five new test turnstiles for a new fare payment system; and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announces the installation of wide-aisle fare gates and a new customer service center at Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK Airport Station.
Yilmaz Appointed A. Stucki Co. President, Engineered Products
A. Stucki Co. has tapped (Koray) Mert Yilmaz as President of Engineered Products for railroad rolling stock, serving the leasing, manufacturing, railroad and shipper markets.
People News: HDR, HNTB, MassDOT
Paulo Faria rejoins HDR as Design Director for Transportation Architecture. Also, HNTB appoints Martin Ellwood as Senior Project Director, supporting rail infrastructure projects; and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) elevates Hayes Morrison to Undersecretary.