news

Commentary

Railroad Happy Hour a Bit Happier This Time

Leaders in the railroad and logistics market continue to see a challenged intermodal market and holiday peak season. Service has been materially improved on both coasts and the Class Is have plenty of capacity to handle more volume. STB Chairman Oberman announced his departure, a surprise to us and all panelists, leaving the seat open until POTUS names his successor.

Buckingham Branch Railroad to Acquire Rail Lines From NS

Buckingham Branch Railroad Company (BBRR) has filed a verified notice of exemption to acquire from Norfolk Southern (NS) approximately 58.1 route miles of a railroad line extending from milepost F86.0 at Burkeville, Va., to milepost F65.8 at Keysville, Va. (historically known as the F Line), and from milepost D0.0 at Keysville, Va., to milepost D37.9 at Clarksville, Va. (historically known as the D Line) from the Class I railroad, according to a Nov. 17 Federal Register report.

Rendering Courtesy of CHSRA

CHSRA, Hollywood Burbank Airport Reach Settlement Agreement

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) announced Nov. 16 that it has reached an agreement with the Burbank-Glendale Pasadena Airport Authority dismissing the Airport Authority’s lawsuit regarding the high-speed rail project and clearing the way for high-speed rail construction from Burbank to Los Angeles Union Station.

Eugene Shnayderman (left) and PATH Chief Maintenance Supervisor Charles Chipman standing guard. (PANY/NJ Photograph)
Commentary

To Fight Fare Evasion, PATH Turnstiles ‘Speak Up’

On their shared daily train ride to PATH headquarters in Jersey City, N.J., electronic technicians Rondell Benjamin and Eugene Shnayderman were often frustrated by the fare evasion they routinely witnessed during their commute. Shnayderman decided to do something about it.

“This [emergency transit operations] funding [plan] from the MTC supports BART’s new Safe and Clean Plan to welcome riders back to our system and it buys us time to explore a sustainable funding model while avoiding devasting service cuts,” San Francisco Bay Area Transit District (BART) General Manager Bob Powers said Nov. 15.

Transit Briefs: MTC, CTA, LIRR, PANY/NJ

California’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approves an emergency transit operations funding plan. Also, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) extends its partnership with City of Chicago to provide outreach and assistance to unhoused riders; the village of Westbury, N.Y., completes a rezoning project to promote transit-oriented development near MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR); and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) releases proposed 2024 budget that advances a new PATH fare payment system and the development of a new AirTrain Newark system.

Greenbrier Multi-Max Plus™: Versatility in Motion

The versatile, bilevel Multi-Max Plus™, designed and built by The Greenbrier Companies, addresses the constantly changing requirements of transporting motor vehicles by rail. Specifically designed to carry tall cargo vans such as the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Stellantis Ram ProMaster, GMC BrightDrop and Rivian EDV 700 and built on our low-level flatcar frame, it has the tallest allowable car height in the industry—Plate K, 20 feet, 2 inches above top-of-rail—a 14-inch height advantage over traditional 19-foot Plate J bilevel auto racks. Unique, rapidly adjustable decks on both ends of the Multi-Max Plus make it “deck-compatible” with Plate J bilevel auto racks, thereby maximizing loading flexibility.

Cory Clark, Transportation Market Leader, Olsson
  • News

People News: Olsson, FourKites

Engineering and design firm Olsson elevates Cory Clark to Transportation Market Leader. Also, Priya Rajagopalan, Sean Fallon and Mike DeAngelis are now on the senior leadership team at FourKites, a supply chain visibility provider.

BNSF Adds Three Certified Sites

Three locations on the BNSF network—two in Iowa and one in Kansas—have been designated as Certified Sites, part of the Class I railroad’s Premier Parks, Sites and Transload Program, bringing the total

NYMTA photo

Transit Briefs: Metrolinx, NYMTA, SEPTA

Metrolinx makes its PRESTO card available in Google Wallet. Also, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) announces that the New York City subway has hit one billion rides this year; and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will introduce a new name and look to its rail system in 2024.

“We intend to make transit, one of the safest forms of surface transportation, even safer,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. “Giving oversight agencies the tools needed to make an impact is a critical step.”

FTA: Comments Welcome on Proposed Transit-Safety Oversight Rules

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Nov. 15 reported that it is proposing new rules to “strengthen” U.S. rail transit oversight by giving State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) the right to inspect transit facilities without warning, and requiring SSOAs to collect metrics and data from the rail transit systems they oversee and to create inspection programs to decrease risk. Comments are due Jan. 16, 2024.

(Norfolk Southern Photograph)

Week 45: U.S. Rail Traffic Above 2022 Levels

U.S. Class I railroads hauled 497,348 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Nov. 11, 2023 (Week 45)—rising 3.4% from the prior-year period, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Nov. 15.