news

Lee to Step Down as DART President and CEO

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) President and CEO Nadine S. Lee on March 25 informed the agency’s Board of Directors that she will not seek an extension of her current contract, “concluding a tenure marked by operational transformation.”

AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Slightly Through Week 11

North American carload and intermodal traffic for the first 11 weeks of 2026 (ending March 21) was up 2.1% from the prior-year period, according to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) latest rail traffic report. The United States, Canada and Mexico all experienced gains.

Commentary

STB Aims to Reform Rail Permitting

In the opinion of the late President Ronald Regan, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” Among railroaders, the phrase

Class I Briefs: CN, CPKC de México

CN is named National Carrier – Multi Mode winner by Canada Post/Postes Canada. Also, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) de México President Oscar del Cueto is appointed President of the American Chamber of Commerce of México.

  • News

People News: Sasser, Port of Long Beach

Sasser, Inc. names Michael Kelly as President of Chicago Freight Car and CF Rail Services. Also, the Port of Long Beach elevates two executives to new positions.

Alto is the planned 621-mile (1,000-kilometer) Toronto-Québec City HSR (high-speed rail) project that is now in the field studies phase. (Courtesy of Alto)

Transit Briefs: Alto, Caltrain

Canada’s Alto and private developer partner Cadence are launching the next field studies phase for the planned Toronto-Québec City HSR (high-speed rail) system. Also, California’s Caltrain honors Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for decades of transit advocacy.

TTC, TMU Partner to Drive Transit Innovation

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are launching five new research projects “to explore promising concepts that could improve TTC operations, infrastructure, and customer experience.” The projects are part of a new phase in the Transit Innovation Yard, a joint initiative with the TTC, TMU and the DMZ that “aims to accelerate Canadian transit innovation.”

(Courtesy of Amtrak)

PSNY Project Advances

The U.S. Department of Transportation on March 23 reported selecting the AECOM-led joint venture with LiRo-Hill to provide project management services for the Penn Station New York “Transformation” Project, which is slated

The Sound Transit Board earlier this month gathered in Tacoma, Wash., to discuss the Enterprise Initiative: “a comprehensive agencywide effort to ensure that project delivery and operations are affordable going forward while delivering on the objectives of the ST3 plan.” (Courtesy of Sound Transit)

Transit Briefs: Sound Transit, PATH, Denver RTD

Seattle’s Sound Transit works to close a $34.5 billion gap to deliver on its ST3 plan. Also, PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) in New York and New Jersey is developing plans to replace fare gates at all 13 stations; and Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) launches a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA).

CPKC has completed the purchase of and is starting to deploy 100 Wabtec Evolution Series ET44AC Tier 4 locomotives, part of its climate strategy, outlined in recently released reports. (Courtesy of CPKC)

Class I Briefs: CPKC, UP

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) updates it low carbon transition strategy. Also, Union Pacific (UP) earns Railroad Carrier of the Year from MODE Global.

(Courtesy of the STB)

STB Sets 2Q26 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has adopted for second-quarter 2026 the rail cost adjustment factor (RCAF), which is defined as “an index formulated to represent changes in railroad costs incurred by the nation’s largest railroads over a specified period of time.”

Commentary

Thank You for Your Service

Between 16% and 25% of the U.S. railroad industry workforce consists of military veterans, with most Class I’s reporting that up to 20% or more of their employees have served in the armed