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AAR: U.S. Rail Traffic Down in Week 38

The Association of American Railroads in reporting freight rail traffic for the week ending Sept. 20, 2025 (Week 38) noted that total U.S. rail traffic was 510,677 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.2% from the prior-year period. Total carloads for the week came in at 228,609, dipping 1.8% from the same week in 2024, and intermodal volume was 282,068 containers and trailers, dipping 2.5% from last year.

NS Introduces Triple Crown Services, Inc.

Norfolk Southern (NS) recently announced that it has created Triple Crown Services, Inc. (TCSI), a single-source solution for motor carrier and brokerage services that “puts customers first.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (right), MTA Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek (center), and Mayor of Beacon Lee Kyriacou (far left) at the Biltmore Room of Grand Central Terminal on Sept. 23, announcing enhanced railroad service including the MNR Super Express to Poughkeepsie. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Transit Briefs: Metra, MTA Metro-North, PANY/NJ

The 87th St./Woodruff Station on the Metra Electric commuter rail line in Chicago opens next month after a two-year rehab. Also, MTA Metro-North Railroad is launching “super-express” trains on Oct. 6; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) marks the 10th anniversary of its climate resilience design guidelines.

NARBW Chicago Chapter members gather at the association’s banquet dinner, held during the 2025 National Convention in Houston, Tex. (NARBW Chicago Chapter Photograph)
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NARBW Chicago Marks 100th Anniversary

The Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Railway Business Women (NARBW) is marking 100 years of empowering women in rail with a celebration, to be held Nov. 1 at the Palos

The graphic shows the map of the route for the future bypass at Lac-Mégantic, which will go through the municipalities of Nantes, Lac-Mégantic, and Frontenac. The blue line shows the chosen route; the red line shows the route of the existing track which will be dismantled following the commissioning of the bypass; and the green line shows the sector of the Lac-Mégantic industrial park where car triage and storage activities will take place. (Map and caption courtesy of the government of Canada)

Lac-Mégantic Rail Bypass Project Advances

More than 12 years after the crude oil train wreck at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, that claimed 47 lives and led to new tank car regulations in Canada and the U.S., the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has now received the official application to build a 7.75-mile (12.5-km) rail bypass around the village. According to the government of Canada, this allows the project to move into the assessment phase.

MSU Takes Top Spot at IANA Case Competition

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) announced on Sept. 22 that Mississippi State University (MSU) took the number one spot at the organization’s 2025 Intermodal Case Study Competition. This was MSU’s first time participating in the event.

(Logo Courtesy of USDOT)

USDOT: $5B Available for National Railroad Partnership Program Projects, $42MM Going to Brightline Florida Corridor Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Sept. 22 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the National Railroad Partnership Program that allocates more than $5 billion to projects that “enhance safety on intercity passenger rail networks,” and obligated four grants totaling $42 million-plus for rail safety projects on the Brightline Florida corridor.

Freight RAILCAR Act: A Bit More Traction (UPDATED 9/23)

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) alongside U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and 41 additional cosponsors (32 original) in mid-February reintroduced the Freight RAILCAR (Rail Assets Investment to Launch Commercial Activity Revitalization ) Act, bipartisan

Transit Briefs: Caltrain, SFMTA, MassDOT, Brightline, Metro-North, GCRTA

Caltrain celebrates the first anniversary of its electrified service. Also, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) celebrates the 30th anniversary of the F Market Line; the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the state’s purchase and rehabilitation of the “Knowledge Corridor”; Brightline announces network enhancements; new locomotives begin passenger service on Metro-North Railroad; and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) approves a request to purchase six more new railcars.