Tarantula Corporation said its TEXC acquisition was made possible due to the efforts of Bill Wood, Director of Contracts (pictured far right); Robert Ginsburg, Director, McDonald Sanders, P. C. (far left); and Kevin Sheys of Rail Regulatory Law, who helped secured the Surface Transportation Board exemption. Also pictured (left to right, after Sanders): Kevin Erasmus, President and CEO of Davoil, Inc. and Fort Worth & Western Railroad Company, and William Davis Sr., Chairman of the Board. (Tarantula Corporation Photograph)

Small-Road Briefs: Tarantula Corporation, G&W

Noncarrier holding company Tarantula Corporation finalizes its acquisition of all Texas Central Railroad stock from Birdsong Corporation. Also, Genesee & Wyoming’s New England Central Railroad (NECR) and Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCPE) celebrate their 30th and 10th anniversaries, respectively.

Mobile City Council Gives Amtrak Gulf Coast High Green

After roughly 2½ years of covering every skirmish in what we have come to call the “Second Battle of Mobile,” it now looks like the battle is essentially over. On Aug. 6,

Class I Briefs: NS, BNSF

Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Glake Yard celebrates 15 years of injury-free service. Also, BNSF completes a new mainline improvement project in Becker, N.Mex.

NS Appoints Three Industry Veterans to Lead Transportation Team

Norfolk Southern (NS) on Aug. 7 announced that it has appointed three industry veterans with precision scheduled railroading (PSR) experience to lead its Transportation team, reporting to Chief Operating Officer John Orr.

(Logo Courtesy of STB)

STB: 2023 Railroad Cost of Capital Set at 9.87%

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has determined that the cost of capital for the railroad industry was 9.87% for 2023.

Savage Developing New Transload Terminal to Serve Las Vegas Market

Savage, a family-owned supply chain infrastructure and solutions company, on Aug. 7 announced that it is developing a new multi-commodity, rail-connected transload terminal to serve the Las Vegas market.

Transport Canada Launches RFP for HFR Project (UPDATE, 8/8)

Transport Canada on Oct. 13 announced the official launch of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the High Frequency Rail (HFR) project to the three selected consortiums invited to participate. Proposals are due in summer 2024.

(Tren Maya Photograph)

Dates Set for Mayan Train Completion

President of Mexico says remaining sections will open early next month.

Transit Briefs: CTA, SFMTA, MARTA

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) reopens the new Damen Green Line station at Lake Street and Damen Avenue. Also, results of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) 2024 Muni Rider Survey show big improvements; and two Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) railcars are being developed into Atlantic Ocean reed habitats.

(Image Courtesy of Gannett Fleming and TranSystems)

Gannett Fleming, TranSystems Complete Merger

Camp Hill, Pa.-based Gannett Fleming and Kansas City, Mo.-based TransSystems on Aug. 7 reported combining to form a national provider of infrastructure consulting services, bolstering their position within the bridges, highways, construction services, mass transit and rail, and program management markets. The merged firm has more than 5,000 employees and approximately $1.3 billion in revenue, they said.

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