(Screenshot of FRA report cover)

FRA Posts Summary Report on HHFT Routes, Legacy Tank Cars Evaluation

In response to directives from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has produced and recently released online a summary report of its High-Hazard Flammable Train Route

Project Milestone Reached at JAXPORT Auto Processing Facility

Contractors for Southeast Toyota Distributors continue to make significant progress on a new 340,000-square-foot state-of-the-art auto processing facility currently under construction at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s (JAXPORT) Blount Island Marine Terminal.

RailState: ‘Impact of Jasper Wildfire Felt Across CN Network’

CN officially shut down service through the Jasper National Park region and a significant backlog has been growing over the past 48 hours following a major wildfire at the park, according to real-time network visibility provider RailState, which independently tracks all freight movements across Canada.

NJ Transit Purchases 36 Additional Multilevels

The NJ Transit Board of Directors on July 24 approved the purchase of 36 additional Multilevel III railcars that offer “an increase in seating capacity, mechanical reliability and improved customer amenities.”

“It’s remarkable how much the new [Fleet of the Future] cars have changed the look and feel of BART for the better,” BART President Bevan Dufty said July 23. “These cars are delivering on the promise of being more reliable, more modern and easier to enter and exit.” (BART Photograph)

Transit Briefs: BART, LACMTA, SacRT, Sound Transit, Valley Metro

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) reaches a Fleet of the Future project milestone. Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) releases a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the K Line Northern Extension Project; Sacramento (Calif.) Regional Transit District (SacRT) receives nearly $1 million in Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Awards from the state; Seattle’s Sound Transit is simplifying its fare structure, renaming a station and debuting three-digit station codes on its Link light rail system; and U.S. Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff rides Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority’s (Valley Metro) streetcar system in Arizona.

(BNSF Photograph)

AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Through Week 29

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on July 24 reported that total North American carload and intermodal traffic rose 2.3% through the first 29 weeks of this year compared with the prior-year period. The United States, Canada and Mexico all saw gains through the week ending July 20.

MassDOT Receives $360,000 for Mobility Management Program

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) on July 22 announced that it has received a $360,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Innovative Coordinated Access & Mobility (ICAM) Program to undertake

(Rendering Courtesy of CHSRA)

CHSRA, CalSTA Renew Environmental Review Agreement With FRA

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) on July 23 reported renewing an agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to continue assuming the federal agency’s environmental review responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Watch: CSX Adds C&EI to Heritage Fleet (UPDATED, 7/29)

CSX recently revealed its latest heritage locomotive—a tribute to the Chicago & Eastern Railroad (C&EI) fresh out of the Class I railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga.

Wabtec’s Santana: Another ‘Strong’ Quarter, Evidenced by ‘Robust’ Sales and EPS Growth

“The Wabtec team delivered another strong quarter, evidenced by robust sales and earnings per share growth,” President and CEO Rafael Santana said in a July 24 earnings announcement. Sales were up 9.8% year-over-year, driven by sales growth in both the Freight and Transit segments.

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