CSX Classification Yard at Avon. (Courtesy of INDOT)

INDOT Developing 2025 State Rail Plan

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is seeking public input on the development of a 2025 State Rail Plan. The SRP—encompassing Class I’s/IIs/IIIs, Amtrak, Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and five tourist railroads—will outline freight and passenger rail planning activities that the department said will “achieve the state’s objective to provide a safe, efficient, and convenient transportation system” and guide future investment decisions. Feedback is due Sept. 10.

RPRC Commissions MP15CC No. 25

Richmond Pacific Railroad Corp. (RPRC), a division of Levin Richmond Terminal Corp., has recommissioned one of its legacy EMD switcher locomotives as a repowered, EPA Tier 4-compliant unit. Western Rail, Inc. designed

NYMTA: ‘Safest July in Subway History’

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Aug. 10 announced that July 2025 was the safest July in recorded history for the New York City Transit (NYCT) subway system, with an 8% drop in overall major felony crimes compared to July 2024.

UP: New LA-Chicago Z Train

Beginning Sept. 3, Union Pacific is expanding its Z train network with a new domestic intermodal service connecting its Inland Empire Intermodal Terminal (IEIT) in Southern California directly with its Global 2 Intermodal Terminal in

(MTS Photograph)

MTS Earns ‘Perfect Score’ in Federal Triennial Review

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) on Aug. 7 reported receiving a “perfect score” in its 2025 Triennial Review by the Federal Transit Administration, which means the government agency found “no deficiencies in MTS’s management of FTA funds.”

People News: TYLin Group, VLS Environmental Solutions, Lochner

TYLin Group appoints Jenni Roseleip as Chief Marketing Officer. Also, Michael Obertop joins VLS Environmental Solutions as National Rail Solutions Sales Director; and Lochner welcomes Chad Edwards to its National Transit Practice.

(Photograph From FAA Beyond Visual Line of Sight Fact Sheet)

FAA, TSA Eye ‘Beyond Visual Line of Sight’ Drone Operations Rule

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are proposing “performance-based regulations to enable the design and operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at low altitudes beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and for third-party services, including UAS Traffic Management (UTM), that support these operations.” Routine BVLOS operations “hold tremendous potential for railroads,” Association of American Railroads (AAR) President and CEO Ian Jefferies said following the Aug. 6 release of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

CSX ‘Elevates Freight Efficiency’ With CSX Howard Street Tunnel Bridge Project

CSX’s Howard Street Tunnel Project “is a pivotal step in enhancing freight transportation along the I-95 corridor,” the Class I reported Aug. 7. The comprehensive initiative includes upgrades to the historic Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, as well as three additional construction projects spanning from Baltimore to Philadelphia, “paving the way for double-stack trains to move seamlessly across the corridor, benefiting customers, the Port of Baltimore, and the state of Maryland.”

Jacobs Tapped for POLB Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility

Jacobs has been awarded a contract to provide construction management for the Port of Long Beach’s Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility program, the company announced Aug. 7.

UP officially cut the ribbon for its new Kansas City Intermodal Terminal. From left, UP’s Ryan Steinbach, Assistant Vice President-Premium; Kari Kirchhoefer, Senior Vice President-Marketing and Sales; Kenny Rocker, Executive Vice President-Marketing and Sales; Hunsdon Cary, Vice President-Premium; Laura Heisterkamp, Assistant Vice President-Premium; and Zach Russell, General Manager-Premium. (UP Photograph)

UP: Intermodal Terminal Launches in Kansas City (UPDATED 8/8)

Construction has wrapped up on a new intermodal terminal in Kansas City, Mo. Opened July 16, Union Pacific’s (UP) 31st terminal serves both domestic and international containerized shipments of grains, consumer goods,

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