Brightline: Something Different on the Rails
RAILWAY AGE AUGUST 2025 ISSUE: For 115 years after Railway Age began publishing in 1856, passenger trains were operated by private-sector railroads. That changed in 1971, when Amtrak was formed to keep
Brightline West
WIR 2025: Building Your ‘Leadership Toolkit’
The Women in Rail 2025 Conference, presented by Railway Age and RT&S, will feature a dynamic panel of industry mentors, who will help you build your “leadership toolkit.” They will provide winning
Executives Discuss ‘Allyship to Action’ at Women in Rail 2025
Fostering a supportive environment that lifts up talent and recognizes an individual’s or project’s contribution to the organization or community is key. Our third-annual in-person Women in Rail Conference, taking place in Chicagoland
Meet the ‘Leadership Journeys’ Lineup for Women in Rail 2025
Railway Age and RT&S are returning to Chicagoland on Oct. 15-16 for the third annual Women in Rail Conference. This year’s program features trailblazing women and their allies who are significantly influencing today’s freight, passenger and transit rail industry. Setting
NS’s Adams Tops 2025 Women in Rail Lineup
Topping the list of reasons to attend the much-anticipated 2025 Women in Rail Conference is kick-off speaker Annie Adams, Chief Human Resources Officer at Norfolk Southern (NS). Railway Age and RT&S are
Commentary
AmeriStarRail Issues a Challenge—and Faces One—for America’s 250th Birthday
There has been much talk lately about increasing participation by the private sector when it comes to running passenger trains in the United States. Brightline’s Florida operation and the company’s efforts to
High Desert Corridor Project Lands Labor Agreements (UPDATED 6/24)
Representatives from the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency (HDC JPA) Board and labor unions signed workforce agreements in summer 2024 for the 54-mile high-speed rail project from Palmdale to Victorville, Calif., that will serve to link the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) and Brightline West lines now under development (see map above). Now, the HDC JPA has selected HDR to provide engineering, design, and advisory services for the project.
How to Position Passenger Rail for Federal Funding
Navigating passenger rail funding in a new political landscape was the theme of a May 21 session at Railway Interchange 2025. The Railway Supply Institute (RSI), one of the three associations hosting the event, brought together executives from Brightline Holdings, U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) to discuss how companies can adapt.
Transit Briefs: Brightline West, LACMTA, Calgary Transit, NYMTA
Brightline West’s private activity bond sale “exceeds expectations.” Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) readies for expanded Foothill Gold Line light rail service; Calgary Transit is launching a two-car train service pilot; and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) completes more than 50% of a system-wide subway-lighting upgrade project and reports on Reduced-Fare rider use of its new contactless tap-and-go fare payment method.
Transit Briefs: Brightline West, DART, Amtrak/MDOT, MDOT
Construction on Brightline West could get under way this year. Also, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announces a streamlined fare structure; Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) eye Michigan Central for a new train station; and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) launches a grant program for small businesses along the Purple Line.