Northern Lights Express project map courtesy of MnDOT.

Federal Funding Pursued for NLX

The Northern Lights Express (NLX) Alliance on Oct. 4 reported hiring global advisory firm DGA Group to help pursue a federal funding match for the proposed NLX passenger rail service, which would

Commentary

To Be or Not to Be in the Next Administration

WATCHING WASHINGTON, RAILWAY AGE OCTOBER 2024 ISSUE: As a Senator in 1938, “Give ‘em Hell” Harry Truman proclaimed, “Rail management can only see straight down the right-of-way as it was laid out

(Logo Courtesy of NASA)

AAR Seeks Waiver of Compliance for C3RS Program

The Association of American Railroads (AAR), on behalf of its members, “requests relief required” to participate in the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) Program, the FRA reported in

Amtrak, NYMTA, NJ Transit Release NYP Feasibility Study

Amtrak, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and NJ Transit (the Railroad Partners) on Oct. 2 released a feasibility study that analyzes the potential of four concepts to double train capacity

(Amtrak Illustration)

OIG to Amtrak: ‘Better FDT Program Planning Would Improve Oversight, Reduce Risks’

“Amtrak has not completed all necessary planning for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel (FDT) program despite the approach of major construction, increasing the risk of cost overruns and schedule delays,” a newly released Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has found.

(FRA image)

FRA Issues Final Rule on Accident, Incident Investigations

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Oct. 1 announced a Direct Final Rule to amend Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 225 by codifying the agency’s Policy for Gathering Information and

(FRA image)

FRA: More Than $1B in Funding Available for Non-NEC Passenger Rail Projects

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Oct. 1 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing the availability of more than $1 billion in funding to expand and modernize intercity passenger rail nationwide through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for projects not located on the Northeast Corridor (Fed- State National Program).

(Gateway Development Commission illustration)

For Hudson Tunnel Project, $2.7B in Federal Grants Now Available for Construction

The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) on Sept. 30 reported executing the $3.8 billion Federal-State Partnership Grant agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), completing the $12 billion federal contribution for the Hudson Tunnel Project. The action also immediately obligated the initial $1.9 billion from the grant.

(Wikimedia Commons/Matthew Zisi)

OKRL Replacing BNGR on Oklahoma Rail Line

The Oklahoma & Kansas Railroad, LLC (OKRL), a subsidiary of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, LCC (Rock Island), will lease and operate approximately 37.26 miles of rail line owned by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (OKDOT) and Blackwell Industrial Authority (BIA), according to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which has approved the transaction.

(SMART-TD Photograph)

Report: USDOT Calls on Appeals Court to Reject Petitions Against its Two-Person Crew Rule

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reject petitions that seek to vacate its two-person crew rule, according to a Law360 report. The rule, issued earlier this year by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), was issued to establish “minimum safety requirements for the size of train crews.”

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