Michigan Technological University's Zach Stanchina (left) and Lake State Railway's Roger Fuehring work to collect data on locomotive emissions for a study conducted through a partnership with ASLRRA, Michigan Tech, Lake State Railway and Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad. The study is funded by a Federal Railroad Administration grant.

ASLRRA Advances Work on Grant-Funded Emissions Study

The American Short Line and Railroad Association (ASLRRA) is working with Michigan Technological University and members Lake State Railway and Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad to advance the “Evaluation of Non-traditional Methods of Reducing Locomotive Emissions for Short Line Railroads” project, which was funded through a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant received last year, to study short line locomotive emissions and the use of fuel additives and fuel injectors.

Building on a 25-year relationship, Argonne and Progress Rail are working to lower the carbon intensity of the rail industry. (Caption and Progress Rail Photograph Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory)
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Argonne, Progress Rail Testing Low-Carbon Fuels

Argonne scientists will test bio- and renewable diesel fuel on a locomotive combustion test engine.

PHMSA Issues DOT-111 Tank Car Safety Advisory

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), on March 22 released a safety advisory, which it said was to “re-emphasize previously raised concerns about the survivability of DOT-111 tank cars and encourage tank car owners and shippers of flammable liquids to voluntarily upgrade their tank car fleets to the newest, and safest, available tank car design authorized for flammable liquid service—the DOT-117 specification tank car.”

FRA Issues SNPRM for Emergency Escape Breathing Apparatus Standards

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on March 22 released a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) to expand occupational noise exposure regulations and require railroads to provide locomotive crews with appropriate “atmosphere-supplying emergency escape breathing apparatuses” when their trains transport hazardous material.

​Aerial view of March 4 derailment. (Courtesy of Clark County Emergency Management Agency)​​

NTSB Issues Preliminary Reports on Three NS Derailment Investigations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued preliminary reports on three ongoing Norfolk Southern (NS) derailments that occurred March 4, March 7 and March 9.

The Buckingham Branch (BBRR) operates across four divisions and 280 miles of track in Virginia. (DRPT Photograph)

FRA OKs Virginia Rail Plan

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s (DRPT) 2022 Statewide Rail Plan has received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

ACE officials are anticipating that expansion into Stanislaus and Sacramento counties will begin in late 2026, The Modesto Bee reports. (ACE Photograph)

Transit Briefs: ACE, Amtrak, BART, Brightline West

ACE’s (Altamont Corridor Express) timeline is being pushed back for its commuter rail service expansion into Stanislaus and Sacramento counties in California. Also, Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission are seeking a federal study for new long-distance service across Mississippi and Louisiana to Texas; San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) proposes fare increases in 2024 and 2025; and Brightline West teams with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California (SBCTC) and the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union on its planned 218-mile high-speed rail system connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.

Early construction for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program is starting March 10. (Amtrak Photo)

Amtrak Kicking Off $6B B&P Tunnel Replacement Program

Amtrak on March 10 will start early construction work for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program. The nearly 150-year-old, 1.4-mile tunnel that connects Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., is a single point of failure for

(Brightline Photograph)

Brightline Reaches 130 mph, Completes CRISI Grant Program

After hitting speeds of 130 mph, Brightline is officially the fastest train in Florida and the Southeastern U.S.

David C. Lester Photograph

Norfolk Southern Outlines New Six-Point Safety Plan

Norfolk Southern (NS) on March 6 announced a six-point plan to immediately enhance the safety of its operations. The initiatives are based on the preliminary findings of the National Transportation Safety Board

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