Rail Industry News
FRA to relaunch RSAC program
(Source: Progressive Railroading, October 1, 2018) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is relaunching the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) after a more than year-long hiatus. Full story: Progressive Railroading
As Canadian pipeline plans falter, more oil is moving by rail
(Source: Washington Post, October 8, 2018) MONTREAL — For years, Canadians have heard a common refrain: If a new pipeline doesn’t materialize to get their oil to market, the oil will just travel a different way — by rail. It’s a trade-off that can inspire fear in a...
Amtrak backers try again to bring Alabama governor on board
(Source: www.al.com, October 5, 2018) BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Passenger rail advocates are, once again, pushing the Republican governors in Alabama and Mississippi to authorize state funds for railroad improvements needed to bring Amtrak back to the Gulf Coast. Full story:...
Penn Station derailment shows peril of NJ Transit, Hudson River tunnel
(Source: www.northjersey.com, October 5, 2018) NEW YORK — Thursday evening’s derailment of an NJ Transit train in New York’s Penn Station underscores the deteriorated condition of New Jersey’s statewide public transportation agency and the looming risk of failure of...
NJ Transit derailment shows how pain persists for NYC commuters
(Source: Bloomberg, October 5, 2018) NEW YORK — Round-the-clock repairs at Pennsylvania Station were supposed to guarantee smoother New York City train commutes. They haven’t. New Jersey Transit’s Montclair-bound Train 6279 went off the tracks Thursday at 6:20 p.m....
Charger into the future: Inside Amtrak’s new 4,400 hp locomotive
(Source: CNET, October 7, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Generally speaking, trains in the US lag behind their European and Asian counterparts. While Amtrak faces an uphill battle to improve or expand its service, one thing it can improve is the locomotive itself. Full...
BNSF announces retirement of Matt Rose in 2019
(Source: BNSF press release, October 3, 2018) FORT WORTH, Texas — Matthew Rose will step down as Executive Chairman and retire from BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) in April of 2019. At the end of his tenure, Rose will have been Executive Chairman for six years, and BNSF...
GAO: Passenger railroads lag on PTC testing
(Source: Progressive Railroading, October 5, 2018) Although many passenger railroads are close to completing equipment installation of positive train control (PTC) systems, less progress has been made on testing those systems, the U.S. Government Accountability Office...
Teamsters ratify contract at Frontier Airlines
(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, October 4, 2018) DENVER — With 97 percent of the bargaining unit participating, Aircraft Appearance Agents at Frontier Airlines represented by Teamsters Local 455 voted unanimously to ratify their most...
Amtrak commits to Southwest Chief via rail in FY19
(Source: Railway Age, October 5, 2018) NEW YORK — An Amtrak official told a Senate hearing the agency would continue to operate passenger service through the Southwest on routes exempted from Positive Train Control. Full story: Railway Age
Missouri man who stopped Amtrak train in Nebraska gets 14 years in federal prison
(Source: Lincoln Journal Star, October 5, 2018) LINCOLN, Neb. — The Missouri man who brought an Amtrak train to a screeching stop in southwest Nebraska last year to “save the train from the black people” got 14 years in federal prison Friday. Full story: Lincoln...
AAR reports rail traffic for September and week ending September 29, 2018
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, October 3, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 29, 2018, as well as volumes for September 2018. U.S. railroads...
Two UP crew members killed in Wyoming collision
(Source: CBS Denver, October 6, 2018) DENVER — The body of Union Pacific engineer Jason Martinez was recovered Friday night at the scene of a train collision that killed a conductor and injured two other crew members. Martinez, an employee of the railroad for 12...
Port of Long Beach OKs $870 million on-dock rail site to take containers off drayage carriers
(Source: Freight Waves, September 24, 2018) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Port of Long Beach approved an $870 million budget for a new on-dock rail facility that officials hope could eventually put up to half of the port’s container volumes on rails. The facility will...
North Charleston rail hub gets permit, moves closer to construction
(Source: Post and Courier, September 24, 2018) CHARLESTON, S.C. — A rail yard where cargo boxes moving through the Port of Charleston would be transferred on and off freight trains has received a key federal permit, but the project has a few more steps before it gets...
California high-speed rail CEO taking unexpected medical leave
(Source: Associated Press, September 24, 2018) SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s project to build a high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco is temporarily getting new leadership. Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelly is taking an extended leave of absence for...
Pennsylvania DOT to study passenger rail between Altoona, Pittsburgh
(Source: Progressive Railroading, September 24, 2018) The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will examine the feasibility of providing passenger-rail service between Altoona and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced late last week. Full...
Philadelphia-area crude rail terminal reawakened by discounted crude
(Source: Reuters, September 25, 2018) NEW YORK — A rail terminal outside of Philadelphia has begun taking deliveries of Bakken crude after going dormant for nearly three years, according to shipping data and a source familiar with operations, as refiners snatch up...
Cleanup efforts continue from Sunday’s derailment of UP train near Alton, Iowa
(Source: Sioux City Journal, September 24, 2018) ALTON, Iowa — Cleanup efforts are continuing following a Sunday train derailment around Third and River streets in this Sioux County town. A bridge beneath a 95-car Union Pacific train collapsed, derailing 37 cars at...
Opinion: Res ipsa loquitur (the matter speaks for itself)
(Source: Railway Age opinion column by M.E. Singer, September 21, 2018) NEW YORK — Perhaps former Congressman John Mica had a point, after all, to claim that Amtrak operates like a relic of the Soviet Kremlin? That, and knowing we have the best politicians money can...
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