Railroad News

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario (IO) have issued a request for qualifications for firms to build and finance GO Transit's Lakeshore East-West Corridor expansion project in the Toronto area.

The project calls for infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the planned expansion of GO rail service on the Lakeshore East line.

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A House committee hearing yesterday on President Donald Trump's infrastructure proposal led to some tense exchanges between U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and lawmakers from New York and New Jersey over the administration's support of the Hudson River rail tunnel replacement project.

Both Canadian Class Is today announced their efforts to improve grain shipments following extreme winter weather in February that affected the nation's grain supply chain.

The announcements were made in response to grain shippers' and producers' recent concerns about a growing backlog of rail shipments.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has begun testing three-car setups with its new Siemens-built light-rail units.

CSX execs accomplished the most important thing they set out to do March 1 at the railroad's long-anticipated Investor & Analyst Conference in New York City. Having already scooped themselves by unveiling their big buyback program and unveiling their 60 percent — down over 600 basis points (bps) — operating ratio (OR) target for 2020,  the CSX team revealed its management depth and competence, as well as its commitment to Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR). 

Beginning March 23, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will phase out token sales at certain Regional Rail stations as it continues to transition to the reloadable "Key" card fare payment system.

The phaseout will start at stations with a low volume of token sales and proceed to busier stations on April 6, including the 30th Street, Temple University and University City stations.

MTA Metro-North Railroad later this month will kick off a $94 million project to rehab its station in White Plains, New York.

Slated to begin March 18, the work includes improving station entrances, adding signage, installing LED lighting, and providing Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity.

In February, 95 percent of Tri-Rail's trains operated on schedule — marking the South Florida commuter railroad's highest monthly on-time performance rating since December 2002.

The achievement came after the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) eased some speed restrictions that affected Tri-Rail's on-time performance. The agency was able to relieve the speed restrictions after making repairs on the corridor, said SFRTA Executive Director Jack Stephens in a press release.

The Washington Department of Ecology last week approved BNSF Railway Co.'s response plan in the event of a crude-oil spill.

The action marks the first railroad oil-spill plan approved in the state, according to a department press release.

GE Transportation announced late last week that it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), a trade association for blockchain education and standards development.

Blockchain is a digital ledger technology that records transactions and stores data in blocks across a distributed network. The technology enables a "digital supply chain" and creates a peer-to-peer system of commerce, GE officials said in a press release.

President Donald Trump last week nominated Patrick Fuchs and Michelle Schultz to serve five-year terms on the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

Fuchs, of Wisconsin, is a senior professional staff member working on surface transportation and maritime issues for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation under the leadership of Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), according to a White House press release.

CN is searching for a new chief executive officer today after announcing the abrupt departure of Luc Jobin.

The Class I announced this morning that Jobin has left the company and is being replaced on an interim basis by Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jean-Jacques Ruest until a permanent leader is named.