Railroad News

U.S. freight-rail traffic declined 2.1 percent to 518,290 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Sept. 26 compared with the same week in a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Railroads hauled 224,146 carloads during the week, a 10.5 percent year-over-year decrease. But intermodal volume climbed 5.5 percent to 294,144 containers and trailers, AAR officials said in a press release.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver’s (RTD) board finalized a five-year contract with Debra Johnson as the agency’s next general manager and chief executive officer. She will assume the role on Nov. 9. 

The contract terms include an annual salary of $315,000, with cost of living adjustments and potential incentive awards and increases tied to performance goals, RTD officials said in a press release.

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Railroads (OCR) has issued an order that resolves a dispute between CN's Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WCL) line and the town of Richmond in St. Croix County over the railroad's plan for a new autoport and intermodal shipping facility in the area.

Issued Sept. 14, the OCR's order calls for the town to relocate 105th Street to avoid establishing a new crossing of proposed siding tracks with 105th Street at its current location.

Wabtec Corp. formed a partnership with Penn State University to conduct energy management, battery technology and machine learning research, as well as facilitate professional and talent development. The partnership gives Wabtec access to a research institution with the resources to bring new innovations to the market, Wabtec officials said in a press release. The arrangement is "a model for how universities and corporations can successfully work together to solve real-world challenges,” said Melissa Erekson, assistant vice president of corporate engagement at Penn State. The partnership builds upon years of collaboration between the university and the company.

Icomera UK completed the acquisition of London-based GoMedia Services Ltd. GoMedia is a provider of onboard infotainment for public transport, including passenger information and customer messaging. The acquisition enables Icomera parent company ENGIE Solutions to deliver an end-to-end passenger information and entertainment offering to transport operators, Icomera officials said in a press release. Meanwhile, Metrolinx  launched its first GO Transit trains equipped with Icomera’s centralized connectivity network platform. The solution will allow Metrolinx riders access to the internet and other passenger, operational and safety applications.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LA Metro) board last week approved a sustainability plan that outlines the agency’s strategy to reduce air pollution, smog and greenhouse gases (GHG) across Los Angeles County. 

The Moving Beyond Sustainability (MBS) plan calls for tripling LA Metro’s on-site renewable energy generation by 2030, reducing total GHG emissions by 79 percent from 2017 levels and reducing total nitrogen oxides emissions by 54 percent.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) earlier this week released a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) seeking input from firms to assist the agency in developing its next generation of fare gates.

The RFEI is designed to help assess the potential benefits, challenges and the feasibility of alternatives for BART’s fare gate upgrade project to replace 715 gates with new technology to improve the rider experience and reduce fare evasion, BART officials said in a press release.

Unionized Amtrak workers, led by rail labor organizations, today will rally in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles to urge members of Congress to provide emergency funding to Amtrak to prevent planned cuts to service and its workforce. 

Earlier this month, Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer William Flynn called for $5 billion in emergency funding to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. If no additional funding is provided by the federal government, Amtrak has announced impending cuts, effective Oct. 1, of 1,950 unionized employees and a planned reduction of service.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) today announced a new benefit program to help its members address the rising costs of employee health-care coverage. 

Provided by HUB International, the "Coalition Health Plan" for ASLRRA members will provide an affordable rate by pooling premiums from a number of companies, which serves to spread risk among a larger pool of people while increasing insurance purchasing power, ASLRRA officials said in a press release.

The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) next month will complete its year-long signal and communication improvement project on the MAX Blue light-rail line in Gresham, Oregon.

TriMet crews will replace a rubber rail boot and repave asphalt near a rail crossing at Northwest Eastman Parkway; replace signal equipment and reroute signal conduits and cables on the line; and repair the Fairview Creek wooden trestle bridge. 

Union Pacific Railroad was designated the top “Military Friendly Employer” in the transportation industry for 2021 and ranked No. 7 overall by Viqtory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine.

More than 17 percent of UP employees, or 6,300, are veterans and active-service military members. 

Reading & Northern Railroad yesterday announced it has hired Eric Peters as vice president of transportation and safety. He will succeed Thomas Cook, who will retire later this year.

Peters joins the railroad from Norfolk Southern Railway, where he's worked for the past 14 years. He joined the Class I as a management trainee and rose through the ranks, ultimately reaching the position of superintendent at the Harrisburg Division earlier this year.

Amtrak and Metra yesterday broke ground on a $29 million project to make accessibility and multimodal improvements to a shared rail station in Homewood, Illinois.

The project is underway on the west side of tracks owned by Metra and CN. Amtrak has begun to replace the station stairway and install a ramp to allow Amtrak and Metra riders to access the tunnel under the tracks which leads to the train platforms. 

The Federal Railroad Administration has selected five projects in South Dakota and Alaska to receive more than $6.9 million in Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) Grants for state-specific rail capital projects.

More than $5.6 million in grant funds will be used to upgrade rail infrastructure and enhance rail safety in communities across South Dakota, and another $1.2 million in grant funds will go toward projects in Alaska, FRA and U.S. Department of Transportation officials said in press releases.