Railroad News

A ceremony was held last month to mark the start of construction on the RCR Hempstead Logistics Park in Hempstead, Texas, RCR Rail Co. announced this week.

Union Pacific Railroad will serve the park, a 137-acre site under development on the northwest corner of State Highway 290 and 6 in Waller County.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers this week introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prevent federal transit funds from being issued by transit agencies to procure Chinese rail cars and other rail assets.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.), the Transportation Infrastructure Vehicle Security Act also would ensure transit agencies develop and implement a cybersecurity plan, Rouda said this week in a press release.

The Trump administration yesterday formally canceled nearly $929 million in previously awarded federal funds to California's high-speed rail program.

In a May 16 letter to California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Chief Executive Officer Brian Kelly, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said it was terminating its agreement to obligate $928,620,000 in funding to California because the state had not made "reasonable progress on the project."

By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Editor

Happiest of birthdays to CN, which will turn 100 next month, as managing editor Jeff Stagl reports in this month’s cover story. While the Class I’s leaders are reflecting on a century’s worth of progress, they’re also focused on the road ahead, as my colleague reports. They say they’re committed to delivering on the better-service promise and driving top-line growth.

The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority's (CCJPA) Fairfield-Vacaville Station in Fairfield, California, will be renamed the Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan Station in honor of the late Tom Hannigan, a former state assemblyman who helped establish the intercity rail service. 

In the mid-1980s, Hannigan recognized that with all of the growth along the Interstate 80 corridor, an intercity rail system could transport riders throughout the region, CCJPA officials said in a press release. 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO), yesterday restored full service on its light-rail system following emergency repairs on three lines earlier this week. 

Following the break of two overhead electrical wires, METRO crews last week initiated a partial shutdown along the Red Line extension and Green and Purple lines to reinforce wires at 79 locations.

Due to Gloucester Drawbridge construction, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will replace train service from Rockport to West Gloucester Station with bus service during the first two weeks in June.

The century-old Gloucester Drawbridge, which carries Rockport Line trains over the Annisquam River in Gloucester, is being replaced. During the June construction, the south side of the existing timber trestle will be demolished, and the remaining north side of the bridge will be monitored and tested, according to an MBTA press release. 

Starting June 1, Chicago commuter railroad Metra will increase weekend service on the Rock Island and Union Pacific Northwest lines as part of a three-month summer pilot program. 

In a recent Metra-conducted survey, a majority of riders indicated they wanted more frequent and faster train service. Metra’s pilot program will track if increased service will boost ridership and revenue on weekends, Metra officials said in a press release.

The downward trend in U.S. rail traffic continued in Week 19, with railroads reporting 529,263 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.7 percent compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

For the week ending May 11, railroads registered 258,641 total carloads, down 3.1 percent, and 270,622 containers and trailers, down 4.3 percent.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak yesterday signed legislation requiring a minimum crew of two people on Class I and II freight trains operating in the state.

Railroads that violate the law will face fines of $5,000 for a first offense, $10,000 for a second offense within three years and $25,000 for a third offense, according to a press release issued by the SMART-TD labor organization.

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Marmon Holdings Inc. announced the acquisition of Transco Railway Products Inc. from Transco Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed. Transco provides rail tank- and freight-car repair and maintenance, auto-rack certification and hopper car cleaning. The company will operate within Marmon’s rail and leasing sector in the rail-car repair service group, according to a Marmon press release. Bob Nelson, Transco's current president, will continue to lead the business.

Alstom will supply 16 six-car, electric Coradia Polyvalent trains to the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region in France for about $191 million.The region previously ordered 24 four-car electric trains, 18 of which have been delivered, according to an Alstom press release. In a separate announcement, Alstom will deliver five additional Coradia Polyvalent dual-mode regional trains to Region Sud in France for about $36 million.

Rocky Mountaineer founder and owner Peter Armstrong dedicated one of the company’s new bi-level GoldLead Service rail cars to David McLean, chairman emeritus of CN. 

The announcement marks the eighth rail car dedicated by Rocky Mountaineer since 1990 to acknowledge notable people and their contributions to the rail industry. 

The Coalition for America's Gateways & Trade Corridors (CAGTC) is calling on Congress to approve a minimum federal investment of $12 billion annually to support the nation's freight infrastructure through a multimodal competitive grant program.

Experience has shown that grant programs such as the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) and Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) spur innovation and creative funding and financing arrangements that leverage the federal dollar, CAGTC officials said in a press release.

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corp. (NOPB), a subsidiary of the Port of New Orleans, has named M.D. "Mike" Stolzman general manager.

Stolzman previously served in leadership roles managing operations, budgets and rail lines during times of change, port and railroad officials said in a press release.

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) has awarded a $138.9 million contract to a Talgo-SYSTRA joint venture to rebuild 121 Bombardier rail cars used by Metrolink.

The base order is for 50 cars, which will be increased by 71 cars if funding becomes available, according to a Talgo press release.