Railroad News

Cahaba Truck & Equipment

Cahaba Truck & Equipment specializes in hi-rail maintenance-of-way trucks — specifically, material handlers, rotary dumps, tie movers and yard maintenance vehicles that can be customized to meet customer’s needs. The company offers an array of solutions for a wide customer base, from contractors to Class Is.

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

Brandt Road Rail

The Brandt Rail Tool is designed for a variety of rail construction and maintenance applications, ranging from weed and brush control to undercutting to material handling to moving dirt.

By Michael Popke

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

The city of Phoenix has named Markus Coleman as its new light-rail administrator. 

Coleman has 23 years of experience with the city, working on development projects and in transportation, according to a press release. Prior to his new role, he was an engineering technician, plan review coordinator, project manager and had a previous rotation of acting deputy public transit director over transit operations.  

U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) earlier this week introduced a bill to require California to return $3.5 billion in federal funds the state received for its high-speed rail program.

H.R. 1515, the High-Speed Refund Act, would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to retrieve discretionary grant funds provided to California for high-speed rail development and return the money to the federal government for use toward "nationally significant freight and highway projects," according to the legislation.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is seeking approval from its board to select The Boring Co. (TBC) to design, construct and operate autonomous electric passenger vehicles in underground express-route tunnels around the Las Vegas Convention Center, the authority announced in a press release earlier this week.

Upon approval from the board on March 12, the project would have the potential to connect the Las Vegas Convention Center, downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Boulevard Resort Corridor and McCarran International Airport. Following approval, specific plans and contracts would be negotiated in a meeting to be held by June.

Rail industry representatives are reacting to the news of former Amtrak leader Joseph Boardman's death, which the railroad announced yesterday.

Boardman, 70, died this week after suffering a stroke while on vacation with his wife and family in Florida, the Rome Sentinel reported. He led Amtrak from 2008 until 2016, when he retired. He also served as administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) from 2005 to 2008 during President George W. Bush's administration.

Union Pacific Railroad yesterday announced executive appointments for Jon Panzer, Jennifer Hamann and Gary Grosz.

The appointments take effect April 1, according to a UP press release.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), state and local officials yesterday marked the opening of the new Blue Hill Avenue commuter-rail station Boston.

Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh joined MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak in cutting the ribbon on the nearly $17 million station yesterday. Construction began in 2017. The station has been open to passengers since Feb. 26.

Amtrak added a second daily roundtrip service to Norfolk, Virginia, as part of the passenger railroad's Northeast Regional service, on March 4. 

The service connects the commonwealth to the Northeast, offering passengers a same-seat trip to and from 17 Virginia stations to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. 

A House Ways and Means subcommittee will hold a hearing March 12 on a proposed tax extenders package, which includes the 45G short-line tax credit.

The Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee hearing follows the legislation's introduction last week.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has found that a broken axle on a freight car led to the January 2018 derailment of a CN train near New Hazelton, British Columbia.

The incident occurred when a CN train moving west at 29 mph experienced a train-initiated emergency brake application near New Hazelton. A subsequent inspection determined that 27 gondola cars loaded with coal derailed, with some of the product spilling into a nearby waterway.

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday rolled out more of its state-by-state capital expenditure plans for 2019, announcing $445 million worth of projects slated for Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

In Kansas, the Class I will invest $165 million to replace and upgrade rail, ties and ballast. The maintenance program will include 560 miles of track surfacing and/or undercutting work, as well as the replacement of 30 miles of rail and 120,000 ties. In addition, BNSF plans to begin a multiyear project to install double track on portions of the Emporia Subdivision, which operates between Wellington and Kansas City.