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FRONT ROYAL, Va. — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen has joined the list of unions opposed to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. In an announcement today (Dec. 22), the union cited concerns about rail safety, impacts on workers, and “the concentration of market power” the merger would create. The union urged the STB to reject […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched a new online dashboard to monitor its capital projects, allowing viewers to see what is being built or replaced, the project budget, spending thus far, and the expected completion date. The Capital Program Dashboard, now available here in a Beta version, addresses projects on the Long […]
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec has strengthened its Digital Intelligence business by finalizing the acquisition of Frauscher Sensor Technology Group GmbH, a signaling technology company that offers train detection, wayside object control solutions, and axle counting systems. “This strategic acquisition is another step in executing Wabtec’s long-term growth strategy, which will provide enhanced value for our customers, […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High Speed Rail Authority this week issued a Request For Proposals for the contract to build track and related systems for the 119-mile first segment of the project, between Merced and Bakersfield. The $3.5 billion contract will be one of the nation’s largest for rail infrastructure. Proposals from interested companies […]
Editor’s note: The January 2026 issue of Trains Magazine includes author Greg Richardson’s article on the development of positive train control, “The road to PTC,” viewed primarily through the lens of his time in Union Pacific’s PTC program. Space limitations precluded inclusion of his look at development of PTC for Big Boy No. 4014; we […]
WASHINGTON — A Union Pacific locomotive’s horn and warning devices at a grade crossing provided little advance notice before a fatal collision at a grade crossing in Elgin, Ill., according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the Oct. 23, 2025, incident. The accident occurred about 6:30 a.m., when a locomotive running light […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has reached agreement on a five-year contract with members of the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen, the railroad announced today (Nov. 11, 2025). The agreement, covering nearly 970 members of the union, includes an 18.8% compounded wage increase over the life of the contract, along with accelerated vacation earning and improvements to […]
MOLINE, Ill. — The transit bill passed early Friday (Oct. 31) by Illinois legislators doesn’t just address the financial needs and governing structure of transit operations in the Chicago area. Tucked into the bill’s more than 1,000 pages are two provisions that legislators say should boost the long-running effort to launch rail passenger service between […]
WASHINGTON — An operator’s failure to obey a stop signal was the probable cause of an Oct. 1, 2024, derailment of a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority light rail train in Somerville, Mass., the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final investigation report released this month. The train’s excessive speed was a contributing factor, according […]
MISSOULA, Mont. — BNSF Railway expects to complete installation of positive train control on the former Montana Rail Link by December, concluding a long-running project that predates BNSF’s acquisition of the regional railroad. BNSF said on social media that PTC was implemented on 36 miles of its MRL Subdivision in June, with work in progress […]
LOS ANGELES — Metrolink has rolled out the use of smart crossing technology — which avoids unnecessary delays at grade crossings near stations — with its introduction at two crossings near its Baldwin Park station. The Wireless Crossing Nearside Station Stop technology communicates with positive train control to prevent crossing gates from lowering as a […]
LOS ANGELES — Commuter operator Metrolink has expanded its use of a “smart crossing” technology to prevent unnecessary crossing-gate activation when a train is stopping at a nearby station, adding it at one location in Riverside, Calif., and one in Moorpark. The Wireless Crossing Nearside Station Stop is now in use near the Hunter Park/UC […]
