WASHINGTON — The House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials has announced plans to hold a hearing on freight and passenger rail issues and the state of the railroad industry this Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The hearing, entitled “America Builds: Examining America’s Freight and Passenger Rail Network,” is set for 10 a.m. ET in […]
WASHINGTON — A federal court has struck down a Department of Transportation rule on transportation of liquefied natural gas enacted in 2020, saying the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration did not sufficiently consider the safety risks involved. Specifically, the decision by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia […]
NEW YORK — New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and NJ Transit are advising passengers to be prepared for service changes as a winter storm moves into the area on Sunday, Jan. 19. In a press release on statewide storm preparations, the MTA says it is closely monitoring the weather but currently has no changes to […]
WASHINGTON — While global transportation transitions to a cleaner future fueled by alternative power sources, North American railroads have fewer good options outside of diesel fuel. “We love diesel; we like to take showers in diesel,” joked Michael Nicoletti, a partner at Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT), at “Toward Zero Emissions in Rail: Lessons Learned,” a […]
CLEVELAND — The American Steam Railroad Preservation Association is aiming for an initial test firing of Reading Co. 4-8-4 No. 2100 within 60 days, as it continues a number of smaller projects after completing installation of firebox firebrick. The engine is being restored to operate as American Freedom Train No. 250. Forrest Nace, the organization’s […]
LONDON — Hitachi Rail will acquire digital rail monitoring business Omnicom from infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty, the companies announced on Friday, Jan. 17. The newly acquired business will become a key part of Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management business, HMAX. Omnicom produces hardware and software for surveying, inspecting, and monitoring rail infrastructure, including gauge clearance […]
RONKS, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered the Strasburg Rail Road to reinstate an employee fired for refusing to issue locomotive and conductor licenses to an untrained, unqualified management official. The Department says OSHA investigated a whistleblower complaint by the employee, who claimed the firing came after […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has expanded its list of train cancellations in and out of Chicago because of a forecast of “extremely cold temperatures” to include an extensive number of state-supported services to Illinois and adjacent states. The company had previously announced cancellations of the Empire Builder in both directions between Chicago and Spokane, Wash., for […]
CORINTH, N.Y. — The Delaware & Hudson Railway Historical Society, newly formed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the state of New York, has announced it has acquired for preservation former D&H Alco RS3 locomotive No. 4085. The group acquired the locomotive —currently located at the Erie Turntable in Port Jervis, N.Y. — on Nov. […]
LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail agency Metrolink has begun offering free-ride vouchers for those impacted by Southern California’s wildfires. The Metrolink effort joins one by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, which is offering $10 fares between any two locations on the San Luis Obispo-San Diego LOSSAN corridor. Metrolink is working with local aid groups and elected officials […]
NEW YORK — Former Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Thomas Prendergast has been named as CEO and president of the Gateway Development Commission, the bi-state agency overseeing construction of the new rail tunnel between New Jersey and Manhattan, as well as other Northeast Corridor projects. Prendergast succeeds Kris Kolluri, the original commission CEO who is now […]
ALTOONA, Pa. – With the inspection, cleaning and conditioning of the drivers of former Pennsylvania Railroad Class K4s 4-6-2 steam engine No. 1361 by Strasburg Rail Road’s mechanical department, the locomotive’s $2.4 million restoration has moved symbolically past the halfway point, according to the engine’s owner, the Railroaders Memorial Museum. The six 80-inch drivers made […]
