HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Amtrak has selected the contractor for construction of a replacement for the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge in Maryland, and awarded two supporting contracts for the projects, the company announced Friday. The Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture will be the Construction Manager at Risk contractor for the two new bridges and related track […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has issued a formal Request for Proposals for replacement of its bilevel long-distance railcar fleet, outlining requirements for what it says will be a multi-billion-dollar order for equipment projected to enter service in the early 2030s. The document, which outlines for manufacturers requirements for coach seating, sleeping cars, food service, and accessibility, […]
WASHINGTON — The Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, railroad border crossings will reopen at 1 p.m. Central today, ending a shutdown that had stranded freight on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border since 8 a.m. on Monday. Railroads cheered the announcement that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials made today. “The Biden Administration made […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway will use a permit system to prevent congestion once the Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, rail border crossings are reopened. The bridges over the Rio Grande have been shut down since Monday as customs officials divert personnel to process a surge of migrants who have entered the country […]
As always, some notable events did not quite crack our list of the Top 10 stories of the year. And as it happens, the four stories that finished just outside the Top 10 are closely related: Chairman Martin J. Oberman’s forthcoming departure from the Surface Transportation Board; UP’s service issues and change of CEOs; the […]
NEW ORLEANS — The Port of New Orleans will receive $73.8 million under the federal Mega Grant program for its Louisiana International Terminal project, a planned $1.8 billion container port with the eventual goal of handling some 1.2 million containers annually. The project in Violet, La., announced in late 2022, is located to eliminate height […]
PHOENIX — The latest addition to the Phoenix area’s light rail system is scheduled to open Jan. 27, officials have announced. Valley Metro’s Northwest Extension Phase II will add 1.6 miles and three stations to what is currently a 28.2-mile, 38-station system. The extension will include the system’s first elevated station, as well as a rail-only […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government and the Railway Association of Canada on Thursday announced renewed plans to address emissions reduction in the rail industry. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Railway Association CEO Marc Brazeau announced a renewed Memorandum of Understanding, under which Transport Canada and members of the Railway Association will work together toward […]
WASHINGTON — The Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, railroad gateways to Mexico remained closed for a fourth straight day today — and there was no indication when freight might begin moving again despite a phone call today between President Joseph Biden and his Mexican counterpart. Biden spoke with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board’s controversial service-based reciprocal switching proposal faced another round of criticism this week, with many shippers saying it doesn’t go far enough and railroads saying it’s an unworkable, unrealistic rule that goes too far. The proposal, unveiled in September, would allow shippers located in terminal areas to seek access to […]
ADAMANA, Ariz. — One track of BNSF’s Southern Transcon main line is expected to reopen today (Thursday, Dec. 21) through Adamana at approximately 7 a.m. local time following a Wednesday derailment, according to a customer service update by the railroad. No estimate has yet been determined to reopen the second track through the site. One […]
It seemed transit’s biggest headlines in 2023 were generated for all the wrong reasons. Two systems in particular — the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — continued to deal with major administrative and operational issues. On top of that, WMATA — facing a massive operating deficit — issued a budget […]
