WASHINGTON — An audit of the DC Metrorail system’s maintenance practices has found those who perform railcar repairs and inspections do not keep organized records or follow safety procedures, according to the independent agency charged with monitoring DC Metro safety. The Washington Post reports the 44-page document from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission identified 12 […]
LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink is joining the California Department of Transportation and U.S. Geological Survey for a pilot warning system that could slow and stop trains in the event of an earthquake. The Earthquake Early Warning System will be deployed between Perris and Riverside on Metrolink’s 91/Perris Valley Line. It will use […]
LONG BEACH, Calif. — It will take at least six months to alleviate monumental intermodal congestion that stretches from Asian ports, across the Pacific to U.S. ports, and on to railroads and their inland terminals. “The intermodal industry is under unprecedented strain … worse than anything I’ve seen in 41 years that I’ve been in […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory after identifying a design issue with positive train control that makes it possible for a crew member to circumvent PTC enforcement. The advisory, published earlier this month in the Federal Register, says the interface design issue allows crews to manually operate the cut-out valve […]
PITTSBURGH — Australian mining company Roy Hill has become the first purchaser of Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive. Wabtec and Roy Hill announced the purchase on Monday. Roy Hill will receive the second-generation version of the FLXdrive locomotive, currently under development for delivery in 2023, which will have an energy capacity of 7 megawatt hours. The […]
CHICAGO –—Climate change provides an opportunity for railroads, even as more frequent extreme weather events take a toll on railroad operations and infrastructure and require investments in new locomotive technology, executives told a shipper conference last week. The increased emphasis on sustainability is a tremendous opportunity for rail carriers, BNSF CEO Katie Farmer told the […]
LONDON — Activist investor TCI Fund Management has formally requested a special meeting of Canadian National’s shareholders and named four individuals it will nominate for the railroad’s board of directors. “We did not seek a proxy fight,” Chris Hohn, TCI founder and managing partner, said in a Monday press release, “but without urgent action CN’s […]
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — VIA Rail Canada has delayed plans to increase frequencies of its Montreal-Halifax train, the Ocean, until at least Nov. 15, Halifax Today reports. A weekly roundtrip on the route, suspended since March 2020, resumed Aug. 11 [see “VIA’s Ocean to resume once-weekly round trips …,” Trains News Wire, July 12, 2021. […]
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It’s only 13 miles of a 129-mile project, but this week’s planned activation of a second main track between West Palm Beach and Jupiter, Fla., represents tangible progress in Brightline’s northward expansion. Restoration of the second main on Florida East Coast’s line to Cocoa, Fla., helps establish a fluid, 110-mph-capable […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has restored service on more of its light rail network, bringing back Blue Line service as of Sunday, Sept. 12. Trains will operate at 20-minute intervals during weekdays and 30-minute intervals evenings and weekends. The VTA also has extended fare-free light rail travel, which was […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern on Sunday accepted Canadian Pacific’s $300 per share merger offer, spurning Canadian National’s higher bid due to its regulatory obstacles. In a midday press release, KCS said its board had determined CP’s revised offer constituted a “Company Superior Proposal” as defined in the agreement with CN. CP extended the […]
PITTSBURGH — A rail manufacturer, shortline holding company, and university have announced formation of a consortium that they hope will revolutionize American railroading and eventually reduce the industry’s carbon footprint to zero. Pittsburgh-based Wabtec Corp.; Carnegie Mellon University, known for its engineering curriculum; and shortline and regional railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming announced Friday, Sept. 10, […]
