Amtrak delays East River Tunnel project by two weeks

Interior of railroad tunnel

Amtrak will delay the start of the construction on the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation project by two weeks after learning the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) East-Bound reroute project is delayed. The three-year project calls for repairing two of the tunnel’s four tubes, which were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with one tube removed […]

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Proposed legislation would ease California environmental regulations

Three red and yellow diesel locomotives exit a tunnel and round a curve in hilly country

On May 5, Congressmen John Moolenaar (R-MI), Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Craig Goldman (R-TX) introduced the Lifting Overburdensome Commerce Obstructions and Motives Act (LOCOMOTIVES Act), which aims to limit California’s ability to place “unsustainable” regulations on trains crossing into the state.  The legislation would revise Section 209 of the Clean Air Act to close a […]

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Railroad Day on the Hill under way

US Capitol building

Today, 327 representatives from Class Is, short lines, and railroad suppliers, contractors and associations will meet with more than 300 congressional offices during the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill.   The annual event has continued for more than 25 years. This year, lobbyists will call on Congress to:  Maintain and extend tax policies that incentivize […]

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Trump to axe California high-speed rail funding

Computer rendering of California high speed rail train at dusk

Citing cost overruns, the federal government will no longer provide funding for California’s planned Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail project, according to a news report from Reuters.  President Donald Trump made the comment to reporters yesterday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.  In February, the Federal Railroad Administration announced it was conducting […]

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USDOT approves $3.2 billion for infrastructure projects

A side view of a train passing a rural grade crossing with railroad crossing sign, a lowered gate, and flashing red warning lights

The U.S. Department of Transportation signed off on 180 infrastructure grants totaling more than $3.2 billion today, jumpstarting a series of projects aimed at improving railroads, ports, highways, airports and more. These grants had been previously announced and have now moved to the agreement stage. The Federal Railroad Administration will receive funding for several initiatives, […]

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NTSB Vice Chair removed from post

NTSB logo

The vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been removed from his post, according to a report from The Hill.   Alvin Brown, a former Jacksonville, Fla., mayor, became part of the NTSB in March 2024. Former President Joe Biden appointed him as the board’s vice chair late last year.  While the White […]

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FreightCar America Q1 net better than half of revenue

Logo of FreightCar America

CHICAGO — FreightCar America said net income totaled $50.4 million in the first quarter while revenue of $96.3 million fell 40.2% from the year-ago period. The Chicago-based railcar builder (NASDAQ: RAIL) delivered 710 units in the quarter ended March 31, down from 1,223 units in the previous-year quarter. Adjusted net income was $1.6 million, or 5 […]

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National Train Day events going strong without Amtrak’s participation

WASHINGTON — Almost a decade after Amtrak cancelled “National Train Day,” an outreach promotion launched in 2008 designed to familiarize potential customers with where its passenger trains go, organizations around the U.S. continue to use May 10 as a tentpole around which to generate interest. The date commemorates completion of the first transcontinental railroad at […]

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Drive-on piggyback service through Switzerland to end this year

Electric locomotive on train with sleeping car and trucks on flatcars

OLTEN, Switzerland — The Rolling Highway, a drive-on, drive-off piggyback service carrying tractors and trailers through the Swiss Alps, will shut down at the end of 2025, operator RAlpin has announced. The company cited disruptions to the rail network — particularly the troubled German network — as leading to the shutdown. RAlpin has provided transport […]

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