FRA disbands Railroad Safety Advisory Committee

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today disbanded its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee as part of a broader Department of Transportation push to bring federal advisory panels in line with a presidential executive order. “These committees are long overdue for a refresh. Many have not held a single meeting in over a year, while others […]

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Pennsylvania Senate passes budget including transit funding, but House is unlikely to agree

White trolley car going uphill on street

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate has passed a funding bill that would largely use capital funding to maintain transit operations, a move the state’s governor and Democratically-controlled House say is not a viable solution to the funding shortfall that could lead to major service cuts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia-area Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation […]

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LIRR adds more customer seating at Grand Central Madison

Seats in corridor-like area of train station

NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road has added more seating on the mezzanine level of Grand Central Madison, responding to customer requests during a period of rising ridership at the two-year-old facility. The station originally had no seating on the mezzanine — the area between the two levels of tracks well below Grand […]

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CSX eyes growth, service gains amid merger speculation

Intermodal train navigating switches

Amid merger speculation and ongoing freight doldrums, CSX will continue to focus on its own growth, service, and operations initiatives, Chief Commercial Officer Kevin Boone told an investor conference today. “Despite a trucking market that’s not really helpful right now … we are seeing truck conversions coming in every week,” Boone says. “I think that […]

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Evett joins Patriot Rail as vice president of design and construction

Head shot of smiling man

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Patriot Rail has named Anthony Evett as vice president of design and construction. The appointment of Evett, who has more than two decades of experience in transportation, maritime, and freight infrastructure, was effective as of Monday (Aug. 11, 2025). “Tony Evett brings a rare combination of technical expertise, strategic vision, and collaborative […]

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Rail intermodal boasts strong value proposition: SONAR

The SONAR data product offers numerous angles to get a read on the freight markets, primarily pertaining to the truckload, rail intermodal, and ocean sectors. One of the major trends in the data this year has been lackluster truckload demand, which SONAR measures as a volume of tenders, or electronically-submitted requests to move loads, directed […]

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BLET members at Union Pacific ratify interim raise

Freight train crossing diamond after crossing bridge

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a 3% interim raise while negotiations continue with Union Pacific on a new contract. The agreement covers about 6,000 BLET members at UP. It is effective Sept. 1, 2025, is temporary and will be replaced by wage increases agreed to in […]

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MP15CC pressed into service on the Richmond Pacific

Blue and black, diesel-powered switcher

Richmond, CA — The Richmond Pacific Railroad, a division of Levin Richmond Terminal that serves the Port of Richmond and surrounding industries, announced that its active roster now meets full Tier IV emissions standards. This milestone in environmental compliance was achieved through the recent commission of a MP15CC that was repowered by Western Rail, Inc. […]

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California Zephyr’s many plusses impacted by staffing: Amtrak trip report

Passenger train under cloudy skies.

CHICAGO — A text and email alert received overnight by passengers ticketed on Amtrak’s eastbound California Zephyr departing Denver Monday, July 28, warned, “Train 6 will have reduced seating capacity due to unplanned equipment maintenance needs. Passengers may have difficulty finding seats. Passengers are encouraged to rebook travel if possible. We apologize for any inconvenience.” […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic remains ahead of 2024 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic continues to run ahead of 2024 levels. According to Association of American Railroad statistics, traffic for the week ending Aug. 2, 2025, was 513,529 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.9% increase over the same week a year earlier. That figure included 233,805 carloads, up 6.4%, and 279,724 containers and […]

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