Ridgewood Infrastructure acquires Sierra Railroad Co.

Blue, white, and gold locomotive with American flag design on long hood

NEW YORK — Investment firm Ridgewood Infrastructure has acquired a controlling interest in Sierra Railroad Co., the California company including short line Sierra Northern Railway and locomotive builder RailPower. At the same time, with Ridgewood’s investment, Sierra is acquiring Central Valley Ag Transport, an agricultural transload facility owner and operator serving customers along Sierra’s rail […]

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Front Range Passenger Rail launches ‘name the train’ contest

Updated logo (as of 2024) for Front Range Passenger Rail

DENVER — Colorado residents can now vote to name the train for the Fort Collins-Pueblo rail passenger service planned by the Front Range Passenger Rail District. Name-the-train voting will be held through March 23 at this page of the Front Range Passenger Rail website, and can choose from four finalists selected by the district: Colorado […]

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What happened in the rail industry this week? March 6, 2026

Tunnel portals in construction area

In a continued effort to improve our coverage, we’re introducing a weekly feature for TrainsPRO. It will be a weekly recap, highlighting our most popular stories of the week, and also occasionally shining a spotlight on stories that you might have missed, but that our editorial team believes might develop into the next big story […]

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Report says each $1 billion in public transportation spending returns $5 billion in benefits

Two commuter trains meet at station on curve

WASHINGTON — A new independent economic study assessing the American Public Transportation Association’s recommendations for public transportation funding estimates that every $1 billion in such funding generates $5 billion in long-term economic value. This week’s report, Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment, also says the funding supports tens of thousands of jobs nationwide. In February, […]

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CN reports record February grain movements in Canada

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National experienced its best February on record for Canadian grain movements, the railroad said on Thursday, March 5. CN moved more than 2.67 metric tons of grain from Western Canada, the railroad said in a press release, demonstrating its ability to meet peak-season shipping demand. CPKC said earlier this week that it […]

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Canadian high-speed project facing opposition in choosing route

Map of area between Toronto and Quebec City

Canada’s Alto high-speed rail project, which is currently in the process of determining the exact route for the Toronto-Montreal-Quebec City project, is running into growing local opposition along its potential path. Farm organizations in Ontario and Quebec have called for the project to be paused for a more careful assessment, and open houses that are […]

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MBTA’s North Station bridge project advances with labor agreement

Raised draw brdige

The current North Station Draw One Bridge. MBTA[/caption BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s project to replace a bridge at North Station took another step forward on Thursday, March 5, with the signing of a Project Labor Agreement to support construction of the Draw One Bridge replacement. The bridge, which handles more than 1,000 […]

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Amtrak to begin accepting grant applications as part of Baltimore tunnel project

Map showing route of the current B&P Tunnel and the planned route of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel which will replace it.

BALTIMORE — Amtrak will begin accepting applications for community grants related to its Frederick Douglass Tunnel project in Baltimore on March 23. The Community Investment Program is part of a $50 million Amtrak investment that will concide with the major infrastructure project. It will be open to nonprofit organizations and government entities within a quarter-mile […]

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Supreme Court rules NJ Transit is subject to out-of-state lawsuits

NJ Transit logo

WASHINGTON — NJ Transit will face lawsuits from out-of-state courts after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the transit agency is not entitled to “sovereign immunity,” the principle that one state cannot be sued in another state’s court. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in the decision for a unanimous court, wrote that “sovereign immunity is personal […]

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Matson, BNSF announce measures to fight container theft

HONOLULU — Ocean shipping firm Matson, BNSF Railway, and heavy-duty lock maker War-Lok will partner to enhance security for intermodal shippers, an effort set to begin in the second quarter of 2026. The program will provide two new layers of security at no cost to customers, Matson said in an annoucement this week. The first […]

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Norfolk Southern extends Georgia Tech sustainability tech partnership

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will continue backing sustainability-focused technology startups through an expanded partnership with Georgia Tech Advanced Technology Development Center, committing $250,000 annually for the next two years to support the center’s Sustainability Tech program. The investment extends a collaboration launched in 2023 that created a sustainability-focused program within the Georgia Tech incubator. Since […]

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New legislation would require railroads to conduct automated and human track inspections (updated)

Yellow self-propelled track inspection car

WASHINGTON — In the latest in a recent series of rail safety bills, U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced on Wednesday, March 4, that they would introduce legislation requiring railroads to maintain visual track inspections in conjunction with automated track inspection systems. U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) is leading the companion […]

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