WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern’s proposed abandonment of the Saluda Grade in North and South Carolina will not need to undergo an environmental impact statement process, the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Assessment has determined in a decision released today (Monday, Nov. 25). The railroad filed for abandonment of 31.3 miles of the long-dormant route […]
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — A century-old coaling tower built by the Michigan Central Railroad will be torn down next year, leading to a disruption of Amtrak service for up to two weeks, WCOE and WLOI radio report. The massive concrete structure straddling the Amtrak-owned trackage, a local landmark dating to 1923 (some sources say 1924), […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak has agreed to restore most of the Empire Service between New York City and upstate New York through March 2 following requests from Gov. Kathy Hochul and part of the state’s congressional delegation, the passenger operator has announced. Beginning Dec. 2, the Adirondack and Maple Leaf will again operate as separate […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit have issued an update on efforts to address service disruptions on the Northeast Corridor that led them to formulate a joint action plan earlier this year. The 12-page presentation details inspection and improvement efforts for Amtrak’s NEC infrastructure and rolling stock for both operators between July 6 and […]
ERWIN, Tenn. — Whitewater rafting advocates have filed lawsuits claiming the federal government has unlawfully allowed CSX Transportation to rebuild its former Clinchfield through the Nolichucky River Gorge and that the railroad’s repairs are environmentally disruptive. CSX has been rebuilding 40 miles of its Blue Ridge Subdivision between Erwin, Tenn., and Spruce Pine, N.C., after […]
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Amtrak marked the completion of major track reconstruction and restoration of full service on its Keystone Line on Monday, capping an eight-month project to replace more than 43 miles of track between Harrisburg and Lancaster, Pa. The work also included installation of more than 113,000 concrete ties. The $122 million project required […]
BOSTON — A 15-day shutdown of part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line is set for December — the last such suspension planned under the agency’s long-running Track Improvement Program, and one expected to remove the final speed restrictions on the MBTA rail transit network. The agency has also slightly revised plans for […]
WASHINGTON — Three projects with a rail component were among 31 port improvement projects receiving a total of $580 million from the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration in grant awards announced today (Friday, Nov. 15). Funding comes from the Port Infrastructure Development Program, which received $2.25 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastruture Law. “Modernizing America’s port […]
RALEIGH, N.C. — Eleven short line railroads and two ports in North Carolina will receive almost $13 million in grant funding from the state’s Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division has announced. The funding, which requires a 50% match from recipients, will go to a total […]
WASHINGTON — Short line railroads across the United States will be able to lay more welded rail, replace more crossties, add sidings and build bridges as a result of $2.4 billion in funding through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety (CRISI) grant program for fiscal years 2023-2024 [see “FRA awards $2.4 billion […]
WASHINGTON — The federal government will provide $1.5 billion in funding for 19 projects along the Northeast Corridor, the Federal Railroad Administration announced today (Friday, Nov. 15). Leading the list of projects to be funded under the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail is almost $400 million for a project to replace and upgrade the […]
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Commonwealth of Kentucky is providing $7.5 million in grant funding for eight infrastructure projects on short lines, Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Thursday (Nov. 14). R.J. Corman Railroad Group, Transkentucky Transportation Railroad, and the Paducah & Louisville Railway each received funding for two projects, while the Tennken Railroad Co. and Louisville […]
