Batory Slated for Amtrak Board
President Joe Biden on May 2 announced his intent to nominate Ronald L. Batory to the Amtrak Board of Directors. “Ronald L. Batory is a career railroad professional with more than 45
Breaking News
Now On Line: Railway Age May 2024 Digital Edition
The May 2024 issue of Railway Age is available digitally, featuring the honorees of our fifth-annual Readers’ Most Influential Leaders poll, plus Railinc’s locomotive report and MxV Rail R&D.
Transit Briefs: Amtrak, NYMTA, SMART, WMATA
A second daily Amtrak train is launching between St. Paul, Minn., and Chicago, via Milwaukee, Wis., the state-supported Borealis. Also, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) unveil the Fair Fares pilot program; Northern California’s Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) logs record commuter rail ridership; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announce a transit planning initiative for the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
Duos Granted Patent for RIP® Technology
Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (Duos), through its subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc., announced May 2 that it has been granted another patent for its Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP®) technology.
From Railcar to Pet Food Bowl
As activist sharks circle Norfolk Southern’s Atlanta headquarters in anticipation of the May 9 proxy vote, the railroad has a landed a new customer in North Carolina whose products are literally going
USDOT Closes First Loan Supporting TOD
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on May 1 reported that its Build America Bureau has approved the first transit-oriented development (TOD) TIFIA loan, which will support a Mt. Vernon, Wash., project located a short walk from the Amtrak-served Skagit Station.
East Broad Top Sets 2024 Schedule
Thanks in part to the preservation efforts of several renowned railroad industry leaders, Pennsylvania’s 150-year-old narrow-gauge East Broad Top Railroad— considered by The Smithsonian as “a national treasure”—will once again be operating tourist trains.
G&AR Rebrands as Pinsly Railroad Company
Gulf & Atlantic Railways, LLC (G&AR) announced May 1 that it is rebranding as Pinsly Railroad Company following the October 2023 acquisition of Pioneer Valley Railroad, Pinsly’s last short line railroad company.
Mayan Train Full Opening Delayed to Late August
Construction problems on an environmentally sensitive section of the line between Playa del Carmen and Tulum have caused numerous setbacks.
USW Ratifies New Collective Agreement; Teamsters Vote to Authorize Strikes
The United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2004 ratifies a new three-year collective agreement with CN. Meanwhile, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) votes to authorize strikes at CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
Commentary
Saluting UP’s 50-Year Railroaders
Continuing a long-standing Union Pacific (UP) tradition, employees achieving 50 years of railroading will be honored May 8, in a special ceremony with UP senior leadership at 11:15 a.m. CT.
STB Finalizes Reciprocal Switching Rule (Updated)
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on April 30 reported adopting Reciprocal Switching for Inadequate Service, STB Docket No. EP 711 (Sub-No. 2), by unanimous vote, implementing new regulations at 49 CFR part 1145, which it said “sets forth a path for shippers and receivers to petition the Board for the prescription of a reciprocal switching agreement.” The final rule “is designed to promote adequate rail service,” according to the STB. Board Member Robert Primus concurred with a separate expression, noting “I am voting for the final rule because something is better than nothing.” Frank N. Wilner, Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor, weighs in and provides a reciprocal switching “primer.”
Metrolinx Selects ETCS Level 2 for GO Transit
Foregoing PTC (Positive Train Control) as deployed on the U.S. rail network, Metrolinx says its GO Transit regional rail system will be “the first passenger rail system in either Canada or the
CTA Sets CN, CPKC 2024–2025 VRCPIs
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has set its determination of the Volume-Related Composite Price Index (VRCPI) for CN at 1.9281 and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) at 1.8760 for the 2024–2025 crop year beginning
Siemens Selected for Brightline West HSR Trainsets
Brightline has designated Siemens Mobility preferred bidder to supply 10 seven-car “American Pioneer 220” (AP 220) electric trainsets for the 218-mile, $12 billion Brightline West high-speed rail system connecting Las Vegas and
IANA: ‘Intermodal Makes Gains’
Total Intermodal volume for first-quarter 2024 was up 8% from the prior-year period, according to IANA’s (Intermodal Association of North America) latest report. It was the second consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.
AAR: Decreased Coal Shipments Cause U.S. Rail Declines in April
“U.S. Rail carloads declined in April primarily due to decreased coal shipments,” said Association of American Railroads (AAR) Chief Economist Rand Ghayad.
Commentary
Rail Supply: ‘Buy North American’
Almost 10 years ago, CRRC (China Railway Rolling Stock Company), the world’s largest rail rolling stock and railcar components company, a Chinese Communist Party SOE (State-Owned Enterprise), set forth a grand strategy
Transit Briefs: San Diego MTS, OCTA, LA Metro
Affirmed Housing and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) celebrate the completion of a new transit-oriented development. Also, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) completes its 2024 Climate Adaptation and Sustainability Plan (CASP); and LA Metro releases its Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project.
People News: Keolis, Port NOLA, WSP, Duos
Keolis North America (Keolis) appoints Jannet Walker-Ford as Board Chair. Also, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) elevates Amanda Coates to Chief Commercial Officer; WSP Global, Inc. promotes Joseph Sczurko and Christopher Peters to President and Chief Operating Officer, respectively, in the United States; and Duos taps Adrian Goldfarb as Chief Financial Officer.