William E. Greenwood, 1938 – 2023
William E. (Bill) Greenwood, a former Burlington Northern executive most associated with the railroad industry leadership he provided for the intermodal business, died on Sept. 22, 2023. He was 85.
Breaking News
UP: Eagle Pass Border Crossing Reopening
Union Pacific was notified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that rail traffic at the Piedras Negras, Mexico/Eagle Pass, Tex., border crossing on UP’s Eagle Pass Subdivision could resume its normal flow
Transit Briefs: Amtrak, MBTA, NYMTA, SMART
Amtrak completes $1.4 million station-accessibility upgrade project in Jefferson City, Mo. Also, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) schedules fall service shutdowns for maintenance work; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reports post-pandemic subway ridership records and releases a Request for Information for subway platform cooling technologies; and Petaluma, Calif., receives $30.2 million for affordable housing at the future Petaluma North SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) Station.
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Welcome Aboard Brightline Orlando!
Brightline’s first train to Orlando, Fla., arrived at 11:05 a.m. on Sept. 22, marking the official start of Miami-to-Orlando passenger rail service, following four years of construction. Bright Pink, built by Siemens Mobility, was greeted by more than 500 elected officials, business leaders, community partners and company leaders, Florida’s private-sector railroad reported.
Atlas Completes Testing
The Atlas, a specialized railcar that will be used to transport SNF (spent nuclear fuel) and HLW (high-level radioactive waste) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has completed a 1,600-plus-mile round-trip from
Gary Thomas Joins H.W. Lochner
Former Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) President/Executive Director Gary Thomas has signed on to become National Transit and Rail Market Director for H.W. Lochner, Inc. (Lochner), a Chicago, Ill.-based infrastructure planning and engineering firm.
Class I Briefs: CN, NS
CN renames its Rockingham Yard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to honor former Chair of the Board of Directors Robert L. Pace. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS) lays out its East Taggart Street reopening plan.
Commentary
Rail Safety Requires Total Commitment to Follow Rules, Look Out for Each Other
My attitude toward safety is influenced by two poignant incidents—both very personal and deeply seared into my memory.
More Communities Join OL Canada’s Rail Crossing Safety-Awareness Program
Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada on Sept. 21 announced that 20 additional communities have joined its “Look. Listen Live.” Community Safety Partnership Program to prevent collisions from occurring at railway crossings. This national
REMSA, RSI, RSSI to Host Railway Interchange 2025
The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), Railway Supply Institute (RSI) and Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. (RSSI) have reported signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Railway Interchange to continue in 2025. The
CHSRA Recognized as Employer of the Year by WTS
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) recently announced that it has been recognized by the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS)–San Francisco Bay Area Chapter as the 2023 Employer of the Year for its “work, efforts and initiatives in fostering success for women and minorities.”
Commentary
Environmental Engine-uity
Wabtec’s site in Grove City, Pennsylvania is one of the country’s premier diesel engine manufacturing plants. The team builds thousands of engines each year for locomotives and marine applications. In addition to those engines, the site now is producing a new product – power.
Report: Ferromex Temporarily Suspending Service (Updated)
Mexican railway operator Ferromex on Sept. 19 said it was temporarily suspending 60 trains on south-north routes because of an increasing number of migrants climbing aboard railcars and suffering injuries, according to news reports. On Sept. 20, some trains restarted service. Union Pacific and BNSF issued embargoes at Eagle Pass in Texas.
NS Breaks Ground on Regional Safety Training Center in Ohio
Work on Norfolk Southern’s (NS) new regional first-responder training center in East Palestine, Ohio, got under way Sept. 21 with a groundbreaking event attended by railroad and local officials as well as
Rail Safety Week Under Way: Sept. 18-24 (Updated Sept. 21)
Operational Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), Operation Lifesaver Canada, and the Mexican Association of Railroads (AMF) is leading Rail Safety Week 2023 across North America on Sept. 18-24.
Transit Briefs: TTC, NYMTA, VRE/WMATA, ATP, Brightline
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) proposes new investments in customer service, community safety and security initiatives. Also, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Construction & Development (C&D) achieves insurance costs and risk assessment savings of nearly $400 million; Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approves new Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) policies; Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) approves $190 million spending plan for fiscal year 2024; and Brightline announces Orlando transportation partners.
NS Bid to Acquire CSR Still Faces Legislative Hurdle (UPDATED Sept. 21)
Norfolk Southern is looking to purchase the 338-mile Class II Cincinnati Southern Railway (CSR), which it and its predecessor railroads have been operating under a 141-year-old lease agreement with its owner, the
Safe Kids Worldwide, UP Team Up During Rail Safety Week
To prevent rail-related injuries and deaths to kids, Safe Kids Worldwide and Union Pacific (UP) are teaming up during Rail Safety Week to release a series of resources designed to “raise awareness, educate communities, and encourage parents to talk to their kids about rail safety from an early age.”
Commentary
TD Cowen: Still Searching for Positives in Near-Term
At TD Cowen, we are lowering our rail estimates ahead of third-quarter earnings reports to reflect a very challenged environment. Leaders in the rail and logistics market who attended our latest Railroad Happy Hour” called the current outlook “bleak,” with growing uncertainty in 2025.
NS, RapidSOS Team on First Responder Initiative
Norfolk Southern (NS) on Sept. 20 reported partnering with RapidSOS to help “make it quicker and easier” for first responders to access cargo and hazardous materials information and enable the ability to call for mutual aid, all while providing ongoing training.