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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.

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

Amtrak on Sept. 21 celebrated the $1.4 million renovation of its Missouri River Runner-served station in Jefferson City. (Amtrak Photograph)

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.

“Brightline’s Orlando Station sets a new benchmark for transportation between two of Florida’s busiest regions, with a seamless, convenient experience that caters to today’s modern traveler,” Brightline President Patrick Goddard said Sept. 22. (Brightline Photograph)

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, National Transit and Rail Market Director, H.W. Lochner, Inc.
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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.

Former Chair of CN's Board of Directors Robert L. Pace

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.

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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

Authority Northern California Deputy Regional Director Morgan Galli, with WTS Chapter President Jasmin Mejia, accepts the Employer of the Year award at the SF Bay Area Chapter’s annual gala on Sept. 20.
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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
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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.

(Ferromex Photograph)

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.

The Virginia CTB has approved new policies that change the way VRE is funded and reform from the governance and funding of WMATA.

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.

Only cross train tracks at a designated crossing. Designated crossings are marked by a sign, lights, or a gate. (Safe Kids Worldwide photo)

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.

“When a rail incident occurs, seconds count,” NS Vice President Safety John Fleps said. “Through our partnership with RapidSOS, 911 call centers and first responder agencies throughout our 22-state network will have faster access to the information they need to safeguard their response, save lives and protect the communities in which we operate.” (NS Photograph)

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.