Port of Los Angeles: Cargo Up 30% in 1Q24

For first-quarter 2024, ending March 31, local dockworkers moved 2,380,503 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) across Los Angeles marine terminals—nearly 30% more than 2023, the Port of Los Angeles reported April 17. It was among the Port’s best first quarter starts, behind only the pandemic import surge in 2021 and 2022.

Amtrak OIG Provides Insights on Fraud Risks

Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) on April 17 released a report providing insights for Amtrak on ways organizations can collect and analyze contract and procurement data to monitor for and detect fraud risks.

AAR: North American Rail Volume Up Through Week 15

Through the first 15 weeks of 2024 (ending April 13), total North American carload and intermodal traffic rose 2.2% from the same point last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported April 17. The U.S. and Mexico experienced gains, while Canada saw a decline.

Patrick Warren, Rail Safety Director, NTSB (left); and Mike Budinski, Deputy Director of Research and Engineering, NTSB (right).

People News: NTSB, STV

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) names Patrick Warren as Rail Safety Director and Mike Budinski as Deputy Director of Research and Engineering. Also, STV elevates Kristen Van Gilst to Chief of Staff; Judy Jones joins the firm as Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales; and Eugene (Gene) Kim joins the firm’s Transportation West group as Senior Vice President and California Area Manager.

Aerial view of container cargo ship leaving Long Beach Harbor in Los Angeles County California. (Port of Long Beach photo)

POLB Selects Iteris to Complete Multimodal Transportation Study

The Port of Long Beach (POLB) has awarded “technology ecosystem for smart mobility infrastructure” Iteris, Inc. a $900,000 contract for an 18-month multimodal transportation study.

DRPT photo

Virginia DRPT Releases Draft Six-Year Improvement Program

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has released its draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2030 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP), which allocates nearly $6.2 billion for public transportation and freight and passenger rail over the next six fiscal years.

An ACS64-led Amtrak Northeast Regional train prepares to depart Penn Station New York, bound for Washington, D.C. William C. Vantuono photo

GDC Submits FTA Documentation for Hudson Tunnel Project Funding

The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) on April 16 announced that it has submitted all documents required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to reach a Full-Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for $6.88 billion in Capital Investment Grants (CIG) funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP).

Image Courtesy of Amtrak

Amtrak Issues RFI for Zero-Emissions Technology

Amtrak announced April 16 that it has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to seek options that will help transform its rail fleet with zero-emissions technology, “marking progress towards the company’s long-range goal of eliminating emissions used to power Amtrak’s trains.”

RAC President and CEO Marc Brazeau (RAC photo)

RAC’s Brazeau Warns of Potential Labor Disruption in Canada

In a message to members of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILTNA), Railway Association of Canada (RAC) President and CEO Marc Brazeau warns of a potential railway labor disruption in

Rail Vision systems are said to detect objects on and along the tracks from a distance of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers)—in real time, as well as in all weather and light conditions. When an obstacle is detected, the system sends visual and acoustic alerts in real-time to both the operator and the command-and-control center. (Image Courtesy of Rail Vision)

Rail Vision Seeks to Expand U.S. Market Reach

Ra’anana, Israel-based Rail Vision Ltd. on April 15 announced that, as part of its marketing efforts in the U.S., it has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOD) with an undisclosed leading railway technologies company for the distribution of its MainLine and ShuntingYard products.

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