Next-Gen Freight Rail 2024 Conference Roundup

Railway Age’s Next-Gen Freight Rail 2024 Conference took place on March 12, 2024, at the Union League Club of Chicago. The annual event, attended by close to 200, featured Tracy Robinson, President

“Metro-North is always looking for opportunities to innovate and be more efficient in how we maintain our systems and equipment and provide service to our customers,” Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi said during the announcement of a federal grant the commuter railroad will use to test an automated railcar inspection system. (Photograph Courtesy of MTA)

Metro-North to Pilot Automated Railcar Inspection

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will use a $2 million federal grant to test an automated railcar inspection system on its commuter railroad in New York and Connecticut, which it said will provide “early detections of existing and future defects, allowing conditions to be addressed immediately, reducing repair and replacement time.”

(Photograph Courtesy of Port of Oswego Authority)

Port of Oswego Lands $4.693MM for Rail Upgrades

New York’s Port of Oswego has received two grants totaling $4.693 million to boost rail capacity, improve rail safety, and support the state’s green energy and electric policies. The funding is part

(Union Railroad Company)

Supply Side: Brandt, Union Railroad Company

Brandt expands its material handling division across Canada. Also, Union Railroad Company opens a new railcar repair facility in the Pittsburgh area.

Commentary

MxV Rail Opens FAST® Loop Track

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has headquartered rail industry research and test activities in Pueblo, Co., for more than 40 years. Building on this legacy, AAR’s wholly owned subsidiary MxV Rail

OptiFuel Total-Zero™ Locomotive Showcased at ASLRRA

OptiFuel Systems will be showcasing its OptiFuel Total-Zero™ Locomotive at the 2024 ASLRRA Annual Conference & Exhibition in Kansas City, March 24 to 26. The linehaul locomotive is described as “the industry’s

“As we continue to prioritize the enhancement of our transit system, I am thrilled to announce the purchase of nine additional new low floor light rail vehicles,” SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li said March 19. “By investing in these state-of-the-art trains, we are not only elevating the transit experience for our riders but also reinforcing our dedication to a sustainable future for the Sacramento region.” (Screen Grab from SacRT social media video post, courtesy of SacRT)

Transit Briefs: SacRT, TTC, Phoenix Valley Metro, Colorado General Assembly

Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) in California is exercising an option with Siemens Mobility for more LRVs (light rail vehicles). Also, Canada’s three biggest transit agencies, including the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), are urging the federal government to advance the next wave of transit funding; Valley Metro in Phoenix, Ariz., is installing new fare machines; and the Colorado General Assembly aims to leverage millions in federal infrastructure funding to bring passenger rail service to the state.

Commentary

ZE Power for Short Lines

Since the second half of the 20th century, four-axle diesel-electric switcher locomotives have been used extensively on short lines. The most common are the EMD SW1500 (1,500 hp/1,119 kW), GP9 (1,750 hp/1,305

Nexxiot, 3C Telemetry Partner to Enhance Rail Safety, Efficiency

Nexxiot on March 19 announced that it will enable “seamless connectivity” of 3C Telemetry’s advanced sensors to its analytics platform, “offering unprecedented insights into maintenance data patterns.”

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 Selects U.S. Distributor

Ra’anana, Israel-based Rail Vision Ltd.  on March 18 reported entering into a non-binding memorandum of understanding with a railway technologies company in the United States for the distribution of its Main Line and

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