WASHINGTON — Austin, Texas, Mayor Kirk Watson expressed strong support for expanded rail service in the San Antonio-Dallas-Houston “Texas Triangle” at a hearing of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s rail subcommittee in Washington today (Wednesday, Nov. 29). The session, however, primarily provided a platform for critics of the California High-Speed Rail Authority to […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will open an intermodal terminal in Phoenix early next year to handle international traffic moving to and from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The terminal will be located in UP’s downtown yard, which has capacity to allow expansion of the terminal as demand warrants, UP said today. […]
All of the Class I railroad CEOs say that providing more reliable and consistent service is the key to volume growth. So did they applaud when federal regulators proposed minimum service standards that railroads would have to meet in order to avoid potential reciprocal switching orders? Not exactly. In a nutshell, the Association of American […]
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific will expand its international intermodal service from Port Houston to four additional markets beginning Dec. 1. The service will link the on-dock Barbours Cut Container Terminal with UP terminals in Chicago; Kansas City; Marion, Ark.; and Port Laredo, Texas, UP announced Tuesday (Nov. 28). The addition of the four lanes […]
For the first time in many years, model trains are in The White House this Christmas. In a press release from The White House, First Lady Jill Biden announces the 2023 holiday theme, “The Magic, Wonder, and Joy of the holidays.” “In this season of reflection and goodwill, we hope you will embrace your inner […]
MIAMI — South Florida commuter rail service Tri-Rail still expects to begin long-delayed service to Brightline’s downtown MiamiCentral downtown station by the end of the year, Miami Today reports. A spokesman for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Tri-Rail’s parent agency, told Miami Today that a draft schedule has been submitted to partners including Brightline […]
HARRISBURG, Pa. — After a long lease negotiation and a year of restoration and cleanup, the Harrisburg Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has opened the former Pennsylvania Railroad 1937 Power Director’s Office for public visits by arrangement. Situated on the second floor of the 1887 PRR passenger station, the 60-by-60-foot room governed the […]
DEL MAR, Calif. — Proposed routes for a tunnel to replace the rail line along the Del Mar bluffs, which at one time had been narrowed to two options, are now back to a total of 11 options in the wake of objections by Del Mar residents, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The multi-billion dollar project […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern is installing Wabtec’s Yard Planner system at Norris Yard in Irondale, Ala., as part of an effort to improve the hump yard’s efficiency and make service more consistent. “Norfolk Southern is the first Class I railroad to implement Yard Planner and we are already seeing greater consistency of car movement,” Joe […]
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey legislators on Monday held a hearing on a bill that would require two-person crews, limit train lengths, and mandate wayside defect detectors for “high-hazard trains,” those transporting flammable or hazardous materials. The hearing on S4049, introduced in June and sponsored by state Sens. Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) and Gordon Johnson […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulation of railroads preempts state laws regarding regulation of grade crossings, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar has told the U.S. Supreme Court in a filing on behalf of the federal government. The filing, reported by WXIX-TV, came as the court considers whether to hear Ohio’s appeal of case regarding the ability of […]
TORONTO — Toronto will receive 70 new subway trains and up to $1.2 billion in operating support for subway, light-rail, and other transit projects, as part of a major deal between the city and the Province of Ontario announced on Monday. The largest financial aspect of the agreement will see oversight and costs of maintaining […]
