Matt Walsh to become chairman of ASLRRA board

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association logo

WASHINGTON — Matt Walsh will become board chairman of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the organization announced Thursday, filling the position vacated by the departure of Stefan Loeb. Loeb, who had been executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Watco, has accepted a position with Norfolk Southern [see “Norfolk Southern names […]

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Three suffer minor injuries in Sacramento light rail derailment

Logo of Sacramento Regional Transit

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three people suffered minor injuries Thursday when a Sacramento Regional Transit light rail train derailed today (Thursday, March 23), the Sacramento Bee reports. The derailment occurred on the light rail Green Line at the intersection of 7th and B streets, north of downtown Sacramento in the Railyards neighborhood, about 12:30 p.m. Two […]

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Former New York City Transit chief Byford to join Amtrak

NYC_Byford_Spielman

NEW YORK — Former New York City Transit President Andy Byford will join Amtrak in a newly created role, senior vice president of high speed rail development programs. The new job, first reported by Streetsblog NYC, was announced in an Amtrak email to employees today (Thursday, March 23). He will join the company April 10. […]

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Norfolk Southern and union end talks over ground-based conductors

Crew member riding on locomotive steps

Norfolk Southern and the SMART-TD union have ended negotiations over redeploying conductors to ground-based positions. The railroad and union instead will focus on implementing other immediate quality of life improvements, NS said today. “Over the next year, SMART-TD and Norfolk Southern have the opportunity to work together to implement important predictability improvements for our conductor […]

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Norfolk Southern names intermodal and carload marketing executives

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has added two new marketing vice president positions for its intermodal and carload business segments. Yannik Thomas was named vice president of intermodal and automotive operations, while Stefan Loeb was named vice president of first and final mile markets. Both appointments are effective on April 2. “At Norfolk Southern, our goal […]

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Charlotte commission votes for investigation of transit agency

Overhead view of light rail train with city skyline in distance

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Metropolitan Transit Commission, the policy board for the Charlotte Area Transit System, has called for hiring an outside consultant to investigate a May 2022 light rail derailment and the transit agency’s failure to disclose significant issues revealed by that accident, as well as other problems. National Public Radio station WFAE reports […]

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Amtrak releases annual funding request to Congress

Passenger train arrives at station with covered platform

WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s annual funding request to Congress seeks $1.7 billion for the Northeast Corridor and $1.95 billion for its National Network needs in the coming fiscal year, as well as almost $9.7 billion in additional funding, according to the General and Legislative Annual Report and Fiscal Year 2024 Grant Request released this week. The […]

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Improperly aligned derail led to BNSF derailment in Washington

Locomotive on its side at night

ANACORTES, Wash. — An improperly aligned derail was responsible for the derailment of a BNSF Railway train on the Swinomish Reservation last week, a Federal Railroad Administration representative told a local National Public Radio station. KUOW radio reports the derail, which is mean to keep trains from proceeding when a swing bridge over a portion […]

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South Dakota governor signs bill to fund rehabilitation of short line

Map of the Twin Cities & Western Railroad and its two related rail lines

PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a bill authorizing $6.25 million in state funding for the rehabilitation of the Sisseton-Milbank Railroad, a 37-mile short line with a badly deteriorated right-of-way needed to move agricultural products. KXLG Radio reports Noem signed Senate Bill 16 earlier this week. The appropriation from the state’s […]

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