Brightline monthly revenue steady as riders shift to longer trips: Analysis

Short passenger train at sunset

MIAMI — Recent ridership and revenue trends reveal that Brightline’s South Florida operation has settled into a consistent month-to-month pattern, with full-route travelers occupying seats vacated by West Palm Beach-Miami clientele at substantially higher prices. The information is contained in the recently released Florida Development Corp. “Preliminary Limited Remarketing Memorandum” announcing the availability of $985 […]

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Regulators order UP, Metra to mediation

Two commuter trains meet on curve

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has ordered Union Pacific and Metra to enter mediation over their inability to reach financial terms on some aspects of a contract to continue commuter train service on three Metra routes using Union Pacific lines. In a decision issued Wednesday, Aug. 14, the board by a 4-0 vote granted […]

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Participants line up to bend STB’s ear at rail growth hearing

View of yard

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will hear from more than three dozen participants during its two-day hearing next month regarding recent trends and strategies for growth in freight railroad traffic. The hearing, set to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 16 and 17 in the board’s hearing room, will be livestreamed on the STB’s […]

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NJ Transit to observe one-week ‘fare holiday’

Commuter trains on two tracks of three-track line at station

TRENTON, N.J. — NJ Transit will observe a “fare holiday” Aug. 26 to Sept. 2, offering free rides on all modes across its network, Gov. Phil Murphy announced today (Thursday, Aug. 15). The move is described as a “thank you” to riders for their continued patronage, particularly in light of ongoing service issues. NJ Transit […]

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Port of Virginia completes rail yard expansion

Truck with container in front of several tracks of container railcars at port

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation double-stack service to the Midwest will benefit from the newly expanded central rail yard at the Port of Virginia. The port recently the expanded yard is fully operational, lifting annual rail capacity to 2 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs. “Modernizing and expanding the capability at NIT’s […]

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ASLRRA names Brewin as vice president of congressional affairs

Woman in front of flowers

WASHINGTON — The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has appointed Nicole Brewin as vice president of congressional affairs. Brewin will be leading the congressional affairs team at Washington-based ASLRRA, which represents 600 short-line and regional railroads, organizing legislative support for issues facing the industry, including investment in infrastructure, and surface transportation and tax policy. […]

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Weekly U.S. rail traffic remains up

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was up 5.2% over the same week in 2023, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Aug. 10, 2024, U.S. railroads moved 496,509 carloads and intermodal units. That included 222,039 carloads, down 0.9% compared to the corresponding week a year ago, and […]

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CN bridge collapses in Fort Frances, Ontario (updated)

FORT FRANCES, Ontario — A Canadian National Railway lift bridge in Fort Frances has collapsed, the website NWOnewswatch.com reports. CN said in a statement to website operator Dougall Media on Wednesday, Aug. 14, that it was responding to “an incident” involving the bridge across the Rainy River that provides its connection to the Port of […]

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