Amtrak chooses joint AECOM/Jacobs venture to oversee Frederick Douglass Tunnel project

Map showing route of the current B&P Tunnel and the planned route of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel which will replace it.

BALTIMORE — Amtrak has selected Advance, a joint venture by infrastructure firms AECOM and Jacobs, to manage oversight of design, construction, contract management, administrative support, and other aspects of the $6 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel project. The project includes replacement of the nearly 150-year old, 1.4-mile B&P tunnel, a major bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor, […]

Read More…

Design work under way on new Stuart bridge for Brightline, FEC

Passenger train on bridge

STUART, Fla. — Design work and other preparations for the new Florida East Coast/Brightline bridge over the St. Lucie River in Stuart are under way, the TC Palm newspaper reports, while FEC seeks a federal grant to address the $31.5 million grant to address the unfunded portion of the $218 million project. The current Stuart […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern acquires Chicago transload and warehouse operation

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has acquired Great Lakes Reload’s Chicago transload warehouse facility, which handles inbound loads of steel and outbound loads of agricultural and construction equipment. NS said the deal, announced on Tuesday, advances its strategy to convert so-called flexible freight to rail. Flexible freight can move via truck or rail. “Transloading solutions play […]

Read More…

Preview April and May Trains 2024 content

Trains Magazine logo

Up in April … We’re always adding new content to our website! Here’s a sneak peek at a few items coming up soon. ‘Be the Engineer’ for a day: An unforgettable ride The words “Be the Engineer!” drew my attention to a Nevada Northern Railway advertisement in Trains Magazine. This opportunity is a fundraiser for […]

Read More…

STB approves proposal for new Utah short line

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have approved Savage Tooele Railroad’s proposal to build and operate 11 miles of trackage in Utah. Savage Tooele aims to revive Union Pacific’s former 6-mile Warner Branch, restore a quarter mile of ripped-up track, and build 5 miles of new track in the Lakeview Business Park, which is being developed in […]

Read More…

FRA issues rule requiring two-person train crews (updated)

BNSF crew change

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today issued its new final rule generally requiring two-person crews on trains, which it says “enhances safety” and industry group the Association of American Railroads immediately blasted as “unfounded and unnecessary.” The 223-page final rule requires two-person crews except for certain operations “that do not pose significant safety risks […]

Read More…