NJ Transit okays $19 million for PTC upgrades

NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit will spend $19 million on upgrades to positive train control, keeping its system current with federal regulations and changes made by railroads used by the commuter operators’ trains. NJ.com reports the NJ Transit board approved the spending on June 14. It comes in the form of an amendment to an […]

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NS sells land in Georgia for breakbulk facility

Aerial view of industrial properties with one lot outlined in blue

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Bulk storage firm Colonial Terminals has purchased 16.7 acres from Norfolk Southern in Savannah to develop a breakbulk facility along the Savannah River, the two companies have announced. The land is adjacent to a Norfolk Southern rail terminal and an existing Colonial Terminal riverfront facility. The new rail-served facility should allow in […]

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Coast Guard bridge plan ignores practices elsewhere, realities of railroad operation: Analysis

Passenger train approaches bridge; message board on bridge alerts boaters bridge is down for approaching train

STUART, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard’s recent decision to mandate scheduled openings for a St. Lucie River drawbridge does not reflect protocols successfully implemented to the south in Fort Lauderdale when Brightline trains first began frequent operation in May 2018. The “temporary deviation” from current rules published in the Federal Register calls for openings […]

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NTSB releases witness list for East Palestine hearing

Aerial view of derailment cleanup

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday released the list of witnesses scheduled to appear at next week’s investigative hearing on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment and hazardous material release in East Palestine, Ohio. That hearing is scheduled for June 22-23 at East Palestine High School and will deal with the decision […]

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Railroads file suit over California’s new locomotive emissions regulations

Train with yellow locomotives, with visible exhaust

WASHINGTON — Railroads have filed suit against the California Air Resources Board’s new diesel locomotive emissions standards, arguing that the state body lacks the authority to implement the In-Use Locomotive rule. The Association of American Railroads and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, on behalf of their members, filed suit against the California […]

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Five scenic highlights aboard Amtrak’s ‘California Zephyr’

While the California Zephyr name continues today under the Amtrak banner, much has changed since the final run of the streamlined predecessor in 1970. What hasn’t changed since the original 1949 debut is the premise from vintage advertisements to “look up, look down, and look all around” when taking the Chicago-Emeryville, Calif. trip. Especially when […]

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CSX debuts new railroad real estate site search tool

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation has launched a new online site selection tool to assist companies in their search for rail-served properties and communities competing for economic development projects. The tool is the latest enhancement of the CSX Select Site program, which has helped dozens of manufacturers find appropriate sites for projects expected to generate […]

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BNSF Railway sets date for taking control of Montana Rail Link

A blue Montana Rail Link train works alongside a river with mountains in the background.

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway aims to take over Montana Rail Link operations on Jan. 1, 2024. Federal regulators in March approved the early termination of Montana Rail Link’s lease of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the Surface Transportation Board’s green light meant that BNSF […]

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