WASHINGTON — If you thought Federal Railroad Administration grant programs for things like passenger service, shortline track maintenance, and grade crossing elimination projects would be the least likely place to become a front in the culture wars, think again. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Jan. 29 issued a memo ordering Department of Transportation agencies to […]
NEW YORK — The agency overseeing construction of the new rail tunnel connecting New Jersey and Manhattan on Monday awarded a $1.8 billion contract for the connection on the tunnel’s New York side. NorthJersey.com reports that the Gateway Development Commission awarded the contract to a joint venture of Frontier, Kemper, Tutor, and Perini because of […]
WASHINGTON — Four House members have introduced a new version of the Railway Safety Act to mark the second anniversary of the East Palestine derailment that sparked the original legislation. U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) are sponsoring the new version of the bill, introduced on […]
BALTIMORE — CSX began the long-awaited Howard Street Tunnel clearance project on Saturday (Feb. 1), when the 8,700-foot tunnel was closed to allow crews to remove track as the first step in construction work. “This is a tremendous opportunity to alleviate a restriction on our network and open up new opportunities for CSX,” Ed Sparks, […]
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Agencies in California and Nevada have issued private activity bonds for the Brightline West project, a key element in funding the 218-mile high-speed rail venture between Las Vegas and Southern California. It is not clear whether the start of construction is contingent on obtaining money from the combined $2.5 billion in […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — A new lawsuit blames the East Palestine derailment and toxic-chemical release for seven deaths, including that of a week-old infant. The suit was announced Monday — two years after the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern derailment — by a trio of law firms on behalf of some 744 plaintiffs. It names […]
NEW YORK — Police have arrested two suspects for stealing a New York subway train last month, while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced measures it is taking to prevent a recurrence of such events. The New York Police Department announced the suspects charged are ages 15 and 17. The 15-year-old was arrested at school […]
WASHINGTON — The SMART-TD union has urged federal regulators to reject Union Pacific’s plan to lease nearly 28 miles of track in the Eugene, Ore., area to Genesee & Wyoming short line Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad. “This transaction raises significant concerns related to the region’s infrastructure, service quality, economic sustainability, and the broader impact […]
SPRUCE PINE, N.C. — Freight cars are once again rolling though the western North Carolina town of Spruce Pine, N.C., after CSX Transportation crews reopened about 2 miles of its Clinchfield Railroad route north of Spruce Pine, gaining access to a local freight customer. CSX officials confirmed the line’s restoration in a video posted to […]
CUMBERLAND, Md. — Public TV series Great Scenic Railway Journeys has joined with the restoration effort for Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 2-8-0 No. 734, launching a $10,000 donation-match program for the restoration project. The program is offering a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10,000 for the effort to return the locomotive to operating condition. The 2-8-0, […]
WASHINGTON — A New Jersey congressmen has introduced a bill first announced last summer that would require Amtrak to provide passengers with ticket refunds when trains are cancelled or delayed “due to a failure of Amtrak.” H.R. 769 was introduced by U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) on Jan. 28 and sent to the House Committee […]
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut legislator has introduced a bill that would require the state’s Department of Transportation to develop rail service to Bradley International Airport, the Hartford-area facility in Windsor Locks, Conn. General Assembly Bill 5061, introduced by state Rep. Christopher Rosario (D-Bridgeport), would require service from Hartford Union Station to the airport with […]
