RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Railroad Co.., the privately run, 100% state-owned business operating 317 miles of rail lines in the state, is now offering flagging and other safety services for construction, repair, and maintenance-of-way projects in its corridor. The services offer experienced Class I and Class II railroad veterans for qualified Roadway Workers-in-Charge […]
Train Topic: Rail Industry
Teamsters Canada calls for strike authorization vote by CN and CPKC train crews (updated)
The union representing Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City engineers and conductors in Canada has authorized a strike vote as labor and management remain far apart on new contracts. Leaders of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference told their members on Thursday that a strike vote will be held from April 8 to May 1. […]
STB denies CPKC request to give CN’s acquisition of Iowa Northern a more thorough review
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have rejected Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s contention that Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of 218-mile short line Iowa Northern should be subject to a more thorough review as a “significant” transaction. In a decision issued on Friday, the Surface Transportation Board denied CPKC’s petition that had asked the board to reconsider its […]
CSX prepares to detour container and coal traffic bound for Baltimore
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX this week will begin providing international intermodal shippers with a detour around the closed Port of Baltimore. The railroad says it will launch dedicated service between Baltimore and the Port of New York and New Jersey in response to the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which fell […]
Sound Transit hires LA airport official to oversee expansion projects
SEATTLE — Sound Transit has hired an executive from the agency in charge of Los Angeles International Airport to oversee its massive, ongoing light rail expansion, the website The Urbanist reports. Terri Mestas will become the transit agency’s deputy CEO of Megaproject Delivery, acting on a 2022 advisory group recommendation to hire an expert to […]
BNSF, CPKC say they won’t pay new Minnesota safety fee
ST. PAUL, Minn. — BNSF Railway and CPKC, the two largest railroads in Minnesota, do not plan to make payments of approximately $1 million to the state required by a law passed last year, saying the state legislation is “pre-empted by federal law.” KSTP-TV reports the two railroads notified the Minnesota Department of Public Safety […]
Union Pacific seeks more time to address operating questions in STB Sunset Limited case
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific is seeking more time to address one aspect of the Surface Transportation Board case regarding issues with on-time performance of the Sunset Limited. In a filing earlier this week, the railroad requested a 90-day extension to address “narrative explanations of the root cases” of specific delays of 90 minutes or more […]
MBTA to pay more to get long-delayed CRRC railcars
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will pay an additional $148 million to Chinese railcar manufacturer CRRC as part of an agreement to complete the order for its long-delayed, problem-plagued Red and Orange Line subway cars, the Boston Globe reports. That will push the total cost of the order to more than $1 billion. […]
STB issues notice for environmental report on proposed Eagle Pass, Texas, border crossing
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today (March 29) announced it intended to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 1.3-mile rail line proposed as part of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge project to connect Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Green Eagle Railroad, a new short line, seeks to build a secure […]
FRA announces availability of $2.4 billion in CRISI grant funding
WASHINGTON — The application process has begun for more than $2.4 billion in funding through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant program, the Federal Railroad Administration has announced. The Notice of Funding Opportunity issued today includes funding for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 and is available for projects to improve U.S. […]
Completion of LA airport people mover delayed to 2025
LOS ANGELES — The long-awaited, much-needed people mover system at Los Angeles International Airport, which was originally expected to be finished this year, may not be complete until late 2025, the Los Angeles Times reports. The $2 billion, 2.25-mile automated, elevated rail system will connect airport terminals with parking lots, a new central rental car […]
Maine legislature votes down study of Portland-Bangor passenger service
AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill calling for a study to extend rail passenger service from Portland, Maine, to Bangor, via Lewiston, Auburn, and Waterville, was defeated this week in the state’s House of Representatives, CentralMaine.com reports. In a Wednesday vote, LD 860 was defeated 82-63, a week after the state Senate had approved the legislation […]