Railroad News

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT) South Coast Rail (SCR) project is moving forward with a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (DSEIR).

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT) South Coast Rail (SCR) project is moving forward with a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (DSEIR).

Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) late last month presented its 2017 Gold Spike awards to the company's top employees.

The annual awards program recognizes railroaders who demonstrate the railroad's values of safety, service excellence, integrity, sustainability, teamwork and leadership.

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The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 3, 2018, as well as volumes for January 2018.

Six former employees of the Montreal Maine & Atlantic Canada Co. and the Montreal Maine & Atlantic Canada Railway Ltd. (MMA) pleaded guilty to violations of the Railway Safety Act in connection with the July 2013 train disaster in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Transport Canada announced Monday.

Charges were brought against the individuals, including senior officers of the railway, for violating obligations related to the application and testing of brakes under the federal law.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has filed a draft supplemental environmental impact report (DSEIR) for the proposed South Coast Rail project, which calls for restoring commuter-rail service between Boston and the state's southeast region.

The report analyzes new components of the project's first phase, which would extend the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Middleborough/Lakeview Line to New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton using existing active freight corridors.

BNSF Railway Co.'s customers invested nearly $7.7 billion in new or expanded facilities in 2017, the Class I announced yesterday.

Last year marked the seventh consecutive year that BNSF customers and local economic development organizations invested more than $1 billion in a calendar year on new or expanded facilities. The investments are expected to generate 3,500 new jobs in local communities, according to a BNSF press release.

BNSF Railway Co.'s customers invested nearly $7.7 billion in new or expanded facilities in 2017, the Class I announced yesterday.

Last year marked the seventh consecutive year that BNSF customers and local economic development organizations invested more than $1 billion in a calendar year on new or expanded facilities. The investments are expected to generate 3,500 new jobs in local communities, according to a BNSF press release.

Two commuter-rail accidents at train stations in the New York City were caused by engineer fatigue resulting from undiagnosed sleep apnea, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined yesterday.

The Sept. 29, 2016, accident involving a New Jersey Transit train at the terminal in Hoboken, New Jersey, killed one person and injured 110. The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) accident that occurred Jan. 4, 2017, at the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, New York, injured 108 people.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) opened a new rail bridge over the San Diego River to traffic on Monday, Feb. 5.

The 900-foot bridge is part of the $93.9-million San Diego River Double Track (SDRDT) Project that will increase the passenger and freight rail capacity and improve service for commuters.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) opened a new rail bridge over the San Diego River to traffic on Monday, Feb. 5.

The 900-foot bridge is part of the $93.9-million San Diego River Double Track (SDRDT) Project that will increase the passenger and freight rail capacity and improve service for commuters.

Bryan MacDonald was elected chairman of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route.

An Oxnard, California, city councilman, MacDonald  served as the agency's vice chairman for the past year. He succeeds outgoing Chairman Tony Kranz, who remains a voting board member representing San Diego County.

Five teams have been prequalified by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario to bid on an expansion of the Toronto area's GO Transit network.

The Lakeshore East – Central Corridor Expansion project is part of the multi-year Go Regional Express Rail program to extend the region's rail system.

Five teams have been prequalified by Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario to bid on an expansion of the Toronto area's GO Transit network.

The Lakeshore East – Central Corridor Expansion project is part of the multi-year Go Regional Express Rail program to extend the region's rail system.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) has awarded SPS New England, Inc., an on-call commuter rail right-of-way construction services contract worth $17,040,846.

Pandrol signed multi-year distributor partnership agreements with Industry-Railway Suppliers, Inc. (IRS), in the United States and Davanac, Inc., in Canada.

Pandrol says the agreements will involve IRS and Davanac distributing Railtech Matweld hydraulic tools and Rosenqvist rail equipment. In addition to the distribution agreement, IRS will act as a sales agent for Pandrol's equipment and welding products in the U.S. in a move designed the companies say will enhance customer service.

Sound Transit has scheduled three open houses this month as part of its early scoping work for light-rail extensions to West Seattle and Ballard, Washington.

The hearings will allow residents to offer opinions on the extensions' proposed route and station locations. The meetings will be held Feb. 13, 15, and 20.

BNSF Railway Company announced it recently became the first Class I railroad to join the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), comprising more than 200 freight transportation companies working to develop blockchain standards for the logistics industry and the supply chain as a whole. 

"Blockchain technology has the potential to change several aspects of the transportation industry and it is important that the industry comes together to align around a set of standards," said Muru Murugappan, BNSF vice president of technology services and chief information officer. "We are excited to help drive those standards forward as a member of BiTA."

The Texas Central bullet-train developers announced yesterday that the Houston rail station will be located at Northwest Mall near the interchange of Interstate 610 and U.S. Highway 290.

The terminal will be situated in a high-growth area with access to employment centers and the downtown, Texas Central officials said in a press release.