Minnesota Report Finds Governance Issues for Southwest Light Rail Project

A recent analysis of the Southwest Light Rail project identifies a number of governance challenges and recommends that the Minnesota Legislature rethink how large transit projects are planned, funded, and implemented.

CPKC Merger Approved – Updated March 17

As widely expected, the Surface Transportation Board has approved, with certain conditions, Canadian Pacific’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern to form Canadian Pacific Kansas City, North America’s first transnational railroad.

North County Transit’s Proposed Railroad Fence Awaits Decision More Than Two Years After Petition

More than two and a half years after the North County Transit District submitted its petition for a declaratory order regarding whether Del Mar gets a safety fence constructed along its 1.7 miles of blufftop railroad, the Surface Transportation Board has not yet provided a decision.

Brightline Seeks FRA Approval of Positive Train Control Safety Plan

Brightline is seeking Federal Railroad Administration approval of its Positive Train Control Safety Plan and certification of the agency’s Interoperable Electronic Train Management System as a mixed PTC system, according to documents the agency submitted to the FRA on Feb. 28.

NTSB Continues to Investigate Fatal Grade Crossing Crash between SUV, Brightline Train

The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is continuing to investigate a recent grade crossing collision that occurred on Feb. 8, 2023, when a Nissan Rogue SUV was struck in Palm Beach County, Florida.

(Amtrak Photo)

Amtrak Kicking Off $6B B&P Tunnel Replacement Program

Amtrak on March 10 will start early construction work for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program. The nearly 150-year-old, 1.4-mile tunnel that connects Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., is a single point of

Pittsburgh to Study Rail Infrastructure, Derailment Prevention

Pittsburgh officials joined leaders from a half-dozen other Pennsylvania municipalities on March 7 in calling for an investigation into the region’s rail infrastructure and tighter regulations for railroad companies.

AAR: Class I’s On Board With C3RS; FRA Data Points to ‘Strong Safety Record’

All seven North American Class I railroads have agreed to join the Federal Railroad Administration’s voluntary Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), Association of American Railroads President and CEO Ian Jefferies said

FRA Publishes Scenario-Based Training, Drone Inspection Studies

The Federal Railroad Administration recently issued two new documents on scenario-based training and drone bridge inspection.

At the Ashton Creek Industrial Park in Virginia (pictured), Commonwealth Building Materials will use a new DRPT grant-supported rail spur to grow capacity for 1,365 new annual carloads.

DRPT Issues Rail Industrial Access Program Grant

The Ashton Creek Industrial Park LLC in Chesterfield County, Va., will receive a $450,000 Rail Industrial Access Program grant to support construction of a rail spur, to be served by CSX, according to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), which administers the program.

CN is among the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program award recipients, and will receive C$300,000 to develop a “Climate-Induced Ground Hazard Risk Assessment Tool.” (Photograph Courtesy of CN via Twitter)

Transport Canada Allocates C$5.4MM for Rail Resiliency

Transport Canada is distributing up to C$5.4 million to 20 infrastructure projects country-wide that it says will make railroads “more resilient to extreme weather risks.”

Possible Paths to New-Tech Safety Improvements

Crew Heimer joins Railway Age Contributing Editor Jim Blaze to look at what improvements can be done with respect to train derailments like that in East Palestine, Ohio. They suggest a better-quality

NS Enhances East Palestine Track Excavation/Remediation Plan

Norfolk Southern on Feb. 22, the day before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on the Feb. 3 East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, announced that it will, in a

HART Expects Rail Project Launch By July 2023

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has announced that while a grand opening date for the first segment of its rail project remains to be determined, the authority anticipates service will launch within six months.

Judge Rules RTD ‘Not Responsible’ for Commuter Rail Costs

A Denver District Court judge on Feb. 10 ruled that the Regional Transportation District (RTD) is not responsible for more than $100 million in costs related to crossing gate problems on three of its commuter rail lines, according to a CPR News report.

Lac-Mégantic Bypass Land Acquisitions Proving Problematic

Nearly 10 years after Lac-Mégantic, the crude-oil train wreck that claimed 47 lives and led to new tank car regulations in Canada and the U.S., problems persist in the efforts to build

Metrolinx Targets Accessibility Improvements Across GO Network

With the completion of the Early Station Improvements project, Metrolinx announced Feb. 9 that two major components of that work are now improving GO station accessibility.

CTA Awards $75M Contract for Racine Blue Line Station Accessibility Improvements

The Chicago Transit Authority’s Racine Blue Line station will soon undergo a significant restoration that will include the installation of an elevator and other accessibility-related upgrades, making it the latest project to receive upgrades under the CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program.

Authorities Call for Better Oversight Along Canada’s Provincially Regulated Railways 

With the release of investigation documents surrounding a 2019 accident in which a GO Transit train struck two people at a public crossing in Ontario, officials from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are expressing concerns about the safety oversight of provincially regulated railways.

ICC Approves Grade Crossing Projects in Logan, Randolph Counties

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Feb. 6 reported signing off on stipulated agreements to improve safety at highway/rail grade crossings in Logan and Randolph counties.

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