railroad news

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

Watco’s Stefan Loeb Moving to Norfolk Southern, Matt Walsh Named ASLRRA Board Chairman

WASHINGTON –The American and Short Line Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) today announced the progression of Matt Walsh, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Development, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc., to fill the ASLRRA Board Chairman position vacated by Watco’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Stefan Loeb, who has accepted a position at Norfolk Southern Railway.  Walsh currently holds the position of Vice Chairman for the ASLRRA.

Metro-North to Adjust Schedules to Support State of Good Repair Projects

NEW YORK–MTA Metro-North Railroad this week announced upcoming schedule adjustments on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines to support state of good repair work. The new schedule will go into effect on Sunday, March 26, and be in effect through Saturday, June 10. The minor adjustments on the schedule will support ongoing infrastructure improvements happening on all three of the railroad’s East of Hudson lines. 

Maggie Vuono Launches TraConcepts, LLC

SARASOTA–After almost 20 years in Railroad Construction, Maggie Vuono has launched TraConcepts, LLC, a Business Development & Marketing Firm to serve the needs of our ever-changing industry.

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

ASLRRA Working to Advocate for Railroads Experiencing Damage from Natural Disasters

Railway Track & Structures’ cover story for the November 2022 issue focused on the severe damage to the Seminole Gulf Railway in southwest Florida by Hurricane Ian. The storm not only impacted the railroad, but the service it provides to the community after a natural disaster occurs, especially moving building materials along its lines to support rebuilding efforts.

Watch: Iowa Interstate Acquires Iowa City Industrial Campus Parcel for New Rail-to-Truck Transload Center

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The Iowa Interstate Railroad announced its recent purchase of approximately 30 acres at Iowa City’s Industrial Campus to develop a new rail-to-truck transloading facility. The site, located on the southeast side of Iowa City and including an existing rail spur, connects to the 573-mile IAIS network, providing shippers with direct access to all 7 Class-I railroads and numerous short line railroads. The site is located near I-80, US 6, and US 218.

ASLRRA, NRC Comments Address Proposed Rule to Amend Certain Training Regulations

WASHINGTON – On Nov. 29, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) submitted comments to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concerning a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend regulations concerning training, qualification and oversight for safety-related railroad employees (Training Rule).

BNSF’s New Sandpoint Bridge Opens for Business

Fifty years after Burlington Northern consolidated the traffic of two predecessor routes onto a single line featuring a nearly mile-long bridge near Sandpoint, Idaho, successor BNSF has opened its long-anticipated second bridge. The first train to officially cross the new structure was an empty coal train at 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2022.

Norfolk Southern’s Sanborn Stepping Down

Norfolk Southern (NS) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Cindy Sanborn will pass the throttle to Paul Duncan on Jan. 1, 2023, the Class I railroad reported Nov. 14.

VTA’s Single Bore Tunnel Gets Green Light From APTA Peer Review

In 2017, engineers from several firms performed a study for a proposed joint venture between the Valley Transportation Authority and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system to determine if a single-bore or dual-bore tunneling process would be best for a six-mile extension into San Jose and Santa Clara.