Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
April 9, 2023
Amtrak Completes Upgrades at Gastonia, N.C., Station
Amtrak customers now have a more accessible journey with the completion of a $3.2 million project at the Gastonia, N.C., station. The upgrades are part of the company’s overall commitment to improve the customer experience at stations and onboard trains across its national network.
April 9, 2023
FRA Holds Stakeholder Meetings to Study the Restoration and Expansion of Amtrak Long-Distance Passenger Rail Services
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concluded a series of six working group meetings in February to inform and collaborate with stakeholders across the country on FRA’s Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study. Mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this study will evaluate the restoration of daily passenger rail service along discontinued long-distance routes and current long-distance routes that operate with less than daily service. It will also open possibilities for establishing new long-distance routes and bolstering essential intercity passenger rail connections, especially in rural areas.
March 31, 2023
Justice Department and EPA File Complaint Against Norfolk Southern
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announced a complaint against Norfolk Southern Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (Norfolk Southern) related to the Feb. 3, derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
March 31, 2023
Hundreds of Yankees Fans Join New York City Transit President on Nostalgia Train Ride to Yankee Stadium for Opening Day
On March 30 hundreds of New York Yankees fans joined New York City Transit President Richard Davey on the New York Transit Museum’s 1917 IRT Lo-V Nostalgia train for the Yankees home opener. Fans boarded the train at Grand Central for an express train unlike any other to Yankee Stadium. The train ride followed a news conference where Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) leaders reminded Yankees fans that the fastest way to Yankee Stadium is via public transportation.
March 30, 2023
Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending March 25, 2023:
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 25, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 469,958 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 25 were 236,526 carloads, down 0.2 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 233,432 containers and trailers, down 13.9 percent compared to 2022.
March 29, 2023
Gulf & Atlantic Railways Signs Agreement to Acquire Three Midwestern Short Lines
Gulf & Atlantic Railways (G&AR) (www.garailways.com) has signed an agreement to acquire three midwestern railroads from Midwest & Bluegrass Rail. The railroads, Camp Chase Railroad (CAMY), Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad (CKIN) and Vermilion Valley Railroad (VVRR), are located in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, respectively, and will expand G&AR’s existing portfolio from two railroads to five.
March 29, 2023
SEPTA Releases its first Transformation Office Annual Progress Report
SEPTA today released its first Transformation Office Annual Progress Report. The report details the progress made in the first year of the Efficiency & Accountability (E&A) Program, a systematic approach to identifying and implementing process efficiencies and cultural improvements.
March 28, 2023
MBTA Announces Safety First Program for South Coast Rail
South Coast Rail (SCR) Phase 1 service between Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts will soon become a reality with MBTA Commuter Rail trains beginning service to and from Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River, and New Bedford for the first time in decades. With safety as the T’s first priority and in preparation for the return of passenger service to these areas, the MBTA is kicking off a Safety First education program for SCR communities.
March 27, 2023
Phillip Eng appointed as MBTA General Manager
Governor Maura T. Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll and Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca today announced that, after a comprehensive search, they will be appointing Phillip Eng as the next General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Eng is an engineer with nearly 40 years of experience in transportation, including as President of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Long Island Rail Road and Interim President of New York City Transit.
March 24, 2023
Port Authority Advances with Plans for Newark Airport AirTrain Replacement
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it has selected three automated-people-mover (APM) system technology firms to advance to the next phase of a multi-phase procurement process to replace the existing AirTrain Newark system at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with a new 2.5-mile automated train system.
