Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
February 27, 2023
Celebration of Full-Scale Long Island Rail Road Service to Grand Central Madison Beginning Monday, February 27
On Sunday, February 26 Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, along with federal and local elected officials celebrated the official opening of Grand Central Madison with full Long Island Rail Road service to begin today, Monday, February 27. The new schedules provide increased service levels by a historic 41 percent and offer direct access to Midtown east, the biggest job hub in the country, provide more frequent, reliable service, including in Queens and Brooklyn, and true reverse-peak service on the Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches for the first time.
February 24, 2023
SEPTA Board Awards Contract for Purchase of New Trolley Fleet
SEPTA awarded a contract to Alstom Transportation Inc. for the purchase of modern, fully ADA-compliant trolley vehicles to replace the Authority’s entire aging fleet of trolleys. This represents a major step forward for Trolley Modernization – SEPTA’s program to transform the nation’s largest trolley network into an accessible, fast, and easy-to-use system.
February 24, 2023
SEPTA Awards Contract for King of Prussia Rail Final Design
SEPTA awarded a consultant contract to HNTB Corporation for the final design phase of the King of Prussia Rail (KOP Rail) Project. This marks another major milestone for the project, which will extend the existing Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) four miles into King of Prussia, providing a “one-seat” ride from any station along the NHSL, including 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and Norristown Transportation Center.
February 23, 2023
Norfolk Southern Announces East Palestine Track Excavation and Remediation Plan
Norfolk Southern Corporation announced that it will now excavate the soil and replace the tracks in the derailment area as part of an enhanced remediation plan. The change comes in response to feedback from the citizens of East Palestine, Ohio. Work on the first rail line will begin immediately, with the second line to be replaced directly after.
February 23, 2023
Norfolk Southern Announces Paid Sick Leave Agreement with Maintenance Employees
Following the historic wage increases and premium health care benefits reached during last year’s national bargaining, Norfolk Southern Corporation announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with one of its largest labor unions that provides their members the ability to take up to seven paid sick days per year.
February 23, 2023
AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending February 18, 2023
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending February 18, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 466,932 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending February 18 were 229,227 carloads, down 3.9 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 237,705 containers and trailers, down 8.8 percent compared to 2022.
February 22, 2023
Brightline to Rehabilitate the St. Luce River Railroad Bridge:
Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in America, will complete one of the final pieces of its Orlando expansion project with the rehabilitation of the railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida. The United States Coast Guard approved Brightline’s request to temporarily close the navigation channel at the drawbridge so the company can complete scheduled rehabilitation work.
February 21, 2023
Norfolk Southern Helps East Palestine Community Recover
Over the weekend, Norfolk Southern launched NSMakingitRight.com as a resource for members of the East Palestine community and public at-large. The website includes regular updates on environmental clean up progress, services available at the Family Assistance Center (FAC), and answers to common questions and concerns.
February 21, 2023
U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Statement on Freight Rail Industry Safety & Accountability
USDOT is committed to using the full range of our authority, as well as the funding available to us from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to improve safety on our railroads. Achieving the highest level of rail safety will also require active and continued partnership from Congress
February 20, 2023
BLET’s Springfield Terminal Members to Vote on Berkshire & Eastern Agreement
On February 14 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) mailed ballots to approximately 60 Springfield Terminal Railway Company employees concerning planned Berkshire & Eastern Railroad (Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary) takeover of trackage.
