Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
October 7, 2020
Rail Traffic for September and the Week Ending October 3, 2020
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 3, 2020, as well as volumes for September 2020. U.S. railroads originated 1,119,546 carloads in September 2020, down 9.7 percent, or 119,909 carloads, from September 2019. U.S. railroads also originated 1,423,883 containers and trailers in September 2020, up 7.1 percent, or 94,351 units, from the same month last year.
October 7, 2020
Metro-North Railroad, Elected Officials and Advocates Call for Urgent Federal Funding to Save Hudson Valley Public Transportation
Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin joined labor leaders and advocates today to demand that any federal emergency funding bill cover all transportation sectors, not just one, and to urgently call on the United States Congress and White House to authorize $12 billion in desperately needed COVID-19-related relief for the MTA to avert draconian railroad service reductions of up to 50%, fare increases, layoffs and the gutting the MTA’s historic capital plan.
October 6, 2020
Watco Acquires Property, Files with STB to Lease Chicago Area Rail Line
Watco Companies, LLC, (Watco) under a
newly formed subsidiary Elwood Joliet & Southern Railroad (EJSR), LLC, has acquired a
former Railway & Industrial Services, Inc. (RIS) property in Crest Hill, Illinois, near Joliet,
Illinois, and leased an adjoining rail line that serves RIS and several other local customers from
Wisconsin Central Ltd. (CN).
October 6, 2020
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules that the 2015 vote by the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority awarding a rail operating agreement to Carload Express passed
Carload Express, Inc. announces its satisfaction with the October 1, 2020 decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which upheld a 7-3 vote by the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) to award a rail-operating agreement to Carload Express.
October 5, 2020
SEPTA to Phase Out Paper Ticket Sales on Regional Rail
With the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet now available for Regional Rail, SEPTA will start to phase out the use of paper tickets. Sales of single trip and 10-trip ticket strips will end on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
October 2, 2020
President Trump Clears Hurdle for Alaska-Alberta Rail Corridor
President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Border Crossing Permit (presidential permit) for the Alaska – Alberta Railway Corporation (A2A Rail) to lay track across the border between Alaska and Canada, a crucial step for the $17 billion USD rail line to become a reality.
October 2, 2020
MTA Officially Renames Two Brooklyn Subway Stations
MTA New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg joined elected officials and the Provost of Medgar Evers College today in Brooklyn for a tour and celebration of the two newly renamed subway stations – Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College and President Street-Medgar Evers College – that now include the school’s name.
October 1, 2020
VIA RAIL Postpones The Resumption Of The Canadian And Ocean Passenger Trains
COVID-19 cases are currently on the rise again and in an effort to continue to follow recommendations from public health authorities, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) extends the suspension of its long-distance routes, the Canadian and the Ocean, as well as the Sleeper class on the Winnipeg-Churchill route, which were scheduled to resume on November 1.
October 1, 2020
MTA to Move New LIRR Bridge Into Place This Weekend at School Street in Westbury and New Cassel
This weekend, Oct. 3-4, MTA Construction & Development will install a new bridge that will carry the Long Island Rail Road over School Street, on the border of Westbury and New Cassel, replacing a railroad crossing that was the site of a collision on Feb. 26, 2019, that claimed the lives of the three people in an automobile that had been driven around downed gates.
September 30, 2020
Rail Traffic for the Week Ending September 26, 2020
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 26, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 518,290 carloads and intermodal units, down 2.1 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending September 26 were 224,146 carloads, down 10.5 percent compared with the same week in 2019, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 294,144 containers and trailers, up 5.5 percent compared to 2019.
