Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
August 28, 2020
NRE to Consolidate Operations
Over the next several months, the NRE will consolidate rail operations from the Dixmoor, IL, Silvis, IL, and Milwaukee, WI locations to its existing Mt. Vernon and Paducah facilities.
August 28, 2020
Federal Railroad Administration Announces Rail Inspection Technology Rule to Improve Track Safety
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today submitted to the Federal Register a final rule allowing railroads to use ultrasonic inspection technology, augmented with global positioning system (GPS) technology, to employ continuous rail testing. These updated regulations are expected to improve safety by making it easier for railroads to test rail more frequently and to identify and repair internal rail flaws before conditions degrade safety.
August 27, 2020
CN Announces Major Order of Hamilton-made Grain Hopper Cars
CN is pleased to announce that it has awarded a contract to build 1,150 new generation, high-capacity, grain hopper cars to National Steel Car Ltd. of Hamilton, ON, bringing to $1-billion the amount CN plans to invest in Ontario by the end of 2022.
August 27, 2020
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $400 Million in Federal Funding Allocations for Four Transit Infrastructure Projects
The Trump Administration announced a total of $400 million in federal funding will be allocated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to four transit infrastructure projects in Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, and New Jersey. The projects are advancing towards readiness to receive a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) under FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program.
August 26, 2020
Rail Traffic for the Week Ending August 22, 2020
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 22, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 514,914 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.3 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending August 22 were 229,828 carloads, down 12 percent compared with the same week in 2019, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 285,086 containers and trailers, up 5 percent compared to 2019
August 25, 2020
FMCB Approves $403.5 Million Contract for South Coast Rail Main Line Construction
Today the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board approved a $403.5 million contract with SCR Constructors, a joint venture of The Middlesex Corporation and Tutor Perini, to build the New Bedford Main Line, upgrade the Middleborough Secondary Line, and build the Phase 1 signal and communication system. This is the second and larger of 2 major construction packages of South Coast Rail Phase 1. When complete in late 2023, Phase 1 will connect southeastern Massachusetts and Boston, providing riders with a 1-seat trip from Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford to Boston in less than 90 minutes.
August 24, 2020
Steamtown National Historic Site Suspends Remainder of 2020 Railroad Passenger Operating Season
Steamtown NHS has suspended the remainder of its scheduled 2020 railroad passenger operations. This includes the Scranton Limited short train rides, fall foliage excursions through the Poconos, and the popular Holiday Trains to Moscow PA over Thanksgiving weekend. Additionally, the Iron Horse Society, the park’s official Friends group, has cancelled its North Pole Limited runs planned for December.
August 24, 2020
MTA Offering $10,000 Reward in 7 Line Vandalism Wave
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that a reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to arrest and indictment of a person or persons responsible for a recent wave of window vandalism on subway cars. The announcement follows a high-level meeting with MTA and NYPD officials today to discuss strategies to stop the vandalism.
August 21, 2020
VIA Rail Announces New Daily Frequencies in the Québec-Windsor Corridor
Due to the increase in demand for intercity travel and the progressive deconfinement between the provinces of Québec and Ontario, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) announces the increase in daily frequencies in the Corridor as of September 1st, 2020, restoring the services to close to 50% of the usual offering.
August 20, 2020
Amtrak Long-Distance Trains Will Operate Tri-Weekly Beginning in October
Due to COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decrease in travel demand, most Amtrak long distance routes will operate tri-weekly beginning this October. Amtrak had previously reduced service frequencies on both the Northeast Corridor and on the state-sponsored routes due to low ridership. Long distance routes have operated without major changes due to federal CARES Act funding that expires on Sept. 30, 2020.
