Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
September 1, 2020
MDOT MTA Proposes Service Realignment In Response To COVID Revenue Impacts
Facing an unprecedented decline of transportation revenues due to the COVID-19 health emergency, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) today proposed service adjustments for MARC, Commuter Bus and Local Bus route realignments to optimize transit service for core bus riders, especially transit-dependent households.
September 1, 2020
Building a Better T: Baker-Polito Administration, Transportation Officials Celebrate Successful Completion of Accelerated Green Line C and E Branch Work
Today Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Massachusetts Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak, and others celebrated the successful completion of accelerated work on the Green Line C and E Branches this summer with a tour of completed work at Museum of Fine Arts Station.
August 31, 2020
Canadian National Orders Electric Trucks For Use At Intermodal Terminals
CN and The Lion Electric Co. announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for CN to acquire 50 zero-emission trucks by CN as part of its fleet of trucks for intermodal use.
August 31, 2020
MTA Completes Major Upgrades at 42nd St.–Grand Central – Busiest Subway Entrance in New York City
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the completion of major upgrades at 42nd St.–Grand Central – the busiest subway station entrance in New York City. The project included a total replacement of two escalators, an adjacent stairway and a newly replaced elevator leading to the subway station. These upgrades are part of the larger 42 St Connection Project, which will modernize key elements of the Times Square, Grand Central, and stations in between the 42 St corridor.
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.
