Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
June 5, 2025
NJT’s New Northern Rail Maintenance-of-Way Facility
NJ TRANSIT is preparing to advance the Northern Rail Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) facility project, a major infrastructure initiative located in Clifton, Passaic County, New Jersey with the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Special Prequalification in June 2025 pending approval from the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller. This RFQ marks the first step in a two-phase procurement process to engage a qualified design-build team for the project’s final design, construction, and commissioning.
June 5, 2025
AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 31, 2025. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 459,884 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
June 3, 2025
Alstom Opens New State-of-the-Art Plant 4 Facility in Hornell, NY
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, today announced the opening of its cutting-edge Plant 4 manufacturing facility in Hornell, New York. The plant is one of the few advanced manufacturing facilities in the United States capable of producing stainless steel car body shells for passenger rail vehicles.
June 2, 2025
CSX Advances Hydrogen Locomotive Development at Huntington
SX is driving innovation in locomotive technology at its Huntington Locomotive Shop, where craft-led teams are transitioning diesel engines to hydrogen-powered alternatives. The program, aimed at advancing sustainable solutions for rail transportation, has completed three hydrogen units, with a fourth expected to be finished in 2025.
May 28, 2025
CN Investing $3.4 Billion to Build Capacity and Power Sustainable Growth
CN announced its 2025 capital expenditures program, underscoring its commitment to growing capacity, enhancing safety, and powering sustainable growth across its North American network. CN will invest approximately $3.4 billion CAD in capital projects this year, net of customer reimbursements.
May 27, 2025
Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Announces Andy Byford as Special Advisor to the Amtrak Board of Directors
Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced today the appointment of Andy Byford as Special Advisor to the Amtrak Board of Directors for the redevelopment of New York Penn Station.
May 23, 2025
MBTA and Keolis Announce Schedule Changes on Commuter Rail Effective June 2
Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the MBTA’s operations and maintenance partner for the Commuter Rail, has announced several schedule changes that will take effect on June 2. A construction schedule will be in place on the Fairmount Line through the Fall to allow for $12 million worth of necessary rail replacement work that will also prepare the line for the introduction of battery-electric trains in 2028.
May 22, 2025
Metro to launch Automatic Train Operation on the Green and Yellow lines on May 23
Automatic Train Operation (ATO) is coming to Washington Metro’s Green and Yellow lines on Friday, May 23 after rigorous internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.
May 22, 2025
Freight Rail Service Returns to Asheville and Western North Carolina for First Time Since Hurricane Helene
For the first time since the September 2024 devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, freight rail service has returned for Asheville-area businesses, marking a major milestone in the region’s recovery and economic growth.
May 21, 2025
MBTA Board Approves Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2026 – 2030
The MBTA Board of Directors today unanimously approved the Fiscal Years 2026 – 2030 MBTA Capital Investment Plan (FY26 – 30 MBTA CIP). The FY26 – 30 MBTA CIP includes over 660 unique capital projects to modernize, expand, and increase the safety and reliability of the MBTA transit network with a programmed spend of $9.8 billion over the next five fiscal years.
