Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
August 26, 2026
Norfolk Southern and Wabtec Expand Locomotive Modernization Program
Norfolk Southern Corporation and Wabtec Corporation today announced an expanded program to modernize 33 of the railroad’s DC-traction Evolution Series locomotives. As part of Norfolk Southern’s fleet modernization strategy, the initiative will convert the units to AC-traction technology to improve performance, reliability, and efficiency.
August 25, 2026
Expanded Pennsylvanian Train Service Will Begin in November
Yesterday, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll announced that a second daily Pennsylvanian train between New York City and Pittsburgh – via Harrisburg – will begin operating in mid-November, following close collaboration with Amtrak and Norfolk Southern.
August 25, 2026
Amtrak Announces “Pause for Progress” Infrastructure Upgrade in Washington, D.C. for Nine Days This October
Amtrak announced, “Pause for Progress,” a critical infrastructure upgrade scheduled to take place this fall in the First Street Tunnel just south of Washington Union Station.
August 21, 2026
Federal Grant Announced for ST. Lucie River Bridge Rehab Project
USDOT announced the award of an $78.9 million grant to the City of Stuart to rebuild the St. Lucie River Bridge. The grant will allow for the replacement of the existing 100-year-old St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge with a new double-track structure with significantly improved vertical and horizontal navigational clearances.
August 20, 2026
NCDOT Receives $300 Million Federal Grant for Major Rail Improvements
The N.C. Department of Transportation has been awarded a nearly $300 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve safety, reliability and capacity of current and future passenger rail service along the Piedmont Corridor.
August 20, 2026
AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending August 15, 2026
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 15, 2026. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 525,099 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with the same week last year.
August 18, 2026
Amtrak Completes First Phase of East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, Restores Train Service in Line 2
Amtrak officially reopened East River Tunnel (ERT) Line 2 this week, completing the first major phase of the ERT Rehabilitation Project and providing key safety and reliability improvements for thousands of daily Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and NJ TRANSIT customers.
August 17, 2026
Governor Healey Announces $140 Million in Federal Funding for Haverhill Line Improvements
Massachusetts Governor Healey has announced that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has won $139.6 million from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to make major improvements to the Haverhill Commuter Rail line, helping deliver faster, safer and more reliable service for thousands of riders every day.
August 17, 2026
Amtrak Awarded Nearly $3B in USDOT Grants to Buy New Trains and Improve Service Nationwide
Amid record ridership growth, Amtrak’s New Era of Rail continues to advance following Friday’s announcement by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Amtrak has been awarded new grant funding to advance seven projects that will improve service for State Supported and Long Distance routes around the U.S.
August 14, 2026
CN Continues to Advance Locomotive Innovations
CN today announced the advancement of its hybrid locomotive development program, marking another important milestone in the company’s commitment to innovative, more efficient and more sustainable rail operations.
