Railpace Hot News
Keep up to date on the latest railroad news from the northeastern United States and Canada, edited by Carl Perelman.
May 9, 2023
Metro and City of Alexandria Announce Potomac Yard Station Opening Date
The opening day for Metro’s newest station, Potomac Yard, is set for Friday, May 19, 2023. The station, located in the fastest growing area of Alexandria, is between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Braddock Road stations serving the Blue and Yellow lines. Potomac Yard will be Metro’s 98th station and is Metro’s second infill station, built between existing stations.
May 9, 2023
B&O Met Branch Anniversary Train Announced
Montgomery Preservation in conjunction with other communities along the Baltimore & Ohio’s Metropolitan Branch, will be celebrating the 150th year of it’s opening with a special passenger train.
May 8, 2023
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $700 Million in Grants to Replace Aging Passenger Railcars in Six Transit Systems
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the selection of six projects in six states to replace aging passenger railcars, improving reliability, safety, and accessibility on the nation’s rail transit systems. Funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the approximately $703 million in project selections represents first-time funding from the new Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, which was created to improve safety, service, and the customer experience on subways, commuter rail, and light rail systems.
May 5, 2023
MBTA Announces Weeknight Commuter Rail Suspension on Three Routes
The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services, the agency’s operating partner for Commuter Rail, announced that Commuter Rail service on the Kingston, Middleborough, and Greenbush lines will be replaced by an accessible shuttle bus service between South Station and Braintree after 7:30 p.m. on weeknights from May 8 to June 1 and all day on the weekends of May 13 – 14 and May 20 – 21. These Commuter Rail service diversions are required to safely accommodate the Red Line track work that was previously announced by the MBTA .
May 4, 2023
TRM Equity Acquires Assets of National Railway Equipment Co.
TRM Equity II (“TRM”) has acquired certain assets of National Railway Equipment Co. (“NRE”). Headquartered in Mount Vernon, IL, with facilities across five other continents, NRE is a premier provider of Locomotive, Marine, and Engine services, specializing in remanufacturing,rebuilds, repair, modernization, and maintenance. The transaction was completed on May 2, 2023. NRE employs over 300 people in its US facilities.
May 4, 2023
CPKC Announces Agreement with Teck Coal
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (“CPKC”) and Teck Resources Limited announced that CPKC and Teck Coal Limited have entered into a long-term rail agreement for the transportation of steelmaking coal from Teck’s four operations in southeastern B.C. The agreement builds on existing services in place and runs until the end of 2026.
May 4, 2023
New York Governor Announces a Record Investment to Save the MTA
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the transit highlights of the FY 2024 Budget. The Budget includes meaningful and significant changes to how we support public transit across New York and make our transportation system safer and more reliable. This Budget will also provide the MTA – the nation’s largest transit system – a stable long-term financial plan, as it continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic
May 4, 2023
Weekly Rail Traffic for April and the Week Ending April 29, 2023
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 29, 2023, as well as volumes for April 2023. U.S. railroads originated 936,637 carloads in April 2023, up 1.8 percent, or 16,981 carloads, from April 2022. U.S. railroads also originated 945,313 containers and trailers in April 2023, down 12.7 percent, or 137,879 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in April 2023 were 1,881,950, down 6.0 percent, or 120,898 carloads and intermodal units from April 2022.
May 3, 2023
The LIRR Is Off and Running to Belmont Park
When Belmont Park’s Spring/Summer horse racing meet starts on Thursday, May 4, racing fans will benefit for the first time from massive Long Island Rail Road service increases to the racetrack made possible by the recent openings of the new Elmont-UBS Arena Station as well as Grand Central Madison and Main Line Third Track. During track hours between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., 30 trains will serve the track on weekdays and 78 on weekends. Trains operate 365 days a year at the Elmont-UBS Arena station, helping to serve the needs of the local community in addition to sports fans.
May 3, 2023
110 mph Schedules Coming for Amtrak Chicago-St. Louis Corridor
Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) have received federal approval for maximum speeds up to 110 mph for most of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, primarily between the Amtrak stations in Joliet and Alton.
