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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Railroad history tends to be reductive, or at the very least presented without a great deal of context. Why that is, and what to do about it, have not greatly troubled scholars and writers of popular histories for the past two centuries. There were many reasons. 

By its nature, railroading is complex, multi-disciplinary, dispersed and sometimes devilishly hard to characterize. It was our first truly synthetic technology, in which the whole was vastly greater than the sum of its parts. The extent to which railroad mobility shaped almost every aspect of modern America has never been fully explored. It was merely assumed, or taken for granted.

Railroading was seductive in so many ways. The works themselves could be grand and reflect emerging American values. For many decades it was on the leading edge of what it was possible to do. It was what we might call an “enabling technology”—much like digital computing a century-and-a-half later. And it provided good livings for millions of people.

It also could be rewarding. Railroading made travel and business more accessible and less fraught. Many people found railroad work satisfying, and it was the answer to problems we had never even thought of before. What railroading provided was a lot like the idea of American-style democracy itself. It was a new form, turned old ways of thinking on their heads and opened possibilities that were unimaginable just a few decades earlier.

We too often accept conventional interpretations that railroading was either an import from Great Britain, or some “new” technology (like penicillin or the electric light bulb) that was suddenly “invented” and quickly made the world better. The standard narrative was that mobility in the U.S. was primitive before 1827, when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad sprang into existence as the country’s first fully conceptualized, modern logistics enterprise. Afterward, everything changed. That is lazy thinking of the worst kind.

This year seems particularly apt to pause for some attitude adjustment. I suggest that the 1820s were not merely the dawn of the “Railway Age” (an older expression from which this storied publication takes its name), but the final act in the project to create effective American independence. 

In its first half-century, neither the survival nor prosperity of the new “United States” was assured. At times, its prospects were downright precarious, and everyone involved knew it. The Founding Fathers (we have little idea what the Founding Mothers thought) had profound reservations: How, when everything moved at the speed of an animal, the wind or a current, would it even be feasible to govern a continental nation? Thomas Jefferson imagined it would take a thousand years or so to create a nation stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

In fact, it took roughly 90 years—one long lifetime. Railroad mobility was the reason. There were men and women in 1893 whose lives overlapped the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1784, which officially ended the War for Independence. That was the year railroads mounted massive and celebratory history exhibits at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

America’s earliest railroads were a necessary, although not sufficient, element of the country’s successful independence. Early railroad promoters had a deep understanding of the struggle to create a new, and likewise synthetic, nation. One of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. in the Early National period was mobility. It took a few decades, but railroading answered the need.

It wasn’t coincidence (or a stunt) that Charles Carroll, the only surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, turned the first spade of earth to mark the beginning of construction for the B&O on July 4, 1828. 

The quote attributed to him—that he considered his involvement in early railroading second in importance only to signing the Declaration of Independence (if even to that)—was not mere politesse. He was a plantation owner, clear-eyed businessman and participant in a revolution that could have turned out very badly for him and his family. Carroll clearly understood that the mobility railroading promised would make the kind of America he (and his fellow patriots) imagined possible.

The great experiment we know as the United States was, and remains, a process and not a fait accompli. Miscalculations by the British, and the apparent freedom engendered by being an ocean away, gave rise to the notion of American independence. A brutal seven-year struggle offered a kind of nascent physical and political independence. But that was never sufficient to ensure its survival.

Railroad mobility provided what I call “independence of creation.” It isn’t the physical reality of the most comprehensive logistics network the world had seen that represents railroading’s accomplishment. Instead, it is the kind of freedom and independence that reliable, all-weather, effective, inexpensive, near-universal transportation confers on a population at continental scale. 

That represents railroading’s contribution to American Independence. By removing barriers of time, distance, cost and effort, railroad mobility unleashed a century of individual and collective creativity never before imagined, much less attempted. The railroad boom of the 1820s and 1830s was, in my opinion, the final chapter in the half-century struggle to create a truly independent and sustainable U.S. It wasn’t merely an enabling technology. It was the technology we needed, at the right time and in the right places.

That is why the Bicentennial of American Railroading is important. It isn’t a single event or year we should be celebrating, but rather a kind of awakening. There is always a before and an after, and somewhere in the middle something changes. It is the same for the American political independence we celebrate this year.

There is much to be gained by nesting railroading’s 200 years deeply within America’s 250, if for no other reason than that the success of each depended on the other. The railroad industry looks forward—as it must. 

But neither should it ignore, or worse yet, underestimate, the richness and importance of its past. It isn’t too late to more creatively recognize, and share, what railroading has meant in the creation of the modern U.S. The short-term benefits of the railroad industry embracing its history may seem elusive. Two centuries of experience suggest otherwise. It would be an astute investment in its future.

John Hankey is a curator and historian with more than 50 years of professional experience in railroad history and preservation. He holds a B.S. from the Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. as a Hagley Fellow at the University of Delaware and did further graduate work at the University of Chicago. His three primary research interests focus on how railroad mobility shaped America, aspects of railroad technology and culture, and addressing myths and misinterpretations of traditional railroad history. He is most proud, however, of the six years he spent in Engine Service on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and his tenure at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, where he served as Chessie Systems Historian and Archivist, and later as the museum’s Chief Curator. Also invaluable was the time he spent doing real railroad work, providing the kinds of insights and experiences unavailable by any other means. As a consultant, he has worked with Class I railroads, major museums and historic preservation projects throughout the country, the Smithsonian, National Park Service, local governments and dozens of smaller railroad heritage projects. He is the fifth (and final) generation on his father’s side to have worked for the B&O.

The post The Final Act of Independence appeared first on Railway Age.

RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Creating safer rail operations through artificial intelligence applications.

Around 2016, Derel Wust, founder of Australian software engineering provider 4Tel, approached the robotics laboratory at the University of Newcastle to explore how cameras and sensor technology could process and respond to situational information in real-time, according to Wust’s daughter Joanne Wust, 4Tel’s Group CEO. At the university, a special interest group was preparing to compete at an international robotics competition where teams were creating robots that could play soccer and abide by FIFA rules. Wust’s company sponsored the team, and Derel Wust identified that his company could take those robotics concepts and apply them to the railway.

“Learning from the robots’ spatial awareness, how they are aware of their location and proximity to objects and then applying that into the train is quite relevant. It’s a different use case, but the same sort of principles. It’s being able to see and determine where you are and what’s in front of you,” Joanne Wust told Railway Age.

Derel Wust recognized the commercial future of this research combined with the expertise of 4Tel’s core rail systems development and integration staff. This led to the spinoff company, 4AI Systems, formed in 2020 that develops perception systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) “to create better operational outcomes for rail network operators across the world.” Years later, in 2026, “we’ve now got a couple of different pilots and demos out there. And, you know, the future is looking pretty good,” Joanne Wust, who also serves as Group CEO for 4AI Systems, adds.

Indeed, tech companies like 4AI Systems and RailVision are developing AI-informed technology that provides train operators and engineers with an additional set of eyes that’s focused on preventing collisions. These technological tools use sensors that gather real-time data that is analyzed alongside historical data to ensure that the passenger or freight train does not hit something on the tracks.

“From RailVision’s perspective, AI-powered digital twins and perception systems allow rail operators to predict and prevent collisions by continuously analyzing live sensor data and simulating how situations are likely to evolve—not just reacting to predefined rules or fixed thresholds,” says Doron Cohadier, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for RailVision, an Israel-based company that develops tools that incorporate advanced sensors, AI and Big Data for the rail space.

RailVision has been working with Israel Railways to develop and implement its AI-informed sensor technology on Israel Railways’ freight and passenger network. In a pilot project, RailVision’s system combines video analytics and AI to identify objects on railway infrastructure and anticipates potential obstacles on the track based on train speed, according to Hagay Rozenfeld, Chief Innovation Officer with Israel Railways. This obstacle detection—a type of predictive analytics—happens in real time, enabling operations to be more efficient while also reducing accident risk, he says.

Cohadier describes RailVision’s offerings as AI-powered digital twins and perception systems that allow rail operators to predict and prevent collisions. These onboard AI vision systems operate directly on locomotives. “Right now, the rail industry is using technologies like wayside sensors, GPS-based train control, and largely rule-based monitoring systems,” Cohadier notes. “In practice, these tools mostly help railways execute the plan: enforcing procedures, validating expected conditions, and monitoring known, structured scenarios, but they are less effective at identifying truly unexpected, unplanned events in real time, which is exactly where Rail Vision focuses. Looking ahead, the near-term trend is more automation and tighter integration: more sensors, more connected data, more AI-assisted decision support, and faster intervention workflows. The gap that remains—and the opportunity we address—is reliable detection of the unexpected, early enough to enable quicker decisions and intervention.”

At 4AI Systems, the focus has been on developing technology that can be installed on the train, according to Joanne Wust. “How can we help determine where the train is in real time without having to take a feed from the track or the wayside infrastructure?” she says. “When we can pull more technology on board, it starts to open up a lot of efficiencies for operators.” 

Mark Wood, 4AI Systems Chief Technology Officer, describes his company’s offering as providing “better situational awareness so that the engineer is assisted in all conditions to make better decisions.”

The technology, which can be used for freight and passenger rail operations, consists of onboard sensors that detect visuals, movement and positioning. Data from these sensors is compared with information that the software already knows about the track and adjacent infrastructure such as signals or speed signs. The technology compares the real-time data with the reference and historical data, uses AI to detect anomalies that could result in a collision, and informs the train conductor or engineer of any potential hazards on the track.

“The AI is helping us not only perceive the environment from an object detection perspective but also provides input into helping us localize ourselves,” Wood notes. “We use the multi-sensor array to allow us to have confidence in what we’re detecting as the train travels forward. This is one of the things that’s important when detecting an object. So, detecting an object with a single sensor, that’s easy. But validating whether that detection is correct and whether you care about that detection from a collision avoidance perspective is a lot more complex. That’s where a multi-sensor array, allowing overlap of sensor redundancy of different types, allows for those decisions to be more confident so that we’re not creating false alarms.” 

While the integration of AI into onboard sensor technology has already begun, the rail industry overall has yet to maximize AI’s potential.

“MxV Rail remains engaged in work related to onboard sensor technology through the AAR’s Train Control & Communications Oversight (TCCO) Committee. That effort includes collaboration with several suppliers (including 4AI Systems) who are exploring technologies that support increased levels of automation, such as enhanced situational awareness and restricted‑speed collision avoidance,” says Niki Toussaint, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Education. “While some of these suppliers use AI within their systems, our current work is focused on broader sensor-based automation rather than an explicitly AI-driven project.”

Other areas where MxV Rail is exploring AI applications are AI-assisted track geometry monitoring, automated- or AI-enabled visual inspection technologies and AI models supporting ultrasonic rail flaw detection, according to Toussaint.

For the rail industry to integrate this kind of technology into current operations, multiple partners are often involved. RailVision, which has developed AI-driven technologies for main line and switching operations, is partnering with startup Exodigo to carry out advanced underground infrastructure detection across various Israel Railways track segments. Exodigo, which has developed a mapping platform, has incorporated RailVision’s technology to deploy a multi-dimensional visual model or digital asset that allows Israel Railways’ teams to access accurate, high-quality information about existing infrastructure along a railway corridor, according to RailVision. The company says this technology will help prevent damage to infrastructure during construction works, streamline maintenance and development processes, and reduce disruptions to project timelines. The offering involves mounting Exodigo’s AI-powered remote-sensing platform onto railcars, which enables the development of precise 3D digital models of buried utilities and infrastructure beneath the tracks.

“Israel Railways faces challenges similar to those of railway operators around the world, including the need to maintain schedule accuracy and high-quality service while maintaining and expanding the existing network,” Exodigo CEO and Co-Founder Jeremy Suard says. “Our proposed solution will enable the railway to efficiently and systematically map all existing rail assets and introduce new capabilities for digital asset management in a dynamic environment. This will allow future integration of AI tools into infrastructure-related decision-making processes, with the goal of maximizing services for the public.”

Israel Railways also has an Open Innovation strategy that provides innovation partners opportunities to pilot and promote their AI technologies within railway regulations, Rozenfeld says. More than 70 innovation partners are already working with Israel Railways. 

At 4AI Systems, their offerings are not on test trains but rather are on revenue service operations. “In each of those environments, the technology is in various stages of development,” according to Wood.

Even as 4AI Systems is working with rail companies to implement and use the technology on their trains, the company also continues to collaborate with universities and is part of a working group for MxV Rail “to understand the challenges of implementing the technology in different rail environments,” Wood notes. “This is the future. There’s no one that’s actually using this technology in full rail operations. We’re currently going through the program of getting it there. The technology is one step, but the application into an operation is a whole change management process that doesn’t happen overnight.”

But the big benefit that will come as the technology improves over time is helping train crews “manage their jobs in inclement weather or if they’re tired,” Wood says. “If something jumps on the track and you can’t stop the train, well, that’s the laws of physics. But if we can reduce the impact—give a few seconds more to the engineer to apply brakes or perform an action—that may avert an incident.” 

The post Collision Avoidance, the AI Way appeared first on Railway Age.

RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Norfolk Southern and Watco provide prime examples of how railroads can attract manufacturing plants to their systems and grow business.

Manufacturing has always driven the North American economy—from motor vehicles to heavy machinery to home appliances and many other products. Rail-served manufacturing is on the rise, with business development efforts at Class I’s, regionals and short lines.

Railroad business development departments specialize in identifying potential new customers and working with them on establishing a plant location, which can potentially be an expensive proposition. Often, state or local economic development agencies are involved. 

Railway Age contacted Norfolk Southern (NS) and Watco to find out how they are attracting manufacturing plants to their systems and the factors that come into play.

“Watco has several examples of success in the Industrial Development space,” Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing Zachary G. Boehme tells Railway Age. “This is an area of our business that we’re extremely proud of and see as a key component to growth.”

Bartlett, a Savage Company, in 2024, opened its newest soybean processing plant in Cherryvale, Kans. Served by Watco’s South Kansas & Oklahoma (SKOL), this facility, which is one of Watco’s largest Industrial Projects to date, is expected to handle up to 49 million bushels of soybeans annually.

Additionally, the Watco team worked alongside Charlotte Pipe and Foundry from site selection to design, build and rail service startup at its new facility in Maize, Kans. The new $80 million facility, served by Watco’s Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (KORR), celebrated its grand opening in August 2025. The 175,000-square-foot plant houses several plastic extrusion lines to produce PVC pipe for plumbing and irrigation applications, with room for future expansion.

When advancing businesses development efforts, main line sidings, short spurs and in-plant industrial trackage can cost upwards of $1 million/mile, and the question of who pays for it often arises. Watco says it has approached this aspect from all angles and has “found success in each of them.”

“We do utilize all grant funding that is available/applicable to us and the customer. However, I think it’s important to highlight that Watco has invested more than $600 million in customer growth and expansion projects over the past 10 years,” Boehme notes.

Depending on the scope, long-term traffic potential and public benefit, rail infrastructure investments may be shared among the customer, NS and public‑sector partners, GVP Industrial Development Craig Hudson tells Railway Age. “Norfolk Southern’s Industrial Development team works with customers early in the site‑planning process to evaluate rail design, operating requirements and commercial arrangements tied to new or expanding rail‑served facilities,” he says. “Our team also coordinates with state, local and economic development partners to help identify potential funding or incentive opportunities where available, working with communities, economic development agencies and customers to support projects that qualify for public funding or incentives tied to job creation, private investment and infrastructure development. 

“While funding availability and eligibility vary by project, location and program, rail‑served industrial development has supported billions of dollars in private investment across multiple states, demonstrating how public‑private collaboration can accelerate economic growth. In 2025 alone, NS customers advanced more than 60 rail‑served projects representing $7.7 billion in industry investment, often in partnership with local and regional stakeholders.”

Some of NS’s successful industrial development partnerships include an NS-served site in Huntsville, Ala., which will be home to Eli Lilly’s $6 billion advanced manufacturing campus, “a landmark investment for the state’s bioscience sector and a major win for the region’s economy,” Hudson notes. Additionally, an NS-served REDI site in Orangeburg, S.C., will be home to SODECIA AAPICO JV’s new $120 million manufacturing facility serving joint customer Scout Motors.

When asked what the railroad’s expected ROI (return on investment) is with some of these partnerships, Boehme says Watco doesn’t utilize a one-size-fits-all approach for these types of projects: “Each project is nuanced and all vary widely in size and scale. Our focus is to ensure that we reach an agreement with our customers mutually beneficial to both parties, and that promotes a long-term relationship centered on mutual growth and value.”

According to Hudson, NS evaluates ROI through “long‑term, sustainable freight growth, network utilization and customer retention rather than short‑term gains.” Rail‑served industrial projects are designed to generate recurring rail traffic over decades. NS currently has a pipeline of more than 500 manufacturing projects in the site‑selection phase, positioning us for future growth with customers both current and prospective.

When it comes to how a railroad makes using its services attractive to the customer, Boehme says he believes that Watco “offers a superior value to its customers.” 

“Speed to market, flexibility, multiple connectivity options to the larger North American rail network, and tailormade services for the customer are a few of the selling points that set us apart from other organizations in the space,” Boehme said. “Watco is unique in that in addition to our 48 railroads, we are one of the largest private terminal and port operators in North America and also have an expansive logistics business segment that allows us to build a complete supply chain solution for our customers.”

Watco notes it has served customers “safely and efficiently” since 1983. “We believe that walking alongside our customers in every aspect of their business will allow us to continue to grow well into the future,” says Boehme. “Having said that, we take the approach that we adapt our operating plans around our customers’ needs, not the other way around. We pride ourselves on listening to what our customers’ needs and pain points are and then developing solutions to exceed those needs.” 

“Shipping with NS offers customers a strategic supply‑chain advantage, enabling shippers to move high‑volume or heavy commodities in a safe, sustainable and cost-effective way,” Hudson says. “Through our NSites platform, customers can access information on hundreds of development‑ready properties, customized track planning and end‑to‑end industrial development support. By shipping on rail, customers can improve efficiency and reach new markets with a transportation solution that supports long‑term growth.” In 2025, NS brought on projects that support industries ranging from automotive and metals to paper, aggregates and emerging biotech, “demonstrating rail’s flexibility across sectors.”

According to Hudson, NS integrates new customers through a structured industrial development and operations planning process that begins “well before the first railcar moves.” The railroad’s Industrial Development team, he adds, collaborates with customers on site design, rail access and operations needs “to ensure new facilities can be efficiently served within the existing network.” 

The post Building Successful Industrial Development Spaces appeared first on Railway Age.

RAILWAY AGE. MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Now the No. 8 U.S. port by volume and still looking to grow, South Carolina Ports Authority boasts the deepest harbor on the  East Coast and “can handle any ship, any tide, any time.”

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), with two rail-served intermodal inland ports with daily, overnight service, delivers the benefits of a coastal marine terminal many miles inland and allows shippers to reduce carbon emissions up to 80% vs. all-truck service. SCPA, served by Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX, is investing $3 billion in capacity, trying to stay ahead of growing demand. Recently appointed SCPA President and CEO Micah Mallace late last year detailed a “pledge for aggressive growth” to 1,100 port customers and stakeholders during his first State of the Port address.

SCPA’s Port of Charleston “enjoys the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast, has secured a path to 10 million TEUs at its marine terminals, and has invested to ensure its rail capabilities match the growth occurring in South Carolina and throughout the Southeast,” the Authority noted. “Companies invested $8.19 billion in new and existing businesses in South Carolina over the past year. Of that, Port customers invested more than $786 million into new and expanding manufacturing facilities and distribution centers, adding 1,200 jobs and bringing new volume to the Port’s inland and ocean terminals.”

Ocean carriers also showed “a vote of confidence” in SC Ports’ capabilities within the U.S. Southeast market, SCPA said. The Port of Charleston grew its weekly services to 29 in 2025, including first-in-calls from key markets in Asia and Europe, and expanding coverage of the growing India market to six weekly services. 

The Authority noted that, combined, its eight freight terminals—Inland Port Dillon, Inland Port Greer, North Charleston Navy Base Intermodal Facility, Wando Welch, Leatherman, Columbus Street, Veterans and Union Pier—“outpace the U.S. market and other South Atlantic ports for growth in the Northeast Asia-U.S. trade lane. Post-COVID, the Port of Charleston’s volume has increased by 9% in this trade lane, compared to a decline of 2% at other regional ports.”

“SC Ports was the fastest growing U.S. container port for nearly a decade,” Mallace said. “We have done this before, and we can achieve it again. Generating growth necessitates a momentum change, and momentum change requires bold initiatives. This is a region where one can engineer above-market growth, and that is exactly what we intend to do.” Mallace said a multi-year effort includes plans to use SCPA real estate to “facilitate growth projects for businesses, help support projects with partners who generate growth, focus on revenue-generating infrastructure, and offer creative solutions and white-glove service to BCOs (Beneficial Cargo Owners).”

In July 2025, SCPA opened Navy Base Intermodal Facility (NBIF), a near-dock, rail-served cargo yard located on a 118-acre site on the former North Charleston Navy Base. NBIF allows import and export traffic to move between the Port of Charleston and Inland Ports Greer and Dillon, and on to inland markets throughout the Southeast and Midwest. NS and CSX serve NBIF.

NBIF, in which the State of South Carolina invested $550 million, features 78,000 linear feet of railroad track that can handle 14,000-foot-plus trains, and six electric rail-mounted gantry cranes to transfer containers between CSX and NS trains and trucks. A one-mile dedicated drayage road is used to truck cargo to and from Leatherman Terminal, and a planned barge service will transport containers between the Leatherman and Wando Welch terminals. Annual lift capacity is one million containers.

SCPA has also expanded Inland Port Greer to enable it to handle longer trains and 50% more cargo. 

SCPA’s shorter-term growth prospects are somewhat uncertain, though. Despite the strength of the U.S. Southeast market, “challenges persist,” and the Authority saw “tempered container volumes and stable growth in its 2025 fiscal year.” 

“As the three-year freight recession persists, spot rates are down, and volatility has become the new normal. The port market will continue to have to operate in a challenging environment,” Mallace told State of the Port attendees. “We see the same challenges as our competitors, but we are not satisfied with 3% year-over-year growth in the container segment.” 

The post Intermodal Focus: South Carolina Ports Authority appeared first on Railway Age.

RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Improved carbody materials and innovative designs are transforming these long-lived warhorses into state-of-the-art railcars.

The general-purpose, open-top gondola has been a part of freight railroading since its beginnings nearly 200 years ago. But if you think these gondolas are “run of the mill” railcars, think again. New designs and new materials are helping these rugged, mostly all-purpose cars meet shipper demands for efficient, damage-free loading and unloading.

For this report, Railway Age asked The Greenbrier Companies, TrinityRail® and FreightCar America for their viewpoints on short- and long-term market conditions, including current and projected demands for new railcars (i.e. replacement of cars aging out of the North American interchange fleet; design improvements (i.e. types of steel or aluminum, carbody construction, etc.); and current R&D initiatives. 

“We continue to view the North American railcar market as operating below replacement levels—currently under 40,000 builds—as fleet owners largely remain on the sidelines amid ongoing trade and tariff uncertainty,” The Greenbrier Companies Vice President of Marketing and General Manager Tom Jackson tells Railway Age. “That said, we are beginning to see early signs of growth in select end markets, including biofuels, metals and certain specialty chemicals. Overall, the industry is entering a multi-year replacement cycle, as significant railcar builds from the 1980s approach the end of their service lives. This dynamic is most evident across core freight car types such as grain hoppers, boxcars and gondolas.

“As part of Greenbrier’s continuous improvement culture, our engineering teams evaluate railcar designs throughout the entire product lifecycle. We work closely with customers to tailor solutions that address their specific operational challenges and objectives. From a design and innovation standpoint, our engineers focus on increasing efficiency, improving aerodynamics, reducing tare weight, and optimizing loading configurations. To support these efforts, we explore alternative materials—including advanced steel grades—to reduce weight, increase payload capacity, and enhance durability. This is evident in the success of our high-strength steel gondola portfolio. In parallel, we continuously refine our facility layouts and production processes to drive efficiency while maintaining industry-leading safety standards.”

Jackson adds that Greenbrier “maintains a robust product development pipeline, with multiple prototypes currently in service and generating strong test results. These include several gondola configurations, CO₂ tank cars, boxcars utilizing alternative materials for doors and roofs, and new specialty railcar designs. Leveraging our global engineering footprint, we have incorporated proven design concepts from Europe and Brazil into North American offerings, allowing us to accelerate innovation and apply best practices across regions. That’s our integrated strength success, which separates us from other railcar suppliers.”

Greenbrier’s gondola portfolio spans a wide range of applications and is available in high strength, advanced high strength, and ultra high strength steel grades. “These materials are also being deployed across other railcar components, including boxcar structures, resulting in improved reliability, lower maintenance costs and extended service life for fleet owners,” notes Jackson. “In addition, we are launching a new family of advanced high strength rotary gondolas that are gaining strong traction in the mining sector. These designs deliver payload increases ranging from approximately 6,000 to 15,000 pounds while further enhancing durability. Our gondola offerings currently range  from 2,300 to 7,100 cubic feet, and we are actively developing one of the industry’s largest wood chip gondolas—8,200 cubic feet.

“We see tremendous upside in the mill gon market in both the short and long term,” TrinityRail® Chief Commercial Officer Charley Moore tells Railway Age. “The growth in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel production has created a very efficient use of rail by enabling producers to load inbound carloads of scrap and outbound carloads of finished goods in the same car.”

The railcar market is constantly changing. One shift TrinityRail® has seen in recent years is the changing variety of mill gondolas in demand. “Shippers want to optimize their mill gons for the varying density of their products, which could include making the car lighter and creating more capacity with taller interior walls,” says Moore,” says Moore. “At TrinityRail®, we offer many different mill gon designs of varying length and capacities ranging from 2,743 to 6,400 cubic feet. With our design engineering expertise, we work directly with our customers to create a railcar specification that meets the customer’s needs and maximizes the safe loading capacity for the products that they ship. 

“Some of the markets served by gondolas demonstrated strength last year with Iron & Steel Scrap carloads up almost 10%, and Nonmetallic Minerals (Aggregates) up almost 2%. Attrition will also continue over the next few years, showing a need for railcars to serve both market growth and replacement of aging railcars. There have been more than 25,000 gondolas built in the past five years, with most of them serving the metals markets (mill gons and coil cars). With attrition and growing demand, we expect that trend to continue into the near future.”

“Similar to the demand environment we see with many car types, gondola deliveries are largely tied to the replacement of aging fleets, FreightCar America Chief Commercial Officer Matt Tonn tells Railway Age. “This is also supported by inquiry levels. There are indicators that the demand for gondolas will remain consistent with what we have seen in the past few years, driven primarily by strong retirements expected through 2030 and largely tied to scrap steel demand.”

Higher-yield steels “are more acceptable for customers today than at any time in recent history,” Tonn notes. “Collaboration with customers to gain deeper insights into their operating environment, as well as fleet planning and maintenance challenges, continues to drive our focus on new railcar designs and enhancements. Gondolas are a staple car type in the rail industry that serve multiple industries and market segments. From steel and metal products to aggregates, coal and construction materials, gondolas represent one of the largest carload segments in our industry. 

“Over the decades, FreightCar America has introduced multiple enhancements to its gondola designs, starting with the all-aluminum Bethgon coal car. With nearly 300,000 coal cars delivered, these lightweight designs vastly increased carload capacity over the older generation steel car designs. On our conventional mill and aggregate gondolas, we’ve introduced increased use of high-strength steels, which have become more acceptable to customers in today’s market. The use of these materials, along with refined designs, including reinforced top chords, side sills and corner connections, not only delivers a more robust ‘purpose-built’ car design, but also reduces weight and enhances capacity, efficiency and utility.” 

For the aggregate market, FreightCar America has developed a new line of railcars that Tonn says “are specifically tailored to customers shipping highly corrosive commodities. Our patented Gold, Silver and Bronze Aggregate cars incorporate high-strength carbon and stainless-steel materials in select areas, assuring long life of the rail asset, even in the harshest carload environments. The VersaCoil gondola has benefited from many of the standard gondola design enhancements, resulting in a class-leading lightweight design that provides maximum configurability of loading coils from 30 to 108 inches (2.5 to 9 feet). The VersaCoil gis are available in 5, 7, 9 and 10 trough configurations and are customizable to meet specific car owner load configuration requirements, including an optional insulated coil cover.”

FreightCar America’s Engineering team “is foundational to who we are—driving railcar design development, continuous enhancements and the disciplined innovation that keeps our railcars performing in the field,” adds Tonn. “We partner closely with customers to understand real operational challenges and translate those insights into practical design improvements and fit-for-purpose features. That collaboration, combined with deep technical expertise, allows us to deliver railcar solutions tailored to specific commodities, loading practices and maintenance requirements. The result is a railcar design that’s not only robust and reliable, but purpose-built for each customer’s operation.” 

The post Not Your ‘Run of the Mill’ Gondolas appeared first on Railway Age.

ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Short line railroading is a growth-focused industry, and ASLRRA’s primary goal is to provide opportunities to promote that growth through engagement, education, training and connections. As this column goes to print, we are in between the two events that offer the very best of those opportunities: Railroad Day on Capitol Hill and ASLRRA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition.

To keep America’s freight moving the rail industry needs strong public policies that help railroads invest in infrastructure, improve safety, and create value for customers. That was the message more than 350 Class I, Class II, Class III and rail supplier industry representatives delivered to 300-plus Congressional offices during a highly successful March 4 fly-in advocacy day in Washington, D.C. 

For short lines and regionals, the specific message was about securing the much-needed update of the 45G tax credit to account for inflation, securing continued robust funding of the CRISI grant program, opposing the never-ending effort to increase truck size and weights, and streamlining federal permitting to allow investment grant dollars to be put to work faster. In today’s oversaturated digital world, the opportunity to talk face to face with elected officials about the real-life impact of a 45G track rehabilitation project that reduced derailments for a local shipper or a CRISI project that saved a local bridge from collapsing is truly a golden opportunity. 

Nobody tells the story of short line railroading better than the people who live it!

And nowhere is the successful result more apparent than in the growing number of House and Senate co-sponsors of our 45G tax credit update bills. Every one of these co-sponsors has been earned one at a time by an individual short line contact with his or her individual congressperson. Going into Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, we had 149 House co-sponsors and 37 Senate co-sponsors. The numbers ultimately needed will be higher, but even today, both bills are among the most co-sponsored in this Congressional session. Importantly, they are also two of the most bi-partisan legislative efforts navigating the difficult terrain of a bitterly partisan landscape.

Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is an important educational tool, but equally important is a show of force that demonstrates our geographical reach and our ties to thousands of small business customers and local communities that would otherwise be cut off from the national rail network and the U.S. economy. I am grateful for the many short line and supplier members that took the time and effort to make that show as impressive as possible, and hope that even more will do so in
the future.

On April 12-14, more than 1,700 individuals will converge on Minneapolis for ASLRRA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition. This three day event is the most efficient and productive way to learn, to connect, and to focus on understanding the forces driving change in our industry. It is the short line industry’s premier event featuring top tier speakers, more than 40 hours of educational workshops, an exhibit hall with more than 200 industry suppliers showcasing their wares, and dozens of opportunities to network with colleagues and potential
business partners.

This year’s keynotes speakers include Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink, BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer, and Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George. The educational workshops will feature nearly 50 breakout sessions led by industry experts on 12 subjects—everything from engineering to finance to marketing to technology to safety, and many more. It will literally cover the bases from A to Z on running a modern short line railroad and will be as good a tool as a short line can get in advancing the knowledge and skills of its workforce and in understanding the newest and best practices being used to build a better short line industry. 

Rounding out this excellent program, which ASLRRA staff has worked tirelessly to develop, will be presentations of our annual awards, including the Business Development Awards, our Hall of Fame inductees, the Distinguished Service Award, and Safety Person and Professional of the Year—projects and people who represent some of the best of our best. 

While there is always much to discuss and learn at this annual short line event, this year’s meeting will be held in the shadow of the proposed Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern transaction application. It goes without saying that no other 2026 industry gathering will have such a large number of attendees who have a detailed understanding of the regulatory process, are well versed in the details of the proposal, and are stakeholders critically impacted one way or the other by the outcome. 

ASLRRA’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition is a unique opportunity for every short line to do a deep dive into the merger issues and to discuss the potential pros and cons with your colleagues. It is an opportunity not to be missed and there is still time to get in on the action. www.aslrra.org/events/conference/ provides registration and hotel information and is constantly updated with late-breaking program information.

See you there! 

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MXV RAIL R&D, RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2026 ISSUE: Under the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) program, MxV Rail developed and evaluated improved techniques for measuring wheel/rail (W/R) vertical impact forces using a combination of onboard and wayside systems. The study compared three key measurement technologies: 1) high‑accuracy instrumented wheelsets (IWS), 2) a new bearing adapter (NBA) that blends force measurement with acceleration compensation, and 3) a high‑accuracy in‑track bi‑circuit (HAC). So-called portable rail bumps (PRBs) were manufactured and placed on the rail to produce controlled impact loads. The study objective was establishing a benchmark method for validating Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) systems.

Previous work demonstrated that PRBs could reliably generate repeatable impact loads, enabling the direct comparison of onboard and wayside measurements (references 1-3). This work resulted in the expansion of the dataset and the gathering of simultaneous measurements to support statistical validation of measurement accuracy and repeatability. Existing WILD calibration practices (AAR Standard S‑6101, reference 4) primarily address strain‑gage‑based detectors and lack provisions for alternative systems. The integrated HAC–NBA–IWS approach offers a generalizable framework suitable for emerging technologies.

The in‑track HAC uses two full‑bridge strain‑gage circuits per crib to measure vertical loads and contact locations across the crib. Installed on MxV Rail’s High‑Speed Loop, the system consists of six bi‑circuits across seven concrete ties with synchronized automatic location devices (ALDs). Similarly, the NBA incorporates four load cells and an accelerometer on each bearing adapter, enabling force estimation with acceleration compensation. One axle uses eight load cells and two accelerometers across both adapters. Each IWS uses strain gages to produce continuous vertical, lateral and longitudinal W/R forces, plus lateral contact location. Two high‑accuracy IWS units (on axles 1 and 4 of a loaded 110‑ton hopper car) were used and paired with an NBA unit for direct comparison. Four PRB types (different thicknesses) were installed to generate controlled impact forces. Two PRBs were placed on each test run (one on each rail) to minimize crosstalk and ensure stable impulse generation.

A locomotive, an instrumentation car and a loaded hopper car were operated through the test site at speeds from 5 to 40 mph with various PRB thicknesses. The HAC, NBA, and IWS systems were synchronized via ALDs. A total of 162 valid impact events were recorded, with IWS‑measured peak forces ranging from 46.5 to 97.7 kips—exceeding the AAR “actionable” limit (90 kips) in some cases.

The difference between IWS and HAC measurements remained within ±5%, with only one outlier across all tests. Although NBA performance varied between wheelsets, the NBA–IWS differences were within ±10%, indicating a need for improved stability. The impact force magnitude increased with PRB thickness and operating speed, following an approximately linear trend. The PRBs effectively controlled force magnitude and location, validating their use for repeatable impact generation in WILD system testing. The HAC and high‑accuracy IWS provide consistent, benchmark‑quality W/R impact force measurements. The NBA shows potential as a low‑cost, onboard alternative, but it will require stability refinements. The combination of IWS and PRBs offers a practical verification strategy for WILD systems. 

As a result of this work, AAR Standard S‑6101B Industry Data Validation: Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) was implemented in April 2025. The specification calls for the use of PRBs to generate impact loads measured by an IWS and a wayside detector to facilitate accurate evaluation.

The Technology Digests this article is based on can be found in the MxV Rail eLibrary along with more than 1,000 other publications describing the railway research, testing and analysis available from the AAR SRI program. Explore www.mxvrail.com to learn more about MxV Rail and to register for the 31st Annual AAR Research Review, to be held April 28-30, 2026. 

Witte, M, Y. Zeng. 2023. “Measuring Wheel Impact Force through the Bearing Adapter.” Technology Digest TD23-014. AAR/MxV Rail.

Stoehr, N, Y. Zeng, and M. Witte. 2024. “Wheel/Rail Impact Force Measurement Validation.” Technology Digest TD24-023. AAR/MxV Rail.

Stoehr, N, Y. Zeng, and T. Sultana. “Wheel/Rail Vertical Impact Force Measurement Comparisons.” Technology Digest TD25-003. AAR/MxV Rail.

Association of American Railroads. 2025. Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP). Section F. Standard S-6101B: Industry Data Validation: Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD). AAR. 

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The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for approximately $686 million in competitive grants for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). Applications are due May 1, 2026, via Grants.gov.

“This is an initial announcement for the FY 2025 and FY 2026 rounds of this program,” FTA reported earlier this month. “As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively for any purpose eligible under Division J of the [2021] Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58) for capital and planning projects to upgrade the accessibility of legacy [i.e., pre-Americans With Disabilities Act] rail fixed guideway public transportation systems for people with disabilities.”

According to FTA, eligible projects include:

• “Capital projects to repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate infrastructure of stations or facilities for passenger use, including load-bearing members that are an essential part of the structural frame.

• “Planning projects to develop or modify a plan for public transportation accessibility projects; accessibility assessments; or assessments of planned modifications to stations or facilities for passenger use.”

Eligible applicants include: State governments; county governments; and city or township governments; and transit operators that are “designated recipients for FTA funds that operate or allocate funds to legacy rail public transportation systems.” FTA noted that all States, including territories and Washington, D.C., must operate or financially support legacy rail public transportation systems and corresponding legacy stations or facilities.

The maximum Federal share is 80%, and applicants must include a description of their financial commitment to the proposed project, according to the FTA.

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This is the fourth in a five-part series about railroad growth coming from truck conversions focused on the criticality of rail-to-rail competition to achieve Union Pacific’s growth outcome stated in the Dec. 19, 2025 merger application sent to the STB.

In Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of this series, we established the challenges and probabilities of truck conversions from the new proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern network. In short, we see a myriad of challenges ahead to drive modal conversion against the industries’ proverbial “easy button”—trucks. It is our opinion that, of the 2 million trucks, it’s reasonable to see about 25% or 500,000 truckloads convert to rail over a seven-to-ten-year time frame. Though these conversions can be achieved, they will take significant new capital investment in customer rail infrastructure, railcars, 53-foot containers and chassis, and most critical, rail rates that justify the risk inherent with modal conversion. The “juice” needs to be worth the “squeeze” for customers to make the switch from truck to rail. Without new rail-to-rail competition, we’re pessimistic freight will meaningfully convert.

In addition to the new truck conversions, not talked about but relevant is that the new UP-NS entity should convert between 3% to 5% of existing BNSF and CSX freight to the new UP-NS using a variety of techniques. Through Week 52 of 2025, BNSF moved 9.6 million units. CSX through the same period moved 6.3 million units. Therefore, in three years, UP-NS should be able to capture and shift 500,000 to 800,000 units from BNSF and CSX to the new UP-NS network.

How, may you ask? To paraphrase many war historians, quantity (size) is a quality all its own. The new transcontinental UP, a single carrier connecting the east and western U.S., will have unprecedented rail market power and leverage CSX and BNSF will be unable to match separately. Any open or jump ball freight, interline or local, will be taken from CSX and BNSF onto the new UP-NS network. It’s in day one of railroad commercial training—exert your market power with leverage.

How does that work? In 2025, UP and BNSF moved almost 18 million loads. CSX and NS combined for almost 13 million loads. Relating carloads to gorilla size, let’s say UP and BNSF are two 900-pound “gorillas” in the West. Let’s say CSX and NS are roughly 650-pound “gorillas” in the East. Allow UP and NS to become one railroad creates a 1,550-pound gorilla competing against a 900-pound gorilla in the West and a 650-pound gorilla in the East. Who’s going to dominate who? If you’re the 1,550-pound gorilla, who do you go after first? Does it make sense now why CSX has been so quiet about UP-NS relative to BNSF, CN and CPKC? CSX may get a new 1,550-pound gorilla in their cage, the East. Ouch!

Why does size matter in rail? Rail is an interesting business model—part transportation, part utility and part real estate. The resulting contiguous franchise and market reach is what matters: which routes, to which markets connecting which origins and destinations without head-to-head rail competition. How many closed options can be provided to customers? UP-NS left unchecked will go beyond dominant in terms of extracting price from customers, long-term. Intelligent and financially motivated professionals at the new organization, left unchecked without new guiderails or ceilings, will leverage every element available to them to pull as much profitable business onto their network and extract as much price from other business to fund it as they can. Little jump ball business will remain at competitive returns on CSX or BNSF. UP will extract price at above market levels. Ultimately U.S. consumers will pay the price. Why? Lack of adequate direct rail competition.

What is competition? Competition is crucial in business because it drives innovation, forces efficiency and keeps prices competitive while improving product quality. It acts as a catalyst for excellence, encouraging companies to differentiate their offerings, enhance customer service and adapt to market changes. Ultimately, competition benefits businesses and consumers by ensuring better value and greater choice, and preventing complacency.

I recently moved from Omaha to Bucks County Pa. I RFP’d my move to four competing moving carriers. I evaluated their proposals, their people and their processes and chose a mid-priced provider. United Van Lines did a great job. Be it the Super Bowl, the recent Winter Olympics or my move from Omaha, competition brings out the best outcomes in most elements of business and life.

My point? I can’t do that as a carload rail customer. In most carload cases (~80%), I’m “closed” (captive) to one railroad, the only company in town free to charge what they want, provide me whatever service they deem adequate and perform when it suits them best. Welcome to railroading. People understand what the term being “railroaded” means in our culture. It’s well-earned. Without adequate rail competition, we get where we are today with an unhealthy rail industry whose only path to growth is to consolidate and further reduce competition.

In 2010, at the beginning of the domestic intermodal turnaround, we transitioned our messaging at Union Pacific to the “competition is trucks, not rail.” Though was some signaling to other railroads in that message—”we aren’t investing in our intermodal franchise to come after your business—the truth is the intent was to grow the entire domestic rail intermodal market, not just on UP. All the railroads adopted some form of this positioning by 2013. And business was good until 2018, when the proverbial spigot filling the trough we all drank from ran dry. Penetration of truck share stopped. Why?

Early in my career in the Finance department, there was a saying: “Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered.” While being a “pig” (taking reasonable profits) is acceptable, being a “hog” (excessive greed or overextending) leads to deadly outcomes. From 2003 till about 2018, 80% of the Class I railroads’ value growth came from pricing, and the ability to extract price from the market. For the sake of completeness, 10% came from volume growth and another 10% from operational efficiency. Pricing, and the ability to extract price from customers because they have no alternative, has rewarded the rail industry financially in the short term but led to a position where we are today: Prices are too high, and businesses aren’t converting to rail.

Based on recent real-life scenarios, rates for closed carload and intermodal lanes are on average 25% to 100% higher than lanes open to two or more rail carriers. The rail industry has beat the price drum so hard that business is moving away from rail. Though all business doesn’t need to be open to benefit, there needs to be meaningfully more direct rail competition than today.

As the railroads have gotten to the point of the four mega-systems we have across the U.S., prices continue to rise while local service has never been worse per shippers and receivers. Yes, “over the road” service in the post-PSR world hasn’t been better. But local service, once 5-6 days a week, is now 2-3 days a week and more difficult and expensive than ever for customers using rail. Rail competition would enable competitive pricing, better service, and rail organizations designed to put new business on the rails and not simply hit the easy button of “how much price can I extract before my customer is incented to put together a $2 million rate case?”

But what about Committed Gateway Pricing (CGP)? The merger application says CGP will enhance competition. CGP is a disingenuous way to maintain competition at best. To be clear, CGP does not in any way enhance competition. A deeper dive on CGP and how it falls short in maintaining competition will be addressed in Part 5.

We’ve had three years of stagnant truck rates, while rail rates increased at above-inflation levels. The North American rail industry has not grown since 2017 and has consistently lost share to truck and other modes since 2018. Why? I offer there’s not enough intrarail competition nor enough affordable oversight by the STB. Customers don’t have enough options. Railroads have too much leverage. Customers have been bitten by years of irregular service reducing their competitiveness, faced unchecked rail pricing vs. competitive rates in other modes, and are faced with one of the most non-customer-friendly transportation business processes.

Railroads have significant market power. Many would argue, eloquently, too much. The railroads can’t self-correct when they get out-of-market on prices. The feedback loop is 3-5 years for a captive customer to move away from rail. Lost business to price is not seen or is dispensed as noise as the leadership team works to secure this quarter’s earnings, so they retain their jobs. Checks and balances were to be put in place with the STB. Many argue the STB hasn’t acted enough, given the industry has stalled out on growth. STB rate cases are too expensive for customers to argue against a railroad’s incentives and therefore the railroads’ sizeable investments in legal departments to not lose them. Ultimately, the railroads have gotten too big. Now, the industry wants to make an even bigger railroad.

Rail is a precious commodity, and the benefits of rail (e.g. transportation savings, access to capacity, environmental benefits and better jobs) are without dispute. Generating new rail competition is critical for this industry to alter its course. Adding competition through reciprocal switching among the Class I’s, like in Canada with interswitching, could make this transaction a win-win for all parties. Regardless, we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome.

Rob Russell, Managing Partner, Russell-Kroese Partners (RKP), is a seasoned transportation executive who operates fluidly from the boardroom to the shop floor. A certified six sigma black belt and a LEAN champion, Rob is a proven business leader who has a track record of strategy development, financial planning, business development, operations and performance management to accomplish an organization’s desired goals. RKP partners with railroads, ports, shippers and land developers on growth strategy, market development, competitive positioning and operational execution. They help clients translate complex transportation dynamics into clear, execution-ready business decisions.  You can learn more about RKP at www.russellkroese.com.

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