Prototype News

MDOT MTA

The MDOT MTA on Jan. 21 announced the launch of a new student discount program that will save students 50% on a one-way or monthly MARC Train ticket.

Students enrolled in a high school, vocational/trade school, formal technical training program, college or university, including undergraduate and graduate programs, can take advantage of the MARC Student Saver program, which the agency says, “reflects its commitment to connecting students to educational institutions, jobs and opportunities throughout the region.”

(Image Courtesy of STV)

“The MARC train is a tremendous asset for our region, and we’re excited to welcome new student riders to the system,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. “This program ensures that students, regardless of income, can access education, internships, jobs, and community events without transportation being a barrier.”

Eligible students must complete the registration process and confirm enrollment in a qualifying educational institution. Once registered, students will be able to purchase tickets through CharmPass, the agency’s official mobile ticketing app, for trips taken on any of MARC Trains three lines: Penn, Camden or Brunswick. Students must register annually and provide updated documentation to continue participating in the program. Detailed instructions and FAQs on how to register for the program are available here.

The MARC Student Saver program, MDOT MTA says, “will make it easier for students to travel throughout the region and state, and expands on the agency’s ongoing efforts to enhance rider connectivity.” In August 2024, the agency established a cross-honor program with Virgina Railway Express (VRD) and in 2025 released the MARC Growth and Transformation (G&T) Plan and began construction to modernize the Martin Maintenance Yard, “a key component to delivering more frequent service that better serves markets as outlined in the G&T plan.”

DART

DART on Jan. 21 announced that it has agreed to hold off on issuing new debt until after November elections, following a formal request from the agency’s Board of Directors Chairman Randall Bryant. “The promise comes amid pending elections on May 2, where voters in five DART member cities are expected to decide the fate of the agency in their city,” the agency noted.

“In an effort to address the concerns raised by DART member cities, I have directed our President & CEO, Nadine Lee, to ensure that no long-term debt issuance requests are brought for DART Board consideration until after the November 2026 election date,” said Bryant. “We welcome feedback from our partners on solutions that benefit all cities while ensuring DART continues to provide critical public transportation services for our residents and communities.”

By law, DART says it “will continue to collect sales tax from cities whose voters choose to leave DART until the city’s portion of its statutory obligation is recovered.”

“DART will agree to hold off on issuing more debt as North Texas residents head to the polls to vote on DART. Our priority has been to our riders from the outset of this process, and this allows us to release some of the urgency our member cities feel as they make decisions in the coming months.” said Lee. “This will delay some of the scheduled and promised updates the DART staff has been working on, but as good-faith partners in these negotiations, we will honor this compromise.”

DART has received formal requests from three of the five cities with elections on the calendar. Before elections were called, DART, member cities and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) engaged in mediation to find a solution to a series of previous requests from the cities. The next step of that process is for DART to complete a rate study that explores and explains the all-in costs by mode of providing transit services, according to the agency.

PRT

PRT on Jan. 20 announced a new tool to increase accessibility for riders across Allegheny County. Beginning yesterday, Deaf and hard-of-hearing riders can connect instantly with a live ASL interpreter through the new Aira ASL app, “making PRT one of the most accessible transit systems in the nation,” according to the agency.

With just a tap, riders can launch the Aira ASL app and be connected in seconds to a professional ASL interpreter. Using the caller’s smartphone camera and microphone, interpreters help bridge conversations in real-time—whether riders are purchasing fares at the Downtown Service Center or communicating with others. The service is available anywhere in PRT’s transit network 24/7/365 with no advance scheduling required.

This launch, the agency says, “builds on PRT’s existing partnership with Aira, which already powers Aira Explorer, an on-demand visual interpreting service for blind and low-vision riders. With the addition of Aira ASL, PRT becomes the first public transit system in the country to offer both on-demand visual and ASL interpreting services.”

“This is another step toward our commitment to equitable and inclusive transit for all,” said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. “By teaming up with Aira and embracing this innovative technology, we’re making it easier than ever for riders of all abilities to travel confidently and reach the destinations that matter most.”

“Aira is proud to partner with PRT as they expand their on-demand interpreting offerings,” said Henri Grau, Director of Deaf Community Engagement at Aira. “The addition of Aira ASL at PRT means Deaf and hard of hearing riders can count on smoother communication, improved experiences, and access to information whenever the need arises.”

The post Transit Briefs: MDOT MTA, DART, PRT appeared first on Railway Age.

House and Senate Appropriations Committee Leaders on Jan. 20 unveiled H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which represents a “bipartisan, bicameral” agreement on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations legislation. The legislation includes the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (Division D) (THUD Appropriations Act).

The final, bipartisan THUD Appropriations Act (download below) “provides the overwhelming majority of public transit and passenger rail investments authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which strongly support the legislation.

Specifically, the THUD Appropriations Act, together with the IIJA’s advance appropriations, provides a total of $21.1 billion for public transit in FY 2026, an increase of $168 million from the FY 2025 enacted level. In addition, the THUD Appropriations Act and IIJA provide $15.9 billion for passenger and freight rail in FY 2026, a decrease of $298 million from the FY 2025 enacted level.

According to APTA, the House of Representatives is slated to vote on H.R. 7148 in the next couple of days, and the Senate plans to consider the legislation next week, before the Jan. 30 deadline.

BILLS-119hr7148ihDownload Public Transit

The THUD Appropriations Act and IIJA provide $21.1 billion for public transit in FY 2026, an increase of $168 million from the FY 2025 enacted level. This total appropriation is $1.2 billion less than the amount authorized in the IIJA.

The THUD Appropriations Act fully funds the public transit contract authority of $14.6 billion, as provided by the IIJA, which allows the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to fund contract authority-backed programs, such as formula grants and bus competitive grants.

The THUD Appropriations Act, together with IIJA advance appropriations, provides $3.3 billion for Capital Investment Grants (CIG), $505 million less than the FY 2025 enacted level. The THUD Act designates this CIG funding for 21 specific projects detailed in the Joint Explanatory Statement that accompanies the legislation. The legislation funds 10 New Start, two Core Capacity, and nine Small Start projects.

 The THUD Appropriations Act also provides an additional $211.4 million for specific initiatives, including:

• $25 million for passenger ferry grants under the Urbanized Area Program (including $4 million for low- or zero-emission ferries) and $20 million for ferry service in rural communities;
• $15 million for operating costs to improve public safety, reduce crime, and increase security for the 10 public transit agencies with the highest ridership in FY 2024; and
• $147.9 million for Congressionally Directed Spending (earmarks) on designated public transit projects.

In addition, section 166 provides $100.3 million for planning, operating, and capital grants to public transit agencies in cities hosting the FIFA World Cup. The funding, APTA says, is distributed by a formula that considers stadium seating capacity and the number of matches in each host city. The Federal share is up to 100%.

Similarly, section 165 provides $94.3 million for transportation assistance, including planning, operating, and capital assistance, to support the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Federal share is generally up to 80%. For the supplemental public transit bus system, the Federal share is not less than 90%.

Finally, the Act includes several important public transit policy provisions that have been included in prior THUD Appropriations Acts. “Section 163 blocks the Rostenkowski Test, preventing a possible across-the-board cut of FY 2026 transit formula funds to each public transit agency. Section 164 prohibits the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from impeding or hindering a project from advancing or approving a project seeking a CIG Federal share of more than 40%. Section 193 prohibits DOT from enforcing a mask mandate in response to the COVID-19 virus in FY 2026.”

FY-2026-THUD-Appropriations-Public-Transit-01.20.2026.v2Download Passenger Rail

The THUD Appropriations Act and IIJA provide $15.9 billion for passenger and freight rail in FY 2026, a decrease of $298 million from the FY 2025 enacted level. This total appropriation is $5.1 billion less than the amount authorized in the IIJA, according to APTA.

Specifically, the Act appropriates $2.4 billion for Amtrak grants ($1.6 billion for National Network grants and $850 million for the Northeast Corridor), which is $1 million less than the FY 2025 enacted level.

The legislation provides $137 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grants, an increase of $37 million from the FY 2025 enacted level. The THUD Appropriations Act provides $87 million for specific CRISI projects and allows CRISI grants to be used for commuter railroad projects “that implement or sustain positive train control (PTC) systems.”

The IIJA provides $7.2 billion for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grants, and the THUD Appropriations Act provides an additional $65 million, a decrease of $10 million from the FY 2025 enacted level.

Finally, section 156 rescinds $928.6 million for high-speed and intercity passenger rail grants originally provided in 2010 (P.L. 111-117).

FY-2026-THUD-Appropriations-Passenger-Rail-01.20.2026.v2Download USDOT Programs

The THUD Appropriations Act and IIJA provide $1.6 billion for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) competitive grants (formerly RAISE, formerly TIGER) for surface transportation projects, including public transportation and multi-modal projects. The THUD Appropriations Act provides $145 million for BUILD grants in FY 2026, which is $200 million less than the FY 2025 enacted level, according to APTA. The legislation sets aside 5% of these funds for grants for historically disadvantaged communities or areas of persistent poverty.

The legislation also includes new oversight requirements on DOT grantmaking. Section 185 requires DOT to notify the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations “prior to making, withdrawing, terminating, or rescinding a discretionary grant, loan or loan guarantee, or Full Funding Grant Agreement.” In addition, the Joint Explanatory Statement directs DOT to brief the House and Senate Appropriations Committees “detailing the scope of DOT’s grant review backlog, how staffing shortfalls at the modal administrations and the Office of the Secretary may contribute to this backlog, and the Department’s plan to improve grant processing timelines and capacity.”

Finally, the Joint Explanatory Statement directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on congestion pricing that includes the impact on safety, emissions, and congestion, as well as the financial impact on personal vehicle drivers, public transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Transit Security

House and Senate Appropriations Committee Leaders also unveiled H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026. According to APTA, the House of Representatives is expected to consider H.R. 7147 (download below) separately from the Consolidated Appropriations Act before it is combined into one bill for consideration by the Senate. The legislation provides $88.4 million for the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP), an increase of $3.9 million from FY 2025 enacted levels.

BILLS-119hr7147ihDownload

The post House and Senate Appropriations Committee Members Unveil FY 2026 THUD Bill appeared first on Railway Age.

The final version of the six-year capital budget for transportation projects, MDOT reported, “is broadly consistent” with the draft version released last fall.

“Thanks to Governor [Wes] Moore, support from stakeholders around the State, and the Maryland General Assembly, the last legislative session resulted in new revenues dedicated specifically to transportation funding,” according to the Department. “This $22.1 billion CTP reflects this additional revenue. The new legislation provides more than $400 million per year in additional state money, which will allow the Department to match available federal funding to add nearly $700 million in total annually to the program. This money stabilizes the program allowing MDOT make smart investments to improve the safety of the transportation network, drive economic growth and preserve our transportation systems. (Download CTP below.)

FY26_FY31_CTP_Full_Report_Regular_Resolution_for_viewingDownload

The six-year Final CTP outlines capital investments in each mode funded by the Transportation Trust Fund: Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Port Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, State Highway Administration, and The Secretary’s Office, as well as Maryland’s investment in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Maryland Transportation Authority’s toll facilities are financed, constructed, operated and maintained with toll revenues paid by customers using those facilities and represent an additional $8 billion investment in the State’s transportation system in Fiscal Years 2026-2031.

(Courtesy of MDOT)

According to MDOT, the Final CTP includes the Department’s “core commitments” to construct US 15 and I-81 in Western Maryland, modernize the light rail system in Baltimore (includes 52 low-floor LRVs; upgrades at all 33 stations; updated traffic operations to reduce delays and increase safety; new track, power, and control systems; and maintenance facility updates), and rehabilitate the Port of Baltimore’s Dundalk Marine Terminal Berths 11-13, among others. Projects also moving to construction include complete street efforts for MD 97 in Montgomery Hills and MD 5 in St. Mary’s County, as well as key congestion reduction efforts for I-97 in Anne Arundel County​. As part of the Department’s commitment to a new project prioritization process, MDOT said the Final CTP also includes $10 million in Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027 to support feasibility studies “that will advance local and state priority highway, pedestrian, bicycle and transit projects through initial planning.”

(Courtesy of MDOT)

Following are among the freight and passenger rail-related projects included in the CTP.

Multimodal Freight Projects

“The MDOT is advancing multiple plans and programs which include freight projects in various stages of development from concept to construction,” MDOT reported in the CTP. “These projects include highway, port, air and rail improvements, maintenance, capacity expansion, and operational projects such as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Transportation System Management Operations (TSMO) applications. The highway projects help improve safety, protect roadways from truck damage, improve access and mobility for freight vehicles, and help increase safe havens for truck drivers to obtain required rest. Investments in landside improvements and harbor dredging at the Port of Baltimore keep the inbound and outbound supply chains flowing. Partnerships with short line, switching, and Class I railroads are beneficial for increasing capacity and improving operations to provide alternatives for Maryland shippers. Major rail tunnel and rail bridge projects along the Amtrak Northeast Corridor will not only improve travel for passengers but also unlock freight bottlenecks for Class I railroad freight traffic.”

According to the MDOT, “together, with support from USDOT and CSX Transportation, the Maryland Port Administration heads towards substantial completion of the 130-year-old Howard Street Tunnel and improving the vertical clearance at 22 bridges between Baltimore and Philadelphia to create a double-stack rail corridor to and from the Port of Baltimore and the entire East Coast.” This project, it said, “unlocks immeasurable potential for Maryland’s freight rail network and increases Baltimore’s already well-positioned reach into the American heartland.” It is currently under construction with a target completion date in 2027. Double-stack service started in October 2024 on a temporary route to/from the north of the Port of Baltimore. The permanent, shorter route through the tunnel is expected to open in mid-2026.

MDOT reported that in 2026 it “will continue efforts toward the establishment of a Public Private Partnership (P3) for the long-term operations, maintenance, and state of good repair of the state-owned freight railroad lines on the Eastern Shore.” This partnership, it said, “will increase opportunities for job growth and economic growth for Eastern Shore Counties and the rail-depending customers along these lines.”

MDOT in 2026 will initiate an update to the Maryland Statewide Freight Plan that it said “contains specific policy recommendations and provides guidance for development of freight programs at the Port, on rails, highways, and in the air.” The Department will team with carriers, shippers, and freight network users “to implement the plan strategies so they continue to work for the entire transportation system and the state as a whole.”

According to MDOT, the CTP includes $5 million, over 5 years, for the “first ever” Maryland Statewide Rail Grant Program. “Rail transportation continues to be a safe and environmentally friendly way to move freight in Maryland,” the Department said. “The grant program offers state grant assistance to local jurisdictions, railroads, businesses and commercial interests, and other key agencies to help preserve railroad corridors, support economic development, and foster sustainability and innovative technologies. Projects supported by the initial round of awards will support rail rehabilitation, resilience efforts, corridor preservation and improvements for rail-served businesses.”

The list below highlights projects that MDOT said “have significant freight impacts and are funded for planning, design, and construction activities” in the CTP, for approximately $2.3 billion. It also identifies costs for Port projects by marine terminal and costs for highway- and rail freight-related projects in each county.

(Courtesy of MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) Construction Program MARC, Freight, Light Rail, Baltimore Metro, Multi-Modal, Locally Operated Transit Systems (Courtesy of MDOT)

Among the primary constriction projects included in the CTP are:

• MARC Maintenance, Layover, & Storage Facilities: “Planning, environmental documentation, design, and construction of maintenance, layover, and storage facilities. Includes design and construction of storage tracks, replacement track switches, high-level platforms, and yard electrification at MARC Martin State Airport facility. Also includes the construction of the MARC Riverside heavy maintenance building, including two new natural gas and diesel burners, and pavement repair. Each of these facilities support equipment that is used across all MARC lines.”

• MARC Improvements on Penn Line: “Ongoing improvement program to ensure safety and quality of service along the MARC Penn Line. Program is implemented through Amtrak construction agreements that are required in order to provide MARC service on the Amtrak-owned rail corridor. Amtrak efforts include projects such as passenger upgrades at Baltimore Penn and Washington Union Stations, interlocking work, and other track improvements along the Northeast Corridor.”

• MARC Coaches – Overhauls and Replacement: “Minor overhaul of 63 MARC III coaches, the overhaul of MARC IV railcars and truck components, and the overhaul or replacement of MARC multi-level railcars. MARC coaches are used interchangeably across all MARC lines.”

(Courtesy of MDOT)

• MARC Locomotives – Overhauls and Replacements: “Overhaul eight diesel SC-44 locomotives, overhaul six GP39H-2 diesel locomotives, complete mid-life overhaul for 26 MP36PH-3C diesel locomotives, develop specifications for new locomotive procurements, and replace six electric locomotives. Diesel locomotives are used interchangeably across all MARC lines, while electric locomotives are used only on the Penn line. This project will include the procurement of an electric locomotive power solution to allow for electric operations of the Penn Line when required by Amtrak on the NEC, after the completion of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Project.”

• Freight Rail Program: “The MTA Freight Rail program supports inspection, design, maintenance, and rehabilitation projects for state-owned freight rail lines, structures, and grade crossings. Projects include regular inspection and rehabilitation of freight railroad bridges in compliance with Federal regulations, grade crossing inspection and repair, and track improvements.”

• Metro and Light Rail Maintenance of Way: “Provide annual maintenance to major systemwide rail infrastructure to keep vital guideway elements in a state of good repair. Such elements include but are not limited to aerial structures and stations, girders, motor operated switches, ballast, concrete and timber ties, trackwork. Also support emergency response services as well as program management along the roadway as well as at rail yards.”

• Light Rail Vehicle Overhaul: “Perform a mid-life overhaul of Light Rail vehicles. A 15-year inspection and overhaul of the major and sub-assemblies of the vehicles will be performed. The effort will also involve identifying and replacing obsolete parts to improve vehicle performance. This project also supports ongoing overhauls of systems to ensure reliability and safety.”

• Light Rail Systems Overhauls and Replacements: ”Includes the replacement of key systems throughout Light Rail including train control signals, grounding replacement, power systems, switches and switch heaters, substations, wide area network systems, suspension systems, and overhead catenary wire.”

• Light Rail Trackwork Overhauls and Replacement: ”Repairs and replacements of trackwork throughout the Light Rail system including switch ties, grade crossings, interlockings, and restraining rail curves.”

• Metro Railcar and Signal System Overhauls and Replacement: ”Replacement of Metro railcars and repair of critical equipment such as traction motors, gearboxes, axles, and wheels as well as repair and replacement of signal system and associated components. A Communications-Based Train Control system will be installed.”

• Metro Tunnel Repairs and Improvements: ”Address various rehabilitation and repair projects throughout the metro tunnel system while performing regular inspections of tunnel infrastructure. Work includes but is not limited to addressing active leaks, repairing tunnel vent shafts, replacing outdated station doors, pressure testing and repairing dry standpipe, managing storm water management filters and remediation, actively cleaning tunnels of corrosive materials and unsightly debris, and street grate replacement at 19 vent shafts.”

• Fare Collection System and Equipment Replacement: ”Complete replacement of the current fare system including ticket vending machines, faregates, fareboxes and smart card/mobile app readers, back-office software and other related components as well as on-going overhaul and replacement of system components as needed for the core services including Bus, Light Rail, and Metro.”

• Purple Line: ”The Purple Line is a 16-mile double track light rail line that will operate between Bethesda in Montgomery County and New Carrollton in Prince George’s County. The Bethesda to Silver Spring segment will include a parallel hiker/biker trail. The line will include direct connections to Metrorail in four locations, all three MARC Train lines, and Amtrak. The project includes track, stations, railcars, and two operation and maintenance facilities. The project is being delivered as a public-private partnership for the design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of the facility.”

• Frederick Douglass Tunnel: ”Replace the existing 1.4-mile B&P Tunnel, which dates from the Civil War era. At nearly 150 years old, it is the oldest tunnel Amtrak inherited and a single point of failure for MARC’s Penn line and the Northeast Corridor. Led by Amtrak, MDOT and MTA are coordinating design and phasing plans to replace the tunnel to meet the needs of the 9 million MARC and Amtrak customers who rely on it annually. The project also includes a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC Station.”

• Penn Station Investments: ”Multimodal access improvements at and around Baltimore Penn Station, funded by a RAISE grant and Congressionally Designated Spending managed as a grant. The project will include the addition of a full-time dedicated bus lane on Charles Street, new curb extensions, bus stop improvements, real-time sign information, and pedestrian and bicycle access improvements all around or connecting to Penn Station in order to improve access to that station. State funding will be used to match two Federal funding sources ($5M in Congressionally Designated Spending and $6M in a RAISE grant).”

• Light Rail Modernization Program: ”The purpose of the project is to replace its entire existing aged fleet of Light Rail vehicles serving the Baltimore region; upgrade the stations and the maintenance facilities to accommodate the new vehicles, replacement of the Howard Street rail, and other necessary improvements to modernize the Light Rail system. MTA’s existing fleet includes 52 standard, 95-foot rail cars dating back to the system’s launch in 1992. All vehicles have reached the end of their useful life or are approaching the end of their useful life. Each project within this program is a Project Labor Agreement candidate.”

• Susquehanna River Bridge Replacement: ”Amtrak will lead design efforts to replace the Susquehanna River Bridge.”

• WMATA Capital Improvement Program: ”The program provides Maryland’s share of the funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Capital Improvement Program (CIP). It includes Maryland’s share of matching funds to federal formula funds received directly by WMATA as well as Maryland’s share of additional state and local funds for WMATA capital projects.”

“The Final CTP builds on the Moore-Miller Administration’s goals to make transportation across the state safer, more reliable and more efficient while also increasing affordability, accessibility and resiliency,” MDOT Acting Secretary Katie Thomson said. “This program will get transportation priorities back on track and rev up Maryland’s economy.”

According to MDOT, the FY 2027 budget by the Governor requires approval by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Further Reading:

• MDOT MTA to Expand, Modernize MARC Storage Facilities at Martin Maintenance Yard

• Purple Line Vehicles Arrive in New Carrollton

The post MDOT Issues $22.1B, Six-Year Capital Budget appeared first on Railway Age.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Norfolk Southern (NS) are advancing their locomotive fleet modernization programs through acquisitions of new Tier 4-compliant road units from Wabtec and Progress Rail.

CPKC

CPKC’s acquisitions are part of an ongoing, multi-year $800 million investment program and are part of a previously announced multi-year capital plan. Having completed purchase of 100 Wabtec Evolution Series ET44AC Tier 4 locomotives built at the company’s manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Tex., the railroad expects to take delivery of an additional 70 this year. The first two are expected to arrive this month.

Progress Rail EMD® SD70ACe-T4 demonstrator units. Progress Rail photo.

CPKC also expects to take delivery in second-half 2026 of 30 new Progress Rail EMD® SD70ACe-T4 Tier 4 locomotives manufactured at the company’s Muncie, Ind. plant. These locomotives are part of an order for 65. “This latest generation of EMD® Tier 4 locomotives provides improved reliability, serviceability and fuel efficiency, delivering an estimated 5%-7% improvement in fuel economy compared to the first-generation Tier 4 units, while continuing to meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards without after-treatment,” Progress Rail said. “The locomotives will feature Progress Rail’s Talos energy management system, certified by the EPA to deliver a 12.3% efficiency gain—an industry-leading benchmark for fuel savings and reduced emissions. Powered by artificial intelligence, Talos optimizes in-train forces and has logged more than four million miles without a break-in-two, setting a new standard in safety across the rail industry.” The SD70ACe-T4 offers 4,500 brake horsepower and up to 200,000 pounds of starting tractive effort.

“Our purchase of additional new Tier 4 locomotives, proudly made in the U.S., continues CPKC’s commitment to renew our locomotive fleet through a more-than $800 million investment in [U.S.] manufacturing capacity,” said Mark Redd, CPKC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are investing in our road locomotive fleet for growth and to maintain our industry-leading service for our customers and the North American economy, powered by a fleet with improved reliability and fuel efficiency.”  

Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern is acquiring 40 new Evolution Series ES44AC locomotives from Wabtec, marking its first new locomotive purchase since 2022. Delivery, expected in second-half 2026, will occur at NS’s Chattanooga, Tenn., shop. The lTier 4-compliant locomotives “will provide significant fuel savings, lower operating costs, reduced emissions, enhanced reliability and crew comfort,” NS said. “They represent unparalleled reliability in today’s freight transport. Built to Norfolk Southern specifications, they feature the newest generation of control systems, which enable real-time remote diagnostics and live operational views, like an IT-department-accessible computer screen. This innovation will help reduce delays by spotting potential issues before they become larger problems.” And, “by retiring older units, we will continue to create momentum gained from its industry-leading DC-to-AC modernization program.”

“We are leveraging emissions credits it has earned with Wabtec to facilitate the acquisition of the new locomotives,” said Kriss Beudjekian, NS Senior Director, Enterprise Resources. “With about 1,600 high-horsepower locomotives currently active, this investment ensures Norfolk Southern remains highly competitive and continues delivering on customer goals efficiently.”

“As we continue to enhance North America’s most modern fleet, the new locomotives will provide the industry’s best hauling power and reduced fuel consumption—ultimately benefiting customers and the environment,”  added Ryan Stege, NS Senior Director Locomotive Operations & Maintenance.

“These locomotives feature some of the latest advancements in rail technology, blending sophisticated control systems with real-time remote diagnostics to support efficient operations,” said David “Woody” Woodman, Wabtec Group Vice President, Global Locomotive Platforms. “Equipped with a network of advanced sensors, Norfolk Southern gains unparalleled visibility and reliability. These capabilities not only enhance operational performance, but also drive progress toward long-term sustainability in freight rail.”

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Gettysburg & Northern Railroad (GET) has been named Patriot Rail’s 2025 Railroader of the Year. This recognition, the company says, “reflects GET’s consistent commitment to safety leadership, operational discipline, and meaningful employee engagement. Through strong leading-indicator performance, hands-on safety activities, and follow-through on action items, the GET team continues to set the standard for leading from the front.”

(Pictured left to right): Donald Talbert, Will Jones, Josh Haufle, Fred Bowne, Sam Bistline, Pierce Trujillo, Matt Glaser, Zach Hoverter. (Not pictured) Brandon Bittinger, Bill Huston, Ray Soderberg.

Additionally, Hydra Merced (HYMC) has been named as Patriot Rail’s 2025 Service Company of the Year. HYMC’s performance, the company says, “reflects excellence in both safety and service, demonstrated through proactive training, hands-on engagement, and consistent completion of critical due-outs—strengthening operations across our network.”

(Pictured left to right) Rebecca Labhard, Dave Chambers, Jerry Hall, Angel Gomez, Abram Chavez Torres, Jorge Gomez, Jeff Fletcher. (Not pictured) Cesar Mendez Mendez.

“These teams represent what’s possible when people are empowered, engaged, and committed to doing things the right way—every day. Thank you for raising the bar and setting a powerful example across Patriot Rail,” the company wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Award certificates were presented by Patriot Rail and local leadership, recognizing the teams’ dedication and commitment to excellence.

The post Patriot Rail Celebrates Excellence Across Network appeared first on Railway Age.

Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie, or the Gaspésie Railway Society, ran its first train from New Richmond to Port Daniel, Que., in more than a decade on January 7. 

The Province of Quebec has been spending millions of dollars to reopen the 200-mile-long former Canadian National line along the Gaspé Peninsula. In December, track work was completed on the section of rail line between Caplan and Port-Daniel, a distance of 45 miles. With the line to Port-Daniel now open, the short line can now serve a cement plant. 

Originally built in the early 20th century, the 202-mile line from Matapedia to Gaspé, Que., is arguably one of the most scenic in eastern Canada. CN operated the line until the 1990s, when it was spun off to a short line. Passenger service, provided by VIA Rail, continued into the 2010s but was suspended after track issues arose.

—Justin Franz

The post Gaspé Line Reopens to Port Daniel appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

ATP 15_ALR_FEIS_Record_of_Decision_January_2026Download

ATP on Jan. 16 reported that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a Record of Decision for Austin Light Rail’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). (See above.) This federal action officially affirms compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); signifies that the federal government has formally accepted the project’s environmental analysis, community engagement, and technical planning to date, “demonstrating project readiness, strong federal partnership, and continued progress toward federal funding”; and allows ATP to continue in the federal funding process, as well as progress with more detailed project work, such as advanced design and early construction activity for utilities. 

The FEIS confirms recommendations for the project previously shared during a formal review period of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, according to ATP. These include a new downtown station near Wooldridge Square, a bridge across Lady Bird Lake incorporating a bike and pedestrian connection, and an elevated Waterfront Station to improve system reliability and rider experience. On East Riverside, refined station locations are located within an urban greenway. (Download FEIS Appendix C below for project maps.)

19_ALR_FEIS_Appendix_C_Project_Design_May_2025pdfDownload

According to ATP, the Record of Decision milestone was reached in less than two years, “aligning with the current FTA administration’s goal to streamline and improve how large public infrastructure projects are delivered.” Other “mega projects” in comparison have often taken between five and seven years to advance through the NEPA process with FTA, it said, with some requiring more than a decade.

“Completing the FEIS and earning the FTA’s Record of Decision in under two years is a major achievement for ATP and the community we serve,” ATP CEO Greg Canally said. “We’re grateful for the FTA’s partnership and guidance throughout this process and proud of the work our team has done to deliver a thorough environmental review on an accelerated timeline. This has established a best practice that can be replicated for other mega projects.”

“This is a big, important step for Austin and our city’s future affordability and mobility,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “I deeply appreciate the FTA’s work and partnership. I also want to recognize the work ATP and our community have done to move this project ahead. This milestone keeps the voter-mandated Austin Light Rail moving forward and will strengthen our economy, create more jobs for Texas, and deliver safer, more reliable transit for our community.”

ATP reported that it is set to reach “another critical milestone” with the scheduled award next month of the Austin Light Rail construction contract, which will cover the transitway, tracks, systems, stations, bridges, traffic signals, utilities, drainage structures and streetscape.

BART (Courtesy of BART)

San Francisco Bay Area riders can now plan and book short Uber trips—ranging from two to seven miles—to and from BART stations within the BART App.

The transit agency on Jan. 20 reported partnering with Uber Transit to “fully integrate seamless end-to-end journey planning and payment all within the BART app.” Riders will no longer need to use multiple apps to plan their BART trip and plan and pay for an Uber ride.

Uber Transit will help riders whose starting location or destination is too far to comfortably walk to a BART station or bus stop or is underserved by frequent rail or bus service. 

BART Map (Courtesy of BART)

“Embracing technology to help people leave their cars at home and reduce congestion is a shared value within the Bay Area,” BART General Manager Bob Powers said. “Collaborating with Uber will help attract new riders and will simplify the process for those who take Uber to and from BART stations. This partnership will also expand access options as we build more housing in place of parking lots at stations.” 

“Uber Transit is proud to partner with BART to bridge the crucial first/last mile challenge, helping transit agencies close gaps that too often keep people from getting where they need to go,” added Chris Margaronis, Head of Transit Partnerships at Uber. “By integrating Uber rides directly into the BART app, we’re simplifying travel, expanding access, and making public transit a more flexible, reliable option for everyone—especially those in underserved areas. Together, we’re reimagining how people move across the Bay Area.”  

“No longer having to use multiple platforms to plan, book, and pay for a trip involving BART and Uber is a game changer for our riders,” BART Chief Information Officer Ravi Misra commented. “Providing this simple option on the BART app shows how innovation can improve access to BART and increase ridership.” 

(Courtesy of BART)

The BART and Uber partnership includes a special, limited time $5 Uber trip discount at the launch of the program for trips starting or ending at the following 10 BART stations: 

1. Antioch 
2. Bay Fair 
3. Concord 
4. Daly City 
5. Fruitvale 
6. Lake Merritt 
7. MacArthur 
8. Richmond 
9. Walnut Creek 
10. West Oakland 

Riders can take advantage of the special $5 discount up to six times over seven calendar days. 

According to BART, these stations were selected “based on locations where people may not live on a bus line and in a way to ensure bus ridership is not significantly impacted.”

In addition to Uber trips, BART’s multimodal Trip Planner continues to include walking and biking options, as well as other transit, bike-share, and scooter-share options for getting to and from BART stations. Riders can also customize preferences such as walking and biking speeds for planning their trips. To improve regional transit coordination, BART’s Trip Planner includes the schedules for regional rail service, such as Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and ACE, as well as buses, ferries, and cable cars. During times when BART is experiencing major service disruptions, transit riders can plan itineraries that don’t include BART as an option to help them get around.

Separately, BART and 23 regional transit partners launched an electronic fare payment system in December.

Further Reading:

• California Investing $97MM in Rail Transit Projects
• MARTA, BART Budgets Approved for FY26

Denver RTD (Courtesy of RTD)

The RTD’s “strong credit ratings” have been affirmed by Moody’s, S&P Global Ratings, and Fitch Ratings, according to the transit agency, which provides light rail, commuter rail, bus, on-demand, paratransit, airport, and special event services in eight Colorado counties. These ratings, it reported Jan. 20, “reflect confidence in RTD’s proactive financial management and recognize the need for its essential role as a transit provider across the Denver metro area.”

On Jan. 15, Fitch Ratings reported that RTD maintained its AA+ rating on RTD’s FasTracks revenue bonds and AA on certificates of participation (COPs) with stable outlooks across all categories. Similarly, on Dec. 17, 2025, Moody’s affirmed that RTD maintained its ratings of Aa2 on FasTracks revenue bonds and A1 on COPs with a “stable outlook.” On Feb. 24, 2025, S&P Global Ratings affirmed its AA+ rating on RTD COPs with a “stable outlook.”

“The credit rating agencies recognize RTD’s proactive and conservative financial management and policies and RTD’s support from voter-approved sales and use taxes that enable RTD to provide transit services for 3.1 million customers across the 2,345 square-mile district,” RTD said. “The sales and use tax also enabled RTD to maintain a healthy financial position during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Voters approved a ballot measure in November 2024 for RTD’s sales and use tax to remain exempt from TABOR limits, signifying community recognition of RTD services being essential, according to RTD, which provides transit service in an area that represents more than 50% of Colorado’s total population.

(Courtesy of RTD)

“RTD’s strong credit profile is bolstered by its adequate liquidity position, strong debt service coverage on FasTracks bonds, and direct payment of pledged sales and use tax revenue,” RTD said. “The agency defeased certain debt before fiscal 2026, reducing debt service payments by approximately $57 million to provide additional expenditure flexibility. While RTD is operating at a deficit, a challenge facing transit agencies nationwide, RTD maintains sufficient reserves and is addressing the structural imbalance for long-term financial sustainability. Credit agencies expect RTD’s disciplined approach to financial management will maintain adequate reserves by strengthening revenue and adjusting expenditures to provide sufficient debt service coverage.”

Heading into 2026, RTD said it will continue to focus on “maintaining adequate reserves and judiciously managing operating costs while conducting planned and necessary maintenance to protect the long-term integrity of the system.”

For more information about RTD’s financials and investor information, including budget documents, bond issuances and disclosure statements, visit the RTD’s website at Financial Performance | RTD-Denver.

Further Reading:

• Denver RTD Tabs Tran as CPO
• For Denver RTD, FY26 Budget Tops $1.5B

Alto 

The planned 621-mile (1,000-kilometer)Toronto-Québec City HSR (high-speed rail) project, dubbed Alto, “will include tunnels in Montreal and possibly Toronto,” according to a Jan 20 report by The Canadian Press.

In a website update, Alto reported that “it plans to burrow from just north of the river that rims Montreal’s north side to downtown in a north-south corridor that would exceed 10 kilometres,” Canada’s national news agency said.

“‘To reach Montreal, the current hypothesis involves building a tunnel under the Rivière des Prairies and Mount Royal to access downtown directly, reducing integration challenges in a dense urban setting,’ states Alto’s preamble to an online survey about the proposed railroad,” according to The Canadian Press. Additionally, Alto is “considering tunnels or elevated tracks to reach downtown Toronto ‘from the north or the east,’ terminating at either Union Station or a nearby location.”

Benoit Bourdeau, an Alto spokesman, “stressed [to The Canadian Press] that while a tunnel demands a bigger investment up front, it can prove cheaper over its life cycle.”

“A surface alignment in a dense urban area like Montréal would require costly expropriations, relocations, utility diversions and long‑term operational constraints — all of which accumulate into substantial recurring costs over decades,” Bourdeau said in an email to the news agency. “A tunnel, by contrast, provides a protected, unconstrained corridor with a lifespan exceeding 100 years, offering predictable maintenance costs, high performance and the ability to scale service without triggering new surface impacts or political resistance.”

“The tunnel would also allow for a more direct route that would shave 30 minutes off of a trip to or from Montreal, he said,” according to The Canadian Press.

While the Canadian “government has not yet made a final decision approving funding for the entire rail line,” according to The Canadian Press, construction of the approximately 124-mile (200-kilometer) first segment between Ottawa and Montreal is slated to begin in 2029.

Alto also reported on its website that “it is weighing two possible corridors between Ottawa and Peterborough, Ont.,” according to The Canadian Press. “One is a more direct line between the two cities and the other curves south, closer to Lake Ontario.”

The planned HSR network would offer stops in Québec, Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montréal, Ottawa, Peterborough and Toronto (see map, top). Alto, a Crown Corporation, said in December that it is “weighing several options for the location of a future HSR station in Toronto [including Union Station],” according to a TorontoToday report.

Alto and Cadence in March 2025 signed a development agreement that includes detailed design work, land acquisition, environmental assessments, and consultations with nearby residents, including Indigenous communities.

Instead of VIA Rail Canada’s HFR (High-Frequency Rail) service revealed first by Railway Age Canadian Contributing Editor David Thomas in 2016, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in early 2025 said Alto would be dedicated electrified HSR, with trains running up to 186 mph (300 kph); it would be implemented as a DBFOM (design-build-finance-operate-maintain) project.

The project is slated to create more than 50,000 jobs during construction, “generate productivity gains that could reach up to C$35 billion annually,” and contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, according to Alto and Cadence, the consortium of Quebec pension fund’s CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC Lavalin), Keolis, SYSTRA Canada, Air Canada, and SNCF Voyageurs.

On Nov. 18, Alto and Cadence reported that outreach to the steel industry was expected “in the coming weeks.” The goal: “to shape a procurement approach that prioritizes Canadian suppliers.”

Guided by the government’s intent to Buy Canadian, the partners said that key components of the future rail network—including “several hundred thousand tons of steel for high-speed [track], structures, facilities and electric infrastructure”—will be sourced from Canadian suppliers “to the greatest extent possible.”

Alto and Cadence said they would meet with leaders across the Canadian steel industry “to better understand current production capabilities, scaling potential, and opportunities for modernization.”

“Building Canada’s first high-speed rail network will require more than 4,000 kilometers [2,485 miles] of steel rails in addition to massive quantities of structural beams, catenaries, and other core materials,” the partners reported in November. “Few infrastructure projects in modern Canadian history have generated an industrial demand of this magnitude. This scale of procurement presents a rare opportunity for Canada’s steel and manufacturing sectors to expand capacity, accelerate investment, and innovate to position themselves for the opportunities ahead. By sourcing locally where possible, Alto aims to strengthen domestic supply chains, support Canadian jobs, and ensure that the economic ripple effects of this nation-building project are felt across the country.”

Alto and Cadence said the government of Canada has identified the project as “a transformative strategy for the country” that will receive support from the Major Projects Office, enabling the start of construction in four years; pre-procurement activities for project components will commence in 2026.

Further Reading:

• Canada Dumps VIA Rail Brand for Private ‘Alto’ HSR
• VIA HFR: How Viable? How Close?
• Red-Over-Green for VIA Rail’s High-Frequency Corridor
• Canadian HFR: From Proposal to Project

The post Transit Briefs: ATP, BART, Denver RTD, Alto appeared first on Railway Age.

The 2026 edition of Railway Age’s Next-Gen Freight Rail (NGFR) conference, March 10 at the Union League Club of Chicago, brings together many stakeholders involved with the proposal to create the first coast-to-coast transcontinental U.S. railroad. The “fireside chat” format will be the only rail industry conference to date with all six North American Class I railroads represented, plus the Surface Transportation Board, which is undertaking one of its most consequential tasks in its history—deciding on a major merger transaction under rules that will be applied for the first time.

“The proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern is the biggest topic in the rail industry today,” notes Railway Age Editor-Chief William C. Vantuono. “The leaders at the heart of this merger—Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena and Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George—open the conference, and we’re looking forward to engaging with them in an open forum. We’re also keen to discuss viewpoints with the other Class I railroads, and hear from the STB’s leaders on the challenges of navigating through the application making a decision based on many factors, not the least of which is the mandate that the proposed merger, under the new rules, must enhance competition, not merely preserve it.”

In addition to Jim Vena and Mark George, the NGFR speaker lineup also includes Norfolk Southern Executive Vice President and COO John Orr, Railway Age’s 2026 Railroader of the Year; Patrick Fuchs, Chair, and Michelle Schulz, Vice Chair, Surface Transportation Board; Canadian Pacific Kansas City President and CEO Keith Creel; CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson, BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tom G. Williams; CSX Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Maryclare Kenney; RailPulse LLC General Manager David Shannon; Littlejohn & Company Partner Farrukh Bezar; and CSX Vice President Engineering, C&S, PTC and Dispatch Systems and Railway Track & Structures 2025 Engineer of the Year Carl Walker. The luncheon will honor Railway Age’s 2026 25 Under 40 “Fast Trackers.” 

Railway Age’s Next-Generation Freight Rail conference takes place March 10, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM at the Union League Club of Chicago. A unique opportunity to discuss the freight rail industry’s future, the conference brings together top executives and thought leaders to discuss topics ranging from business strategy to the latest technological innovations and increasing safety and reliability. The conference also features a luncheon honoring the 2026 recipients of Railway Age‘s Fast Trackers 25 Under 40 award.

REGISTER NOW TO SAVE $150 WITH EARLY BIRD RATES!

The post NGFR 2026: All Railroads Lead to Chicago appeared first on Railway Age.

For the week ending Jan. 17, 2026, there were 224,783 carloads, rising 3.9% from the same week in 2025, and 280,602 intermodal containers and trailers, dipping 1.1% from 2025, according to the AAR.

In comparison, for the first week of 2026 (ending Jan. 10), U.S. Class I railroads carried 232,803 carloads, up 16.7% compared with the same week in 2025, and 277,654 containers and trailers, up 4.4% compared with 2025. Cumulative volume was 510,457 carloads and intermodal units, up 9.7% from the same point in 2025.

Three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase for the week ending Jan. 17, 2026, compared with the same week in 2025. They were grain, up 5,070 carloads, to 25,786; nonmetallic minerals, up 3,612 carloads, to 28,232; and metallic ores and metals, up 2,285 carloads, to 19,973. Commodity groups that posted declines included chemicals, down 750 carloads, to 33,412; motor vehicles and parts, down 448 carloads, to 13,306; and coal, down 403 carloads, to 58,641.

For the first two weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 457,586 carloads, up 10.0% from the prior-year period; and 558,256 intermodal units, up 1.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first two weeks of this year came in at 1,015,842 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.2% compared with 2025.

North American rail volume for the week ending Jan. 17, 2026, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 327,894 carloads, rising 2.6% from the same week last year, and 367,278 intermodal units, virtually flat at 0.2% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 695,172 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.3%. North American rail volume for the first two weeks of 2026 was 1,391,656 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.4% gain over 2025.

For the week ending Jan. 17, 2026, Canadian railroads reported 90,331 carloads, down 1.9%, and 71,246 intermodal units, down 2.6% from the same week last year. For the first two weeks of 2026, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 319,802 carloads, containers, and trailers, a decrease of 2.5%.

Mexican railroads reported 12,780 carloads for the week ending Jan. 17, 2026, a 13.8% increase from the prior-year period, and 15,430 intermodal units, a 60.9% boost over last year. Their cumulative volume for the first two weeks of 2026 was 56,012 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, a 43.7% gain over the same point last year.

* Editor’s Note: For rail traffic purposes, a week that bridges two different years is assigned to the year in which most of the days of that week fall. The week ending Jan. 3, 2026, had most of its days in 2025, so it is assigned to 2025. Because of the way the calendar fell in 2025, the week ending Jan. 3, 2026, was week 53 of 2025. A year having 53 weeks happens every few years. Rail traffic comparisons are always made to the corresponding period 52 weeks earlier. This means the comparison week for a week 53 is Week 1 of the same year. To ensure comparability across years, Week 53 is ignored when computing annual totals. Instead, annual totals are always weeks 1-52. The first week of 2026 ended Jan. 10.

The post U.S. Rail Traffic Uptick Continues in Week 2 appeared first on Railway Age.

The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is requesting information from potential firms regarding the lease of up to 26 Diesel Locomotive Hauled Passenger Coaches for the 2026 summer season. All interested parties are invited to obtain a copy of the Complete RFEI by contacting Maxine Achille, Senior Contract Administrator, via email at maxine.achille1@mtahq.org. Interested firms should submit their responses to this RFEI no later than February 12, 2026.

The post The MTA Long Island Rail Road Request for Information appeared first on Railway Age.

Tri-Rail regional/commuter rail service operator South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) has ordered seven Charger diesel-electric locomotives from Siemens Mobility as additions to its fleet. Expected to enter service in 2029, these locomotives will be Tri-Rail’s first Siemens Chargers and are expected to enable full access to MiamiCentral Station.

The new units will replace SFRTA’s aging fleet of six EMD GP49H-3 units, “enabling Tri-Rail to retire older equipment and enhance service quality for riders,” the agency said. They will be operating along the 73.5-mile corridor linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, as well as the additional 8-mile stretch on the Florida East Coast (FEC) Corridor to access MiamiCentral which “requires rail equipment that meets specific operational and compliance requirements to access the station.”

Tri-Rail EMD GP49H-3 in the Hialeah Railyard. Wikimedia Commons/ClearLightPR.com.

The procurement, funded through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), “recognizes Siemens Mobility as the only manufacturer capable of providing locomotives that comply with SFRTA’s operational needs and regulatory requirements,” SFRTA said. “The Charger (equipped with a Cummins QSK-95 prime-mover) is EPA Tier 4 compliant and recognized as the diesel-electric locomotive with the lowest emissions in North America. By modernizing its fleet, SFRTA is reinforcing its role as a vital complement to South Florida’s intercity rail network, offering an affordable, dependable, and modern transit alternative for commuters.”

“These new locomotives represent a major step forward in modernizing Tri-Rail’s fleet and strengthening the reliability of our service for the riders who depend on us every day,” said Dave Dech, SFRTA Executive Director. “This investment supports our long-term vision for safer, more efficient commuter rail system, and positions Tri-Rail for continued growth.”

“On behalf of the entire Siemens Mobility team, we are honored that SFRTA has chosen our … technology to power Tri‑Rail’s next chapter,” said Tobias Bauer, CEO of Siemens Mobility North America, who dubbed the locomotives as “American Made.” “With our Charger locomotives, riders will benefit from modern performance and improved access, including service into MiamiCentral.” The Buy America-compliant locomotives will be built at the Siemens Mobility rail manufacturing hub in Sacramento, Calif. SFRTA, Siemens added, “joins the more than 35 transit agencies across North America benefiting from Siemens Mobility’s portfolio of rail vehicles, locomotives, components and automation systems. [U.S.] cities also rely on Siemens to provide traction-power substations and electricity transmission, as well as signaling and control technology for freight and passenger rail and transit systems.”

The post SFRTA Charges Ahead with Siemens Motive Power appeared first on Railway Age.

Mangione joined HNTB four years ago and most recently served as Regional Sales Officer for the firm’s East Region, where he provided “strategic guidance and leadership” across client programs and pursuits in key market sectors, including departments of transportation, transit and rail, aviation and tolling. “His expertise includes a focus on strengthening partnerships, driving business development and supporting major infrastructure programs,” HNTB noted.

“Mike is known for his strategic leadership and ability to build strong relationships with our clients and foster high-performing groups capable of delivering complex programs,” said HNTB Northeast Division President Gary Bua. “He has a national reputation for leadership in market strategy, growth and talent development. This, paired with his deep familiarity with our clients, strategy and people, has prepared him to step seamlessly into the office leader role.”

Mangione’s portfolio includes supporting major initiatives such as the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC) East Side Coastal Resiliency Project; statewide programs for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT); and key New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) projects, including the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2, Systemwide Open Road Tolling Conversion and the Bronx Whitestone and Henry Hudson Bridge Approaches Replacements.

“I’m honored to lead HNTB’s New York office and continue building on our strong foundation of delivering innovative solutions for our clients,” Mangione said. “Our team is committed to advancing critical infrastructure that improves mobility and resilience for communities across the region.”

The post HNTB Names Mangione New York Office Leader appeared first on Railway Age.

The proposed merger of Class I’s Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern is unlikely to significantly improve the fortunes of North America’s rail freight market, writes Railway Age Contributing Editor Jim Blaze in his assessment for International Railway Journal of recent trends and the outlook for 2026.

The fundamental drivers of the U.S. rail freight business have not changed. It is a private-sector environment, moving products because there is demonstrable market demand. Laying new tracks and ordering more rolling stock creates additional market capacity. That’s the supply function of the business.

So, what has been happening with market side demand? It has not been growing, except in selected geographic locations. Over much of the past decade, market volume and rail’s market share against other modes, including road and pipelines, has been stagnant at best and deteriorating at worst.

Comparing the rail sector with the broader picture of North American industrial productivity shows that volumes are still large, but growth rates are not high.

It is clear that carload traffic has been hit by the long-term decline in the volume of freight offered to railroads. The more-flexible intermodal freight market still allows shippers a 15% cost saving on longer hauls, but volumes have been in decline since around 2018. What it might take to re-energize the high growth rates seen in the mid-1990s and early-2000s is an open question.

What is disappointing is that despite some surges in 2020-21, 2024, and the first half of 2025, the healthy sustainable growth forecast by some has so far failed to materialize.

To obtain market insight, many of my previous clients preferred to examine four-weekly, quarter-to-date, and year-to-date traffic reports. The weekly numbers often change too much to provide much strategic insight.

The data and analysis from other experts suggest that the numbers for 2025 will pan out as follows: Total U.S. rail freight traffic will be less than national GDP growth, caroad traffic will end up slightly down or flat for most types of freight, while intermodal volumes will rise by between 1% and 2% over those seen in 2024.

If these predictions turn out to be true, and I am 90% confident they will, the market will be back to volume levels recorded seven years ago. That is well and good, as no one back in 2018 could have reasonably expected the disruption to markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the more recent imposition of global tariffs on goods entering the United States by the POTUS 47 Administration.

The market outlook for 2026 looks to be rough in terms of lower intermodal and carload volumes into the first and second quarters, unless the overall economic outlook picks up in the U.S.

The Journal of Commerce and others (Railway Age among them) continue to report and comment on overall economic indicators that are flashing warnings. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has fallen to a four-month low of 51.9, a disappointing number, when anything below 50 suggests the economy is contracting. Other economic indicators are similarly gloomy.

Railcar Fleet

Since around 2020, the combined North American railcar fleet has seen some new purchases to increase capacity and continued long-term maintenance. But annual railcar orders and deliveries appear to be trailing the figure calculated to maintain a steady-state fleet size. That could lead to shortages if a growth surge should develop, something that appears to have not been fully factored in.

Anyone thinking that railway mergers might help matters over the next couple of years should think again. The proposed UP-NS transcontinental merger is unlikely to result in traffic growth. Any positive impact will not emerge until between 2027 and 2030, assuming the merger is approved. But there is little to no evidence to suggest why shippers will change to moving more by rail simply because a large merger might take place. The filing that UP and NS will now have to resubmit to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) following its rejection due to incompleteness should give the market a better understanding of possible changes as the merged business seeks out new opportunities toward 2030.

Yet, there are some positives ahead. U.S. freight railways are still among the best-performing in the world for general carload productivity costs and pricing. They require no taxpayer funding as they work in an unsubsidized private-sector business model. That model is not failing. Based on data published in 2025 by the Class I railways, none are likely to experience the financial and physical asset collapse that saw the Penn Central file for bankruptcy in 1970, the largest corporate insolvency in U.S. history until the collapse of Enron in 2001.

However, over the next two decades, there might be major loss of market share to highways. That has been a possible long-term outcome, as foreseen by Oliver Wyman and discussed openly at North American rail industry events since about 2017. But it is not yet a certainty. And, importantly, not a complete collapse. Trucking will continue to compete, so if rail wants to succeed it will, somehow, need to up its game.

The post U.S. Rail Freight Struggles to Compete appeared first on Railway Age.

Sierra Northern Railway (SNR) is officially celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America with a specially painted locomotive. Locomotive No. 250 is adorned in the railroad’s latest blue, white, and gold scheme with a unique flag motif on its flanks.

The 250 was originally built as an EMD GP7 for the Santa Fe Railway in the early 1950s and later served the Burlington Northern Railroad as its 1324. Purchased by the Yolo Short Line, the unit eventually became Sierra Northern 135. It was rebuilt by SN shop forces into a Railpower RP20BD genset in 2014 as the railroad’s 52.

“Railroads and railroading are part of our country’s fabric, and we are proud to celebrate its enduring legacy,” said Ken Beard, CEO of Sierra Northern, which currently operates approximately 75 miles of track in northern California and 30 miles of track in southern California, including through several prime industrial areas, and serves a wide variety of customers while interchanging with BNSF and Union Pacific (UP).

The post SNR Celebrates USA’s 250th Anniversary With Specially Painted Locomotive appeared first on Railway Age.

Even though the Congestion Pricing toll now being collected when vehicles enter the CRZ (Congestion Relief Zone) south of 60th Street in Manhattan is a local initiative, few topics on the transportation scene have resulted in more attention or controversy. Through 2024 and into 2025, this writer contributed 25 articles on the subject, more than the beginning-to-end coverage of the four-year fight over Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service trains between New Orleans and Mobile, which I dubbed the “Second Battle of Mobile.”

The toll has two purposes: to reduce congestion due to the number of vehicles on the streets in the busiest part of the City, and to use the revenue from the toll to help finance the capital programs for the City’s subway/elevated and bus systems (80%) and the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North (10% each). The controversy over the toll spawned no fewer than twelve litigations in both Federal and State courts on both sides of the Hudson River, some of which are still ongoing. Just the same, the legal efforts to prevent the toll have failed (so far, at least), and it went into effect on January 5, 2025. Current accounts show that it has succeeded in reducing street traffic, and it has raised money for transit.

The tolling zone is all of Manhattan south of 60th Street, except for the highway along the perimeter of that part of the island. That includes the business center in Midtown, the historic business center around Wall Street, and everything in-between. The base toll is $9.00 for vehicles entering the zone between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM on weekdays and starting at 9:00 AM on weekends. The night rate is $2.25. Most buses, vehicles that transport persons with disabilities (including paratransit vehicles), and other City-owned vehicles are exempt, and tolls are capped for low-income New Yorkers. Rates for trucks and other buses are higher, and there is a credit for motorists coming into the City from New Jersey.

Successful Results

On Jan. 8, Railway Age Senior Editor Carolina Worrell reported on the first year of the toll: “The New York MTA on Jan. 5 announced that on its one-year anniversary, New York City’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing program has been ‘a transformational success, reducing traffic, improving quality of life and supporting billions in transit upgrades.’” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a state agency whose purview includes New York City Transit and the local railroads operating in the state. She also reported: “In its first year, congestion pricing resulted in 27 million fewer vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) of Manhattan south of 60th Street, an 11% reduction in traffic, according to the MTA. Reduced gridlock has improved commute times across the region, especially at crossings into the CRZ, with some drivers saving as much as 15 minutes each way. Congestion pricing, the agency says, has reduced emissions, made streets safer, improved quality of life and has generated more than $550 million in net revenue in its first year, allowing the MTA to proceed with $15 billion in transit improvement projects. Governor Hochul said she has also stood strong to defend congestion pricing from unlawful federal efforts to terminate the program. One year in, congestion pricing is working and it is legal.”

The original plan called for a $15.00 base toll but, after cancelling the toll, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul instead implemented the $9.00 rate, which will rise to $12.00 two years from now and to the originally planned $15.00 in five years. The original revenue target had been to raise $1 billion annually for the Capital Program (none of the toll revenue will be spent on transit or railroad operations), but the reduced toll seems to be meeting its current target of $500 million per year. Worrell reported that it realized $518 million as of November, and projections at that time called for a total of $550 million.

Projects that are slated to benefit from the toll revenue include accessibility improvements, signal upgrades to CBTC (communications-based train control), new railcars and buses, state-of-good-repair projects, and Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, which now only includes four stops on the Upper East Side that opened for service eight years ago. The upgrade now planned will extend the line three more stops to 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, to connect with the Metro-North station there. In her State of the State address, Hochul proposed extending the line along 125th Street in Harlem and then northward on the West Side and shelving the century-old plan to extend the Second Avenue Subway to Lower Manhattan.

Other Positive Reports

The MTA website is promoting the toll and its benefits elsewhere. An MTA-sponsored companion site sports a section headlined “Congeston Relief is Unlocking a Better New York”: “It’s time for a city that moves faster, breathes easier, and works better. The program is reducing traffic in the Congestion Relief Zone, transforming the area from gridlocked to unlocked. Less traffic means cleaner air, safer streets, and better transit.” A link marked “Learn more” goes into greater detail, with the headline “New York Needs the Congestion Relief Zone”, and subheads”: “Excess traffic is bad for businesses, residents, and visitors, Congestion is only getting worse, New York’s extensive transit network needs investment, and everyone benefits from congestion relief.” Among the benefits that the MTA is touting are 60,000 fewer vehicles entering the congestion relief zone every day, 4% more pedestrians walking, a 70% drop in excessive honking of vehicle horns, and $48 million generated during the first month of collection. The site contains a link to the 100-page “First Evaluation Report,” issued earlier in January (download below). That report, along with other reports and applicable statutory provisions can be found on the “Metrics” section of the site.

CBDTP_evaluationreport_FIN_v1-1_123125Download

Ethan Stark-Miller reported for AM New York, a free daily paper that concentrates its coverage on events in the City, on Jan. 5: “Gov. Kathy Hochul … celebrated its success … alongside MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and newly-minted Mayor Zohran Mamdani. ‘The results are extraordinary, beyond what we could have expected,’ Hochul said. ‘And to any naysayers out there, tell me who they are, and we’ll have a conversation. I’ll meet you at my local diner,’ she added, referencing the restaurants she said drove her decision to pause the program’s start in 2024.” Regarding benefits from the program, Stark-Miller reported: “Those include a 4% increase in car speeds on weekdays, a 2.3% increase in bus speeds, a 22% drop in air pollution, and 17% less noise complaints to the city’s 311 hotline within the CBD. Furthermore, the program has yielded 23% faster vehicle speeds on crossings into Manhattan, a 6.3% increase in sales tax revenue, and two times more private sector job growth vs. the national average. Subway ridership, in particular, also grew during congestion pricing’s first year. The MTA reported 1.3 billion trips in the system in 2025, up roughly 7% from 2024, representing about 85% of the pre-pandemic ridership high.”

A motorists’ website praised the toll, calling it “a quiet success. When New York City flipped the switch on congestion pricing in early 2025, the backlash was immediate and loud. Critics warned it would punish drivers, hurt businesses, and simply push traffic into surrounding neighborhoods. One year later, the data tells a very different story. By most measurable standards, New York City’s congestion toll is working—and working better than many expected.”

Samantha Liebman quoted Hochel saying something else in her report on NY1, a local cable news outlet, striking what she described as a “defiant tone”: “Everybody who told me, from the President on down, ‘You’re killing New York City. Nobody’s going to come, you know, traffic’s down because the place is empty.’ I was like, ‘Seriously, have you been here lately?’” Liebman’s report also quoted the City’s new mayor: “‘What this program has done is commit funding to the very needs that have been put off for years, if not decades,’ Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. ‘And that is funding—those are investments that can transform the day-to-day realities of a New Yorker.’” But a newly implemented fare hike, although modest (from $2.90 to $3.00 for the base fare), dampened some of the preference for transit that the toll was designed to promote, as Liebman reported: “‘I was driving, and they were killing me with the congestion pricing,’ said one straphanger who switched to mass transit because of the toll. ‘So, they forced you to go do this. And now they increase this. It’s too much.’”

There are also reactions from related industries. A Jan. 9 editorial in Crain’s New York Business bore the headline “Congestion pricing at a year makes the case for staying the course.”

Another came from Alpha Moving & Storage, a moving company, which posted tips for people who are planning to move on how to minimize their toll payments, since tolls for trucks are higher than for conventional automobiles): “NYC congestion pricing starts affecting moves below 60th Street in Manhattan come 2026, and it’s set to shake up how moving trucks roll through the city. One extra trip or a missed timing window can add unexpected costs and headaches on your big day. This guide breaks down what changes to expect, which fees could pop up beyond your mover’s quote, and smart ways to keep your move smooth without breaking the bank. For more background on the program’s impact, check out the NYC government’s initiatives to manage truck traffic.” One of its subheads was “How Congestion Pricing Changes Moving Day Logistics.”

John Connolly reported in the Bergen Record on Jan. 12 about changes on the New Jersey side: “An analysis done by Stanford, Yale and Google researchers found that congestion pricing has resulted in less traffic across the Hudson[River] in Bergen and Hudson counties, too. Average speeds increased by 4.7% on roads connecting to New York City, and trips into the city were 10.5% faster. Trips out were 9.7% faster, according to the study, which was based on traffic data from January 2024 through June 2025.” Connolly also mentioned this comment from Gov. Hochul: “The governor, while taking a ‘No Kings’ jab at [POTUS 47], said that ‘the results are extraordinary, beyond what we could have expected.’”

Detractor-in-Chief, SECDOT Duffy Won’t Keep Quiet

POTUS 47 has been one of the toll’s most-vocal detractors since he returned to office last year, and he is still complaining about it, according to a Jan. 12 report by Emily Goodin in the New York Post: “His latest broadside at the controversial program comes as a federal court prepares to hear arguments on whether his Administration can kill it off once and for all.” She also reported that he had called the program a “disaster” and called on the City to end it “immediately.” She added: “His Administration has tried—and failed—to end the toll program, even threatening to withhold federal funding and approvals for New York projects if it doesn’t die a quick death. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is leading the charge against it, setting multiple deadlines for the city to nix it.”

Duffy visited Penn Station New York on Aug. 28 after a ride from Washington, D.C. on the inaugural run of the Next Gen Acela equipment now running on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC). It was a dual-event day, with the ceremonial train ride and a press conference announcing the return of Andy Byford, who many New Yorkers call “Train Daddy,” for his efforts to improve the city’s transit until he resigned after he had had enough of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s meddling. Byford is now supervising the redevelopment of Penn Station for Amtrak. During the event, Duffy departed from the subject of the day to complain about Congestion Pricing. In our story from August 29, headlined Byford Pushes PSNY as Duffy Trashes Congestion Toll, I reported: “Duffy also addressed one of his political pet peeves: the Congestion Pricing program that is still in operation in the southern portion of Manhattan—despite his nonsensical objections. While he acknowledged that litigation is ongoing, he said, ‘To drive a car, you shouldn’t have to be elite. You shouldn’t have to be wealthy. We don’t think that elites are the only ones who can afford to drive in the City. I think the streets should be open to everybody, not just those who can afford to pay the congestion pricing. Roads should be free.’ He did not call for transit to be free, nor did he mention that motorists could take transit for one-third of the cost of the congestion toll, which is currently $9.00 during the day and early evening and $2.25 at night.”

Litigation Winding Down

For much of 2024 and into 2025, I have reported extensively on the many court cases, mostly filed against the Congestion Pricing toll, along with a few that called for it to be implemented, despite the opposition. Many of the named plaintiffs were elected officials or other public figures who represented various constituencies outside Manhattan, the only place where there was strong political support for the toll. Opposition came from the “outer boroughs” of the City, Long Island, Westchester and other suburban areas north of the City, and New Jersey. Former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and many elected officials (both Democrats and Republicans, exhibiting a rare moment of unity) brought their case in Federal Court for the District of New Jersey. Many of the New York cases were consolidated and heard in the Southern District of New York, which includes Manhattan. We reported on those cases extensively, including a last-ditch attempt by New Jersey to appeal Judge Leo M. Gordon’s ruling that allowed the toll to proceed, and the opinions from judges on the New York side, most notably Lewis J. Limon.

While none of the decisions that were rendered in 2024 or at the very beginning of last year stopped the toll, not all the cases have been closed. On May 7, 2025, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) published a report by land use and environmental law scholar Christine Billy that bore the headline Congestion Pricing in the Courts, which updated the status of the Congestion Pricing cases as of April 30: “The case of congestion pricing is generative of many complex legal and policy questions, and there is a continuing need for lawyers, legal commentators, and voices from multiple disciplines and perspectives to weigh in. Taking a narrower focus, this article will discuss the role of the National Environmental Policy Act in the latest case brought by the MTA, and then explore what is at stake in the present moment. Over the next year, New York will demonstrate whether the first congestion pricing program in the country can be successful or learn what happens when the federal government forces state promises to be broken.” In her article, Billy summarized the litigation history and issues in the cases for the legal community, similarly to my reporting for the rail transportation community.

The Regional Plan Association (RPA) posted a follow-up report on 12 cases that had been filed on the Congestion Pricing toll and issues surrounding it, current to Sept. 11, 2025 and reported by Sam Bowden Akbari: “Significantly, while a number of these cases are still pending, not a single court has ordered the MTA to halt implementation of the congestion pricing program, which has now been in effect for more than nine months.”

Most of the cases have been decided in favor of the decisions by federal highway officials in the Biden Administration to approve the tolls, despite the opposition from elected officials and other plaintiffs to the tolling plan, or against the efforts of Duffy’s USDOT under POTUS 47 to discontinue the tolls.

RPA reported that in MTA v. Duffy, filed on Feb. 19, 2025, Judge Liman had issued a preliminary injunction as requested by the MTA, preventing USDOT from withholding federal transportation funds from New York, but Summary Judgement motions were still pending. To obtain an injunction, a plaintiff must demonstrate irreparable harm if the requested relief is not granted, the likelihood of success on the merits, that the balance of equities favors the relief, and that it would advance public policy. Parties request Summary Judgment when they claim that all the facts that a judge needs to decide the case are already on the record, and that there is no need for a trial to prove any additional facts.

On the anniversary date of the toll, Jan. 5, Dave Colon of NYC Streetsblog reported what’s left of the cases that had not yet been closed. There appear to be only a few loose ends remaining. Judge Liman presided over many of the cases, which were heard in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. The biggest is Metropolitan Transportation Authority v. Duffy, 1.25-cv-01413. On Dec. 23, Liman scheduled two hours of oral argument for Jan. 28 on motions for summary judgment. Liman had granted a preliminary injunction against USDOT’s efforts to stop the tolling program, and in favor of the MTA on May 28, 2025.

In Trucking Association of New York v. Metropolitan Transportation Association et al., No. 2024-cv-04111, filed May 30, 2024, the trucking association (TANY) complained, in essence, that the tolls set for trucks were excessive, and that federal law pre-empted state authority. Assemblyman Jake Blumenkrantz, a Republican from Oyster Bay (the LIRR has a branch that ends there) filed his case on March 3, 2025. He alleged: “The TMA [Traffic Mobility Act] was nothing more than a legislative mandate to fleece drivers, disguised as a solution to a problem exacerbated by the State’s own incompetence” (Complaint, at ¶2). He also alleged: “On the very day that Plaintiff Assemblyman Jake Blumenkrantz traveled to Central Park to commemorate the 500th day since the Oct. 7t Hamas attacks [in Isreal]—an event honoring victims—he was forced to pay an illegal toll. This was not merely a routine drive, but a journey of solemn remembrance, support, and community solidarity, tainted by an unjustified financial burden” (Id. at ¶96). Blumenkrantz’s counts and arguments appear similar to those made by Duffy and other opponents of the tolling program, in Town of Hempstead et al. v. Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority, et al., with similar arguments to a case dismissed by Judge Cathy Seibel in White Plains, according to Colon. He also reports that the case is now in the Eastern District of New York, but that State authorities are asking for a change of venue.

Finally, on the New Jersey side, State of New Jersey v. USDOT, 2:23-cv-08335, before Judge Leo M. Gordon in the District of New Jersey, is not over yet. That case presented a cliffhanger one year ago, including a last-minute appeal to the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, after Gordon ruled in favor of implementing the toll. There are still issues concerning spillover traffic caused by the toll and the effectiveness of the toll itself, now that it has been reduced from the $15.00 base toll that was originally proposed to $9.00. Those issues have yet to be resolved.

In essence, the flurry of litigation has slowed down to a trickle. It is understandable that any major change in policy, like imposing the Congestion Pricing toll, would be met with strong opposition, which includes litigations filed by a variety of plaintiffs who feel aggrieved by the change in policy. Still, the toll has been collected for more than a year now, and the court cases might soon be coming to an end. While it does not appear likely that a judge will stop the tolling program, anything can happen in litigation. It also does not seem that any of these cases would be likely to end up at the U.S. Supreme Court, but anything can happen there, too. Maybe the injunctions from last year will become permanent and other issues resolve, so the toll will keep reducing congestion on the streets and helping transit.

The Future

On Jan. 2, the RPA summarized the results that the program had brought to the lower half of Manhattan, and to the City generally. Several people, including longtime profession engineer, traffic official and consultant Sam Schwartz (“Gridlock Sam”, pictured) contributed to the RPA’s article. The results are presented as a list, and most are positive, although some are more positive than others.

Andrew Albert, Chair of the Transit Riders’ Council in the City, a rider-representative at the MTA Board, and Vice-Chair of the Rail Users’ Network (RUN), recited a lengthy litany of the benefits that the toll has brought to the City. He told Railway Age: “It’s a success in just about every way you can imagine. One year later, traffic is down 11%, which is 27 million fewer vehicles entering the congestion zone, crossing speeds to get across town are up by as much as 51%, transit ridership is up 7%, pollution is down 22%, crashes are down 7%, traffic injuries are down 8%, and the Manhattan economy is thriving. It has been the best year for office leasing in 23 years, foot traffic is up by 6%, sales tax receipts are up by more 6%, and it was the best Broadway theater season in years, the second-highest in Broadway history. All the predictions of doom, that nobody would come into the City any more, were reversed. It’s brought in even more than the predicted money for the MTA’s capital program.” Regarding New Jersey, Albert said: “When did you ever remember listening to traffic reports say that wait times for the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels are 15 minutes, but that’s what you hear these days.”

I visited the tolling zone on several occasions during the past year, often taking the #20 and other buses between Penn Station (after arriving on an NJ Transit train) and destinations such as the Upper West Side, the Village, the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and the Financial District. Sometimes the buses got stuck in traffic much as they had before the toll was implemented, but those instances were relatively rare. More often, there were fewer vehicles on the streets, so the buses moved faster and were more likely to stay on schedule. Buses on Manhattan’s streets are often slow, but they’re not as slow when fewer other vehicles of all types clog the streets and get in their way. That’s a good result for riders, for drivers (for buses and private vehicles) and, apparently, for everybody else, too.

After 25 articles a year or two ago and this long update, it will be good to put this topic in the rear-view mirror, so to speak. It has been an interesting year riding buses in Manhattan and feeling them move faster than they had before, most of the time, anyway. Still, the subways are faster, and it will be good to ride all over the City on them again.

The post An Unequivocal Success! appeared first on Railway Age.

Downers Grove, Ill.-based AllTranstek LLC has acquired the assets of Darien, Ill.-based RAS Data Services (RAS), following its identification last month as the prevailing auction bidder.

AllTranstek, in a Jan. 16 announcement, said the acquisition strengthens its position as a non-leasing railcar management and consulting company.

RAS, founded in 2002, provided railcar management services for shippers, operating lessors, utilities, and short line railroads; the largest percentages of cars were covered hoppers and tank cars.

AlTranstek now manages more than 500,000 railcars across North America and provides comprehensive technical and operational support to the rail equipment supply chain, it said. The company’s services include railcar fleet management, field inspections, engineering, regulatory compliance support through StencilWatch® and ShopWatch®, non-destructive testing (NDT), and professional training programs.

In December, AllTranstek reported that its proximity to the RAS office, overlapping service offerings, and familiarity with RAS software will “allow for a smooth integration.” It noted that it “intends to retain key RAS personnel and work closely with clients and suppliers throughout the transition.”

“Our priority is a smooth, professional transition with minimal disruptions to our customer’s operations,” AllTranstek President Jeff Wilson said Jan. 16. “We are uniquely positioned to not only stabilize but enhance RAS operations while preserving the experienced personnel and service continuity on which our customers rely.”

“AllTranstek is committed to delivering a professional, predictable, and transparent transition,” said Steve Bourque, CEO of RAILTRAC Holdings Inc., parent company of AllTranstek, Bourque Logistics LLC, and TRANSPay Services LLC. “Our customers can expect enhanced resources, long-term stability, and a higher standard of operational support moving forward.”

AllTranstek’s asset-management suite, combined with the rail logistics capabilities and shipment, yard, and freight execution of Bourque, is said to “allow real-time asset visibility and maintenance controls, driving higher railcar utilization, fewer billing disputes and faster, more accurate settlement.”

The post AllTranstek Completes RAS Assets Acquisition appeared first on Railway Age.

The Yakima City Council voted Tuesday night to extend a five-year operating agreement with Yakima Valley Trolleys, the Washington non-profit that runs the community’s historic interurban railroad. However, what the railroad will look like when that agreement ends in 2030 remains an unanswered question. 

Late last year, the city council decided not to automatically renew its operating agreement with the non-profit that manages what remains of the Yakima Valley Transportation Company, an interurban railroad once part of the Union Pacific and now owned by the city. At that time, the council wanted to better assess its financial situation. A week earlier, it approved a 2026 budget that included cutting $9 million from its current budget, including from police and fire services.

The actual operation of the trolley is fairly minimal for the city. The previous agreement specified that the city would cover basic costs, such as heating and maintaining the city-owned trolley barn, and set aside about $10,000 for any maintenance issues with the track or other city-owned property. However, the larger issue—and expense—is a major road construction project along the trolley route connecting the trolley barn with the rest of the line to the town of Selah. That street, Sixth Avenue, needs to be rebuilt, and for a time, the city considered paying the approximately $7 million it would take to reinstall the rails and the catenary above. But with a budget crisis on the horizon, some city council members are questioning whether that’s a wise financial choice. As a result, the city council decided to delay approving or denying an operating agreement until a decision is made on the road project. 

Presently, the trolley operation is mostly confined to Pine Street. In 2024, a diamond crossing with the Central Washington Railroad at the north end of Sixth Avenue was removed for maintenance, and a bridge further north was taken out of service. The bridge is currently being repaired, and volunteers are hopeful the diamond will be put back in place, allowing trolleys to reach Selah again.

Tuesday’s meeting started with public comment. Nearly 20 people spoke to the council, either in person or via Zoom, supporting the trolley, including one person who was in England. Only one person opposed extending the operating agreement. After public comment and other city business, the council began discussing the Sixth Avenue project and the costs of rebuilding it with the track. Mayor Matt Brown asked if it was possible to turn Sixth Avenue into a one-way street, allowing the trolley line to stay in its current place but no longer be part of the roadway. Community Development Director Bill Preston said the city’s engineering staff would need to look at what’s possible. Brown and others also inquired if there are other street projects that could be addressed first, giving Yakima Valley Trolleys more time to potentially secure their own funding to help keep the tracks. Preston said it would ultimately be up to the city council to decide which roads to fix first, but stated that Sixth Avenue is “structurally toast” and the longer the city waits to fix it, the more expensive it will be. Ultimately, the city council decided to hold another hearing, scheduled for February 17, to gather public input on what should happen along Sixth Avenue and how to pay for it. 

Yakima Valley Transportation Company 298 made a rare appearance during what could have been the railroad’s final day of operation on December 31. It was followed by line car A. Photo by David Honan. 

With that item out of the way, the council then moved on to the operating agreement with Yakima Valley Trolleys. The pared-down agreement outlines that the city will spend about $5,000 annually to heat buildings and power the overhead, and keep around $10,000 available for emergency street repairs. The non-profit will help cover the cost of insurance, about $4,800 annually, according to city staff. 

One city council member, Rick Glenn, expressed concern about the cost of the trolley to the city; “I’d rather have more cops and firemen and keep the pool open,” he said at one point. However, other city council members pointed out that the city would have to pay for maintaining the buildings whether the trolleys were running or not. The city council then voted six to one to extend the operating agreement. The new agreement will run through 2030. 

Late Tuesday evening, Yakima Valley Trolleys thanked their supporters and announced they were getting to work planning various events and excursions, including some on Valentine’s Day weekend.

The main question now — and one that will be debated during the next city council meeting — is what that railroad will look like in 2030. If the city proceeds with the Sixth Avenue project but doesn’t pay to reinstall the rails, Yakima Valley Trolleys will no longer be able to reach the community of Selah to the north. Without that connection, the railroad would no longer qualify as a true interurban, and volunteers have said that could threaten an effort to get it designated as a National Historic Landmark as the country’s last interurban railroad. 

Yakima Valley Transportation Company was established in 1907. Starting as a streetcar line serving downtown Yakima, the company was acquired by Union Pacific predecessor Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company in 1909 with the aim of tapping into the region’s fertile agricultural resources. Eventually, the system grew to include over 40 route-miles radiating into surrounding communities, providing interurban passenger service and feeding freight traffic to the national rail network. Regular passenger service ended in 1947, and the remaining streetcars were scrapped or sold. Freight service continued until Union Pacific filed for abandonment in 1985 due to a decline in traffic. The railroad was later purchased by the city and has operated as a museum ever since.

—Justin Franz, with additional reporting by David Honan. 

The post Yakima Trolley Gets Operating Agreement, But Future Remains Unclear appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The Ontario Southland Railway, a short line based out of Salford, Ontario, operates about 50 miles of track. Long known to roster vintage locomotives, President and CEO David Warne recently announced that the ALCO/MLW era of the Ontario Southland is over, and is selling some units to the Sartigan Railway, which is undergoing a major rebuilding and expansion.

Five locomotives and spare parts have been sold to the Sartigan Railway (French: Chemin de fer Sartigan), which had previously purchased locomotives from the Ontario Southland in 2020. The five locomotives sold to the Sartigan Railway in 2026 are RS-18s 181 and 182, and RS-23s 503, 504, 505 and 506, all built by Montreal Locomotive Works between 1958 and 1960. Powered by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) 251 prime-movers, once the pride of many fleets across North America, the MLW/ALCO locomotives are favored by some railways for lower fuel consumption and naturally lower acquisition costs as MLW/ALCO stopped making locomotives in the early 1980s in Canada and 1969 in the US.

The Ontario Southland will be working on disposition/sale of their remaining five MLW/ALCO locomotives and parts over the coming months, but will retain 16 EMD locomotives of various types, among them their famous F units used in freight service.

The Sartigan Railway, based out of Scott, Quebec, operates former Quebec Central Railway right-of-way between Lévis and Vallée-Jonction on Quebec Ministry of Transportation-owned property. With service five days a week, traffic has grown to more than 3,000 cars per year. In 2023, the Quebec Government announced plans to rehabilitate and extend the entire railway in an unprecedented return of rail service. The project, to cost C$499 million, will extend the Sartigan Railway to Thetford Mines Quebec and will be completed in segments.

OpenRailwayMap.org

The first segment reopened the line to Vallée-Jonction in 2025 with clearing, repairing and replacing of infrastructure on an unused 11.2-mile segment of the line south of Scott, Quebec. Rehabilitation was budgeted at C$59.2 million. The second segment is the more substantial, and includes full replacement of rail, replacement of 17 railway bridges with all new structures, 102 new culverts, and replacement of 40 grade crossings on 36 miles of line that has not seen traffic in more than 20 years. This C$440 million project is expected to open in 2026 following three years of construction.

With more track coming on line, the Sartigan Railway is purchasing additional motive power as it and Quebec Ministry of Transportation work to convert truck traffic back to rail service. The Sartigan and its mechanical staff prefer MLW locomotives as there is a strong history of MLW in Quebec.

The re-opening of the railway to Thedford Mines will create opportunities for magnesium and nickel recovery from the tailings of historic asbestos mines, and the railway will be completed right into the mining sites. More than 66 million tons of reserves are noted on site, including 21 million tons of magnesium oxide and 135,000 tons of nickel, along with other critical minerals planned to be recovered by joint ventures located next to the railway.

Sartigan Railway 8033 at the intermodal center in Scott, Quebec, in 2020. Félix Mathieu-Bégin/Wikimedia Commons

The post Change and Growth at Quebec’s Sartigan Railway appeared first on Railway Age.

Virginia DRPT (Courtesy of Virginia Railway Express)

Mariia Zimmerman has been named Director of Virginia DRPT, leading the agency’s continued efforts to plan, fund, and deliver rail and public transportation initiatives.

With more than 30 years of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she served most recently as Founder and Principal of MZ Strategies, a Richmond, Va.-based planning and policy firm that is described as working with with states, regions, and organizations nationwide “to advance transit-oriented development and implement transportation projects that improve mobility, access, and community outcomes.”

Zimmerman previously held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she was a member of Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s executive leadership team. She served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and as Co-Director of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation Team, helping to guide the rollout of federal investments in rail and public transportation through major discretionary grant programs and policy initiatives led by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Railroad Administration.

Earlier in her career, Zimmerman’s work spanned housing, transportation, and community development at both the federal and national nonprofit levels. She served as Deputy Director of Sustainable Housing and Communities at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Vice President for Policy at Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development; and Co-Founder of the national nonprofit Transportation for America. She began her public service career at the FTA following early work in transportation planning and engineering.

Zimmerman has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Arlington Transportation Commission, and Shared Use Mobility Center. She earned advanced degrees from Pennsylvania State University and the University of Minnesota ,and has served as a Visiting Fellow with Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute.

“I am excited to welcome Mariia Zimmerman to lead DRPT,” Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue said. “Her leadership and vision for transportation will help the department deliver innovative, reliable, and accessible solutions for Virginians, ensuring the Commonwealth [of Virginia] remains at the forefront of public transit and rail development.”

“I am honored to lead such a talented team and excited to head an agency that connects Virginians to opportunity through affordable transportation options,” Zimmerman said. “I look forward to collaborating across the Commonwealth to strengthen rail and public transportation systems that support vibrant communities and long-term economic growth.”

DRPT Executive Director Jennifer DeBruhl retired in 2023.

Further Reading:

• Virginia DRPT Now Accepting Grant Applications
• Virginia DRPT Breaks Record in Truck Diversion Via Freight Rail Programs
• Virginia DRPT: $7B SYIP

LRW / NS Dianne Barnett, Assistant Vice President Mechanical, NS (Courtesy of NS)

“Dianne Barnett has spent her career proving that strong leadership in rail is built on credibility in the field, disciplined execution, and a genuine investment in people,” NS reported Jan. 19 in the Story Yard section of its website. That leadership, the railroad said, is now being recognized across the industry: Barnett is LRW’s 2025 Railway Woman of the Year. She is the first NS recipient of the annual award, which “honors a woman who establishes a strong vision and a culture of continuous improvement and creativity, bringing excellence to her organization and community, all while supporting the personal and professional growth of others in the rail industry.”

A second-generation railroader, Barnett began her career at NS more than 27 years ago as a stenographer clerk in Birmingham, Ala. She later moved into operations, managing craft employees and gaining firsthand field experience that the railroad said continues to shape her leadership approach today. Now, as Assistant Vice President Mechanical, “she leads with a focus on safety, accountability, and transparency, emphasizing that leadership is defined as much by example as by results,” according to NS. “Under Dianne’s leadership, the Mechanical team has adopted a rigorous, data-driven, and collaborative approach to problem-solving, including the use of ‘war rooms’ that focus on root-cause analysis and continuous improvement. These efforts have delivered meaningful results across the network, including:

• “Reduced wayside stops by more than 30% through improved operations and technology applications.
• “Expanded deployment of machine vision capabilities across Digital Train Inspection (DTI) portals, innovative wheel defect detection systems, and tailored algorithms to catch issues before they become larger problems.
• “Drove a substantial reduction in bad orders and running repairs by implementing advanced, proactive car maintenance processes.
• “Achieved industry-leading locomotive availability and fly rate, as well as improvements in locomotive productivity through deeper defect analysis and corrective action.
• “Notable improvements in reportable injuries and mechanical-caused derailments, reinforcing the team’s commitment to safety, precision and the communities they serve.”

NS reported that Barnett has led modernization efforts at legacy facilities such as Sandusky Yard in Ohio and Lamberts Point Coal Terminal in Norfolk, Va., “helping teams replace manual, paper-based processes with real-time digital tools that improve coordination and reduce delays.”

Beyond operational performance, NS said, Barnett is “widely respected for her commitment to developing people, particularly women entering and advancing within the rail industry,” as she “actively encourages women to pursue field experience, new roles, and leadership opportunities.” Additionally, she remains connected to those she has mentored; many of her mentees now serve in supervisory and management positions across rail.

“Dianne’s leadership reflects the best of Norfolk Southern,” said Brian Barr, Vice President and Chief Mechanical Officer at the Class I. “She combines operational discipline with a people-first mindset, and her impact is felt across our Mechanical organization. We are proud that she received this very deserving honor.”

In 2024, LRW named Amtrak Corporate Secretary and Ethics Officer Eleanor “Eldie” D. Acheson as Railway Woman of the Year.

Separately, late last year Sarah Yurasko was named LRW’s 2025 Member of the Year.

MTA (Courtesy of MTA)

MTA has appointed Sergio Penque as Chief Procurement Officer. With decades of experience leading procurement operations for some of the largest public-sector organizations in the country, he has held the Chief Procurement Officer role on separate occasions at the New York City Housing Authority and the State of New York. For the State, he managed more than 1,400 contracts valued at $16 billion-plus. He has also held senior procurement leadership roles with New York City and the State of Michigan, “where he drove initiatives that reduced procurement cycle times, strengthened compliance, improved transparency, and delivered measurable cost savings across complex public portfolios,” according to MTA.

Paneque will report to MTA Chief Administrative Officer Lisette Camilo.

MTA is North America’s largest transportation network, serving 15.3 million people across a 5,000-square-mile travel area surrounding New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut. The MTA network comprises the nation’s largest bus fleet and more subway and commuter railcars than all other U.S. transit systems combined. 

Further Reading:

• MTA Celebrates First Anniversary of Congestion Pricing
• MTA Commuter Railroads Set Ridership Records

Trinity Metro (Courtesy of Trinity Metro)

Mike Brennan is the new Vice President of Economic Development for Trinity Metro, the operator of TEXRail between Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B; Trinity Metro Bus; Trinity Metro Bikes; and Trinity Metro On-Demand; and the co-operator with Dallas Area Rapid Transit of Trinity Railway Express, which runs between Fort Worth and Dallas. He will plan, direct, and manage the agency’s economic development activities, including advancing economic growth and maximizing the value of real estate assets. Additionally, he will work with the business community, developers, property owners, and other stakeholders to implement the agency’s economic development goals and objectives.

Brennan served most recently as President of Near Southside, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood, following six years with the City of Fort Worth’s Planning Department. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a Master in Urban Planning from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

“We are pleased to welcome Mike to Trinity Metro,” said Richard Andreski, the agency’s President and CEO. “He brings pioneering leadership in economic development and is widely respected by our Fort Worth community. Mike will be a key strategic leader as we unlock the full potential of transit-oriented development to drive regional growth, strengthen communities, and maximize the long-term value of our transit investments.”

“I feel great about the next era of leadership at Near Southside, Inc., and I am extremely excited about this opportunity with Trinity Metro,” Brennan said. “We have such great potential around Trinity Metro’s stations. So many people wish to live or work in close proximity to convenient transit. Meeting that demand always requires collaboration among private- and public-sector partners, and I look forward to that work. I’m honored to join this wonderful Trinity Metro team and excited to collaborate with communities in station areas to pursue great projects.”

Separately, Trinity Metro last summer named Reed Lanham as Chief Operating Officer.

Further Reading:

• Inside Trinity Metro’s ROI Playbook
• Trinity Metro OK’s 10-Year Contract Extension for TEXRail, TRE

Ports of Indiana (Courtesy of Ports of Indiana)

Brady Jacoba has been selected as the first Chief Commercial Officer at Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority that operates three ports—Jeffersonville, Burns Harbor, and Mount Vernon—on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. He brings three decades of experience in real estate, sales, marketing, and economic development to the port authority, which manages 2,800 acres of multimodal property across Indiana and generates $8.7 billion annually for the State economy.

Burns Harbor Railroad, Mount Vernon Railroad, Evansville Western Railway, CSX, Louisville & Indiana Railroad, and NS are among the railroads serving the Ports.

Jacoba worked previously at Volumod Indy as Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Lauth Group as Senior Vice President of Business Development; Indy Chamber in leadership positions; and Keller Williams as a real estate broker. He is a Certified Commercial Investment Member and received an MBA from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.

“Brady’s extensive experience in business, real estate, and economic development is a tremendous asset for our organization as we assemble a growth-oriented team,” said Jody Peacock, CEO at Ports of Indiana. “Our ports offer unique competitive advantages for companies, from multimodal real estate and foreign-trade zones to barge shipping and ocean containers. Brady will help us expand our programs to grow business and increase our contributions to Indiana’s economy.”

“I am truly excited to join Ports of Indiana at this critical junction in its strategic growth planning,” Jacoba said. “The organization’s forward-thinking approach and commitment to both expanding existing business and pursuing new initiatives drew me to this role.”

Separately, Ports of Indiana last summer appointed Dexter Salenda to the newly created role of Foreign Trade and Economic Development Director.

Further Reading:

• IRRT Boosts Capacity at Rail-Served Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville
• Ports of Indiana Secures FEMA Grants

HNTB Santa Clara VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase 2 project is a six-mile, four-station extension of the regional BART system from Berryessa/North through downtown San José to the City of Santa Clara, serving 55,000 weekday riders. It includes a six-mile extension from the existing Berryessa/North San José BART Station, with three underground station platforms, one ground-level station, and a new maintenance and storage facility. (Courtesy of VTA)

Peter Zuk has joined HNTB as Senior Project Advisor and Vice President in the firm’s Oakland, Calif., office. He will focus initially on supporting the BART Silicon Valley Phase 2 project, “leveraging his experience with single bore tunnel approaches and stakeholder engagement to advance the project into the execution phase and prepare for the Full Funding Grant Agreement,” according to HNTB.

Throughout his more than three-decade-long career, Zuk has led London Underground’s “Transforming the Tube” capital program; Toronto’s Metrolinx capital delivery program; and the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project. His expertise spans all phases of project delivery, from feasibility and stakeholder engagement to execution and asset management, HNTB reported.

Zuk served previously as Chief Capital Officer for Metrolinx, overseeing a $100 billion capital program that included the Eglinton-Crosstown Light Rail Transit Project and the GO Expansion P3 Project. He also held senior leadership roles with London Underground Limited, where he directed a £30 billion capital upgrade and initiated the organization’s ISO 55000 asset management certification. In the U.S., Zuk’s tenure as Project Director for the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project saw the completion of the Ted Williams Tunnel and the Leonard Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, both honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers for outstanding engineering achievement.

Zuk holds a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University. He is a member of the National Academy of Construction and has served as a lecturer at MIT’s Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering.

“Peter’s unparalleled technical expertise and proven leadership in delivering complex infrastructure projects make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Shannon Gaffney, Oakland Office Leader and Vice President at HNTB. “Equally significant is his experience in advising programs with complex management and governance structures. His commitment to innovation and stakeholder collaboration aligns perfectly with HNTB’s mission to advance mobility and improve communities.”

Separately, HNTB earlier this month named Mike Inabinet as President, Markets and Services; Chris Gale as Chief Operating Officer; and Michelle Dippel as Region President of HNTB’s newly expanded West Region.

The post People News: Virginia DRPT, LRW/NS, NYMTA, Trinity Metro, Ports of Indiana, HNTB appeared first on Railway Age.

SEPTA

SEPTA system-wide ridership for December 2025 decreased 1% or 8,611 unlinked trips per day from December 2024, the agency recently reported.

Average daily ridership was 693,261 unlinked passenger trips across all modes.

Metro ridership declined by approximately 2% or 4,508 trips per day relative to this time last year. The trolley tunnel closure and bus substitution resulted in a 31% decline or 15,990 less unlinked passenger trips on the T and D—the lowest level since 2022 but a 19% increase on the G. Average daily ridership on the B, M, and L combined grew 6% or 11,482 average weekday trips since this time last year.

Regional Rail ridership declined by 6% or 4,597 trips per day relative to this time last year due to the SLIV car shortage and the SLIV FRA safety inspection mandate.

Brightline West

Brightline West Executive Director Michael Reininger said work is under way on the company’s planned Las Vegas station on Las Vegas Boulevard between Warm Springs and Blue Diamond roads, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report.

With the magnitude of the project, Reininger said “it takes time to get to heavy construction,” according to the report. He said it was “a long, drawn-out process to get to the first portion of the Las Vegas building going up, a parking garage for the project.”

“They take an enormous amount of work, most of which is not visible to the naked eye,” Reininger said. “There’s nothing like seeing to start believing, so we’ve now reached that point where you can actually see the stuff happening before your eyes. We expect that will continue to reinforce peoples’ anticipation of the finished product.”

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal report, Brightline West trains are being built at a Siemens factory in Germany. The remaining eight train sets will be built at Siemens’ New York facility, which is currently under construction.

According to the report, the project budget jumped by about $9 billion last year, going from a projected $12 billion to $20.1 billion. “The price jump can be attributed to cost escalations in the construction market,” said Reininger, who added, that, despite the large increase, “Brightline is good to go on getting the project rolling.”

Brightline, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, “applied for a $6 billion loan from the federal government late last year; it already received a $3 billion grant from the FRA and sold a total of $2.5 billion in private activity bonds from Nevada and California.”

Heavy construction on the 218-mile Brightline West rail line is expected to kick off this year, according to the report.

Early last year, Brightline had hoped to have the project up and running ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. That goal post, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, “has been shifted to late 2029, but there are milestones along the way that the company plans to hit before service begins.”

“In 2028, a little less than 36 months from now, we will have the station in Las Vegas, the vehicle maintenance facility (in Sloan) and a portion of the system in Nevada complete; and a fairly sizeable amount of our total fleet of trains also complete and here in Nevada so that we can begin testing, training and certification processes on the track and in the station here in Nevada, while the remaining infrastructure and stations are completed, so that we can actually start carrying passengers and revenue service in 2029,” Reininger said.

Brightline West has five of the 10 construction contracts signed and ready to go for the start of construction along the route, according to the report.

Those include the Las Vegas station work and early infrastructure work within the median of I-15 in Nevada, “including the construction of a temporary water line to feed the construction of the line in the Nevada corridor,” Reininger said.

“With the conclusion of some of the big structural elements, the design work has reached its completion point and is going through approval from the Department of Transportation,” Reininger said. “All of this is setting the stage for the soon-to-come heavy construction.” He said site work for the vehicle maintenance facility in Sloan has begun, detailed design documents have been completed, and items are being ordered.

Brightline owns 110 acres where the Las Vegas station is being built, with the station only set to take up a small portion of that property, with larger goals for the rest, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal report. Plans include building out a large mixed-use project on the site to accompany the station.

“We don’t yet have any specific project components, timing or plans associated with that, other than to say that it’s an incredibly well-positioned and entitled piece of land that’s going to benefit significantly from the introduction of this portal in the transportation network that Brightline will bring. We foresee a number of uses. Hospitality uses, residential uses, retail and commercial uses, all will be highly attractive potential for the use of that land,” said Reininger, who called his shifting title and focus to Brightline West’s project and away from Brightline’s Florida passenger rail system “a natural progression within the larger Brightline Holdings company.”

“The Florida business is now a fully mature operating business that is entering the stage of its life where it’s going to be focused on internal growth and operations,” Reininger said. “At the same moment, Brightline West is a very large-scale construction and development program in of itself. Both of the projects, both the companies are of such scale… that they will benefit from fully focused and dedicated leadership.”

TTC

TTC’s new Ontario Line will include protective barriers at all stations to separate platforms from the tracks, according to a CBC News report.

According to the report, “platform edge doors” will be part of all 15 stations on the 15.6-kilometer (9.7-mile) downtown subway line, slated to open in 2031, city staff said at a budget meeting Wednesday. “The doors are transparent barriers that open to allow riders inside when trains roll in, but otherwise keep people, animals and debris off the tracks.”

According to the CBC News report, the TTC “has been studying the possibility of retrofitting existing subway stations for more than 15 years,” something the Toronto Public Health recommended in 2014 as part of a larger report on suicide. Advocates, CBC News reports, have also been asking for them for years to protect commuters.

A TTC report last year found installing barriers at all platforms “would save the agency $16 million annually by reducing delays, and $92 million in the social cost of injuries and deaths.”

“On average, one to two people go onto transit tracks each day,” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said in an email.

The transit agency announced in 2023 that platform edge doors would be installed at Bloor-Yonge as part of a major overhaul, “but there’s currently no funding to add them,” according to the CBC News report. “The TTC also recently backed away from a pilot project for platform edge doors at TMU Station, formerly Dundas Station.”

“Adding platform barriers to Lines 1, 2 and 4 would cost an estimated $4.1 billion, according to a report that went to the TTC board last year. The report said the average costs of the doors for two platforms at one station would be $44 million to $55 million.”

TTC board chair and City Councilor Jamaal Myers said the TTC “is reviewing that estimate as some councilors and people in the industry have questioned it, and the city may look at gradually retrofitting stations one at a time to spread out the cost over time,” according to the CBC News report.

“There’s definitely momentum to start that work just because it’s so important in terms of improving reliability and also to protecting the public and protecting the drivers, said Myers.

Myers said the TTC “is looking at how retrofits elsewhere were done and whether Toronto could learn from those projects.”

According to the CBC News report, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Copenhagen, and Seoul “have all successfully retrofitted subway systems with platform edge doors.”

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