Prototype News

On the CPKC Soo Line, 300 locomotive engineers will earn compounded raises of 18.8% over the length of the five-year agreement in addition to strong improvements to work rules.

Health and welfare benefits remain nationally negotiated. General Chairman Nick Mugavero said the new contract also contains several work rule improvements that are important to the members:

• Overtime after 12 hours daily on 4/3 assignments.
• Ability to mark Extra Board position weekly on 5/2 and 4/3 work week schedule.
• Increased meal allowance.
• If double-pillowed, will immediately be placed first out and paid held away after 12 hours.
• Ability to “drop turn,” or essentially not be called to go on duty any later than 1200 the day before vacation to ensure they begin their vacation on time.

The negotiating team consisted of General Chairman Mugavero and National Vice President Pete Semenek. The new agreement covers approximately 300 CPKC locomotive engineers on the Soo Line property who operate trains in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

“CPKC’s Soo Line would not run if it weren’t for hundreds of hardworking BLET Teamsters,” said Semenek. “This new contract reflects the commitment they bring to work every single day.”

At SEPTA, 300 workers voted to ratify a short-term contract to raise wages by 5% over the next year. “This follows months of fierce, coordinated advocacy from the Teamsters Rail Conference to stave off substantial budget shortfalls at the Pennsylvania-based transit authority,” the union said.

The negotiating team consisted of General Chairman Don Hill, First Vice Chairman Maurice Landon, and Second Vice Chairman Terrence Sanchious, with assistance from National Vice President Jim Louis.

“This contract ensures the hard work of SEPTA’s BLET Teamsters does not go unrecognized as the agency looks ahead to the future,” said Louis. “We look forward to building on this agreement to ensure our members’ needs and concerns are addressed for years to come.”

(BLET photo)

Additionally, the BLET has reached a tentative agreement with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYSW). Ballots were mailed in late November.

If ratified, the tentative agreement would provide wage increases and work rule improvements. Additionally, if ratified, NYSW members would be covered by the National Health and Welfare Plan.

The NYS&W members belong to BLET 521 (Hawthorne, N.J.) and are represented by the CP Rail-D&H/PanAm (ST)/SL&A General Committee of Adjustment. The negotiating team consisted of General Chairman Ben Martin, Vice General Chairman Brian Plant, Division 521 Local Chairman Scott Samuel, and assigned National Vice President James Logan.

The NYS&W operates more than 400 miles of track in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It connects with Class I railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS). Ballots are due by Monday, Dec. 29.

The post BLET Teamsters at SEPTA, CPKC Soo Line Ratify New Contracts appeared first on Railway Age.

Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Troy Carter (D-La.), and Cleo Fields (D-La.) are asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to not only consider the “tangible impact the [proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern] merger could have on the economy and transportation network, but also the intangible impact it could have on communities and people’s lives across the country.” They noted they are “hopeful, cautious, and open-minded” about what the transaction would mean for the country.

Their Dec. 11 letter is one of many submitted in advance of STB’s evaluation of the yet-to-be-filed application for a merger combining UP and NS under common ownership and forming a U.S. transcontinental.

“With the commitments proposed to enhance safety, strengthen service for customers, and protect vital jobs, the newly combined company is taking accountability for the outcome of this potentially historic merger, which, if executed correctly, could enhance freight transportation options nationwide,” Thompson, Carter and Fields wrote.

The STB Office of Chief Counsel entered the letter from the undersigned into the public record on Dec. 12. Railway Age reproduces it in full below.

“As Members of Congress, we are writing to express our growing interest in the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads.

“We recognize that freight rail is vital to our states and the country’s economy, as it safely transports goods that drive our industries, support our farmers, and connect our communities to markets across the nation and around the world. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have long been essential transportation partners, linking people and strengthening communities, and creating a stronger, more competitive America by providing efficient, reliable, and cost-effective service to businesses large and small. At the same time, we recognize that any large-scale rail merger must be carefully reviewed to prevent service disruptions, protect workers, and enhance competition for shippers and communities.

“In our detailed discussions with Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, we have learned that the proposed merger could offer a unique opportunity to strengthen the newly combined company’s current rail network and deliver tangible benefits for shippers, consumers, and communities. Additionally, Union Pacific has made clear its commitment to continue improving safety, enhancing service, protecting workers, and investing in our communities. As this merger continues through the federal regulatory process, we will continue listening to those most impacted, asking meaningful questions, and will stand ready to assist in finding workable solutions that can lead us all to a more efficient, reliable, and competitive transportation network for our country.

“As the Surface Transportation Board reviews the proposed merger, we ask that it not only consider the tangible impact the merger could have on the economy and transportation network, but also the intangible impact it could have on communities and people’s lives across the country. With the commitments proposed to enhance safety, strengthen service for customers, and protect vital jobs, the newly combined company is taking accountability for the outcome of this potentially historic merger, which, if executed correctly, could enhance freight transportation options nationwide. As the Board reviews this matter, we encourage it to ensure that any approval includes transparency and clear accountability to protect workers, shippers, and local communities. Additionally, we hope the Board will ensure the proposed merger serves the public interest. We are hopeful, cautious, and open-minded about what this proposed merger means for the country.”

Further Reading:

• UP, NS Shareholders Greenlight Merger
• UP 3Q25: ‘Continued Improvements in Pursuit of What’s Possible’
• For NS 3Q25, ‘Strong Results’
• ASLRRA to Participate in STB Review of Proposed UP-NS Merger
• Is a UP-NS ‘Fix’ In? Don’t Bet on It!
• Why a Unified Rail Network Makes Sense
• A Rail Merger to Put America Back on Track
• UP’s Jalali: No Hiccups With NS IT Integration
• 64 Industry Organizations to the STB: ‘Proceed With Great Care’
• Ag-State Senators to STB: Be ‘Rigorous’ and ‘Comprehensive’
• BNSF vs. UP, Take Three
• Eliminating Paper Barriers is the Pro-Competitive Move
• Hoeven, Klobuchar to STB: ‘Closely Scrutinize’ UP+NS
• CPKC: UP+NS Merger ‘Not in the Public Interest’

The post House Dems to STB: Consider ‘Tangible,’ ‘Intangible’ Impacts of UP+NS appeared first on Railway Age.

“After 19 years of steady improvements to the accessibility of its system, the MBTA has fulfilled a substantial amount of its obligations under the 2006 Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Settlement Agreement,” according to the transit agency, which provides subway, bus, Commuter Rail, ferry, and paratransit service in eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. “As a result, court-appointed independent monitor Judge Patrick King will conclude his oversight role.” (Download agreement below.)

2025-06-18-mbta-bcil-settlement-agreement-accessibleDownload

In honor of this milestone, the MBTA said, it has worked with the original named plaintiffs, the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL), and Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) “to enter into the Next Generation Accessibility Agreement with BCIL, which includes numerous commitments related to delivering best-in-class accessible service for all riders.” This agreement, it noted, also shifts oversight responsibility from a court-appointed monitor to the Riders’ Transportation Access Group (RTAG), the citizen-led advisory committee on accessibility matters at MBTA. The transit agency said “the organizations will work together to make more progress across the entire MBTA network.”

Since the Settlement Agreement was reached in 2006, the MBTA said it has made “improvements to virtually every aspect of its fixed-route system in order to ensure riders with disabilities have access to safe and reliable service.” Upgrades have included:

• “Creating and growing the Department of System-Wide Accessibility, a clearinghouse of accessibility expertise.
• “Prioritizing elevator maintenance. In the early 2000s, many of the MBTA’s most frequently use elevators were out of service the majority of the time. Today, elevators on average are operational 99.4% of the time. Additionally, a new elevator standard was created, resulting in larger, more transparent elevators.
• “Transitioning to an entirely low-floor, ramp-equipped bus fleet.
• “Fully revising and refreshing trainings for frontline employees on how to provide best-in-class accessible service.
• “Restructuring the process for handling accessibility-related complaints to ensure a fully closed loop system.
• “Expanding outreach and engagement to older adults and people with disabilities through the MBTA’s Mobility Center.
• “Developing and administering an Internal Accessibility Monitoring Program in order to systematically evaluate the experience of riders with disabilities.
• “Significantly expanding station accessibility. In 2005, less than 60% of stations were accessible; today, 83% are; 93% of stations are projected to be accessible in the next five years.
• “Advancing dual-mode public information systems so that important information is broadcast audibly as well as visually.
• “Rolling out new wayfinding signage standards to make navigating the system easier.”

Although not part of the Daniels-Finegold settlement, the MBTA noted that its RIDE paratransit service “has seen a number of improvements in recent years, including improved on-time performance and a new rider-facing app.”

According to the MBTA, accessibility improvements are planned for the coming years, including:

• “Major accessibility upgrades at more than 30 stations.
• “Advancing the automatic enforcement of blocked bus stops using bus camera technology.
• “Issuing a first-of-its-kind accessibility training for Transit Police officers.”

Disability advocates, original plaintiffs, the BCIL, and GBLS leadership. (Courtesy of MBTA)

“The story of the Daniels-Finegold lawsuit and settlement is one that should be shared far and wide,” MBTA System-Wide Accessibility Assistant General Manager Laura Brelsford said. “Two decades ago, a small group of disabled riders, with help from a dedicated legal services organization, spoke up after experiencing years of inaccessible service. And when no one would listen, they kept fighting—ultimately securing what has been recognized as the most comprehensive accessibility-related settlement agreement in public transportation. What’s even more impressive, is that, once the settlement was signed, they shifted quickly from litigants to partners and have consistently and constructively guided us into becoming one of the most accessible systems in the country today. It has been a privilege to work alongside them and be part of this story.”

“Since my very initial days at the MBTA [in 2023], it was evident that the plaintiffs in the Daniels-Finegold landmark lawsuit were now partners,” Interim Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said. “Their long-term commitment of working with us to improve and advance accessibility was not about the case but rather ensuring that all who wanted and needed to use mass transportation had the same access as everyone else—something that we at the T value equally. That is why this settlement agreement is not only a major milestone but so meaningful for myself and the MBTA leadership as we share that goal. While nationally, the MBTA is one of the most accessible legacy systems in the United States today, we also know we have much more to do. I value the dedication shown by each of the plaintiffs—in particular, Joanne Daniels-Finegold, Myrnairis Cepeda, Reginald Clark, Thomas Gilbert, Andrew Forman—along with, BCIL led by Bill Henning, Taramattie Doucette, and the entire team at GBLS, and Independent Monitor Judge King. I offer my sincerest gratitude for their decades of open communication and partnership as we strived to address accessibility at the MBTA. In addition, I would like to thank Christine Daniels, a community advocate, for her help on this important work. I am so proud of … Laura Brelsford and her entire team’s efforts that led the progress we see today. We remain committed to ensuring one day, each and every individual can use the MBTA with safety, dignity, and confidence as we work with RTAG who has now assumed oversight responsibilities.”

Joanne Daniels-Finegold (center). (Courtesy of MBTA)

“For more than 20 years, the named plaintiffs, GBLS and the community have worked with the MBTA to make accessibility improvements that benefit all riders,” Joanne Daniels-Finegold said. “I’m glad that RTAG will now have the resources and a strong platform to take our legacy into the future.”

“It marks a huge step towards ensuring equal rights for riders of all abilities,” noted Myrnairis (Mic) Cepeda.

“I’m glad we were able to bring the right people at the MBTA together with the community to solve the access problems,” Reginald Clark said. Now, it’s up to the community to keep the work going with RTAG.”

“It means we have come a really long way compared to 20 years ago,” commented Thomas Gilbert. “It’s far better than it was. We have made a real difference, not just for the MBTA, but worldwide. The MBTA has become a benchmark standard for accessibility.”

“Thanks to the leadership and foundational work of Greater Boston Legal Services and the plaintiffs, and with the strong team we have assembled—including System-Wide Accessibility, the BCIL, and the RTAG—I am confident that we will continue to advance accessibility at the MBTA,” said Andrew Forman. “Although the transition presents significant challenges, our productive working relationship with the MBTA gives me confidence that full accessibility will ultimately be achieved.”

“Today, I am very pleased to see the MBTA’s transformation from a decrepit system to one that is finally accessible, dependable, and built for all riders,” Gene Smith said.

“BCIL extols the amazing individual plaintiffs who’ve given over twenty years of  personal time to improve accessibility at the T, the great GBLS legal team, and the ongoing commitment throughout the MBTA’s ranks to get it right on the ADA,” added Bill Henning, the Director of the organizational plaintiff, BCIL.

“Now that plaintiffs will be transitioning to RTAG, it is important to note that the work is not done,” summed up Taramattie Doucette, Esq., who serves as lead counsel for the plaintiffs on behalf of the GBLS. “Accessibility is not a box we check; it is a standard we must continue to raise. As systems age, as ridership grows, and as new technologies emerge, the community via BCIL/RTAG must insist that progress continues—steadily, boldly, and inclusively.”

Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng (center). (Courtesy of MBTA) Further Reading:

• MBTA: $850MM to Enhance Safety, Reliability
• Eng to Duffy: ‘Safety is Integral to Everything We Do at the MBTA’

The post MBTA Reaches ‘Daniels-Finegold Settlement’ Milestone appeared first on Railway Age.

Due to the expiration of the terms of two large-shipper representatives and one small-shipper representative, the Board on Dec. 12 said it will fill three RSTAC positions (download announcement below).

52829Download

Established under the ICC Termination Act of 1995, RSTAC focuses on “issues of importance to shippers and railroads,” and includes 15 appointed members. These senior officials, representing large and small shippers, and large and small railroads, provide advice on regulatory, policy, and legislative matters, as appropriate, to the five STB members; the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation; the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

According to the STB, RSTAC members must be citizens of the United States and “represent as broadly as practicable the various segments of the railroad and rail shipper industries.” They may not be full-time employees of the U.S. government. It is permissible for federally registered lobbyists to serve on RSTAC, as long as they do so in a representative capacity, rather than an individual capacity, the STB noted.

Each RSTAC member is appointed for a term of three years. While no member will be eligible to serve in excess of two consecutive terms, a member may serve after the expiration of his term until a successor has taken office.

The Secretary of Transportation and the STB members serve as ex officio RSTAC members.

RSTAC typically holds meetings quarterly at the STB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Members are not compensated for their services and are required to provide for the expenses incidental to their service, including travel expenses, according to the STB; RSTAC members have elected to submit annual dues to pay for certain Council expenses.

Nominations should be submitted in letter form, identifying the name of the candidate and the vacancy for which the candidate is being nominated; providing a summary of why the candidate is qualified to serve on RSTAC; and containing representations that the candidate is willing to serve as an RSTAC member effective immediately upon appointment. Members selected to serve on RSTAC are chosen at the discretion of the Board’s Chairman, Patrick J. Fuchs.

The post Nominations Open for RSTAC appeared first on Railway Age.

The service plan calls for shorter weekday wait times on the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines, and reduced wait times on the Red Line at night. Additionally, bus service would increase on 15% of routes across the region.

“Metro ridership has grown in recent years, and we want to continue to meet that demand for the region,” said Clarke. “This proposal reflects our commitment to delivering safe, frequent, and reliable service, while preparing Metro for the potential long-term capital challenges ahead.”

Overall, the proposal (download below) will make rail and bus operations “more efficient through schedule optimization and by adding capacity to address emerging crowding while improving reliability,” according to the agency.

For the first time, the budget proposal, WMATA says, includes a multi-year budget and service plan forecast “to foster better planning and predictability for Metro and our regional partners.”

Rail would have better all-day and late-night service with trains running every 3-6 minutes in the core and 6-10 minutes in other parts of the system on weekdays. After 9:30 p.m., trains would run every 4-8 minutes in the core.

Overall, the proposal calls for 6% more daily train trips on weekdays.

Specific increases include:

• Orange, Silver, and Blue line trains would run every 10 minutes on weekdays, an improvement on the current 12-minute service.
• Red Line trains would run every 7 to 8 minutes after 9:30 p.m., an improvement from the current 10-minute service.

WMATA is proposing two scenarios for its six-year Capital Improvement Program outlook:

• “One scenario is significantly constrained and assumes no new regional DMVMoves investment. Under this scenario, Metro will reduce capital spending and defer projects that will lead to declining reliability, worsening customer experience, and increased safety risk over time.
• “The other scenario includes the additional $460 million regional investment called for in the regional DMVMoves endorsement. DMVMoves calls for Metro to modernize its bus and rail system. Part of the improvements would address and update the rail signaling system, ensure bus reliability, and make Metro safer and more cost efficient.”

Additional information on the capital program fiscal cliff can be found here. Additional information on the DMVMoves initiative can be found here.

The WMATA Board of Directors approves the final budget in April 2026. The new budget year starts July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2027.

4A-GM-Proposed-FY2027-Budget-and-Public-Hearing-AuthDownload

In related news, the WMATA Board of Directors on Dec. 11 adopted the agency’s updated Strategic Transformation Plan, “a refreshed roadmap shaped directly by feedback from customers, employees, regional partners, and community stakeholders.”

The updated plan (download below), which WMATA says, “sharpens the agency’s focus on service excellence, talent development, and long-term financial and organizational efficiency,” builds on the original Strategic Transformation Plan adopted in 2023 and reflects progress the agency has made in recent years, including improvements across the system and national recognition as the 2025 Outstanding Public Transit Agency of the Year by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

The refresh streamlines WMATA’s strategy around three core goals—Service Excellence, Talented Teams, and Financial and Organizational Efficiency—supported by Regional Partnership and Long-Term Transit Planning actions and practices which help advance these goals, the agency noted.

“Metro is committed to delivering a transit system that is safe, frequent, and reliable every day,” said Clarke. “This updated Strategic Transformation Plan creates a clear path forward, aligns our teams and resources, and reflects the input we heard from employees, customers, and regional partners.”

Revisions to the plan were shaped through extensive engagement, including more than 40 interviews with Board members and staff, nine employee town halls, a public hearing, outreach to more than 14 regional partners and community groups, and benchmarking with peer transit agencies. Public and employee surveys and comments also informed the updates. In all, WMATA received 379 written comments from the public and staff.

The updated plan, WMATA says, “reaffirms the agency’s mission—Your Metro: Connecting you to possibilities—and vision as the region’s trusted way to move more people safely and efficiently. It introduces updated objectives and key results focused on safety and security, reliability, convenience, workforce development, financial responsibility, and organizational efficiency. The plan also strengthens Metro’s commitment to the agency’s core values: Safe, Customer Centric, Ethical, Innovative, and Continuously Improving.”

“The Strategic Transformation Plan captures our shared commitment to Metro’s future,” said Board Chair Valerie Santos. “It strengthens our ability to provide excellent service now and lays the foundation for the world-class transit system our region will depend on tomorrow.”

With Board adoption, WMATA will begin implementing the updated plan immediately, with regular public reporting to track progress and maintain transparency.

Strategic-Transformation-Plan-2025-FINALDownload

The post WMATA Proposes FY2027 Budget; Adopts Updated Strategic Transformation Plan appeared first on Railway Age.

Dear members, partners, and supporters of the North American rail supply industry: As we close out this year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve undertaken together. Stepping into the role of RSI president at the end of March has been an honor and a privilege for me. Never did I dream as a child growing up in Upstate New York near so many historic centers of rail that one day I would be a part of this great industry. 

Over the past eight months, I’ve met many of you, learned about the challenges and opportunities facing our industry and your companies, and witnessed firsthand the dedication and passion that drive this association forward. While this year has been one of evolutions for RSI, it has also laid the foundation for an exciting future built on collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to growing rail transportation. 

In my May Thought Leadership “Laying Down the Tracks for Success”, I outlined three primary objectives for engaging membership, representing your greatest needs, and advancing the association. Through collaboration with the Board of Directors, volunteers, and staff, we have made great strides towards achieving these goals. 

Growing RSI Membership and Participation 

Thanks to the efforts of our Board and staff, we added over a dozen new members this year, including notables such as Amtrak, CAF, and Oliver Wyman. What is even more impressive is the increased level of involvement by RSI membership across all aspects of the association, particularly with regard to committee participation. 

RSI members are enthusiastic and engaged at a level rarely seen in associations, and it appears to be contagious. In my brief tenure with RSI, I already have seen numbers grow for well-established committees and witnessed the reinvigoration of others that had tapered off. There is an energy that can be felt among the membership that together we are building something greater that can bring the railway supply sector to new heights. 

Increasing RSI’s Reputation and Recognition Among Government, Media, and Associations 

For the first time that anyone can recall, RSI was invited to testify before a congressional committee. At a June 2025 U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Material hearing on rail innovation, Wabtec Corporation’s Executive Vice President and CTO Eric Gebhardt testified on behalf of RSI speaking for the rail supply industry. 

On the heels of that, RSI held its Third Annual “Innovation in Rail” Expo on Capitol Hill in July featuring some of its member companies. This event was attended by hundreds of staff and a half dozen Members of Congress. The RSI government affairs team also has been called in by House Transportation & Infrastructure and Senate Commerce bipartisan committee staff to brief them on the industry’s priorities for the upcoming Surface Transportation reauthorization. 

Through these and other advocacy efforts, RSI earned a 125% increase in media mentions compared to last year. 

Along with our greater recognition on Capitol Hill and in the media, RSI has strengthened its ties within the railway association community to further advance our shared missions. A new and exciting partnership is our collaboration with the B&O Railroad Museum to celebrate “200 Years of American Rail” in 2027. As part of this, we are connecting RSI members with opportunities to provide exhibit pieces for the museum’s new Technology Hall to showcase innovations shaping the future of rail and tell our industry’s story directly to the public. 

Establishing RSI as THE Voice of the Railway Supply Industry 

As we look ahead to 2026, RSI will continue pushing forward on these objectives. We plan to participate in key discussions surrounding renewal of the USMCA trade agreement and the proposed Union Pacific – Norfolk Southern merger. Be on the lookout for RSI’s new economic impact study that will be more detailed and in-depth than ever before, bringing these new granular details right down to the individual state reports that you have come to rely upon and expect from RSI. 

We also face reauthorization of the current Surface Transportation law set to expire in 2026. RSI is not content with just playing defense to keep what the industry currently has. We intend to play offense in this reauthorization process, fighting for policies that increase the modal share for freight rail thereby creating more business opportunities for railway suppliers and economic growth for the nation. Please be sure to let us know what your company’s priorities are so we can work to include them in our efforts. 

Finally, Railway Interchange 2026 promises to be our best one yet! I am pleased to announce that Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena will deliver our keynote address on June 3. There also will be a new, outside exhibit area and specially curated education sessions selected by your peers from the railway supply industry to enhance the entire experience. 

Thank you all for a fantastic year! I wish you all happiness and cheer as we head into this holiday season. I look forward to continuing the work to advance RSI and the rail supply industry in 2026!  

The post RSI President’s Year-End Reflections: Evolutions and Achievements in 2025 appeared first on Railway Age.

Historic flooding in the Pacific Northwest during the second week of December affected several key BNSF Railway main lines, especially in Washington. Areas of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and even far western Montana received heavy rains from an “atmospheric river,” which dumped over a foot of rain in some locations. The rainfall, combined with melting snow, caused many rivers across the region to overflow their banks. 

In Washington, BNSF’s Stampede, Scenic, Bellingham, and Sumas subdivisions were all taken out of service due to washouts. Flooding along those routes also affected Amtrak service, including the Cascades between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., and the Empire Builder between Spokane and Seattle (the Portland section operated normally).

As of this writing, the Scenic and Bellingham Subdivisions have reopened, and the Stampede Sub was poised to reopen in a matter of days. No timeline has been set for the Sumas Sub to return. Railroad officials said access was a problem for repairing that section of the railroad. 

The post Flood Knocks BNSF Out in Northwest appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

by Rick Malo/photos by the author

Recently, Associate Editor Justin Franz asked me how I approach the difference between black & white photography and color photography — mainly, what determined on any given day how I looked at the world. Did I go out in the field strictly in a “black & white” state of mind? And if so, what determined that? Hmm… Good questions to ponder.

The answer to the first part is “yes.” I frequently go out looking at the subject world strictly with a b&w view. But I’m also flexible in that. While I mainly keep my pair of Nikon D750s set for “Monochrome” in the shooting menu, they will record the color image as well. I love the challenge of the unknown and reacting to situations as they change.

What determines this on any given day is a bit more in-depth.

I have long been captivated by the emotive qualities of b&w imagery and hold that it is far from dead as an effective medium. For this, one can blame the Steinheimers and the Shaughnessys and the Bensons of the world, to name just a few. Not only did they provide ample hours of enjoyment with their coverage of subject matter, but also a master class in creativity. They looked at the subject of trains in new and exciting ways that broke norms.

They dared to be different.

I like “different.” That speaks to me on a heart and soul level. I’m an emotive individual. Always have been.

I think of us in two ways. First, as photographers, we need to be technically proficient with our gear, understanding its capabilities while crafting it to fit our vision of the world, and pushing it to its limits. Take the Tamron SP 15–30mm ƒ/2.8, a beast of an art lens for sure, and my favorite in the bag that rarely is dismounted from its resident D750. One can stand beneath a grand old cottonwood tree on a fine spring morning, point the camera straight up into the tree and still get a train rolling across the horizon in the bottom portion of a portrait-oriented frame. It is an amazing piece of glass that has opened up a whole creative world to exploration.

And that brings me to the second point — we are creators more than anything, artists in our own right, and we seek to create images that are worthy of the time that someone has given to viewing them. We want the photographs to be exciting or thought-provoking. We want them to tell a bigger story, or maybe a smaller story. We want them to mean something to the viewer. And we want them to be different.

But most of all, we want them to mean something to us, and not in a selfish way.

Do we feel the image? Is it a reflection of our soul? Is it simple enough so that the language of the image is not garbled in translation? Are we opening our true soul to the world, or are we just taking a train photograph? Every soul has depth, every soul has shadows, and every soul has points of light. Does it show in the image?

Each soul has its own unique qualities, and so it goes to say that each individual photographer might have his own photographic tendencies, what speaks to his or her heart as they venture out in the field. As we mature as photographers, these things often change, which I think is a natural progression.

I have long felt that Texas, in general, and the High Plains in particular, have been underrepresented in the grand scheme of things. Lack of big scenery, I think, is to blame.

The Llano Estacado is a big place. The full, horizon-to-horizon scope of it can be intimidating to some, and it can be downright frightful, especially when one finds themselves underneath an angry spring thunderstorm as it pounds the land with golf ball-sized hail. Yet it is a place where a soul left alone can wander about, exploring the intimacies of loneliness and coming to terms with one’s own insignificance. Not only is it wide, but it is composed of great depth as well, very much like a soul.

With the pole lines disappearing toward the distant horizon and the train seemingly dwarfed by its surroundings, “Power of the Llano” (above) illustrates that well. Another fine piece of glass, and my second go-to lens, the Nikkor 70–200mm ƒ/2.8 did a wonderful job in capturing it. The lens spends most of its time mounted on a second D750 body, but is switched out occasionally with the monster Nikkor 200–500mm.

I’ve long held that poetry is the voice of the soul written through the heart and arranged by the mind. If we transmute that into photography, the lens becomes a window to the soul. An open mind seeing things — lights, shadows, objects — a scene that triggers something in the heart; a composition of emotion. We feel the scene. It is up to us to capture it, to align the light just right so when we open and close the shutter in 1/60th or 1/400th of a second, our soul is bared through glass elements.
There are certain factors that dictate the image. The fact that the BNSF Transcon angles across the Texas Panhandle in a northeast-southwest direction means that winter light and summer light will be completely different. “Power of the Llano” and “Hotshotting out of Higgins” (page 48) only worked in early morning winter light, whereas “Tumbleweeds and Fast Trains” (page 49) needed late afternoon summer light to be effective.

The orange paint on BNSF locomotives is another factor. In good sunlight, its tone rendered in b&w tends to match that of other colors, mainly the blue of the sky, and so the object loses its definition and blends into the background instead of standing out against it. To counter that, shooting from the shadow side or in good cross-lighting is the way to go.

In our genre of rail photography, there seems to be a great willingness to share knowledge and techniques. Dick Steinheimer’s theory of “layering” has been especially helpful on the High Plains of Texas. With each excursion, whether it be along the Hereford Sub, the Plainview Sub, or along the Panhandle Sub in my own backyard, I find new things and new ways of capturing them.

Yet, some of the most impactful words have come from Jeff Brouws, himself an understudy of Steinheimer: “It is better to photograph the essence of something than it is to photograph the thing itself.”

That theory can be effective whether one is shooting in color or in b&w. On a recent trip to Hereford, Texas, it was put to good use on a dusty, hazy Friday afternoon. A south wind had been blowing briskly all day and had filled the air with fine dust lifted off the South Plains, creating a beautiful soft light that lasted until sundown. It was a color-only outing along the side streets and back alleys of town, looking for something different. The 70–200mm did not disappoint.

While the progress that drones and digital photography have made in color photography is undeniable, I still prefer to have my boots on the ground and have an eye open always for good light, shapes, and shadows that would impart themselves well to b&w. Perhaps I’m treading on ground where everyone has already walked, making up for lost time due to my late start. So, we come back around to Justin’s question — what determines a photographic mindset? I shall let the poet in me speak to that:

What am I
If not for a soul?
A mere shadow upon the ground
To plod sullen in hollow footsteps?
A fine line between the ridiculous
And the sublime?
To sample the sweetness of both
And be lost still?
Yet the heart knows true
And whispers such
When it whispers, I listen to it.

This article appeared in the January 2026 issue of Railfan & Railroad. Subscribe Today!

The post Camera Bag: Two Sides of the Same Coin appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

In this issue, we’ll catch up with the disappearing Color Position Light (CPL) signals on the CSX Indiana Subdivision (see page 56). Predecessor Baltimore & Ohio developed the system in the 1920s as a practical application of high-intensity electric lighting combined with a unique position or arrangement of colored lights. While these specific signal lights are about to be removed in favor of modern hardware, they are an example of a wider culture of communication, much of which relied upon light — something that remains true to this day.

Even as these older signals are replaced, there are new installations across the continent, typically as part of the upgrading or installation of what’s known as Centralized Traffic Control (CTC), where a remote dispatcher dispenses track authority via signal indication — that is to say, through the colors and patterns of lights displayed on a wayside signal. CTC is not the only form of lineside signaling in North America, and not all convey authority to occupy track — the so-called Automatic Block System, for example, only provided advisory information — yet one truth remains: vital information is conveyed to train crews not only through written or spoken instructions, but also through displays of light.

Moreover, wayside signals are not the only example of this, nor my favorite. For that, we must turn to the signals passed by conductors and brakemen using lanterns. Lantern signals grew out of hand signals, yet another richly codified communication system that relied on visual display to convey complex information between members of a train crew. Hand signals, however, were virtually impossible to read after dark or in bad weather, and railroaders quickly developed a parallel, related system of signals using handheld oil and electric lamps.

It is interesting to compare the two systems. Hand signals tended to vary wildly from place to place and company to company, with little standardization; indeed, it is rare to see rule books specify precise hand signals, with the exception, perhaps, that anything “waved violently” by anybody near the tracks — a hand, a book, a flag, whatever — should be understood by an engineer as requesting an emergency stop. Beyond this? Charts and descriptions are rare and, even in the most recent rule books, there’s a considerable amount of leniency. The most recent edition of the General Code of Operating Rules, for example, states “employees may use other hand signals” so long as “all crew members understand the signals.”

Lantern signals are different. Even as early as the 1890s, rule books began to include illustrated guides to a very small number of signals, generally those meaning ahead (a lantern lifted straight up and down), back up (swung in a circle), stop (swung side-to-side), and a signal warning the engineer that the signal giver intended to go between cars (swung in a “C,” ending pointing inward to the car gap). What is more surprising is the consistency of these signals, both geographically and through time. Despite no federal regulation defining them, most lantern signals remain relatively uniform across North America, and relatively unchanged for more than a century.

This is not to say there were no variations thought up by train crews and informally added to the lexicon. Linda Niemann, photographer and former Southern Pacific employee, once quipped that the old-timers she knew in the 1970s could “order an anchovy pizza” using just a lantern to communicate. Certainly, though, some of this variety has been lost, as the introduction of portable radios in the latter half of the last century bit into the richness of this visual language. Still, lantern signals remain a persistent part of railroad culture, one in which it is light, not words, that carry meaning.

—Alexander Benjamin Craghead is a transportation historian, photographer, artist, and author.

This article appeared in the January 2026 issue of Railfan & Railroad. Subscribe Today!

The post Communicating With Light appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

For 40 years, the sound of a SkyTrain chime has been the backdrop to everyday life in Metro Vancouver. It’s been there for first concerts and first jobs, late-night rides home, airport goodbyes, and trips downtown.

What started with 13 miles of track has now grown to four times its original size. Today, SkyTrain is a rapid transit network that has quietly but consistently shaped how people live, work and travel across the region. SkyTrain remains a cornerstone to regional planning, with new trains, new stations, and the most ambitious growth since its earliest days—including the incoming Broadway Subway and Surrey Langley SkyTrain.

The system’s importance is clear; last year the Expo and Millennium lines averaged nearly 349,000 weekday boardings, contributing significantly to the nearly 1.5 million weekday boardings across the entire transit network. TransLink now has the second highest per capita ridership in Canada, surpassing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and ranking just behind Greater Montreal.

1980s: A Vision Takes Shape

In the early 1980s, Metro Vancouver was looking ahead to Expo 86 and searching for a way to show the world what kind of city it wanted to be. An automated rapid transit system with frequent trains, compact stations, steep grades, and a small footprint that could weave through dense urban areas matched that ambition.

Before Expo even opened, the system launched with huge success after free test rides. Ridership in early 1986 quickly exceeded expectations, jumping from 40,000 daily riders in the first week of paid service to 50,000 by the end of the month, with Saturdays hitting 70,000 daily.

When the Expo officially opened on May 2, 1986, the SkyTrain was one of the most compelling attractions around. It was the world’s first fully automated driverless rapid transit system.* For many, that was their first glimpse of a different kind of city: one built around fast and frequent transit.

SkyTrain’s popularity was highlighted by a royal visit from then-Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, as they toured the fairgrounds before the opening ceremony at BC Place. The royal couple traveled in car 014, which would later host the Prince and Princess of Belgium, as well as the Princess of Thailand upon future visits to Vancouver.

More than 22 million visitors attended Expo 86, helping to put Vancouver on the map, with the SkyTrain creating a lasting impression and memory for travelers from all over the world.

1990s: Strengthening the Core

The first decade of SkyTrain set the stage, but the 1990s solidified its role as a backbone of people’s daily routines. New stations opened, including Columbia, Scott Road, Gateway, Surrey Central, and King George Station. Trains arrived more frequently, and neighborhoods along the line began to change and take shape in a different way. The SkyBridge was constructed to connect the Expo Line to the new Surrey stations, establishing the region’s first rapid transit link across the Fraser River.

Areas like Metrotown transformed rapidly as higher-density development took hold. Mixed-use communities were built around access to transit rather than parking lots. It was an early example of transit-oriented development: build around SkyTrain, and people will choose to live and work there. That pattern has since shaped many of the region’s busiest town centers.

2000s: The Millennium Line

With the turn of the century came the most significant expansion in SkyTrain’s history yet. The Millennium Line opened in 2002 and marked a new chapter in Metro Vancouver’s growth strategy.

The opening day was electric, as customers explored new stations built with glass, greenery, public art, and distinctive architecture—including the uniquely-designed Brentwood Town Centre Station. The elaborate double-curved wood canopy, shaped to resemble a canoe, has won multiple awards, including the Governor General Medal in Architecture and the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture.

The Millennium Line also introduced 60 new Mark II SkyTrain cars to the fleet, with three doors per side and articulated gangways between cars. This design feature became a standard for all future models.

The Canada Line and 2010 Olympic Winter Games

In 2009, the Canada Line added another layer of connection. The 12-mile line through downtown Vancouver, along Cambie Street, and across the Fraser River required some of the most complex engineering in the region’s history. The project connected 16 stations across three separate water crossings, combining a mix of elevated, ground level, and underground track sections.

Upon opening in August 2009, it fundamentally changed how people moved between downtown, South Vancouver, Richmond, and the airport. Commuters had a new high frequency alternative to sitting in traffic. Visitors could step off a plane and be downtown in under half an hour.

The following year, the Canada Line was vital in the region’s ability to host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. With nearly 2,600 athletes from 82 nations, and thousands of visitors from all over the world, rapid transit carried crowds to events, celebrations, and volunteer shifts. On Feb. 19, 2010, the Canada Line set its single-day ridership record—with 287,000 trips. Those lessons in moving world-scale crowds are now helping inform planning for future major events, including the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Mark III and the Evergreen Extension

In 2016, the Evergreen Extension connected the Millennium Line to Port Moody and Coquitlam. With this, SkyTrain became a truly regional system. It has supported the Tri-Cities’ growth by providing stronger connections for students, families, and local businesses. In 2024, the six stations along the Evergreen Extension (Burquitlam, Moody Centre, Inlet Centre, Coquitlam Central, Lincoln, and Lafarge Lake–Douglas Station) averaged nearly 20,500 boardings every weekday.

Summer 2016 also brought the launch of the Mark III SkyTrain car. With wider walk-through interiors, updated seating layouts, and enhanced accessibility features, the Mark III signaled the next evolution of the fleet and prepared the system for growing ridership.

Influencing Metro Vancouver

During four decades, SkyTrain has done more than cut commute times. It has been instrumental in shaping the region’s urban configuration, and even its culture. Movies, TV shows, and music videos have used SkyTrain cars and stations as a backdrop. Examples include Blade Trinity, Friday the 13th Part VIII, The X-Files, Skyscraper, Smallville, and 21 Jump Street (1989). Vancouver-born actor and comedian Seth Rogen became a featured guest voice on SkyTrain when he recorded a series of etiquette announcements in 2018. And now a retired Mark I train is being used as a movie set locally at Lumostage Virtual Production in Langley, attracting filmmakers from all over the world.

Today and Tomorrow

Today, SkyTrain is entering an era of renewal and expansion. New Mark V trains are beginning service on the Expo Line, offering more space, improved accessibility and a smoother ride. There are currently four Mark V trains running on the Expo Line, with 43 additional trains scheduled to enter service by 2029. The Mark V is proudly made in Canada. They are manufactured by Alstom in La Pocatière, Quebec, and then tested in Kingston, Ontario. The cars are delivered to Metro Vancouver on flatbed trucks across the Trans-Canada Highway, spanning a 2,850-mile cross-country trek.

Each Mark V train features striking Indigenous artwork on its interior windscreens. The pieces were created by acclaimed artists Rain Pierre of q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie First Nation), Atheana Picha and Brandon Gabriel of qw̓ɑ:nƛ̓ə̓n̓ (Kwantlen First Nation), Darryl Blyth of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Rose Williams of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

Major expansions are also in progress. The 10-mile Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension will be the largest expansion of rapid transit south of the Fraser. Eight new SkyTrain stations at Green Timbers, 152 Street, Fleetwood, Bakerview-166 Street, Hillcrest-184 Street, Clayton, Willowbrook and Langley City Centre Station will connect these growing communities to the transit network.

Meanwhile, the 3.5-mile Broadway Subway will carry the Millennium Line through Vancouver’s health, education, and tech corridor into Kitsilano. Six new underground SkyTrain stations at Great Northern Way-Emily Carr, Mount Pleasant, Broadway-City Hall, Oak-VGH, South Granville and Arbutus Station will provide a faster connection across Broadway, one of North America’s busiest traffic corridors.

Together, these projects will add 13.5 miles to the system—more than the original SkyTrain line when it opened.

SkyTrain began as a bold idea, introduced on a world stage by a region imagining what its future could be. Over time, that idea became something more: a shared experience that spans decades and generations. As SkyTrain enters its next chapter, it stands ready to provide new journeys and memories, just as it has since the beginning.

“Celebrating 40 years of SkyTrain reminds us just how far this bold Expo 86 idea has come,” said Kevin Quinn, CEO, TransLink. “Today it stands among the world’s longest fully automated networks, shaping how cities everywhere approach urban mobility. As we mark this milestone, I’m excited for how the next phase of the system will keep Metro Vancouver at the forefront of modern, climate-focused transportation.”

“The legacy of SkyTrain has been built and delivered on the shoulders of the amazing team that keeps our system moving,” noted Sany Zein, President and General Manager, BC Rapid Transit Company. ”As our system continues to grow, we will need skilled and trained workers to help shape the future of SkyTrain and the next 40 years of reliability and innovation. I want to thank everyone who has played a role in making the SkyTrain so successful.”

“SkyTrain has been more than just a workplace, it has been my second home for more than 40 years,” said Mike Richard, Vice President of Operations, BC Rapid Transit Company. “I started before construction had finished and have watched stations rise, trains evolve, and communities flourish around our SkyTrain system, in areas I played in as a child growing up in the 1960s. Being a part of this story, working with amazing people from the very beginning has been a great privilege, and something I will always treasure.”

* The SkyTrain uses SelTrac CBTC (communications-based train control), developed in Canada by Alcatel, whose signaling and train control assets were sold to Thales, recently acquired by Hitachi Rail. “This is an important occasion to recognize the success of the world’s first fully automated, driverless train and to recognize that Hitachi Rail’s SelTrac technology made this possible,” said Ziad Rizk, Managing Director, Hitachi Rail in Canada. “This milestone is not just about technology. It’s about transforming how cities move and how people connect. For 40 years, we’ve supported SkyTrain, and we look forward to continuing this partnership for decades to come. Through the decades, SelTrac has been updated and upgraded through insertion of new technologies to support the much larger and more complex railway as it has evolved. It is a strong solution for delivering efficient, low-carbon mass transit operations in cities. Hitachi Rail believes high standards of environmental performance are essential and is working to shrink the carbon footprint of the SelTracTM solution itself with new iterations that reduce both the weight and power consumption of the system hardware. This state-of-the-art technology is designed to provide decades of reliable service. While brand new technology can pay green dividends, Hitachi Rail recognizes that the life-extension of existing assets presents a highly sustainable and cost effective solution.” – William C. Vantuono

The post From Expo 86 to Everyday Essential: SkyTrain Marks 40 Years appeared first on Railway Age.

SacRT The 43-mile, 53-station SacRT light rail system. (Map Courtesy of SacRT)

The State of California, through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Round 9 program, has awarded SacRT three grants totaling $25.8 million, according to the transit agency, which operates approximately 43 miles of light rail serving 53 stations; 82 bus routes (fixed-route, dial-a-ride and microtransit); and ADA paratransit services all within a 440-square mile service area throughout Sacramento County.

In total, SacRT and the cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento and AMCAL Multi-Housing, Community Housing Works, and E. Smith & Company have secured more than $126 million from this round of awards, the agency reported Dec. 11.

The funding, it said, will support the following transportation projects:

• Purchase of four new low-floor LRV, increasing SacRT’s new fleet from 59 Siemens Mobility S700s to 63, including two vehicles dedicated to the future Downtown Riverfront Streetcar project.
• Florin Station improvements that serve the Blue Line, to accommodate the height requirements of the new low-floor vehicles.
• Transit signal priority upgrades at 33 intersections along the Meadowview corridor and J and L streets in downtown Sacramento “to improve service reliability and rider experience.”
• Support for construction at the Sacramento Valley Station (SVS) Transit Center, building on $30 million already secured for this multimodal hub.

In addition, SacRT said, these investments will directly support 546 new affordable housing units across three developments, expanding on more than 1,000 units of transit-oriented housing already under way along SacRT’s Blue and Gold lines.

The new developments are:

• I Street Apartments – Downtown Sacramento: Led by Community HousingWorks, this 84-unit affordable housing project “will transform a vacant site near the Sacramento Valley Station into a model of climate-resilient, transit-integrated development,” according to SacRT. The project includes Class IV bikeways, sidewalk repairs, and transit signal priority upgrades.
• Clover Apartments – South Sacramento: Developed by AMCAL Multi-Housing, Inc., this 348-unit transit-oriented development near the Meadowview Light Rail Station will include sidewalk upgrades, bikeways, and transit signal priority infrastructure. SacRT said it will add two low-floor LRVs to the Blue Line to support increased service demand.
• MOSA Apartment Homes at Gateway – West Sacramento: In partnership with E. Smith & Company and the City of West Sacramento, this 114-unit affordable housing project will benefit from two new low-floor LRVs and station improvements on SacRT’s light rail extension into the City of West Sacramento (the Downtown Riverfront Streetcar project). It also includes new bikeways, walkways, and bus shelters, along with workforce and housing stability programs through the city’s Home Run initiative.

“This funding is a game-changer for our region,” SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li said. “It allows us to close critical funding gaps, expand our clean transit fleet, and support the kind of walkable, affordable communities that make Sacramento a more sustainable and inclusive place to live.”

Separately, SacRT late last month reported investing $1 million in its safety and security program. Also, the agency earlier this year broke ground on the future Dos Rios Station on the Blue Line.

DART (Courtesy of the City of Carrollton)

DART and Integral Group on Dec. 10 hosted the grand opening of the EVIVA Trinity Mills Station apartments and Esplanade Park, the first phase of redevelopment of a 25-acre site that once housed a big box home improvement store and the former DART Carrollton Transit Center. DART and the City of Carrollton teamed with Integral to turn the property into a transit-oriented development.

EVIVA Trinity Mills Station features 436 studio and one- and two-bedroom units; a parking garage; and 10,000 square feet of retail space facing the three-acre Esplanade Park. The development connects to the City of Carrollton’s Furneaux Blue Creek trail and includes a pool with cabanas, a pet spa, and dog run.

(Rendering Courtesy of the City of Carrollton)

According to DART, Integral cleared the 25-acre site (10 acres owned by DART and 15 acres by the City of Carrollton) for Trinity Mills Station, planned to include construction of a 325,000-square-foot hotel with a 700-space parking garage; a six-story, 125,000-square-foot office tower; an additional 10,000 square feet of retail space; a second parking garage that can hold 500 vehicles; and a 5,000-square-foot restaurant space.

The buildout of the entire site will be completed in phases, DART said, with the second phase focusing on entertainment space and additional retail, as well as the 500-space parking garage. Construction on DART-owned property is expected to continue into 2027.

l5c_121-5593-0725-silver-line-fy25—customer-information-signage—rail-map-rail-interior_digitalDownload

Transit-oriented development within a quarter mile of DART light rail stations has generated $18.1 billion in direct economic impact to North Texas over the past 25 years, according to the University of North Texas (UNT) Economic Research Group, DART reported last month. This includes a $1.0 billion direct impact from 2022 to 2024 based on 37 development projects.

“While commercial and residential rent premiums vary from year to year, UNT’s research showed that proximity to transit generates higher monthly rents,” DART said. “The analysis showed residential properties had an average rental price of $1.85 per square foot when they were located a half mile or more from a DART rail station. Those same one- bedroom/one-bathroom units increased to $2.04 per square foot, over 10% more per month, when located a half mile or less from a DART rail station. Commercial properties with similar dimensions and amenities within a half mile or less from a DART rail station saw an increase of over 12%, or $0.21 per square foot, than those located between a half mile to a mile. That equaled a $1.83 per square foot monthly charge to be closer to a DART rail station.”

“Developments like EVIVA demonstrate exactly how we achieve the DART mission of our being North Texas’ first-in-mind mobility partner,” DART President and CEO Nadine Lee said. “This project goes beyond housing or commercial space, representing access and opportunity. Studies of transit-oriented development in our region and elsewhere show that households located near transit often reduce their vehicle miles traveled by about 15%, or roughly 3,500 miles per person per year. Fewer cars on the road, less congestion, cleaner air, and a better quality of life. Sounds like utopia.”

Separately, DART in November released its first Point B Strategic Plan Annual Report.

BART (Courtesy of BART)

BART on Dec. 10 joined the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and 23 regional transit partners in celebrating the launch of Next Generation Clipper, the Bay Area’s electronic fare payment system administered by MTC. Next Generation Clipper, it said, will make fare payment “faster, simpler, and more integrated.”

MTC has begun the eight- to 12-week process of transitioning Clipper card customers to the next generation system. According to BART, “Tap and Ride has been rolled out to all Bay Area transit agencies that use Clipper, meaning riders can pay adult fares using contactless credit and debit cards and mobile payment methods, in addition to Clipper cards.” It said that Clipper’s transition to a cloud-based system allows for instant availability of added value or passes on plastic and mobile cards no matter how value is added, and enables families to manage multiple registered Clipper cards through the Clipper app. Additionally, an improved auto-reload function allows customers to customize both the reloading amount and the schedule of reloading, it said. Riders who use more than one transit agency in a single trip (e.g., BART to Muni) will only be charged full fare on the first operator. A transfer discount of up to $2.85 will apply on any additional transit agency the rider uses within a two-hour window. While this feature will be immediately available for contactless bank cards, BART said, Clipper card users must wait for their cards to be upgraded to the new system for this feature to apply, a process customers can initiate. Lastly, the new Clipper system will give youth and senior riders the option to apply for their respective discount program online, in addition to applying in person or by mail. 

Because of transition period needed to upgrade individual Clipper cards to the next generation system, not all features will be immediately available to all customers, BART said. 

BART earlier this month announced that fares will increase Jan. 1, 2026, to keep pace with inflation and help pay for service. Additionally, the agency in October had the highest average weekday ridership since the pandemic.

The post Transit Briefs: SacRT, DART, BART appeared first on Railway Age.

There are numerous ways to surface a highway/rail grade crossing—concrete, rubber, composite, and timber—to withstand the long-term pounding of heavy trains while providing a safe, smooth, jolt-free ride for motor vehicles. Following is a roundup of offerings from suppliers who responded to Railway Age’s inquiries about how they are continuing to innovate and improve on grade crossing surfaces.

(ENSCO, Inc.) ENSCO, Inc.

ENSCO, Inc. operates the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colo.. In cooperation with partners AtkinsRéalis and the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), ENSCO is working with industry to establish the FRA Grade Crossing Testbed (GX Testbed)—a flexible, real-world environment for evaluating grade crossing surfaces, warning systems, and communication technologies.

The GX Testbed, ENSCO tells Railway Age, will support government and industry research aimed at improving grade crossing safety through advancements such as reliable communication between motor vehicles and rail equipment, known as Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X). This technology will enable connected vehicles to receive real-time alerts about approaching trains or occupied crossings, improving driver awareness, and reducing collisions.

TTC’s advanced infrastructure supports full-scale testing of surface materials, sensing systems like radar, LiDAR, and AI-driven cameras, and behavioral studies to understand how people respond under varying crossing conditions. 

“Through this collaborative effort, ENSCO and its partners, as well as universities and industry suppliers, are helping to shape the next generation of transportation safety by combining smart infrastructure, advanced analytics, and connected-vehicle research in support of the FRA’s mission to reducing grade crossing incidents nationwide.”

(HiRAIL Corporation) HiRAIL Corporation 

“The market for grade crossings is currently strong with the Class I’s, short lines, transit agencies and industries,” according to HiRAIL Director of Sales and Marketing Jim Overfelt.

HiRAIL is continuing its work developing new full-depth rubber crossing profiles to fit new concrete tie designs and new fastening systems. “The majority of concrete ties produced domestically are not flat or rectangular shaped like a timber tie,” Overfelt explains. “Most concrete ties have an area that slopes down from the rail seat toward the middle of the tie that meets a flat section in the middle. Over the course of many years, the concrete tie manufacturers have made these areas different lengths. As these dimensions change, we change to make our product fit the contour of the concrete tie. Our design capabilities allow the client to use the same concrete tie profile throughout their entire system and not have to transition to flat concrete ties or timber ties for their crossings. 

“On top of the changes in shape, there have also been new fastening systems introduced that require us to add more clearance. Consequently, we end up changing our design to fit these requirements. It seems as though every year there is a new fastening system and concrete tie design, and we are fortunate to have the ability to design a crossing product that will accommodate it. We also seem to be getting more inquires for direct-fixation track crossings, which require a lot of the same design capabilities that we use for concrete or steel tie crossings.”

“Our customers are looking for a product that is low-maintenance, reliable and competitively priced,” Overfelt adds. “Customers are also looking for a product that can be recycled at the end of its life and that is manufactured in the U.S. HiRAIL offers all of these benefits, which I believe is the reason for much of our success.” 

L.B. Foster

Through L.B. Foster’s partnership with Rosehill Rail, the company offers a wide range of rubber crossing panel systems to the North American market. Rosehill Rail’s focus has always been on developing crossing systems that perform reliably in the toughest environments, the company notes.

The TITAN system, L.B. Foster tells Railway Age, “is the strongest and most durable surface-mounted crossing, designed specifically for sites that experience extreme axle loads, frequent heavy-haul traffic, or industrial vehicle movements. Built around a robust internal reinforcement structure, TITAN combines the flexibility of rubber with exceptional structural strength, allowing it to maintain stability and surface integrity even under constant impact and vibration.

“Each panel is precision molded from recycled rubber using L.B. Foster’s cold-cure manufacturing process, producing a dense, dimensionally stable unit that locks together securely via tongue-and-groove joints. The result, the company says, “is a crossing that delivers the proven resilience of our modular systems, but with enhanced rigidity and load distribution across the entire installation. From main line freight and maintenance depots to industrial sidings, TITAN offers operators a dependable, heavy-duty solution that’s quick to install, simple to maintain, and built to last.”

The TITAN system has been installed at Rio Tinto Mining in Australia, as well as ferry ports in the United Kingdom and other heavy duty crossing areas in Romania and Czech Republic.

Oldcastle Infrastructure’s StarTrack line was first released in 1987. Oldcastle Infrastructure

The market for concrete tub-style crossings “was strong in 2025,” says John Jackson, National Account Manager – StarTrack Rail Products. “I expect that trend to continue as infrastructure upgrades remain a high priority. StarTrack has a strong reputation in the market, and customers want and expect a product that is cost-effective, durable, and virtually maintenance-free. Since its release in 1987, the StarTrack line of precast rail products has delivered the quality that customers expect from Oldcastle Infrastructure.”

New products are in review to add to the StarTrack line; however, Jackson says he is “still reviewing the addition and how it would potentially affect my current product line.”

Omega Industries Tub-style crossing, Hawaii Narrow Gauge Railroad. Omega Industries Inc.

“The year started with notable uncertainty due to the tariff rollercoaster,” Omega tells Railway Age. “Some projects were put on hold, and customers were reluctant to place orders as they had in the past year. As this year has progressed and companies have adapted to changing conditions, the industry has shown its resilience, and orders have now exceeded last year.”

Omega has developed and tested a new modular “Tub” style crossing panel built using a high strength 8,000 psi concrete mix. The Tub, the company says, “eliminates the need for ties, plates, and ballast, and does an excellent job of load distribution. As a result, the Tub excels in grade crossings with heavy load applications like port terminals, steel mills, and recycling facilities.”

Recently, Omega purchased a new property in North Carolina and is in the process of moving its current Sanford, N.C., production operation. The new location will give the company more space and allow for more efficient material flow and product storage, according to Omega, which adds that “as always, our customers are looking for good communication, short lead times, fair pricing and a durable product.”

Omni Products Inc.

“As 2025 unfolds, OMNI remains firmly positioned at the forefront of custom concrete grade crossing fabrication, supplying high-profile rail projects across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the company tells Railway Age. “With decades of engineering expertise, we confidently tackle virtually any grade crossing challenge—from standard installations to extreme 30-plus-degree curves—delivering precision, durability, and consistent performance.”

OMNI’s product lineup, the company says, “reflects its long-standing commitment to manufacturing excellence. Whether clients require concrete panels, full-depth virgin rubber, or one of the company’s proprietary virgin rubber rail guard concrete tub modules, each solution is engineered for longevity and manufactured to exacting standards. Made proudly in America, OMNI’s rubber products come with a robust six-year factory warranty against rips and tears—an industry-leading guarantee unmatched by competitors.”

Among OMNI’s exclusive offerings is its steel-reinforced rubber, purpose-built for the most demanding environments, including heavy fork truck traffic. OMNI’s original VRA (Virgin Rubber Railguard) and the advanced VRA2 Railguard, both manufactured in-house, “provide the toughest solid virgin rubber rail seal available, designed to stand up to the harshest rail conditions,” the company notes.

OMNI’s capabilities extend even further through its ECR product line and Improved Concrete (IC) designs, which, the company says, “give clients flexible, application-specific options.” Its proprietary TraCast concrete tub modules are available in two configurations, including custom wide, heavy-duty versions engineered for extreme use. “The newest addition, TraCast 3 Heavy Duty Concrete Tub, delivers exceptional strength paired with cost efficiency, making it an ideal solution for demanding installations.”

With business “strong and steady heading into 2026,” OMNI says it “remains focused on meeting production schedules, delivering consistent on-time performance, and upholding its reputation for quality supported by responsive, expert customer service. Exceeding customer expectations continues to be the driving force behind the company’s growth.”

Looking ahead, OMNI says it is preparing to launch its “next major innovation,” OMNI HDPE EnviroTrakPans, “a high-density polyethylene spill containment system engineered for long-term reliability in rail environments. Designed for superior spill capacity and exceptional resistance to impacts, UV exposure, and extreme temperatures, EnviroTrakPans install easily without motorized equipment and fit 115-pound rail and larger on both tangent and curved track. With minimal installation and maintenance costs, these HDPE pans offer a durable, cost-effective alternative for environmentally focused spill containment, the company noted. OMNI will also continue to provide a full array of steel spill pans—available in carbon, galvanized, stainless steel, and aluminum—to meet diverse operational needs.”

“With advanced engineering, unmatched warranties, and a growing portfolio of specialized solutions, OMNI remains a proven leader dedicated to supporting the rail industry’s evolving infrastructure demands,” the company says. 

The post Smooth Surfaces appeared first on Railway Age.

Paul Brashier, Vice President of Global Supply Chain, ITS Logistics (ITS Logistics Photograph) ITS Logistics

“We continue to see a decline in import and export volumes through the fourth quarter [of 2025], attributed to tariff-related frontloading and changes in sourcing strategy,” ITS Logistics Vice President of Global Supply Chain Paul Brashier said on Dec. 11 during the release of the company’s December U.S. Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index. “While there are no major demand-side pressures on the immediate horizon, significant supply-side regulatory enforcement and trucking capacity reductions are affecting inland transportation.”

ITS Logistics, a Nevada-based third-party logistics (3PL) firm, publishes a report each month forecasting port container and dray operations for the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf regions; ocean and domestic container rail ramp operations are also highlighted for both the West and East inland regions. 

According to ITS Logistics, a member of California’s Punjabi trucking community on Nov. 28 “reported an extensive workplace audit by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with agents requesting multiple years of the carrier’s I-9 documents and conducting employee interviews.” The U.S. Transportation Department “is also threatening to withhold earmarked infrastructure funding and decertify CDL programs from multiple states it has deemed as noncompliant with federal licensing regulations,” ITS Logistics reported, and most recently “an unpublished memo from the DOT reveals the agency is strategizing ways to go after ‘chameleon carriers,’ or small companies who dodge compliance requirements by repeatedly shutting down and reopening operations under new names.”

ITS Logistics reported that states also continue “taking enforcement action into their own hands, citing a desire to maintain compliance with federal regulations, as well as shared interest in highway safety.” In what the 3PL firm called “a landmark case, California has introduced what is expected to be the first AB5 enforcement action against a trucking company.” AB5, the state’s independent contractor classification law, went into effect in 2020 and “is now being used for the first time to bring enforcement action against companies in the trucking industry,” according to ITS Logistics. The case, it said, “cites not just a carrier but two major shippers, aligning with previous statements from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that companies should be held liable for the drivers they hire as a means of enhancing compliance.”

ITS Logistics reported that “multiple states are also conducting their own roadside enforcement stings, revoking thousands of incorrectly issued CDLs en masse, and even phasing out non-domiciled CDL programs.” It noted that “[t]hese concerted efforts, in combination with rising rates of financial insolvency among carriers, are culling the 2026 capacity pool of both inland and drayage providers, which will likely result in swift capacity crunches as demand returns.”

At the ports, ITS Logistics said, container volumes for November totaled 2,183,048 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), down 5.4% month-over-month “but aligned with typical seasonal trends.” Of note, it said, China-origin imports saw the sharpest dip at 11.3% over October numbers. “With the exception of October, China-origin imports have seen consistent volume pullback since August,” ITS Logistics reported. “This decrease in volume aligns with the latest of the [POTUS 47] Administration’s tariffs against China’s biggest import categories, with the most recent being furniture.”

According to ITS Logistics, U.S. shippers and importers in response to tariffs “have been shifting sourcing away from China and toward Southeast Asia and India.” That migration, it said, “has pushed trans-Atlantic ocean capacity to a 28-month high, with the average vessel size also increasing to nearly 6,200 TEUs to accommodate growing demand.”

“In addition to reduced drayage capacity, shifts in global supply chain sourcing could place pressure on shippers in 2026,” Brashier said. “At countries of origin, regional challenges such as limited container availability and lack of deep-water ports should be of concern. Domestically, a combination of the post-tariff sourcing adjustments and the reopening of the Red Sea to containerized cargo could also drive a paradigm shift where the East Coast overtakes the West as the preferred gateway, fundamentally changing U.S. supply chain strategy.”

Further Reading:

• ITS Logistics Issues November Supply Chain Report
• ITS Logistics Releases November US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index

GPA The CSX-served Appalachian Regional Port. (Courtesy of GPA)

The Appalachian Regional Port in November moved 3,876 containers, up nearly 35% from the prior-year period, GPA reported Dec. 11.

The roughly 1,000-container gain, it said, “underscores the inland terminal’s expanding role as a logistics hub.” The rail facility provides daily service, with seven outbound and seven inbound trains per week to and from the Port of Savannah. Set near the town of Chatsworth, Ga., about an hour and a half north of Atlanta and less than an hour from Chattanooga, Tenn., the rail-served terminal connects directly to Savannah via CSX.

The Appalachian Regional Port handled more than 41,000 containers in Fiscal Year 2025, which ended June 30, 2025, according to GPA. Through the first five months of FY 2026, it has processed 20,030 containers, up 20% from the same period a year earlier.

“We have a 48-hour rail transit with daily service from the Appalachian Regional Port connecting to our 35 ship calls a week in Savannah,” GPA Chief Operating Officer Ed McCarthy said. “With easy access to Interstate 75 and U.S. 411, the Appalachian Regional Port is ideally located to generate business opportunities and drive economic growth for Northwest Georgia.” 

A rendering, provided by GPA, of the Blue Ridge Connector terminal to be served by Norfolk Southern.

According to GPA, its Blue Ridge Connector is under construction in the Gainesville, Ga., area. To be served by Norfolk Southern, it is expected to open in spring 2026. The Blue Ridge Connector will serve a manufacturing and logistics corridor in Northeast Georgia with a regional population of more than 2 million people.

“In North Carolina, importers and exporters tap into a faster supply chain through a direct rail connection between Savannah and Rocky Mount, N.C., via the CSX Carolina Connector intermodal terminal,” GPA said. “The Carolina Connector service provides seven-day-a-week CSX rail departures from Savannah, with three-day transit time from vessel to cargo arrival.”

Further Reading:

• Port of Savannah’s September Volumes Up 8%
• Port of Savannah Logs Second-Busiest Year on Record
• Port of Brunswick Set to Launch South Side Rail Facility Phase I
• For GPA, Containers Up, Capacity Growing

The post Intermodal Briefs: ITS Logistics, GPA appeared first on Railway Age.

From fiscal cliffs to tariffs to excess liability insurance, commuter rail operators have no shortage of challenges at the moment. But at last month’s annual Summit of the Commuter Rail Coalition, industry leaders aimed to focus on the positive—sharing knowledge and experiences that could help others strengthen the role of commuter rail in their communities.

In a panel discussion, leaders from Connecticut DOT, Maryland DOT, MBTA, New Mexico Rail Runner, and South Florida’s Tri-Rail focused on creative resourcing. Their stories demonstrate the type of value commuter rail can deliver, even when operators are forced to overcome challenging financial environments. Here are four key takeaways from that discussion.

• MDOT finds power in partnerships: Maryland has good reason to invest in transit-oriented development (TOD): The state is currently grappling with a housing deficit of just under 100,000 units. According to David Zaidain, chief of transit-oriented development at the Maryland Department of Transportation, that shortage has led to highly productive partnerships between transit operators, private developers, and state and local agencies. At the state level, government organizations are prioritizing investments in projects that help to address the housing shortage, while transit bodies like MDOT are contributing analysis on which stations offer the strongest possible opportunities for development. These collaborations are already bearing fruit. Earlier this year, MDOT and Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced plans for a new commuter rail station and housing community at Bowie State University. The 4.6-acre site should lead to 400 new housing units being built near the HBCU.

• Focusing on fundamentals in South Florida: The potential opportunities with TOD can be thrilling, but it’s important to get the basics right before trying to pursue billions in investment. That was the takeaway from Dave Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) and Tri-Rail, and vice chair of the CRC board of directors. The SFRTA is set to collaborate with local developers and the Florida East Coast Railroad on a multi-billion-dollar TOD project, but this was only possible after making significant improvements to fundamental operations like cleanliness, security, and on-time performance. “We forget some of these things,” said Dech. “We get fancy, we do the zoning, but there’s tons of nuts and bolts we can take care of in our own backyard.” That focus on the nuts and bolts had a measurable impact on ridership, as Tri-Rail has seen some of the strongest recovery of post-pandemic ridership in the country. Strong ridership numbers and impressive operational performance demonstrate to developers that this is a service worth investing in.
  
• Connecticut DOT: Proof points beyond passenger rail: Commuter rail won’t always be the first priority for TOD. Connecticut’s TOD success story began with CTfastrak, a 9.5-mile rapid transit bus line running between Hartford and New Britain. Caroline Kieltyka, assistant rail administrator for operations safety and security at the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT), discussed the success of TOD surrounding CTfastrak, including significant investments made by the city of New Britain surrounding the new bus stations. The success of CDOT’s rapid transit bus TOD has provided the state with momentum to pursue new projects along their commuter rail line in New Haven and Stamford. Both cities are set to see major investments in new housing, station improvements, as well as a multimodal transit hub in New Haven. “Within the next 10 years, if you come through New Haven, you’ll definitely see a different experience than you had in the last year,” said Kieltyka.
  
• Creative funding in New Mexico: Elizabeth Olson, project manager for Rio Metro RTD and the New Mexico Rail Runner, highlighted how unique funding opportunities can lead to major wins for transit operators. The New Mexico Rail Runner service benefits from a 4% gross receipts tax that generates $4 million per year that can be used for capital improvements. Those investments lead directly to the crucial performance improvements that Dave Dech mentioned when discussing commuter rail in South Florida. New Mexico Rail Runner’s improved performance and expanded service gives Olson and her colleagues credibility as they advocate for additional funding. The organization hopes to eventually be able to tap into gas tax revenue as well, because increased rail ridership reduces congestion and wear and tear on the state’s roadways. The commuter railroad in New Mexico understands the importance of public support, which is why they have worked hard to partner on TOD projects in cities like Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Santa Fe is a particularly strong success story, as the development of restaurants, breweries, museums and movie theaters have made the area around the station into a popular local destination.

The annual Commuter Rail Summit reaffirmed the importance of working together as an industry to overcome our most pressing challenges. But the discussion around TOD and making creative use of resources also showed that we don’t have to wait for a crisis to take action; we can learn from the best examples in our industry and work proactively to prove the value and importance of commuter rail in our communities.

The post Commuter Rail Leaders See Progress and Potential in Creative Resourcing appeared first on Railway Age.

FROM THE EDITOR, RAILWAY AGE DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE: When  I started freshman year at Essex Catholic High School, Newark, N.J.,  in September 1973, Latin had been dropped as a requirement. Though it’s the basis for many modern “Romance” languages—Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian, etc.—and is widely used today in scientific, legal and medical terminology, Latin is not a spoken language in daily life. One Latin phrase, though, is supposed to be applied to Surface Transportation Board merger decisions. This phrase is critical to the massive Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern proposed transaction, undoubtedly to date the most consequential of STB considerations.   

Many doctors and nurses know the Latin phrase primum non nocere—“first, do no harm.” Associated with the Hippocratic Oath, it emphasizes avoiding actions that could cause more harm than good, and is a reminder to carefully consider potential risks and benefits of any medical action. The core idea is to prioritize patient safety by making thoughtful decisions that protect a patient from unnecessary risk.

The “patient” in this case is the North American railroad industry. The “doctor” sworn to practicing primum non nocere is the STB. On Nov. 28, BNSF filed with the STB for a separate proceeding “to examine, with remedies, its allegations that UP has a history of not honoring competition-enhancing commitments such as it agreed to in 1996 when merging with Southern Pacific,” notes Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner. “BNSF says such an investigation must come ahead of evaluating the UP-NS merger application so as ‘to prevent further degradation’ of competitive options. BNSF says a longer timetable to permit a separate investigation is appropriate because STB precedent, ‘since time immemorial,’ prevents ‘old harms’ from being evaluated as part of merger application review. BNSF cites comments to that effect by now-retired STB Chairperson Martin J. Oberman in 2022 during agency review of the approved merger creating CPKC.

“Alleged by BNSF is a UP ‘pattern of obstructive conduct’ toward pro-competitive conditions imposed by STB in approving the 1996 UP-SP merger. That conduct, says BNSF, has systematically interfered with its ability to compete as was intended. Among BNSF’s examples of UP ‘obstructive conduct’ are giving ‘preference to its own trains’ at the Eagle Pass, Tex., Mexico border crossing; its claim of ‘exclusive use of new sidings’ at Baytown, Tex. (Houston region); and its ‘discriminatory dispatching’ of trains.

“Specifically, BNSF wants the STB—ahead of its review of the UP-NS merger application—to investigate ‘UP’s harmful conduct since the UP-SP merger; enforce the rights granted to BNSF to preserve competition; and modify the conditions of the UP-SP merger approval decision, as the Board deems necessary, to ensure customers are not further harmed by UP’s ongoing efforts to stifle, and its failure to preserve, competition.’”

More observations are in the December issue’s Watching Washington and 2026 Freight Rail Outlook. As we wind down a tumultuous 2025 and brace for a roller-coaster ride in 2026, all the best for a safe, peaceful, happy Holiday Season.

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2026 FREIGHT RAIL OUTLOOK, RAILWAY AGE DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE WITH WALL STREET CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JASON SEIDL: For most if not all of 2026, the industry will be preoccupied with the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern U.S. transcontinental merger. By now, we’ve all heard the often-repeated “standard,” practically boilerplate reasons why a merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern into a coast-to-coast U.S. transcontinental megarailroad—a behemoth of unprecedented size and scope—would benefit human civilization:

Freight shipments abandoning the highways for rail! Fewer interchanges! “Seamless” service! Improved service! Faster transit times! Less traffic congestion! Reduced greenhouse gases! Rail volume growth! More rail volume growth! Eroding market share reversed! A stronger economy! Happy employees! Improved safety!

There’s probably a good deal of truth to these potential benefits—but realistically, not to the degree that advocates of this merger would like us to believe. For sure, the good people at UP and NS will bust their collective butts getting things right, but history tells us that hiccups are inevitable. We can only hope that those busting their butts won’t bust a gut if the hiccups morph into severe abdominal cramps. I’m not talking about a wholesale disaster, like the collapse of the Penn Central in 1970. That was a different time—and in the long run it led to major beneficial changes, like partial deregulation under the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. But let’s not forget the meltdown that occurred when UP acquired Southern Pacific.

At this writing in late November, the merger application is yet to be filed (it’s currently expected in the vicinity of Dec. 19), but the voices of the opposition have been turning up the volume. This is understandable. A transaction of this size is bound to have some negative effects, particularly to other railroads. Those who expect to be caught in the megarailroad maelstrom will demand concessions, which the STB, I believe, will order as a condition for approval. 

“The Surface Transportation Board should condition any approval on enforceable service quality metrics, strong gateway protections, guaranteed short line interchange access, transparent pricing and clear penalties for service failures,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Infrastructure and Transportation Advisory Board member Brigham A. McCown, a former federal official, in a recent editorial. “These guardrails are essential, not optional, to ensure competition is preserved and shippers benefit from the efficiencies promised.”

“The artificial intelligence supported record reinforcing this merger decision will be the most data-driven in [STB] history,” Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner notes in this month’s Watching Washington. “Collaboration is under way with the Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. Its data analysts, economists, mapping experts, mathematicians and statisticians will work with STB quantitative and legal experts to evaluate, with particularity, every submission of applicants and opponents. STB members will be deciding this merger in the brightest of sunlight. Studied will be years of traffic flows, interchange commitments, impacts on joint facilities, track capacity, opportunities for (and effectiveness of) competitive access, and measurements of shippers’ transportation alternatives. An ill-defined common carrier obligation may gain amplification.”

If the merger goes through, then what? One industry veteran tells me BNSF and CN are already considering their options, and one of them will have to be first out of the departure yard with an offer to acquire CSX. It could turn into a competition, much like Canadian Pacific and CN engaged in over Kansas City Southern. CPKC, one of the most vocal critics of UP+NS (see Jason Seidl’s commentary, following), won’t need to seek a merger, I believe. The first and only North American single-line transnational, with its Canadian transcontinental system and north-south alignment into Mexico, can stand on its own.

“Primum non nocere” (“first, do no harm”) is the STB’s guiding principle. The UP/NS application will be the most difficult mission the agency has ever undertaken. .

Jason Seidl: ‘90% Chance Of Approval’

Looking back at the building of the original transcontinental railroad in the 1860s, the most impressive aspect was that it took just six years to complete, with immigrant labor laying nearly 1,800 miles of track and blasting 15 tunnels using mostly hand drills, black powder and nitroglycerine. Compare that to the maligned Big Dig in Boston, which took a decade longer to reach completion, was confined to a single city and was completed with modern machines and technology. Now, the railroad industry is facing the potential of combining two railroads into one coast-to-coast transcontinental operation in the U.S. 

As backers and opponents line up to face off over the potential benefits and potential drawbacks, pundits abound to weigh in on what could happen. Being one of those pundits, I am happy to share my opinions on a potential deal and what it might mean to the rail supply chain. Please note, however, that as I am writing this, the UP/NS merger application has yet to be filed. 

My thoughts around a 90% chance of the deal being approved by the STB have been in print for quite some time. We are confident that the Board will do a thorough job of evaluating the deal. This prognostication is also dependent on two things: 1) the White House’s desire to get a deal done will likely play a pivotal role, and 2) the UP does an excellent job of making sure it can create competition for those shippers losing options with a potential combination. 

Lately, most of the news coming out about the deal has been on the negative side. This makes sense as we are at the stage of UP wrapping up its application, which easily includes hundreds of (but likely well over one thousand) letters of support from rail constituents. This lull has enabled most of the news to be on the negative side. Indeed, recently we saw a letter from a coalition of state attorneys general (Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Tennessee) to the STB expressing concern about a potential merger. This group of AGs cautioned the STB that a potential UP/NS combination would create too much market concentration, thereby leading to reduced competition for rail supply chain constituents. They warned of issues with higher pricing, lower reliability and reduced innovation. While missteps from prior mergers have clearly provided enough backing for anyone to question how a proposed merger may impact reliability over the integration period, it may be harder to draw a straight line to the issues of higher prices and reduced innovation. 

Since 2004, railroad pricing has risen every year, driven early on by renewals of long-term legacy contracts. Recently, rail pricing increases have been subdued by the longest downturn the trucking industry has seen in more than three decades. Eventually, the trucking industry should recover, but the rail industry must find a way to compete over the longer term. For this to happen, the rail industry must embrace innovation, not reduce it. 

We wrote an extensive report on the very topic of growth for the rail industry in June. The report purposefully read as an open letter to the industry, in which we urged it to focus on growth. We continue to believe the pathway to growth remains very viable for the rail industry. It must focus on delivering a consistent service product, increasing the ease of doing business and improving supply chain visibility. Opening new services in watershed areas will likely add growth, but if the railroads fail to follow through on those three items, long-term industry growth will likely return to underperforming the major economic indices.

The next six months will be pivotal for the deal, with the obvious first step of an application. The acceptance of an application with limited STB pushback would be a good first step for UP/NS. However, we expect there to be a fight from many in the industry led by Class I’s (CPKC and BNSF have been by far the most vocal critics), shipper associations (National Industrial Transportation League, American Chemistry Council, and Freight Rail Customer Alliance, to name a few), politicians, and some unions—although we note that UP has reached agreements with Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, and SMART-TD.

We remain convinced that the STB will do a thorough job of evaluating the deal. While the Board will not be rushed, we do expect it to focus on the task in as much of an expedited manner as possible. Indeed, Chairman Patrick Fuchs has long said his No. 1 priority is to increase the accountability of the Board. The Chairman has acknowledged that the STB has a long-standing reputation of being too slow and somewhat inaccessible. Thus far, the current Board has shown productivity improvements over historical standards. Hence, if an application is presented to the Board in early December, we believe a review will be completed by the end of first-quarter 2027, with either four or five members voting on it (we fully expect Dick Kloster to be confirmed and believe there is a chance former Board member Robert Primus may return as well via court challenges). Until that time, we expect lots of news flow surrounding the deal and note that anything or everything could impact our current 90% prediction. 

The post Building a Behemoth? appeared first on Railway Age.

WATCHING WASHINGTON, RAILWAY AGE DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Union Pacific (UP) CEO Jim Vena’s September pilgrimage to the Oval Office—where Republican POTUS 47 picked his corporate pocket for a cash contribution toward a $300 million White House ballroom—has unjustly sullied the reputations of Surface Transportation Board (STB) Republican members rather than assure regulatory approval of a UP-Norfolk Southern (NS) merger. The STB, with a Republican majority, has sole statutory authority to approve the transaction. 

Although the President said the proposed merger “sounds good to me,” and notwithstanding his being transactional—every interaction in expectation of a trade—the STB is independent of the Executive Branch.

Beyond Vena denying a quid pro quo, those alleging his “gift” assures a “fix” are ignoring contrarian evidence. Today’s Republican Party embraces a populist ideology opposing concentrations of corporate power. Consider that a UP-NS merger will create the only U.S. Atlantic-Pacific railroad, with an enterprise value of $250 billion, dwarfing rival CSX’s $83 billion value and some 50% greater than that of BNSF (estimated, as BNSF is not publicly traded). 

Otto Berman

This isn’t to say the merger won’t or shouldn’t be approved. It is to say that even infamous mobster and outcomes-fixer Otto “Abbadabba” Berman, were he alive, couldn’t manipulate STB decision making. 

The artificial intelligence supported record reinforcing this merger decision will be the most data-driven in the agency’s history. Collaboration is under way with the Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. Its data analysts, economists, mapping experts, mathematicians and statisticians will work with STB quantitative and legal experts to evaluate, with particularity, every submission of applicants and opponents. STB members will be deciding this merger in the brightest of sunlight.

Studied will be years of traffic flows, interchange commitments, impacts on joint facilities, track capacity, opportunities for (and effectiveness of) competitive access, and measurements of shippers’ transportation alternatives. An ill-defined common carrier obligation may gain amplification.

“Board members well know that this record will be reviewed by the courts, regardless of the outcome,” said retired STB Chairperson Martin J. Oberman in November in defense of non-partisan STB staff and the decisional independence of his former and still serving Republican colleagues—Chairperson Patrick J. Fuchs and Michelle A. Schultz—whom he recalls always parked their political leanings elsewhere. 

Conspiratorial claims simply fail validation given shifting Republican orthodoxy. 

In an Oct. 30 speech to the Charlie Kirk-founded Turning Point USA, Vice President J.D. Vance said, “I really worry about concentration in the corporate sector. I worry about big corporate monopolies. I worry that when you have only one or two companies dominating an entire sector, it’s bad for liberty and it’s bad for prosperity.” 

Gail Slater

In an April 28 speech at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Gail Slater spoke against “the tyranny of monopoly,” recalling the consolidated market power of 19th century railroad and grain-elevator operators that “deprived farmers of fair, competitive returns for their crops.” Significantly, the 1995 ICC Termination Act instructed STB to give “substantial weight” to competition-related recommendations of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. 

Additionally, numerous conservative Republican senators with close ties to POTUS 47—lawmakers who vote on STB budget requests—urged in an Oct. 30 letter to the STB “a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation not just for its potential short-term efficiencies, but for its ability to demonstrate clear and tangible long-term improvements in competition.”

Then there are the Aug. 19 CNBC remarks of POTUS 47’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who observed “partnerships” might also deliver seamless transcontinental rail service, adding, “That’s not our issue. I’ll leave that to the regulators.”

Vena says he is “99.999% sure” the STB will approve the merger. He’d best be wagering on the strength of a yet-to-be-filed formal merger application—not the bombast of a widely considered narcissist POTUS whose attention span is shorter than the length of stub track.

  Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner was assistant vice president, policy, at the Association of American Railroads and a White House appointed chief of staff to Republican STB member Gus Owen, who voted in favor of the 1997 UP-SP merger. He is author of “Railroads & Economic Regulation,” available from Simmons-Boardman Books, 800-228-9670.  

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Dec. 11 reported that more than 18,000 frontline Amtrak workers will each receive a $900 bonus “to celebrate a record year of ridership and revenue.”

“At the request and urging of the [POTUS 47] Administration, Amtrak’s executive leadership team has decided to forgo 50% of the bonus packages that would have been paid out under the … previous executive bonus structure,” the USDOT said. Amtrak’s Board of Directors has also “taken action to eliminate long-term incentive bonuses for the corporation’s senior executives and has voted to distribute the affected executive bonus funds to Amtrak’s unionized frontline workers in the form of $900 bonuses.”  

“We applaud Amtrak and its executive leadership team for doing the right thing,” said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Steven G. Bradbury, Secretary Sean P. Duffy’s representative to the Amtrak Board of Directors. 

“This long-overdue recognition of the employees who keep the railroad moving is a step in the right direction,” Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen National President Mark Wallace said.

“SMART-TD appreciates Amtrak’s decision to prioritize the men and women who keep our passenger rail system running every day,” commented SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson. “Providing frontline employees with a meaningful bonus is an important acknowledgment of their dedication and service, especially during the holiday season.”

Amtrak last month reported closing its Fiscal Year 2025 (Oct. 1 2024–Sept. 30, 2025), “marking another year of growth and strong performance.” “America’s Railroad” noted that it provided 34.5 million customer trips, “setting all-time records for both ridership and revenue for the second consecutive year” and “through deliberate planning and thoughtful execution, increased network capacity by 4.3% despite the challenges of an aging fleet, and customers responded with a strong demand for quality service, driving revenue that outpaced ridership.”

Further Reading:

• Crawford, Graves Question Amtrak C-Suite Bonuses
• T&I Republicans Double Down on Amtrak 

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TTC OPERATED BY ENSCO, RAILWAY AGE DECEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Each year, leaders from across the rail industry gather in Pueblo, Colo., share innovations and learn how they are tested in the real world. At the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Transportation Technology Center (TTC), operated by ENSCO, Inc., ideas are evaluated under realistic conditions to validate new technologies, improve safety systems and refine the tools that keep railways moving.

The TTC Conference & Tour, held in October 2025, provided an in-depth look at how research and testing at the site continue to shape the future of rail. It wasn’t merely a showcase; it was a continuing workshop highlighting the industry’s collective pursuit of safety, reliability and efficiency through data-driven experimentation.

Innovation Grounded in Experimentation

During the TTC Conference, presentations spanned research and testing that have taken place at the TTC, work currently under way and programs being prepared for future validation. Collectively, they illustrated how experimentation at the site translates emerging ideas into measurable advances in safety, performance and operational advancements.

Much of the discussion focused on the evolution of energy systems, data analytics and inspection and control technologies. Siemens Mobility presented its work in hybrid propulsion, examining how diesel and battery power can be blended to balance performance, range and efficiency across varying duty cycles. Wabtec followed with a discussion on energy management and control systems, demonstrating how advanced analytics and power optimization software can reduce fuel consumption and emissions, minimize mechanical wear and improve operational consistency under real-world conditions. Wabtec also highlighted how advanced technologies are impacting asset monitoring and operations.

Other presentations addressed the digital infrastructure that underpins modern railway safety. AtkinsRéalis presented advancements in digital twin modeling, demonstrating how data from track and bridge structures can be translated into virtual environments that help engineers forecast maintenance needs and evaluate performance before field changes occur. Voestalpine Signaling highlighted condition monitoring and wayside sensing technologies, including fiber-optic and thermal detection systems that identify early signs of component fatigue, bearing wear and rail stress in real time. These systems add a predictive layer of safety monitoring, turning the railway itself into a continuous diagnostic platform. 

TTX shared results from railcar performance studies using instrumented vehicles at the TTC, generating data on vibration, wheel-rail interaction and bearing behavior, insights now guiding maintenance planning and fleet reliability programs across multiple operators. Railway Metrics & Dynamics (RMD) demonstrated how sensor-based derailment detection systems are being validated for detection speed and communication accuracy, improving emergency awareness and post-incident data collection. 

Discussions also looked ahead to the next generation of freight technologies. Intramotev, a developer of autonomous railcar systems, presented its research concept for independently powered freight cars that could one day improve current yard operations, energy use and network flexibility through automation.

The program also included research perspectives from academic partners, including the University of South Carolina, Virginia Tech and others whose ongoing work contributes to the broader scientific foundation of rail safety, resilience and workforce development. Collectively, these efforts, whether completed, ongoing or in planning, demonstrate the depth of applied experimentation taking place at the TTC. The findings emerging from this research continue to inform the design of safer, more efficient, more resilient railway systems. 

Turning Testing into Shared Knowledge

Research presented in Pueblo reinforced how applied testing benefits the broader rail ecosystem. Results from experiments at TTC inform design practices, training and operational standards throughout the industry.

Testing in controlled environments allows engineers to study how advances in vehicles, track and components behave under stress. The resulting data supports improvements in equipment reliability and network resilience. It also gives operators and manufacturers a common foundation for understanding performance, safety margins and lifecycle behavior insight that cannot be replicated in simulation alone.

By linking testing to education and collaboration, TTC transforms experimentation into knowledge the entire industry can use.

Opening the Gates: The Power of Demonstration

Day Two of the TTC Conference offered what no slide presentation can replicate: direct observation. Once a year, the site opens its gates for a guided tour where attendees experience research in practice.

The 2025 tour featured five primary stops: fiber-optic track sensing, grade-crossing safety systems, advanced track tools, indoor and outdoor equipment displays and a live derailment demonstration. Each stop illustrated a different facet of applied safety research and product development, showing how sensors, vehicles, and infrastructure advances are mitigating risks and improving rail transportation. 

Members of the Center for Surface Transportation Testing and Academic Research (C-STTAR) also shared highlights of their recent work funded through FRA research grants, focusing on transportation resiliency, training and workforce development; key areas that directly support the next generation of railway professionals. 

Observing technology in operation helps participants connect the data presented during day one with the systems being tested. The TTC tour exhibits are changed each year to display various facility capabilities. Past events have featured hydrogen propulsion trials, grade crossing collisions and hazmat response exercises. That evolution reflects the site’s commitment to sharing new knowledge and exposing visitors to the latest developments in safety and technology. It’s not simply about access; it’s about leading through openness and learning.

Few facilities in the world can match TTC’s combination of scale, security and readiness. The entire site is fenced, gated and monitored around the clock, with controlled access points and on-site emergency services, including a fire department and certified hazmat response team. This infrastructure allows research and high-risk testing to be carried out safely and responsibly.

Controlled derailments, such as the one conducted at this year’s tour, provide critical data on derailment mechanisms and vehicle-mounted sensor performance. Each test, no matter how specific, adds to a growing body of knowledge that strengthens the safety foundation of the rail industry.

By inviting the industry inside to observe site activities, TTC demonstrates that progress in transportation is accelerated through shared research.

Continuing to Lead Through Learning

The TTC remains the rail industry’s classroom, laboratory and proving ground. Work conducted during the past year including hybrid propulsion, predictive monitoring and derailment studies, illustrate how today’s research is directly contributing to safer, smarter, more efficient rail operations.

Opening the site annually for the TTC Conference & Tour is at the core of the site’s mission. By showing the work rather than simply describing it, the center helps bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.

The 4th Annual TTC Conference & Tour, scheduled for Oct. 20-21, 2026, will continue that effort, offering new insights into the technologies shaping rail’s future. The progress emerging from the TTC demonstrates to the industry that every advance in safety and innovation begins with the willingness to test, measure and learn. 

(Logo Courtesy of TTC Operated by ENSCO) Further Reading:

• Improving Rail Operations Using AI and Machine Learning: Detecting Trespasser Hotspots
• Derailment Investigation, Prevention, Detection
• Automated Rolling Stock Inspection with Wayside and Onboard Technology
• Grade Crossing Collision Testing at the TTC

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