Prototype News

Almost one year to the day after Hurricane Helene wiped out much of CSX’s Blue Ridge Subdivision between Erwin, Tenn., and Spruce Pine, N.C., this portion of the former Clinchfield Railroad was placed back in service. On Thursday morning, September 25, 2025, coal train C758 (Bailey, Penn.-Terrill, N.C) departed Erwin, and rolled south through a ceremonial ribbon placed at the Poplar, N.C., bridge over the Nolichucky River. It was a welcome site to CSX employees and contractors, who worked tirelessly through this $450 million, 60-mile-long rebuilding project.

It was also fitting that CSX assigned its Clinchfield heritage unit, ES44AH 1902, to lead the train out of Erwin. This locomotive had been brought into Erwin five days earlier on Train U248, an extra local called out of Bostic, N.C., to work a couple of customers along the route. As of opening week, CSX had several other unit trains planned to traverse the Blue Ridge Sub, such as coal train C404 (Danville, W.Va.-Brice, N.C.). Manifest traffic, one to two trains each way daily pre-flood, was expected to resume in early October.

—Scott Lindsey

The post CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision Reopens appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Track circuits are legacy (“old” or “traditional”) technology—or are they? That’s a topic to be explored at Next-Gen Rail Systems, the communications, signaling and advanced technology conference presented by Railway Age, and formerly known as Next-Gen Train Control. Craig Daniels, Vice President, Business Development at conference sponsor KB Signaling, will explore why “even though track circuits have a long history, they provide much more than just train detection.”

“KB Signaling’s audio frequency track circuits provide modern, digital technology while maintaining compatibility with existing systems,” Daniels explains. “This is a next-generation technology that expands what track circuits can do. Multiple railways in the U.S. are live with this new technology; they appreciate gaining new capabilities without a complete overhaul to their train control. In most markets, a fixed-block signaling system offers similar design headways compared to moving-block; the constraints that drive operational headways up are most often external to the train control system. Our electronic coded DC track circuits are the standard for the freight market and continue to gain more intelligence. For example, our ElectroCode 6 track circuit allows true date transmission over the rails. Our Wayside Intelligence platform can monitor rail temperature and provide advanced diagnostics to crossings. We’re developing software to detect rail buckles and ballast washouts, among other developments.”

KB (Knorr-Bremse) Signaling, which acquired the legacy products of Alstom Signaling in 2024, traces its roots to General Railway Signal (GRS), established in 1904 with the merger of three companies: Pneumatic Signal Company of Rochester, N.Y.; Taylor Signal Co. of Buffalo, N.Y., and Standard Railroad Signal Company of Arlington, N.J. In 1923, GRS acquired Federal Signal Company of Albany, N.Y. GRS was one of the 30 stocks when the Dow Jones Industrial Average was expanded from a 20-stock average on October 1, 1928. In 1965, General Signal Corporation (GSX) was created with the intent to diversify into areas other than railway signaling. GRS was a wholly owned subsidiary of GSX. In 1989, GRS was acquired by the Italian company Sasib and joined the Sasib Railways group. In 1998, it became part of Alstom, when Alstom acquired Sasib Railways. In 2024, KB Signaling was acquired from Alstom, including the unit’s complete North American conventional signaling portfolio, sales, service and manufacturing operations. It joined the freight and transit groups to round out Knorr-Bremse’s rail business units in North America.

This year’s conference offers a bonus for attendees: A special tour hosted by PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) spotlighting advanced technology the agency is developing and deploying on its 72 new Kawasaki railcars, fare collection systems and other customer interfaces. The tour, available on a first-come, first-served basis, occurs Oct. 29. Stay tuned for details.

“Next-Gen Rail Systems expands the focus of Next-Gen Train Control, the communications, signaling, and advanced technology conference presented by Railway Age since 1995,” saysEditor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. “The new name reflects the evolving state of rail technology. Over the years, rapid technological developments such as AI (artificial intelligence), deep data analysis, machine learning, cybersecurity and telematics have transformed train control to become just one element of a complex, integrated platform. That’s why we’ve expanded the program to encompass the entire system. Sessions will examine how signaling and train control is constantly undergoing improvements and enhancements that deliver better safety, functionality, interoperability, versatility, and reliability, at lower life-cycle costs.

“Next-Gen Rail Systems is an essential gathering for all those involved in the growing rail systems market—whether your focus is transit, main line passenger, or freight. We are proud to present a rebranded, expanded event that features the same in-depth technical sessions and comprehensive project updates that attendees have come to expect. This conference, since its inception, has always been a ‘must attend’ event.”

Among the leading experts in the NGRS lineup are keynote speaker Tom Prendergast, CEO of Gateway Development Commission; Kris Kolluri, President and CEO of New Jersey Transit; Mario Peloquin, President and CEO of VIA Rail Canada, Andy Byford, Senior Vice President and Senior Board of Directors Advisor, Penn Station New York; Dustin K. Lange, P.E., Senior Director of Engineering, Norfolk Southern, Mark Salsberg, Co-Principal of WDG Consulting; Michael Godfrey, Co-Principal and Chief Technology Officer, WGD Consulting; Matthew Kim, Assistant Vice President Enterprise Strategy, Canadian Pacific Kansas City; Wilson Milian, P.E., President and CEO of Milian Consultants, LLC; Pete Tomlin, Independent Consultant, Jonathan Kirby, Senior Director, NJT PTC, New Jersey Transit; Clarelle DeGraffe, General Manager, PATH; Steven Vant, Chief Signal Engineer, Conrail, Mike Palmer, Senior Project Manager, Parsons; Brian Yeager, Director Advanced Technology & Train Reliability, Norfolk Southern; Yousef Kimiagar, Vice President, Institution of Railway Signal Engineers; and Catherine Campbell-Wilson, Principal, StrategyFive.

Register now for Next-Gen Rail Systems, to be held Oct. 30-31, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J.

Railway Age conferences are known for providing valuable opportunities: networking with professionals from around the world; learning about innovative approaches to implementing advanced technologies; discovering new methods for procurement and contracting; providing input on standards development; becoming better-informed about ongoing and planned projects; and discovering what regulations are coming and how they could impact business.

Industry support for Next-Gen Rail Systems is strong, including sponsorships from: 4AI Systems, Alstom, CSA – Critical Systems Analysis, Druid Software, Hitachi Rail, HNTB, KB Signaling, Milian Consultants, LLC., Parsons, Piper, SATS, and Siemens Mobility. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com or (212) 620-7224.

The post NGRS Conference: ‘What’s Old is New Again’ appeared first on Railway Age.

With more than two decades of experience in transportation, maritime, and freight infrastructure, Evett took on the role Sept. 25. He served previously as Chief Engineering Officer at the Port of New Orleans; Project Manager at Volkert, Inc.; and Quality Control Systems Manager at Shaw Environmental, where he led Quality Assurance for a $1.3 billion flood control project. He began his career as a Design Engineer at the Texas Department of Transportation.

Evett’s leadership “has driven transformative greenfield and brownfield developments, including design and permitting for the $1.8 billion Louisiana International Container Terminal,” according to Patriot Rail, an operator of short line and regional railroads, transloading, and other rail services companies. He also brings extensive experience coordinating with Class I’s, state Departments of Transportation, federal agencies, and local stakeholders “to align infrastructure with national freight and economic priorities,” the company reported.

Evett holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Alabama A&M University and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Louisiana.

“Tony Evett brings a rare combination of technical expertise, strategic vision, and collaborative leadership to Patriot Rail,” said Brandy Christian, CEO. “His extensive expertise in infrastructure and multimodal logistics—combined with his skill in stakeholder coordination—will make him a key driver of our growing industrial development priorities. Tony’s strategic alignment of engineering initiatives with economic growth is a major asset to our team.”

“It’s an exciting time to join Patriot Rail, and I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued success,” Evett said.

Also, don’t miss Patriot Rail SVP Commercial Jenni Benton at the 2025 Railway Age / RT&S Women in Rail Conference, to be held Oct. 15-16. She will be part of a distinguished panel of freight, transit, and engineering experts discussing their career journeys and how they have risen to leadership positions. Our third-annual in-person Women in Rail Conference will be filled with dynamic panels, a celebratory luncheon for Railway Age 2024 Women in Rail and RT&S 2025 Women in Railroad Engineering award honorees, and the chance to network with a wide-reaching group of like-minded professionals. All this will take place at a new, larger venue: Hyatt Regency Schaumburg in Illinois. 

• Patriot Rail Unveils Fourth Excursion Train
• Patriot Rail Refreshes its Branding
• First Patriot Rail Locomotive Arrives at Rocky Mountain Rail Park
• BNSF Opens New Salt Lake City Intermodal Facility

The post Anthony Evett Joins Patriot Rail appeared first on Railway Age.

A new rail-served warehouse is now open in Kincheloe, near Sault Ste. Marie, thanks to Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation – Michigan, CN recently announced in a LinkedIn post. “Northern Michigan businesses now have direct access to CN’s North American network. Welcome to our newest customer, Maple Transport Inc.,” CN said.

“A huge shoutout to our CN railroaders and supply chain partners who made this happen. This warehouse is a launchpad for powering business growth, creating jobs, and opening opportunities,” the Class I wrote in the post.

On Sept. 12, CPKC welcomed nine new members into the Broken Wheel Club at a special awards dinner in Calgary. Since 2018, this recognition has gone to railroaders who spotted broken wheels on both on and off the job, preventing incidents before they happen.

The new members are Dana Rowe, Tyson Wasylik, Glenn Knights, Karl Sacdal, Roman Pochekva, Deep Mander, Ravi Sidhu, Damilola Kuku and Ty Gabel.

“We’re closing in on 100 unique individuals who have found a broken wheel in seven years,” said VP Mechanical Car Brad Robertson in a LinkedIn post. “That’s pretty outstanding!”

Thanks to their vigilance, CPKC says it has had zero broken wheel derailments since 2020.

The post Class I Briefs: CN, CPKC appeared first on Railway Age.

The new R-TRIP hub will officially launch with events on Oct. 16-17, 2025. Housed in the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Urban Research, it is led by Penn IUR Faculty Fellows Leslie Richards—the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and CEO of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and now Professor of Practice at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design—and Lead Faculty Advisor Megan Ryerson, UPS Foundation Professor and Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the Weitzman School.

According to Penn IUR, R-TRIP is slated to address current challenges facing transportation today, including:

• Transportation safety and crash prevention.
• Expanded access to jobs, education, and essential services.
• Data-driven innovation and technology deployment.
• Infrastructure prepared for future demands and disruptions.
• Improved reliability and performance of complex systems.

“Whether reimagining how people move through regions or integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced analytics into decision-making, R-TRIP is focused on practical impact and measurable progress that can be deployed across cities, regions and states,” Penn IUR reported Sept. 25. “Projects will be co-developed with input from public agencies and private sponsors and guided by interdisciplinary teams of Penn faculty, students and transportation leaders.”

The Initiative’s Public Sector Advisory Committee includes CEOs from such transit agencies as Los Angeles County Transportation Authority, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, California State Transportation Agency, Georgia DOT, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Utah DOT, Denver International Airport, Pittsburgh Regional Transit, and Philadelphia’s Department of Aviation, among others.

According to Penn IUR, R-TRIP anticipates launching a series of pilot projects in collaboration with public and private partners, with an emphasis on:

• “Leveraging AI and predictive analytics to improve safety and operational efficiency.
• “Exploring smart infrastructure that adapts to user behavior and demand.
• “Advancing mobility data platforms that support informed planning and investment.
• “Supporting infrastructure that is resilient and adaptable to future conditions.”

These efforts, it said, aim to produce “measurable public benefits, such as reduced congestion, increased safety, and broader access to opportunity, through solutions that can scale across diverse environments.”

R-TRIP’s founding sponsors include Google Public Sector, AtkinsRéalis, Bentley Systems, HNTB, INRIX, STV, WSP, 4M Analytics, and Slalom.

“The Richards Transportation Initiative is built on the idea that great research should move quickly into action,” said Leslie Richards, a Railway Age Women in Rail Award honoree in 2020. “We’re creating a platform where public agencies, private partners, and academic leaders can work together to develop and implement smart, scalable solutions that accelerate innovation across the transportation sector.”

“The Richards Transportation Initiative is exactly the kind of forward-looking collaboration our nation’s transportation systems need,” added Garrett Eucalitto, President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. “Initiatives like this strengthen the ability of agencies to work across functions to improve mobility, accelerate electrification, and think beyond standard practices to better serve their communities.”

“We constantly ask how we can make travel safer, faster, and more responsive across Pennsylvania and beyond,” said Michael B. Carroll, Secretary PennDOT. “The Initiative’s applied research model gives us a powerful new tool to inform real-world planning and investment.”

LIRR “shattered” its most recent post-pandemic ridership record on Wednesday, Sept. 24, with 301,440 riders, including approximately 20,000 golf fans traveling to and from the Ryder Cup 2025 in Bethpage, N.Y., via the commuter railroad’s Farmingdale station, according to LIRR.

“This follows a summer that saw the LIRR repeatedly break post-pandemic daily ridership records carrying 298,419 passengers on Wednesday, July 23 and 295,419 passengers on Tuesday, July 22,” LIRR reported Sept. 25. “Since the beginning of June, the railroad carried more than 290,000 riders in a day six times with average monthly ridership for June, July, and August in excess of 265,000.”

The ridership highs reflect an increasing customer satisfaction rate and record-breaking on-time performance statistics, according to the railroad. Through the first half of the year, 96.6% of trains reached their destination on time, the railroad’s best rate in its history outside of pandemic years, and nine-tenths of a percentage point above last year’s rate of 95.7%, covering the same period of the year. Overall customer satisfaction reached 81% in spring 2025, up five percentage points from the fall 2024, when it reached 76%, which was itself a six-point increase from spring 2024’s rate of 70%, according to LIRR.

LIRR saw its busiest seven-day period since the pandemic, with a total of 1.77 million passengers riding between Monday, Aug. 25, and Sunday, Aug. 31. The pre-pandemic 2019 average weekday ridership of 316,692 was the highest since 1949.

According to LIRR, it brought millions of riders to see Post Malone, The Lumineers, Blackpink and other concerts at Citi Field; Phish, Mumford & Sons and the Black Keys at Forest Hills Stadium; every Mets home game; the U.S. Open; and hundreds of Manhattan events this summer along with service to the Hamptons and all the other Long Island beaches.

Nine extra trains are part of expanded service to the Ryder Cup this week (week of Sept. 21), and seven more trains have added Farmingdale stops.

“People are coming back to the LIRR because of the exceptional service, as they know a fantastic customer experience is there for them,” LIRR President Rob Free said. “The highest on-time performance in the railroad’s long history and clean, safe, and comfortable trains that are the best way to travel to everything that Long Island has to offer.”

In related news, Gatekeeper recently announced a C$27 million Federal Railroad Administration transit video project with LIRR, and MTA Metro-North Railroad will launch “super-express” trains next month.

Metra will be putting into service this fall a prototype café car, rotating it across most of its busiest lines and stations and asking riders to take a survey about whether they like the concept and about what amenities and features they would like to see, according to the commuter railroad serving Chicagoland.

To make the prototype, Metra said it removed the second level on one half of a car, and installed counters, stools, booths, and tables. The interior has also been decorated “so it feels a bit different from the average Metra car,” it noted.

The car will make its debut on the Rock Island Line on Sept. 30, Oct. 1, and Oct. 2, and then will be parked at LaSalle Street Station on Oct. 6. Riders can view the car and offer their feedback in an onboard survey. Riders who complete the survey will receive free snacks and beverages, Metra said.

The car will be moved to the BNSF Line the week of Oct. 13, the Milwaukee District North Line the week of Oct. 20, the Milwaukee District West Line the week of Oct. 27, the Union Pacific North Line the week of Nov. 3, the Union Pacific Northwest Line the week of Nov. 10, and the Union Pacific West Line the week of Nov. 17. The specific schedule for each line will be posted at metra.com/CafeCar. 

“We created this special car in an attempt to improve the riding experience and maybe attract new riders,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said. “This is your chance to check it out and tell us what you think. Would you use it? What amenities would you like to see? What other thoughts do you have?”

(Note from Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono: “New Jersey Transit should do this!”)

Separately, earlier this month and just days after the Surface Transportation Board granted Metra’s application for terminal trackage rights to continue commuter rail service over three Union Pacific-owned lines in Chicagoland, UP filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking compensation from Metra. Also, the 87th St./Woodruff Station on the Metra Electric Line, which has been closed since December 2024 for a complete rehabilitation, will reopen on Oct. 6.

REM’s Deux-Montagnes branch will begin running in November and the Anse-à-l’Orme branch will open in spring 2026, The Canadian Press reported Sept. 25.

“The two branches [see map, top] were scheduled to enter service at the end of 2024, but that timeline was postponed to fall 2025 and management [at CDPQ Infra, the subsidiary of Quebec’s public pension fund manager that is developing the REM network] had been looking at an October start for several months,” according to the news agency.

REM’s first automated urban rail system segment linking the South Shore to downtown Montreal’s central station launched in July 2023, and The Canadian Press noted that the “project has faced criticism from passengers about its reliability, especially last winter when the trains suffered multiple stoppages.”

“When asked about the frustration of future passengers, CDPQ Infra president and CEO Jean-Marc Arbaud emphasized the scale of the project,” the news agency reported. “‘In seven years, no project in Canada has been completed on such a time frame on the same scale,’ Arbaud told a news conference. ‘I don’t reject the criticism,’ he added. ‘In the end, what I’m saying is that we did it, everyone who worked on the project did more than their best, and it’s a success.’”

According to Arbaud, the delays will not affect “the construction cost update,” according to the news agency, which noted that the project’s price tag is estimated at C$9.4 billion, “about [C]$2.4 billion more than the initial forecast in 2018.”

When the Airport segment opens—scheduled for 2027—the network will have 26 stations and span 41.6 miles (67 kilometers).

In related news, REM’s first segment recently reopened after a six-week summer shutdown to test the new extensions to Montreal’s North Shore and West Island.

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