Prototype News

Virginia DRPT (Courtesy of Virginia Railway Express)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DRPT Executive Director Jennifer DeBruhl retired in 2023.

Further Reading:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MTA (Courtesy of MTA)

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

Paneque will report to MTA Chief Administrative Officer Lisette Camilo.

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

Further Reading:

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

Trinity Metro (Courtesy of Trinity Metro)

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

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

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

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

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

Further Reading:

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

Ports of Indiana (Courtesy of Ports of Indiana)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Further Reading:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEPTA

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

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

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

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

Brightline West

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TTC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post Transit Briefs: SEPTA, Brightline West, TTC appeared first on Railway Age.

Improving the general public’s perception of freight and passenger rail is going to require a complex balancing act: Not only does the public need to understand and appreciate the economic and environmental benefits of rail, but rail stakeholders also must be convincing of rail’s relevance at all levels, from the hyper-local level and rail’s impact to local businesses, to the national level where rail is an indispensable contributor to freight and passenger transportation networks.

That was the overarching theme expressed at a Jan. 11 workshop at the annual Transportation Research Board meeting. The workshop, which attracted a mix of rail representatives, consultants, municipal planners and students, served as the basis for a lecture session later in the week on breaking down barriers to efficient rail transportation.

In addition to presentations from representatives of the rail and port industries and the Department of Transportation, workshop participants brainstormed on two scenarios. The first scenario was how an imaginary town can convince a large shipper—and the railroad—that their site, located next to railroad tracks, was a prime spot for the development of the shipper’s facility. The second scenario was to convince a passenger rail line to include a stop by their imaginary town.

Serving as a backdrop to discussions at the workshop were statistics presented by the Association of American Railroads, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, and Amtrak showcasing the economic benefits of freight and passenger rail to the U.S. economy.

“It’s one thing, and wonderful, to talk about the economic impact of the rail industry itself, in terms of the number of people that are employed and the jobs relating to the movement of goods,” said Paul Baumer, deputy director for infrastructure development for DOT’s Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy. However, “our overall strategic plan is, how does rail benefit the economy writ large, and how do the industries that rely on rail transportation benefit from a safe and efficient system? And how can we invest? How can we support private sector players as they look at investments? How can we partner with them at the federal level to help make sure everyone’s rowing in the same direction in terms of the economic strength of the United States?”

Baumer’s office at DOT is charged with publishing a federal freight transportation plan, as well as working with state DOTs as they develop their own freight transportation plans. As such, Baumer sees his role as encouraging local and state jurisdictions to think about how their goals align with national goals for freight transportation. However, he also sees his office as helping the private sector align with the federal goal of making the freight transportation network more efficient.

Fellow panelist and consultant Sharon Greene also stressed the importance of trying to develop a multimodal framework for a freight or passenger rail project, especially as it comes to grant funding. She discussed how even a local or state project may have a great impact on the regional or even national rail network. “A lot of the grant programs are looking at the micro level, and they don’t get at the kind of impacts that are being discussed by the speakers at this table. We’re getting an incremental development of a system based on the tiniest piece,” Greene said. However, “the benefits that we want to achieve are the global benefits [related to] making a system decision or making a corridor decision. And it’s difficult to reflect that at the project scale. We look at a range of impacts: local, regional, wide area or broad area impacts.” And while the broad area impacts may not be reflected in a funding application, they may still contribute greatly to the economic competitiveness of a region, she said.

To illustrate how local rail movements can impact on a regional and national scale, fellow panelist Tyson Moeller with the Port of Texas City discussed how the port had to realize the importance of how it manages its land use, particularly as it relates to the port’s access to the freight rail network. “I think if you’re working with agencies, cities and counties, you have to help them be more diligent about the land use around railroads, because a truck facility, a warehouse can be located anywhere within a community. [But] you only have a few connections to a railroad, and so that’s what you look to preserve. And there really is economic value there,” said Moeller, who worked for Class I Union Pacific for 30 years prior to working with the Port of Texas City.

The challenge for ports is that they must show that the economic benefits of having access to freight rail greatly outweigh any potential risks. The ports and the railroads must also show how they can promptly address safety concerns or issues that may arise. “When the general public thinks about the railroads, they think about blocked crossings. They think about nasty disasters like Ohio, right?” Moeller said, referring to the February 2023 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio. “And so, we need to figure out how to convince them that railroads are an economic driver … What we hear in the general media is not about the good-paying jobs and industries. And so, we’ve got to change that narrative a little bit.”

As an example of where a port and a city greatly benefit from rail, Moeller pointed to Houston, where industries take advantage of their proximity to the railroads, pipelines and the port. In Houston, “every railcar represents about three to four trucks, so while blocked crossings have been a complaint raised in Houston, the alternative would be 40,000 to 60,000 additional trucks on the roads every day,” Moeller said. Trucks also can degrade the roads more quickly, while railroads are “set up to handle heavy freight insulation.”

While the public raises concerns about explosions because the railroads handle hazardous materials from the agriculture and chemical industries, railroads are still ultimately safer than trucks, Moeller continued. “When railroads develop properties next to or in a community, all you hear about are big explosions, things of that nature. But in reality, there’s millions of tons of freight being moved every day safely that you never hear about 24/7, and so that’s part of the narrative that we’ve got to go through and change.”

As local and state officials develop rail plans, Moeller suggested, in response to a question to the workshop panel, that metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have people on staff who understand freight rail. In Texas, “I knew to go to the MPO because we’re looking for potential grade separations around [a] short line … I know that I’m going to increase volumes, and that can impact the general public. And so, I know that the MPO can help kick off an initial study,” Moeller said. Short lines and rail-served industries can also educate MPOs on the benefits of rail, he added.

MPOs are also eligible entities for many of the discretionary grants, with many MPOs being early sponsors of freight rail-related grant applications, according to Allan Rutter, former Federal Railroad Administrator and a freight transportation practice leader affiliated with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. In addition to applying to grants, “the final thing I’d encourage you and your folks to consider is the possibility of MPO-level freight committees engaging your freight stakeholders in your MPO region: truck, rail, waterway—everybody who’s involved in that so that your freight stakeholders understand what it is that you do and how the kinds of projects that you fund can affect them,” Rutter said.

The post TRB Workshop: Getting the General Public On Board With Rail appeared first on Railway Age.

Think of a North American passenger train during the final decades of the 20th century, and more often than not, the blunt-nosed General Motors Electro-Motive Division F40PH will come to mind. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing into the 1990s, the four-axle locomotive based on EMD’s popular GP40-2 series was synonymous with passenger railroads of all types, from long-distance operators like Amtrak to commuter agencies such as Metra and NJ Transit.

While huge numbers of the nearly 500 F40-type locomotives EMD built between 1975 and 1992 have been retired or are reaching the end of their serviceable life, many railroaders are still familiar with the iconic units. This is why the F40PH is the ideal locomotive to build a lease fleet for power-hungry commuter agencies, says Phil Puccia, CEO of Rolling Stock Solutions, founded in 2022.

“The F40PH was probably one of the most widely used locomotives in the country, and so we wanted to be able to provide a locomotive that the mechanical and operations people already knew,” Puccia said. “The F40PH is basically the Toyota Camry of locomotives.”

Rolling Stock Solutions has purchased 12 former Amtrak F40PH locomotives and is working with Metro East Industries in East St. Louis, Ill., to rebuild 10 of them. The first one was completed last year and entered service this month on the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) Commuter Rail system. Five more units are expected to join it in the months ahead.

Puccia notes that the average age of a commuter rail locomotive in the U.S. is 28 years. But procuring new locomotives or rebuilding old ones can take upwards of a decade and cost millions of dollars, and that doesn’t often resolve an agency’s more immediate motive power needs. That’s why Puccia’s company is putting together a lease fleet to specifically serve commuter rail. “We are helping these agencies by filling the gaps,” he said.

Rolling Stock Solutions

While the F40PH units that Rolling Stock Solutions owns are decades old, they have been completely rebuilt from the frame up to modern standards and are considerably more efficient than before. Utilizing a Tier 0+ prime mover and an independent Tier 4 head-end power (HEP) engine, these rebuilt locomotives achieve a 45% reduction in NOx emissions; a 37% reduction in hydrocarbon and PM (particulate matter) emissions; and a 10% increase in fuel efficiency through the use of electronic fuel injection and AESS (automatic engine start/stop) systems. Chief Mechanical Officer Sean Kehoe said the locomotives are also quieter than un-rebuilt versions, as some F40PHs got a reputation for being “screamers” because the turbocharged prime-movers had to keep running at full RPM (typically 900) even when stopped at a station to maintain HEP. To accommodate the Tier 4 HEP, the locomotive carbody was extended, eliminating its rear platform while keeping the frame parameters the same.

The locomotives have also been upgraded with a crashworthy cab that follows current FRA standards. They’re outfitted with in-cab cameras, upgraded electronics and microprocessor control systems. Rolling Stock Solutions has also traded out the traditional control stand for a desktop control panel common on modern units. Depending on where the locomotives are being put into service, they can easily be outfitted with Positive Train Control or the Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System version of PTC used in the Northeast. Perhaps most notably, the locomotives are 100% “Buy America” compliant.

When it is all said and done, Rolling Stock Solutions’ F40PHs are more than just a refurbished locomotive, but an almost-new one ready for another two decades of service. “This is not a standard overhaul; this is a complete remanufacture,” said Artura Subowo, Rolling Stock Solutions technical officer. “In essence, what we’re making is a like-new locomotive with a 20-year lifecycle.”

Puccia said now that the first locomotive has entered service, the company is focused on completing the other rebuilds and getting them into service. He’s optimistic that even more units will be needed in the future, especially in an era of tight budgets and increasing motive power needs. “Whenever I talk to a commuter agency, they always say, ‘How come someone didn’t think of this years ago?” he said.

The post Teaching an Old Locomotive New Tricks appeared first on Railway Age.

BNSF

“BNSF operating teams are focused on maintaining positive performance momentum across the network,” the Class I wrote in an online customer notification, dated Jan. 16 (see chart, top). “Average car velocity is steady week-over-week and is more than 2% higher than the average for December. Terminal dwell improved by 7% compared to the prior week, and approximately 4% from the previous month. Our local service compliance measure, which reflects our timeliness in handling carload freight, exceeds 91% and has also improved week-over-week and versus the prior month.” (This follows the railroad’s recent report that 2025 marked the safest year in its history.)

BNSF also told customers that the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern (UP-NS) merger “continues to face growing scrutiny and opposition from a wide range of stakeholders across the freight transportation industry, including ports, labor groups and elected officials at all levels of government.” It provided a website address for them “to read about BNSF’s position on the merger and preserving rail competition, and how and where to lend your voice to the issue.”

According to a Dec. 31 Railway Age report, BNSF, CN, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CSX, and the National Grain and Feed Association told the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in separate filings that the UP-NS merger application was incomplete. On Jan. 16, the Board rejected, “without prejudice,” the application as incomplete “because it does not contain certain information required by the Board’s regulations,” according to Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. The joint UP-NS merger website on Jan. 16, he reported, had a brief statement saying the application would be refiled with the STB, but as of Jan. 19, there was no information (press release, brief statement, etc.) on either website about the rejection or what could happen next and when. According to Vantuono, UP is required to submit a letter of refiling intent to the STB by no later than Feb. 17.

NS (Courtesy of NS)

“At Norfolk Southern we’re transforming how we view the lifecycles of our assets,” NS Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin said in a recent LinkedIn post. “Led by our Asset Disposition team, we’re turning unused materials and machines, like a backhoe in Williamson, W.Va. [pictured above], into fresh revenue streams.”

The railroad is reporting a record $78.6 million in scrap metal revenue in 2025—$18 million more than in 2024. The company also said it diverted 88% of operational waste from landfills in 2024, another record. (2025 waste diversion figures, it noted, will come in later this year.)

Previously, because field teams relied on manual processes, word-of-mouth, and inconsistent data entry, valuable materials sat idle or were scrapped without capturing value, according to NS. Now, it said, “by leveraging technology, collaboration and an increased sustainability mindset, NS is maximizing recovery, reducing waste, and improving operational efficiency.”

NS recently launched The Thoroughbred Trading Post, which is described as a mobile app “to streamline asset disposition.” Employees now photograph assets, upload details, and initiate disposition requests instantly, eliminating multiple steps, emails, and office visits, according to the railroad. “This automation ensures faster response times and consistent data, making the process more accessible and efficient. Through one click, NS sells larger assets to auction houses, which will increase revenue.”

“Think of it like an online marketplace,” NS Agile Business Solutions Senior Manager Jonathan Anthony said. “You don’t have to jump through all the hoops you had to before.”

The railroad pointed out that selling railcars outright, for example, instead of scrapping them, often achieves two to three times higher returns. Also, through more Engineering, Mechanical, Transportation, Safety, Environmental, and Sustainability team partnerships, “assets are reused, resold, or recycled more than ever,” and “better workflows and tracking have allowed NS to support heritage projects by donating retired assets for museums and educational initiatives.”

Separately, NS surpassed its locomotive “Fly Rate” goal and its charitable giving in 2025.

Further Reading:

• Video: Norfolk Southern’s John Orr, Railway Age 2026 Railroader of the Year
• 13 Companies Earn NS Thoroughbred Sustainability Partner Awards

CN Members of the Symington and Walker LRC teams pictured here. (Photographs Courtesy of CN)

“1,000+ days injury-free doesn’t happen by luck. It happens by design!” CN reported recently via social media. “Behind that incredible milestone, CN’s Material Planning team leads with a simple but powerful formula: when a good idea works, it doesn’t stay local—it becomes a shared standard across the system, so everyone benefits. Add in speaking up about hazards, following best practices and looking out for one another, and you get a team that keeps each other safe every day. Here’s to the next 1,000 days and aiming even higher!”

Separately, CN recently sent a “Supply Chain Salute” to the Port of Prince Rupert in British Columba, which it serves exclusively and which handled 26.3 million tons of cargo in 2025, up 14% from 2024, and reported its December and November grain movements.

Further Reading:

• CN Releases 2024 Sustainability Report
• RAC Members Earn Safety, Environment Awards

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

Railway Age is pleased to announce the 25 “Fast Trackers” selected for this year’s 25 Under 40 awards program.

This year’s honorees were selected from freight and passenger railroads; government entities; and the supplier, contractor and consultant communities. They were required to be under 40 as of Jan. 1, 2026.

“Our eleventh-annual awards program honorees not only represent the strength and growth of our industry, but also the ‘best of the best,’” Railway Age Publisher Jonathan Chalon said. “Railway Age will feature their accomplishments in the February 2026 issue.”

“It was an honor to be invited to judge the ‘Fast Trackers’ awards again this year. The breadth and depth of achievement and experience demonstrated by the younger contingent in our industry workforce is a good sign for the future. Technology adoption was noticeable but a major component in many submissions was the balancing of job tasks with people-skills. Leadership qualities were evident whatever the position or type of company in the industry, and can take many different forms,” said former Michigan State Center for Railway & Education Nick Little, who was program judge.

“Submissions covered job content and brought it to life by describing impacts, results and, wherever possible, describing examples applying leadership skills and dynamic thinking. Most importantly, it was not just about ‘getting the job done’ but making sure safety was foremost. One take-away I noted this year was that change was not feared but embraced. It was recognized as an opportunity to develop oneself in order to achieve business success.” 

Honorees (in alphabetical order):

• Kyle Anderson, Communications Director, Amtrak
  
  
• Devin Berci, Manager Application Delivery and Support, CPKC
  
  
• Steven Bybee, Senior Vice President of Operations, Southern Region, Union Pacific
  
  
• Paola Cala-Ortiz, Director, Telos Advisers
  
  
• Matt Denham, General Superintendent of Transportation, BNSF
  
  
• DJ Ezell, Vice President of RWIC Operations, RailPros
  
  
• Lewis Fitzgerald, Director of Intermodal Operations Planning and Design, CSX
  
  
• Felipe Horta Gomez, Quality Coordinator, Currie & Brown
  
  
• Josh Huster, Chief Strategy Officer, Alpenglow Rail
  
  
• Sahand Jafarian, Senior Manager, Track Engineering, Metrolinx
  
  
• Ben Miller, Vice President of Engineering, The Greenbrier Companies
  
  
• Bernie Miller, Quality Manager, Stacy Witbeck / Modern Railway Systems
  
  
• Tim Morris, Hub Manager Mid-Atlantic IMAU, Norfolk Southern
  
  
• Kendel Ortiz, Deputy Director, MW Training, Metro-North Railroad
  
  
• Matthew Peagler, IHB Terminal Operations & Network Coordinator at CIROC (Chicago Integrated Rail Operations Center), Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
  
  
• Krystal Perepeluk, Director Passenger Rail, Ontario Northland
  
  
• Ryan Ramirez, Engineer V – Senior Project Engineer, RailPros
  
  
• Max Schwartz, U.S. Regional Director-Rail, Hatch Ltd.
  
  
• Shannon Simonds, Chief, Office of Rail Planning & Implementation, Caltrans, Division of Rail
  
  
• Susannah Sullivan, Senior General Attorney, Law, Union Pacific
  
  
• Aditya Umesh, Systems Engineer, Hitachi Rail
  
  
• Satish Vijayaraghavan, Head of Quality, North America, Rolling Stock and Components, Alstom
  
  
• Ben Wahlen, Regional Vice President, Transportation-West, Patriot Rail
  
  
• Ben Wilson, Senior Financial Analyst, Anacostia Rail Holdings Company

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):

• Tatini Gandham, Senior Data Engineer, CSX
  
  
• Jamie Harrmann, Senior General Attorney, Law, Union Pacific
  
  
• Christian Knapp, Chief Mechanical Officer, Denver Transit Operators
  
  
• Alexander Myrah, Engineer – ET ESA Level III, Long Island Rail Road
  
  
• Yinka Robinson, Head of Public Affairs, External Communications and Marketing – Hitachi Rail North America, Hitachi Rail

Railway Age’s 2025 “Fast Trackers” 25 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2024 “Fast Trackers” 25 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2023 “Fast Trackers” 25 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2022 “Fast Trackers” 25 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2021 “Fast Trackers” 20 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2020 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2019 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2018 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees
Railway Age’s 2017 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees

The post Railway Age’s 2026 ‘Fast Trackers’ 25 Under 40 Honorees appeared first on Railway Age.

by Andrew S. Nelson/photos by the author

On February 28, 1987, I got a call from my brother, Jeff, who was then a student at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. He had just come back from Soo Line’s Stevens Point engine terminal and had news — the terminal was chock-full of GP9s, GP30s, and GP35s. There wasn’t a single SD40 or SD40-2 to be found. Something was brewing.

And brewing it was. Soo Line was going to make a stronger go of its Lake States Transportation Division (LSTD) that had been created in 1986 after it had acquired The Milwaukee Road. Basically, the “Lake States” as it became known, was the original Soo Line trackage in Wisconsin (with two small tails into eastern Minnesota) and Upper Michigan prior to The Milwaukee Road merger. Also included were the former Milwaukee Road Wisconsin Valley Line between New Lisbon and Tomahawk, Wis., and the former Milwaukee Road line between Green Bay and Milwaukee. In the months prior to the official January 1, 1986, merger, Soo had shifted almost all through traffic between the Twin Cities and the Chicago-area terminal at Bensenville/Schiller Park to the former Milwaukee Road main line. This left the original Soo main through Wisconsin with little traffic. Stevens Point, a busy division point on the original Soo, went from eight to 12 through trains per day to fewer than half as many.

ABOVE: Train 17 crosses Little Hay Meadow Creek north of Otis on July 3, 1987. GP30 707 and GP9 4233 are in charge.

What followed after that phone call from my brother was akin to traveling in a Soo Line time machine that lasted all of a little over seven months.

Now, I need to point out here that I was someone who cut his teeth watching The Milwaukee Road on its Wisconsin Valley Line in hometown Wausau. I was used to the ever-predictable Bensenville–Wausau Train 247 arriving in Wausau in the early morning behind three GP38-2s. A few hours later, the “North End,” the moniker for the Milwaukee’s Wausau–Tomahawk turn, would leave Wausau with one or two GP38-2s. A little later in the morning, one GP38-2 would take the “Rapids Patrol” (“patrol” was the Milwaukee’s term for most way freights) south to as far as Wisconsin Rapids.

Later in the afternoon, both the North End and Rapids Patrol would arrive back in Wausau. By early evening, the three GP38-2s that had brought Train 247 to Wausau that morning were leading Train 246 to Bensenville. The whole operation ran like clockwork, Mondays through Saturdays, orange and black locomotives up front, and an orange bay window caboose in the back. From mid-1985 through early 1987, the former Milwaukee Road in central and northern Wisconsin became much less Milwaukee and much more Soo, and I did not like that one bit.

But, March 1987 changed all of that.

ABOVE: The Stevens Point Dispatcher West set up the meet between Stevens Point–Superior Train 3 and its counterpart Train 4 at Spencer, Wis., on April 17, 1987. Spencer was where the Soo’s route to Ashland split from the Chicago–Twin Cities main line.

This Is 1987?
The transformation in the Stevens Point area happened pretty much overnight. Soo Line transferred 37 GP9s, 19 GP30s, six GP35s, nine SW1200s, and two SD39s (ex-Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern) along with a few “Bandit” ex-MILW GP20s (rebuilt GP9s with chopped noses) and SD10s (rebuilt ex-MILW SD7s and SD9s with chopped noses) to the Lake States. The “Bandit” nickname came from the way former MILW units had their roadnames hastily masked out with black paint and placed back into service. Some units remained this way until the last few were retired in 2019.

This power transfer put Soo’s oldest power on its lightest density lines. The Lake States would not be the land of SD40-2s and SD60/SD60Ms that dominated the former Milwaukee Road main line between the Twin Cities and Chicago. In fact, except for the rust on several of the older Soo locomotives, the look of the Lake States in spring, summer, and fall 1987 was more like a railroad in 1967. The LSTD presented a rare opportunity on a Class I to recreate scenes common two decades earlier.

ABOVE: GP30 715, replete with rust, leads three GP9s and Train 3 past the depot at Stevens Point on March 20, 1987.

Suddenly, a drive from Wausau to Stevens Point to “check on the Soo” became a worthwhile venture. My first chance to get to “Point” at the start of the LSTD era was on March 20, and it didn’t take long for me to get hooked. Train 4 was ready to head east to Shops Yard in North Fond du Lac behind GP30s 719 and 703. Skies were bright and sunny, and the two units put on a good audio show as those old turbocharged 567s slugged it up Stockton Hill east of Stevens Point. After the train crested the hill, it was a cross-country chase east to Waupaca.

That afternoon Stevens Point–Shoreham Train 1 left Stevens Point with three GP9s, including two 4200-series “torpedo Geeps” that were originally acquired for Soo passenger train service. After the 1 departed Stevens Point, Train 3 for Stinson Yard in Superior left Point Yard behind a GP30 and three GP9s.

Yep, I was hooked…

Read the rest of this article in the February 2026 issue of Railfan & Railroad. Subscribe Today!

The post Lake States Remembered appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

by Adam Horgan/photos by the author

On a summer morning along the banks of Powell’s Creek, a distant horn echoes off the flat water. A northbound parade of trains is marching up CSX Transportation’s Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac (RF&P) Subdivision. The scanner crackles alive with Amtrak P052, the northbound Auto Train to Lorton, Va., calling its last few signals before arriving at the end of its journey from Sanford, Fla. It flies across the bridge, and right on its heels is CSX I032 with priority intermodal traffic from Jacksonville, Fla. Both trains are some of the hottest on the railroad, and the BD dispatcher desk is working hard to keep traffic moving on time. Behind them, an Amtrak regional and another intermodal are on their way north from Richmond, Va. This is just business as usual on one of the most important stretches of main line railroad in America.

RF&P in 2025 is a critical rail corridor for both freight and passenger traffic. As the road’s original slogan says, this subdivision links north and south, connecting the northern portions of CSX’s system in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest with the southern portions. For more than 190 years, this vital steel rail highway has carried commerce and passengers to and from the nation’s capital. From the Civil War through modern times, RF&P continues to play an important role in the story of America. With changes on the horizon to improve the line and expand capacity, the storied history of RF&P is about to begin a new and important chapter.

ABOVE: A southbound CSX freight enters Virginia with the Washington Monument in the background. The crew has just called the clear signal at “RO,” the northernmost point in Virginia on RF&P. Due to recent security measures, this spot is no longer accessible.

From Richmond to D.C.
In February 1834, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia incorporated Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad. You have to wonder if the lawmakers at the time had any premonitions that Virginia’s sixth chartered railroad would become arguably its most important. Connecting Virginia’s capital city of Richmond to Washington, D.C., it would become a strategically important asset during the Civil War. This is also possibly where the other moniker for RF&P, “Rich Folks and Politicians,” began.

Due to the number of waterways along the route and the bridges required to cross them, the line was not fully connected by rail until 1872. Instead, travelers relied on steamboat connections to Washington for part of the journey. Despite the limitations, the line was burned many times by both armies during the Civil War because it traveled through and near several major battle sites and, like many railroads, later required significant investment.

ABOVE: Train I034, a holiday service extra train, crosses under the signals at Slaters Lane in Alexandria on November 23, 2024. In the background is the dome of the U.S Capitol building.

After the war, the railroad grew to meet growing demand. RF&P was a distinctive bridge line connecting northern and southern railroads. The company retained a shared ownership structure, which allowed for the free flow of traffic up and down the I-95 corridor. The railroad served as a not-quite-short line, not-quite-terminal railroad, and not-quite-traditional main line either, moving freight from the massive interchange at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Va., to Acca Yard in Richmond. The commonwealth of Virginia retained partial ownership of the railroad as well, and the fascinating history of RF&P’s ownership structure could be its own article and has been well-documented by several authors. Over the years, through the evolution of mergers and consolidations, RF&P was a notable missing link in the CSX system. In 1991, CSX officially purchased the line and by the end of the year fully assumed operations.

Today’s RF&P
Since that transition, RF&P has risen to be an increasingly busy and important piece of the CSX system. Running from M Street in Washington to Acca Yard in Richmond, the roughly 114 miles of the RF&P Subdivision are some of the busiest in the eastern U.S. They are also some of the most diverse in terms of traffic, locations, scenery, and options available to railfans.

ABOVE: Two Virginia Railway Express commuter trains meet at the Alexandria station during rush hour in March 2022. Launched in 1992, the operation serves 16 stations on two lines serving Manassas and Fredericksburg.

The railroad now has more trains than it has track and capacity to handle them, with the south side by Richmond averaging 40 Amtrak and CSX trains in a 24-hour period. Between 15 and 20 of those trains are CSX freights and the remaining are Amtrak passenger trains. The northern end sees those 40, plus scheduled weekday Virginia Railway Express commuter train movements. Freight traffic is diverse, ranging from hotshot intermodals with containers on flatcars to manifests, coal trains, rock trains, and anything else the railroad needs moved, including military equipment for Uncle Sam. Often featured on priority trains are the iconic Tropicana orange juice cars that travel between Florida and New Jersey. While “the juice” used to be a separate hotshot unit train, it is now generally switched and carried as a block.

RF&P crews traditionally run through to Richmond from their departure terminals, and vice versa, with most freight trains getting new crews before departing Richmond’s Acca Yard. Traditional routing for trains running to northern cities through Baltimore and Philadelphia is to connect with the Capital Subdivision in Washington, D.C., and trains bound for West Virginia and beyond connect with the Metropolitan Subdivision just north of Washington. With the amount of traffic on the railroad, there are plenty of opportunities to see freight in daylight. This line is also home to Auto Train’s northern terminal at Lorton. Auto Train is a unique operation, taking both passengers and their vehicles to Sanford with a scheduled arrival window of early in the morning and a late afternoon departure once the train is loaded and built…

Read the rest of this article in the February 2026 issue of Railfan & Railroad. Subscribe Today!

The post Today’s RF&P: Still Linking North and South appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Maine’s Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington is making steady progress with its effort to build a brand new 2-foot gauge 2-4-4T locomotive, and the project is getting a major boost thanks to an anonymous donor. 

Since 1989, the museum has rebuilt 3.5 miles of track on the original right-of-way of one of Maine’s five original narrow gauge railroads. Along with that, the museum has built multiple stations, a shop, a roundhouse, and a water tower, as well as rebuilt two steam locomotives. The third locomotive, presently under construction, is a 2-4-4T based on the original WW&F’s No. 7, a 28-ton 2-4-4T Forney built by Baldwin in 1907. The locomotive will wear the number 11, one higher than the museum’s current steam roster (locomotive 9, a 0-4-4T, was the last engine owned by the original railroad, and locomotive 10 was purchased from Edaville in Massachusetts in the early 2000s. Locomotive 10 was originally built for a Louisiana plantation).  

In 2025, this anonymous donor made a generous matching donation toward the “Build 11” project, and they have decided to do it again in 2026. For every dollars raised this year, the donor will match it up to $60,000. The donor has said they hope to offer similar support over the next few years, which will help the museum get even closer to an operating locomotive. As of early 2026, a number of major components have been completed, including the frame and wheelsets. The museum hopes to have the locomotive complete by the end of the decade. For more information and to learn how to donate, visit https://wwfry.org/build-11/.

—Justin Franz 

The post WW&F Makes Progress on New-Build 2-4-4T appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Steamtown National Historic Site is currently restoring a two-truck Shay locomotive, and officials say they expect to have it operating before the end of 2027. 

Steamtown Superintendent Jeremy Komasz tells Railfan & Railroad that restoring Meadow River Lumber Company 1 is critical to ensure the park has an operating steam locomotive at the end of next year, when Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 26 is scheduled for a federally-mandated overhaul. 

“Getting Shay 1 back under steam while planning for Baldwin 26’s 1,472-day inspection is exactly where Steamtown needs to be focused right now,” Komasz told Railfan & Railroad. “These projects are cornerstones of our five-year Strategic Action Plan and our long-term Investment Concept development, and they allow us to keep engaging visitors with live steam during an extraordinary series of national milestones in 2026 and beyond.”

Meadow River Lumber Company 1 inside the Steamtown shop in Scranton, Pa. Photo Courtesy of Steamtown. 

Shay 1 was built by Lima for the Sewell Valley Railroad and the Meadow River Lumber Company in May 1910, and it operated in West Virginia throughout its entire career. The locomotive was later sold to F. Nelson Blount, who was establishing his Steamtown U.S.A. museum, first in New Hampshire and then in Vermont. In Vermont, the locomotive was badly damaged when the roof of the building where it was stored collapsed under heavy snow. The collapse destroyed the locomotive’s cab. In the 1980s, it and the rest of the Steamtown collection were moved to Scranton, Pa., where it eventually became the property of the National Park Service. 

A 1991 study commissioned by the National Park Service stated that Shay 1 was a “tired, worn-out engine” best suited for static display. But subsequent inspections have led the Steamtown shop staff to believe that the engine can operate again. The restoration quietly began in 2024, and since then, shop crews have disassembled the locomotive, conducted a full ultrasound on the boiler, started rebuilding the trucks, and begun fabricating a new smoke stack. Shop crews say they are on track to have the engine under steam by the end of 2027. 

—Justin Franz 

The post Steamtown to Restore Shay Locomotive to Operation appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Hours after the U.S. Surface Transportation Board rejected Union Pacific’s application to acquire Norfolk Southern as “incomplete,” the Western Class I vowed to press on in its effort to create the first single transcontinental railroad. 

In a brief statement to Railfan & Railroad late Friday night, a spokesperson for UP simply wrote, “Union Pacific will provide the additional information requested by the Surface Transportation Board.”

On Friday afternoon, the STB announced it was rejecting UP’s initial application due to insufficient information. Among the issues the STB identified in the initial application was an incomplete market analysis. For example, UP and NS stated that it would take three years for the benefits of increased traffic from the merger to be realized. However, the application did not provide an analysis of what those traffic levels would be; it only showed what they would be on the first day of the combination. 

The STB’s decision will undoubtedly delay UP’s efforts to acquire NS. It will also be seen as a win for the four other Class Is, which have all spoken against the proposed merger. On Friday evening, Canadian National praised the STB’s decision. 

“A stronger record will allow the Board to determine whether the proposed transaction is in the public-interest and whether the time and scope limited measures offered by the applicants satisfy the requirement to enhance competition,” CN officials wrote in a statement. “As noted earlier, applicants had refused information critical to understand their perspective on anticipated competitive harms and inform the Board’s public-interest and competition analyses. The Board rightly found that applicants needed to provide that information. CN looks forward to participating robustly once UP-NS has submitted a complete application and encourages customers to file their notices of intent to participate so they can stay informed and continue to participate in the STB’s process.”

—Justin Franz 

The post UP Vows to Press On In Effort to Acquire NS appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has rejected Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s initial merger application as “incomplete,” telling the two Class I railroads that if they want to become North America’s largest railroad, they’ll need to try again. 

The unanimous bombshell decision was announced late Friday and is likely to delay UP’s effort to acquire NS. Although the board rejected the initial application, it provided no insight into the final decision on the merger — if UP and NS opt to try again.

“Today’s decision is based solely on the incompleteness of the December 19 application and should not be read as an indication of how the Board might ultimately assess any future revised application,” STB officials said in a press release. 

Among the issues the STB identified in the initial application was an incomplete market analysis. For example, UP and NS stated that it would take three years for the benefits of increased traffic from the merger to be realized. However, the application did not provide an analysis of what those traffic levels would be; it only showed what they would be on the first day of the combination. 

Additionally, applicants are legally required to provide copies of “Any contract or other written instrument entered into, or proposed to be entered into, pertaining to the proposed transaction.” However, UP and NS only included an “Agreement and Plan of Merger,” not the full contract. 

The STB’s decision will likely be seen as a win for BNSF Railway, Canadian National, CPKC, and CSX Transportation, which have all been speaking out against the UP-NS combination for weeks. One of their chief complaints was that the merger application was incomplete, meaning they couldn’t fully evaluate it. 

—Justin Franz

 

The post UPDATED: STB: UP-NS Merger Application is ‘Incomplete’ appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

January 16, 2026: In a decision predicted by Railway Age (“Why Not a Merger Timeout?,” Watching Washington, November 2025 issue), the Surface Transportation Board in a unanimous decision rejected, “without prejudice,” the Union Pacific (UP)-Norfolk Southern (NS) major merger application as incomplete “because it does not contain certain information required by the Board’s regulations.”

“Merger applicants should be required to demonstrate, with specificity, the merger’s likely harm, as well as benefits, to small railroads, communities and modal competition; how they intend to attract on their lines new factories and warehouses as domestic manufacturing is revived; and how they will poach market share from non-union truckers, given rail volumes were stagnant following the 1990s merger wave,“ Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner wrote. 

STB Kicks it Back

“Under the law, the Board … must reject the application, and does so without prejudice to Applicants refiling a revised application remedying the deficiencies identified in the decision.” STB noted its decision (download below) “is based solely on the incompleteness of the Dec. 19 application and should not be read as an indication of how the Board might ultimately assess any future revised application.”

STB said regulations at 49 C.F.R. part 1180 “detail the information that must be contained in a major merger application. This includes: (1) full system impact analyses that include, among other things, market share projections for the entity to be created by the transaction; and (2) the entire merger agreement, including the submission of any contract or other written instrument that pertains to the transaction.

“Under 49 C.F.R. § 1180.7(b), Applicants are required to submit ‘full system’ impact analyses that include actual and projected market shares of certain revenues and traffic volumes demonstrating, among other things, the impacts of the transaction on competition. In the application, Applicants project that the merger will result in traffic growth, including diversions, and state that the full impacts of the transaction will not be realized until three years post-consummation. However, Applicants present as the projected market shares only the sum of actual 2023 UP and NS estimated market shares. The application does not contain future market share projections showing the combined effects of merger-related growth, diversions, and merger-influenced and other changes to market conditions that Applicants anticipate. Today’s decision finds that Applicants’ market impact analyses must necessarily project market shares beyond the transaction’s consummation date, and therefore that the application does not include the ‘projected market shares’ as required. These market-share projections are necessary because ‘[a]ny railroad combination,’ including an end-to-end combination, ‘entails a risk that the merged carrier would acquire and exploit increased market power.’ 49 C.F.R. § 1180.1(c)(2)(i).

“In addition, under 49 C.F.R. § 1180.6(a)(7), Applicants must provide copies of ‘any contract or other written instrument entered into, or proposed to be entered into, pertaining to the proposed transaction.’ Applicants’ submission to the Board includes their ‘Agreement and Plan of Merger’ document but does not include certain schedules and documents that are expressly made part of the merger agreement and that define Applicants’ obligations under it. Nor do Applicants attempt to justify why they withheld these materials from the Board.

“The plain text of the Board’s regulations requires submission of these documents. Such documents—disclosure schedules, exhibits, and other documents that supply terms of the agreement—may contain information that relates to competitive issues the Board must consider in its review of the proposed transaction. One of the merger agreement schedules, referred to as ‘Schedule 5.8,’ describes the contractual term ‘Materially Burdensome Regulatory Condition,’ which, if imposed by the Board or a court, would give UP the contractual right to walk away from the merger agreement. Because the application failed to provide the complete merger agreement and all contracts or other written instruments pertaining to the transaction, including Schedule 5.8, today’s decision finds the application is incomplete.”

CN on Jan. 8 filed a motion with STB “to compel additional information in relation to the proposed merger agreement.” CPKC filed a motion supporting CN’s position.

“Further Deficiencies”

“In addition to these issues, today’s decision identifies further deficiencies with the application,” STB said. “Specifically, the decision finds that Applicants’ related application for acquisition of control of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis is a significant transaction, not a minor transaction as submitted to the Board. Finally, the decision identifies several technical, minor issues that should be addressed in any revised application.”

“In accordance with statute, based on the findings in today’s decision, the Board must reject the application,” STB concluded. “The decision does not result in the dismissal of the merger proceeding, and Applicants are permitted to file a revised application in the docket, which would commence a new review by the Board for completeness. The decision directs Applicants to file a letter in the docket by Feb. 17, 2026, indicating if and when they anticipate filing a revised application. Any statutory time periods that follow from the timing of the filing of the application will be computed from the filing date of any revised application, if it is accepted.”

REJECTEDDownload

The post STB Rejects UP-NS Merger Application as ‘Incomplete‘ appeared first on Railway Age.

Despite a snow squall that snarled traffic and shut down Chicago’s airports for a couple of hours, the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) opened its 2026 Winter Meeting with more than 1,100 registered attendees. Always an interesting forum, this year’s meeting took place soon after Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern filed their merger application. To say the proposed merger dominated the discussion is an understatement. MARS met all expectations with speakers from four of the six Class I’s.*

Keith Creel, President and CEO of CPKC, opened the conference pointing out that the bar the proposed merger is projecting may be difficult to achieve. “The devil is in the details,” he said. Creel noted that if 20% of traffic can be improved, the other 80% of shippers should ask how it will benefit them. “Is it worth it to benefit just 20%?” he asked. He encouraged rail customers to carefully consider what is at stake in the proposed merger. “Are we creating something that is too big to fail? That is what you have to ask yourself,” he said, urging stakeholders “to make their perspectives heard before the Surface Transportation Board. “Raise your voices,” encouraging the shippers to speak up as to what they need in relationship as to what the proposed merger would provide.

Katie Farmer, President and CEO BNSF, joined the conference for a “fireside chat” that had an expectedly major focus on the proposed merger. Farmer pointed out that the projected growth rate of the merger proposal is being questioned. She referenced statistics from previous mergers not being able to achieve the proposed objectives in merger applications. Another point Farmer emphasized was the failure of the Open Gateway concept not working in Laredo border crossing, given the restrictions placed on motor vehicle, unit train and intermodal moves, resulting in only 1% of possible traffic enjoying the benefit of an Open Gateway. “Why would it work now?” she asked. Farmer also emphasized that shippers should make their voice heard, asking “is it worth the saving of a few minutes of switching time to experience what has happened after previous mergers?” and “Does this merger preserve competition?”

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena respond to some of the criticism of the proposed merger, employing some rather colorful language,” like the word “b_____t.” Vena urged participants to make their decision “based on the facts, not emotion.” He stressed the positive aspects of the proposal and illustrated an example of traffic traveling from UP’s North Platte, Neb. yard to Conway Yard, Pittsburgh on NS, claiming a reduction of 48 hours’ transit time by avoiding an interchange in Chicago and reclassification in Elkhart, Ind., before making the final run to Conway Yard. Vena also said that intermodal’s “sweet spot” is a 750- to 1,500-mile haul for possible capture of over-the-road market share.

Union Pacific issued a lengthy statement saying the MARS meeting “provided a welcome opportunity to correct misinformation spread by opponents.”

“We knew our competitors would oppose the merger, and we understand why,” said Vena. “This is a transformational merger that will inject more competition into the railroad industry and force them to enhance their service, reduce their price, or do both. While our opponents appear to be stuck in the past, we are taking a bold step that will reinvigorate the rail industry and make the entire U.S. supply chain stronger. We are not content to compete for share of a shrinking railroad industry. America needs strong, innovative railroads to shoulder the weight of a growing U.S. economy, and we are going to deliver. Single-line transcontinental rail service will inject new competitive energy into the railroad industry and provide stronger competition with long-haul trucking. Opponents say that if the two railroads merge, customers will lose a competitive option for their shipping, but that’s not the case. The combination of Union Pacific in the West and Norfolk Southern in the East is a classic end-to-end merger with virtually no overlap. Customers understand this, which is why more than 500 shippers provided letters of support for the application.

“The merger will lower costs by reducing handoffs and using faster, more efficient and price-competitive routes. Opponents say the merger will drive prices up for shippers. They have no evidence, so they simply use it as a scare tactic. The reality is that single-line, coast-to-coast service is more cost efficient, which is a big win for U.S. businesses and consumers. According to a study by leading industry advisor Oliver Wyman, interline merchandise traffic moving 1,000 to 1,500 miles costs on average 35% more than comparable single-line service, just one example of the savings.

“One of the biggest wins will be more reliable rail service. Opponents say mergers in the rail industry lead to service disruptions, citing as evidence a merger (Union Pacific and Southern Pacific) that happened 30 years ago. This argument ignores the massive technology investments and advances that have transformed railroad operations over the last three decades. The reality is the merger will enhance reliability, as several independent experts who have looked at current facts agree. Both railroads run well today. Because it is an end-to-end merger, most traffic moving on the two networks will not be affected. Most yards and terminals will not experience any significant merger-related increase in activity levels. The primary impacts will be on traffic the railroads currently interchange, streamlining how it is handled and reducing opportunities for service disruptions.

“The combined company will also be more resilient due to the greater availability of main line track, terminals, crews, locomotives and rail cars required to keep traffic flowing. A transcontinental network with 50,000 route-miles will have more options for rapidly rerouting traffic to avoid congested areas or weather. The superior service product of a transcontinental railroad will produce growth. Opponents claim the respected independent experts who produced growth forecasts for the merger application are wrong because previous rail mergers have not produced hoped-for growth. However, no previous merger has created coast-to-coast single-line service or offered cost-effective rail service to the chronically underserved watershed region. The analysis in the application shows that when single-line rail service is available, market share grows.

“The merger application is comprehensive and transparent. Opponents claim they need to hear ‘the rest of the story’ regarding plans for the merger. However, the comprehensive nearly 7,000-page application to the Surface Transportation is available for public review and includes detailed operating plans, market analysis and integration information. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will work transparently with the members and staff of the Surface Transportation Board in the merger proceeding to ensure they have the information they need. And the merger includes unprecedented protection for union railroaders. Opponents say the merger will be bad for railroad employees because they could be transferred between locations. The facts are Union Pacific has pledged that every employee with a union job when the merger is approved will continue to have one, and is the first and only railroad to reach groundbreaking jobs-for-life agreements with multiple unions.

“We have had fantastic interactions with customers at the MARS meeting. Despite what you’ll hear from our competitors and some of the association lobbyists in Washington, the customers we talk with understand the benefits of single-line service and are excited about how a transcontinental network can make them more efficient and competitive.”

CN Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Office Janet Drysdale stated that while CN is not specifically objecting to the mergers, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have not provided enough information related to retaining competitiveness in the U.S.” Being wrong could result in congestion and delays and be devastating to the industry,” she noted.

One of the most entertaining and informative sessions was luncheon speaker Dr. Christopher Kuel from Armada Corporation, and his comments on the economy and what we might expect in 2026. “We are clawing our way up into a good recovery as the year progresses,” he said. Kuel noted a “2030 work force collapse as the last of the Baby Boomers retires and the newer generations do not have the collective skills to operate manufacturing. Watch for more AI and robotics as replacements for l this generational and historic knowledge.”

Independent analyst Tony Hatch closed out the conference Tony pointing out that “the argument is growth vs. profit. Can we grow using our capital expenditures, or do we have to provide high profits.” He noted that “many of the current rail executives are former CN people.” On the positive side for 2026, “labor is at peace. Technology improvements and trucking equilibrium will be a benefit, along with partnerships and cooperation of short lines.”

*Join Railway Age on March 10, 2026 for our “Next-Gen Freight Rail Conference” at the Union League Club of Chicago. Confirmed participants include executives from all six Class I railroads—Jim Vena (UP), Mark George (NS), Keith Creel (CPKC), Tracy Robinson (CN), Tom G. Williams (BNSF), and Maryclare Kenney (CSX),—plus Patrick Fuchs and Michelle Schultz (STB), and 2026 Railroader of the Year John Orr.

The post UP-NS Merger Dominates MARS 2026 Winter Meeting appeared first on Railway Age.

SEPTA

SEPTA Transit Police recently reported a 6% reduction in serious crimes in 2025 compared to 2024, including a 33% reduction in gun violence. In addition, Transit Police made strides with stepped-up enforcement of fare evasion and quality of ride offenses.

According to the new quarterly data released on Jan. 15, there were reductions in seven of the eight serious crime categories, including aggravated assaults and thefts. Serious crime dropped across SEPTA’s four largest modes, including the Market-Frankford Line [L], Broad Street Line [B], Bus, and Regional Rail.

Serious crime reached its lowest level since at least 2015, and 2025 marks the second straight year in which totals fell below pre-pandemic levels, according to the report (download below).

“While 2025 was one of the most challenging years in SEPTA’s history, we stayed focused on delivering improvements to the system, especially when it comes to safety,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “Since its peak during the pandemic, crime has continued to decline year after year, thanks to the expansion of the Transit Police force, technology and infrastructure improvements, and other safety and security initiatives.”

Transit Police are continuing to prioritize fare evasion with enforcement up by 48% compared to the previous year, while quality of life enforcement increased by 12%.

To stop fare evasion before it starts, SEPTA says it is on track to install more than 200 full-height fare gates at 14 stations by this summer. SEPTA also has a Surface Transportation Unit dedicated to enforcing fare compliance on buses and trolleys, where entry is not controlled by fare gates.

“With 250 uniformed officers, our Transit Police staffing is at its highest level in over a decade, and another 17 cadets started police academy earlier this month,” said SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson. “Our customers see officers as soon as they enter the system, and that increased police presence helps deter people from committing crimes.”

2025-4th-Quarter-Crime-ReportDownload WMATA

With perfect scores across all 17 transit security categories, WMATA has been recognized with the TSA’s Gold Standard Award, “demonstrating a sustained, systemwide commitment to keeping customers and employees safe.” The award recognizes WMATA as a national leader in transit security and emergency preparedness.

“Protecting our customers and employees is at the core of everything we do,” said WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “We continue to take a proactive and vigilant approach to addressing current and emerging security challenges while working in close coordination with our regional and federal partners.”

In 2025, WMATA achieved the lowest crime rate in its history through increased fare enforcement, more than 30,000 cameras monitoring the system, and MTPD’s collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

“The TSA Gold Standard Award is issued to organizations that have outstanding security programs,” said TSA Assistant Administrator for Surface Operations, Sonya Proctor. “This is the fifth time WMATA is the recipient of this award, a first for any TSA Gold Standard Award winner. We are excited to recognize WMATA for their exemplary efforts in helping secure the traveling public.”

“Metro’s security efforts reflect the dedication of the Metro Transit Police Department and the close collaboration we maintain with TSA and law enforcement agencies at all levels. MTPD works with our local and federal partners supporting the safety and security of the National Capital Region,” said Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo.

TSA’s Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) is a comprehensive review of security programs “to enhance threat prevention and protection, and boost response preparedness.” Assessment categories included WMATA’s security plan, security training, drills and exercise programs, and public outreach efforts.

Alto

On Jan. 21, 2026, Alto will kick off a three-month long public consultation process for its high-speed rail network with more than 20 open house information sessions in various communities between Toronto and Quebec City, eight virtual sessions, and a dedicated online information platform.

This consultation process also includes a dedicated Indigenous consultation that has already begun, “supporting Alto’s commitment to building respectful relationships with Indigenous communities along the corridor.” Significant progress has already been made through early engagement efforts, including co-designed tools, technical briefings, and collaboration agreements.

The launch of public consultations, Alto says, marks a concrete step forward in the project’s development and pre-construction phase. “Input gathered will help inform the selection of the rail network alignment and station locations, while guiding efforts to minimize impacts, promote inclusivity, and strengthen local benefits.”

The conversations initiated through these public consultations will continue as Alto advances the project in partnership with Indigenous communities, municipalities, and public institutions. “From design and environmental studies to construction and long-term operations, each step will be underpinned by a commitment to reconciliation, sustainability, and lasting community benefits. These efforts will consider the diverse realities of both rural and urban communities, including landowners and farmers,” Alto said.

“Public engagement is a cornerstone of the Alto project,” said Alto President and CEO Martin Imbleau. “Through broad consultations with Canadians, including meaningful dialogue with Indigenous communities, we will ensure that every voice is heard in shaping the future of transportation. By working collaboratively, we will build a rail network that reflects shared priorities, respects Indigenous rights and knowledge, and delivers lasting benefits for generations to come.”

The post Transit Briefs: SEPTA, WMATA, Alto appeared first on Railway Age.

ITS Logistics

ITS Logistics, a Nevada-based third-party logistics (3PL) firm, has released its latest report 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.

While December import volumes declined through the end of 2025—despite growth in new trade lanes from Southeast Asia—the “forthcoming Supreme Court ruling on the Administration’s tariffs could drive a rebound in time for Lunar New Year,” according to the ITS Logistics Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index report for January.

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

“Port congestion remains low into the new year, with isolated issues of empty return appointment availability being reported, especially at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,” ITS Logistics Vice President of Global Supply Chain Paul Brashier said Jan. 15, when the ITS report was issued. “However, volumes to the Southeast and Northeast regions are increasing due to new trade lanes opening from Southeast Asia, as well as the reopening of the Red Sea.”

According to ITS Logistics, U.S. container imports came in at 2,227,316 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) in December, up 2% month-over-month but down 5.9% from 2024 levels. “Full-year 2025 volumes came in 0.4% below 2024 totals, officially erasing hopes that early-year frontloading would preserve annual growth margins as import demand weakened throughout the third and fourth quarters,” the 3PL firm said. “Import volumes from Southeast Asia posted modest but notable gains in December, led by Vietnam, where volumes increased 5.4% month-over-month and 21.5% year-over-year, per Descartes System Groups. This trend reflects shippers’ ongoing efforts to mitigate tariff exposure by diversifying origin strategies, even as overall demand remains constrained.”

Pre-Lunar New Year shipments are also beginning to move across Transatlantic shipping lanes toward the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest, though volumes are expected to fall below historical norms, according to ITS Logistics. “Elevated tariffs, persistent inflation, and higher costs are putting downward pressure on consumer demand, limiting the scale of traditional Lunar New Year shipping surges,” the firm said. “Shippers and carriers are watching closely for the Supreme Court’s pending decision on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, which have driven Chinese import volumes down an estimated 28%.”

“If the IEEPA tariffs were to be removed from all imported goods, there would certainly be an increase in imports,” Brashier noted. “Especially for goods recently being sourced in higher-tariffed countries.”

Outside of the ports, ITS Logistics said, “inland transportation markets are facing separate and increasingly complex uncertainty tied to state-level enforcement actions of non-domiciled commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs) and learners permits (CLPs).” California has extended the cancellation deadline for approximately 17,000 non-domiciled CDLs through March 6. “The state faces an active lawsuit brought by the Sikh Coalition alleging that many license cancellations stem from clerical and administrative errors, leaving affected drivers with little recourse or means to reinstate their licenses,” ITS Logistics said. “The Sikh community represents roughly 40% of the California carrier pool, according to the North American Punjabi Trucking Association, raising the risk of disproportionate capacity loss in one of the nation’s busiest drayage markets.”

Tennessee in early January also announced that it will issue notices to approximately 8,800 CDL holders requiring proof of citizenship or lawful U.S. presence, documentation that was not required when their licenses were originally issued, according to ITS Logistics. The affected population, it noted, represents roughly 5% of the state’s carrier base, who must present documentation by early April.

“North Carolina may be the next to follow with a similar announcement, after recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit findings revealed that 54% of sampled non-domiciled CDLs issued by the state were in violation of federal guidelines,” ITS Logistics reported. “FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said that notice has been sent to the state with the expectation that North Carolina ‘will act expeditiously to achieve substantial compliance.’ This motion could mean more CDL cancellations and a further shrinking of the capacity pool.”

Further Reading:

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

Port of Prince Rupert (Courtesy of PRPA)

“Sending a Supply Chain Salute to Prince Rupert Port Authority for a strong 2025 powered by teamwork across the gateway,” CN wrote in a recent LinkedIn post. “From terminal operators to customers to the dedicated workforce, this year’s success shows what collaboration can achieve! CN is proud to help keep the momentum moving with reliable rail service and key infrastructure investments, including progress on our Zanardi Rapids Bridge expansion that will build capacity for the future.”

The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) on Jan. 14 announced that the Port of Prince Rupert handled 26.3 million tons of cargo in 2025, up 14% from 2024, during what it called “a historic period of infrastructure investment and development.” Intermodal traffic through DP World Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal rose 20% year-over-year to 885,797 TEUs, “bolstered by robust volumes in the second half of 2025,” according to PRPA.

Demand for Canadian energy products remained steady, PRPA said, with AltaGas’ Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal shipping nearly 2.4 million tons of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to markets in Asia, representing a six% increase year-over-year. Pembina’s Watson Island LPG Bulk Terminal handled 506,159 tons, which PRPA said marked a 1% increase. Volumes through Drax’s Westview Wood Pellet Terminal went up 3%, with close to 1.3 million tons of biofuel flowing through the facility, PRPA added.

According to the Port Authority, “another solid crop year” led Prince Rupert Grain Terminal to increase its exports of western Canadian agricultural products by 8% compared with 2024. Total coal export volumes rose 18% at Trigon Pacific Terminals, with metallurgical and thermal coal rebounding, up 26% and 21%, respectively.

(Courtesy of CN)

The Port of Prince Rupert also made progress on several projects, which PRPA said “account for more than C$3 billion in capital investment and will begin coming on line in mid-2026 to further diversify exports, maximize supply chain efficiency, and grow overall cargo volumes.” They include:

• Ridley Island Energy Export Facility (REEF): Construction continues to advance on REEF, a large-scale, open-access LPG and bulk liquids export terminal. “The C$1.46 billion AltaGas and Vopak joint venture will significantly strengthen Canadian energy exports to the Asia Pacific, with an initial development phase that includes approximately 55,000 barrels per day of LPG export capacity and 600,000 barrels of LPG storage,” PRPA said. “In Q4 2025, a Final Investment Decision was reached to add upwards of 25,000 barrels per day of throughput capacity to REEF in the second half of 2027.”
• CANXPORT: PRPA said it completed leveling the 108-acre site for this project, a rail-fed logistics and transloading facility that will offer 400,000 TEUs of annual export capacity for forestry, agricultural, and resin products. CANXPORT will be operated by Ray-Mont Logistics, which will relocate its existing Prince Rupert facility and expand its operations at CANXPORT in mid-2026. According to PRPA, this project “will offer greater efficiency and competitiveness for Canadian exporters and support the balance of intermodal trade through Fairview Container Terminal.”
• South Kaien Logistics Park: In Q1 2025, the Canada Infrastructure Bank reached financial close on a C$60.7 million loan to Metlakatla Development Corporation to develop the South Kaien Logistics Park, a joint venture with PRPA. The Port Authority said the project will create a new logistics and warehousing complex a short distance from Fairview Container Terminal, CANXPORT, and CN’s main line. IntermodeX will be the first tenant, operating its new logistics hub with more than 100,000 TEUs of annual capacity and creating 200 new jobs, PRPA said. 
• Zanardi Rapids Bridge Expansion: CN began construction in Q3 2025. “Building the new rail infrastructure is key to supporting the Port’s expansion and is designed to add essential rail corridor capacity along a critical transportation link,” PRPA said. “The project will extend several kilometers of track in both directions and add a new 1,600-foot two-track bridge to meet growing demand.” It is expected to be completed in 2027.
• Berth Two Beyond Carbon: Trigon Pacific Terminals has furthered construction of its second marine berth. According to PRPA, this Berth Two Beyond Carbon project “will add significant vessel berth capacity to the terminal.” The marine infrastructure is expected to be completed in 2026.

“Our 2025 performance reflects the consistent commitment of the Prince Rupert Gateway’s workforce, terminal operators, CN, and customers,” PRPA Interim President Kurt Slocombe said. “The depth of collaboration between all Gateway partners to unlock capacity, provide greater speed to market, and actively diversify the $60 billion in trade that flows through our Port annually is second to none.”

Further Reading:

• CN Reignites CargoCool Intelligen Powerpack Service out of Port of Prince Rupert
• Building for Growth: CN’s Commitment to a Stronger, More Resilient Supply Chain
• CN: ‘Keeping it Fresh’
• CN Commits to Port of Prince Rupert’s Future With Zanardi Rapids Bridge Project
• LinX Logistics Facility Coming to Port of Prince Rupert
• CN Deploys Innovative Technology to Remotely Monitor Temperature-Controlled Cargo
• Port of Prince Rupert, DP World agree on next expansion of Fairview Container Terminal

The post Intermodal Briefs: ITS Logistics, Port of Prince Rupert appeared first on Railway Age.

Abitibi Connex

Locomotive DESX 1305, last used in Iroquois Falls in 2014 by Resolute Forest Products, is now part of Abitibi Connex’s growing multimodal logistics operations. Located along major northern shipping routes and offering direct rail access, Abitibi Connex, which officially launched in July 2025 and is owned by Iroquois Falls Development Inc., a subsidiary of the BMI Group, serves as a logistics hub for organizations operating in the natural resources, agriculture, and food sectors.

A view inside the locomotive (CNW Group/BMI Group)

With its own locomotive, Abitibi Connex can support complex road-to-rail transloading operations, “improving the movement of equipment and materials to northern and remote communities.” In the present term, the locomotive will support Pinnacle Logistics Solutions Ltd., pulling nearly 3,000 railcars over the course of a multi-year contract with Pomerleau for the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) redevelopment project, serving Moosonee and Moose Cree First Nations.

Rail operations on site will be managed by NPS Connex, a full-stack multimodal logistics company and a subsidiary of BMI Group.

The locomotive’s return, Abitibi Connex says, has been welcomed by the community “as a visible sign of renewed industrial activity.”

“For communities like Iroquois Falls, access to short-line rail is critical. Without it, participation in the broader supply chain becomes extremely challenging,” said Iroquois Falls Mayor Tory Delaurier.

The return of rail service was made possible through extensive infrastructure repairs completed by Ontario Northland. In October 2025, Ontario Northland finalized upgrades to the 9.89-kilometer (6.14-mile) rail line from Porquis Junction to Iroquois Falls and will continue providing rail service between Abitibi Connex and the main line.

“Ontario Northland is pleased to restore service along this corridor, reconnecting Iroquois Falls to our rail network,” said Ontario Northland CEO Chad Evans. “We have a long history of supporting economic growth throughout the region and we look forward to continuing to provide safe, reliable transportation services to businesses and communities for years to come.”

In parallel with restarting rail operations, Abitibi Connex says it is working with Ontario Northland to continue rail safety awareness in the community throughout the year.

“Stop, look, listen. We want everyone—especially young people—to understand how to stay safe around rail infrastructure,” said Abitibi Connex Operation Manager Mike Koteles. “Active rail operations have not been top of mind for the community for many years, so we are working diligently to ensure everyone is prepared.”

The Abitibi Connex locomotive, DESX 1305, has attracted attention from rail enthusiasts, according to the company. Estimated to have been manufactured in the late 1940s or early 1950s, the engine has appeared on multiple rail fan platforms, reflecting both its history and its renewed purpose.

“The reinstallation of short-line rail access at the Abitibi Industrial Site marks a critical milestone in advancing long-term Northern development,” said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “This goes beyond moving goods, it is about showing the world that Northern Ontario is competitive and ready for business.”

Patriot Rail

Over the holidays, Patriot Rail welcomed the first railcars into the brand-new Manila, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Rail Park, “marking a major milestone as inventory build-out gets under way,” the company said in a LinkedIn post.

“We’re also excited to announce that Hydra Transload is now fully operational, ready to support transload and rail service needs throughout the Denver region,” Patriot Rail added.

The post Industrial Development Briefs: Abitibi Connex, Patriot Rail appeared first on Railway Age.

Specifically, just as it is a federal crime to interfere with flight crews, the bipartisan Duckworth-Hoeven bill “would prohibit interfering with intercity and passenger rail crew members by establishing a uniform criminal prohibition against assaulting or intimidating engineers, conductors, onboard personnel, employees performing safety-sensitive functions and other personnel responsible for operations, functions or customer service at a rail station.”

Duckworth was originally inspired to author and introduce this bipartisan bill in 2018 after her constituent, Michael Case, was critically injured in a shooting while performing his duties as an Amtrak conductor.

“No one in America should experience what my constituent Michael Case endured when he was shot and critically injured simply for performing his job as an Amtrak conductor,” said Senator Duckworth. “Congress rightfully recognized decades ago that flight crew members deserved uniform legal protections against assault and intimidation, and it’s past time we grant our passenger rail crew members with the same legal protections that apply to flight crews.”

As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST), Duckworth has long advocated that every American should receive the dignity and respect they deserve while traveling. Duckworth authored the ASAP Act provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provide $1.75 billion over a five-year period to help build ramps, install elevators and make other improvements to help ensure our nation’s transit systems are actually, finally usable for those with disabilities.

A broad range of passenger rail stakeholders endorsed the bipartisan Duckworth-Hoeven PRCPA (download below), including SMART Union, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO (TWU), Transportation Communications Union/IAM (TCU) and the American Association of Railroads (AAR).

TCU National Secretary Treasurer, Greg Kocialski, a 30-year Amtrak veteran stated, “Our members have long sought the same protections afforded airline personnel: that assaulting or intimidating a crew member should and must be a federal offense. We’re confident this legislation will force people to think twice before ruining their own lives, and the lives of our members. I want to thank Senators Duckworth and Hoeven for their leadership in seeking to better protect the health and safety of our members.”

Previously introduced versions of this legislation had limited coverage to the train crews on intercity passenger trains; however, this new version expands coverage to station personnel and commuter railroads.

“Thanks to the continuous efforts of our Legislative Department this new updated version of the bill expands coverage to all of our members in the stations and at commuter railroads,” said TCU National Vice President Nick Peluso, who covers TCU’s commuter railroad employees. “I’m proud of our Legislative team in DC for continuing to fight tooth-and-nail for our members’ interests.”

“I’m glad Senator Duckworth is leading this long-overdue legislation,” said Andre Howard, Local Chair for TCU 2500 based in Chicago, that represents ticket clerks, baggageman, gate agents and RedCaps. “Amtrak is a safe place to work, and our members just want to be able to go to work and do their jobs every day, but like any customer service or hospitality job, sometimes you can have a disorderly customer. Having a federal law to protect our members, just like in the airline industry, is important for how serious these instances can be.”

passenger_rail_crew_protection_act1Download

The post Senators Introduce Passenger Rail Crew Protection Act appeared first on Railway Age.

CPKC

At CPKC, 16 collective bargaining agreements with various unions in the United States have been ratified, the Class I reported Jan. 15. All span five years and provide “increased wages” to approximately 700 railroaders working in Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Following is the breakdown:

• One agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) representing approximately 300 locomotive engineers on the Soo Line property operating trains in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
• Five agreements with the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen representing 231 carmen on the Delaware & Hudson, Soo Line, Kansas City Southern, MidSouth, SouthRail, and TexMex properties.
• Five agreements with the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and American Railway and Airway Supervisors Association (ARASA) representing clerks, maintenance workers, and mechanical and engineering supervisory employees on the Delaware & Hudson, Soo Line, and Kansas City Southern properties. The agreements cover approximately 108 U.S. employees.
• Two agreements with the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCF&O) representing 26 hostlers and laborers in the United States on Soo Line and Kansas City Southern properties.
• Three agreements with: the Soo Line Locomotive and Car Foreman’s Association (SLL&CFA) representing 19 U.S. mechanical foremen employees on the Soo Line property; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and Blacksmiths (IBB) representing three boilermakers on the Kansas City Southern property; and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Mechanical Department (SMART-MD) representing one sheet metal worker on the Kansas City Southern property.

“We are very pleased to see all these agreements ratified and thank our union leaders across the United States who have worked with us at the bargaining table to reach agreements that benefit hundreds of our railroaders,” CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel said. “With these agreements reached at the bargaining table and now ratified, we remain focused on serving our customers as we safely and efficiently move American business and contribute to economic growth.”

CPKC also reported that two tentative five-year collective agreements were reached last month with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) representing 76 electricians in the United States on the Soo Line and Kansas City Southern properties. Both are subject to ratification.

Further Reading:

• 2025 CPKC Holiday Train Raises Record $2MM
• CTA Releases Annual Maximum Grain Revenue Entitlements for CN, CPKC
• CPKC Names Safe Shipper Award Honorees
• CPKC Takes Delivery of 100th Tier 4 Wabtec Evolution Series Diesel-Electric

NS (Courtesy of NS)

NS on Jan. 15 reported achieving a 1.14 locomotive Fly Rate in 2025, surpassing its goal of 1.5. Fly Rate represents the number of mechanical failures per locomotive in a year of operation, according to the Class I, and a lower Fly Rate means “a better-maintained fleet with fewer mechanical failures, greater reliability, and improved service for our customers.”

“Our disciplined approach to maintenance and reliability is paying off,” said Ryan Stege, Senior Director Locomotive Operations and Maintenance at NS. “Achieving a 1.14 Fly Rate is the result of our dedicated team working collaboratively across roles, focused on keeping locomotives in service and reducing mechanical failures. This commitment translates directly into faster, more dependable service for our customers and reinforces our position as an industry leader.”

NS provided this example for context: “If we have 1,500 road locomotives in service at a 1.14 Fly Rate, that translates into fewer than five failures per day—just 0.3% of the active fleet.”

Separately, NS last fall reported powering past its 1000th DC-to-AC locomotive conversion.

Further Reading:

• 2026 Railroader of the Year: Norfolk Southern’s John Orr
• CN on UP+NS: ‘Show Us Schedule 5.8′ (UPDATED with BNSF, CSX and CPKC Filings)
• UP+NS Merger Application ‘Complete’?

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

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has awarded approximately $97 million to ten rail-related projects that it said prioritize public transit in communities most affected by pollution. They will be funded by the California Climate Investments (CCI) initiative through the Low Carbon Transit Operation Program (LCTOP).  

Another 134 non-rail-related projects will receive $123 million, Caltrans reported Jan. 14 (scroll down to download the complete list).

“The CCI steers billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars toward strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities,” according to the government agency. “It is designed to reduce greenhouse gases from the largest emission sources in California, drive innovation and guide the state towards a clean energy economy.”

Following are rail-related projects receiving awards (listed by transit agency/commission):

• Sacramento Regional Transit District, $2.4 million: Blue Line Light Rail Station Conversions – Phase 2. This project will convert up to 19 light rail stations to low-floor platforms on the SacRT Blue Line. “In order for low-floor light rail vehicles to be accessible, light rail stations platform must be at least eight inches above the top of rail,” Caltran’s reporrted. “This allows the ramp to deploy from the vehicle to the station platform with the proper slope for passengers to board.”

• San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, $10.8 million: BART-to-Antioch Operating Funds (2.0 Year 1). The funding will be used for the operation of the BART-to-Antioch Extension that Caltrans said uses DMUs (Diesel Multiple Units) to connect BART’s Pittsburg/Bay Point station to Antioch.

• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, $7.8 million: Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension SVBX (BART to San Jose) Operating Funds. According to Caltrans, the funds will be used for the operation of the SVBX project, which extends service from the existing BART rail system at the Warm Spring/South Fremont Station to new stations in Santa Clara County at Milpitas Station in the City of Milpitas and Berryessa Station in the City of San Jose.

• Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit District, $760,918: SMART Transit Operations. This project supports operations of commuter rail services in the SMART system, according to Caltrans. SMART operates 42 weekday trips as of FY24-25, an increase of four weekday trips from the prior year. SMART in FY24-25 opened a new station at Petaluma North; it opened an additional new station in Windsor, which included three new miles of track.

• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, $48.8 million: Metro A Line Operations. Funding will support the operations of LACMTA’s A Line (light rail). The new and expanded transit service serves 44 stations and runs seven days per week.

• Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), $4.2 million: FY26 Student/Youth Discount. Metrolink will provide 50% discounted passes to secondary, college, and university students. The program will attract new riders and help occasional riders become regular riders, Caltrans noted, “thus reducing roadway VMT, traffic congestion, GHGs, and air pollution.”

• Riverside County Transportation Commission, $1.3 million: SCRRA Service Optimization in Riverside County. The Commission will use the funding “to expand rail service by increasing the number of weekday trains as part of SCRRA’s Metrolink regional passenger rail service,” Caltrans reported. New trains were added in October 2024.

• San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, $602,220: ACE Operational Support Program (Year 5). This program will provide operational funding related to the continued operation of the four ACE round trips from Stockton to San Jose, according to Caltrans.

• Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, $2.6 million: Ridership Recovery Service Enhancement. Caltrans reported that the funding will “[c]ontinue and maintain enhanced rail service, while supporting alternative transportation services (Operations).”

• City of San Francisco, $18.4 million: Free Muni for seniors, people with disabilities, and youth. According to Caltrans, this program is available to San Francisco residents aged 65 and above, whose gross annual family income is at or below 100% of the Bay Area Median Income. San Francisco residents with disabilities and a gross annual family income at or below 100% of the Bay Area median income can also participate. Muni fares for regular service for all individuals aged 18 and younger are eliminated.

“Partnering with local transportation agencies, we’re building a thriving, more connected California by investing in projects that will improve outcomes for all roadway users and help the state achieve its ambitious climate goals,” Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy said. “These clean transportation projects will better serve communities most affected by air pollution, expand bus and rail service and support free or reduced fare programs and encourage fewer, shorter automobile trips.”

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