Railway Age magazine

Officials and individuals from the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), Jackson County Economic Foundation (JCEDF), the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, the Jackson County Port Authority, and Chevron Corporation joined BWC Terminals (BWC) on Dec. 2 for a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the construction of BWC’s newest terminal facility in Pascagoula, Miss.

The new facility, which, the company says, “supports BWC’s significant growth trajectory as it continues to expand across the United States, with ongoing construction projects currently under way in Baltimore, Jacintoport, and Manchester,” will be built on the former Mississippi Phosphates Corporation and will initially include seven above-ground storage tanks, with an expected operational date in the fall of 2026. BWC’s construction plan for the initial buildout and future buildouts will be done so in connection with the approved remediation activities by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The terminal is being built and operated to support an agreement with Chevron Products Company to receive, store, and deliver petroleum products for the nearby Chevron Pascagoula Refinery. The refinery, BWC says, will benefit from increased storage and throughput of various feedstocks as well.

In addition to the storage tanks, the terminal will include direct pipeline connectivity to the refinery, unit train unloading capabilities and connectivity to marine infrastructure to load/unload ships and barges. To support these operational activities, BWC says it plans to offer a minimum of 25 new employment opportunities within the first two years of operation.

Port Pascagoula rail service begins at the terminals of the Pascagoula River and Bayou Casotte Harbors affording efficient port-rail connections. Pascagoula rail service links are CSX direct and access to CN via the short line carrier Mississippi Export Railroad.

“This groundbreaking marks a significant strategic milestone for BWC Terminals, enhancing our presence along the Gulf Coast,” said BWC Terminals President and CEO Adam Smith. “We would like to thank our partners—the State of Mississippi, MDA, JCEDF, the Board of Supervisors, the Port and Chevron—for their collaborative efforts and strategic planning that made this new facility possible. We are eager to unlock long-term growth opportunities that will not only benefit our organization but also positively impact the local community by creating jobs and fostering economic development.”

“We welcome BWC Terminals to Jackson County and look forward to their continued success in partnership with Chevron Products Company. BWC’s strategic location in Jackson County is a testament to a community whose diverse economy supports employers like Chevron and logistics and distribution suppliers like BWC,” said George Freeland, Executive Director, Jackson County Economic Development Foundation.

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The research, from the association’s Policy and Economics team, “highlights how railroads’ structural and operational advantages—such as predictable pricing, resilience following disruptions and unmatched fuel efficiency—power a transportation solution that keeps costs in check and goods moving. Representing nearly 40% of long-distance freight by ton-miles, rail’s price stability delivers significant macroeconomic benefits—namely taming inflation,” according to the AAR.

“Freight rail is more than a transportation mode; it is a critical tool for controlling costs, mitigating inflation and keeping our economy moving,” said Rand Ghayad, AAR Senior Vice President of Policy and Economics. “This analysis shows those same advantages act as a shock absorber for consumers—keeping goods moving and costs predictable even during turbulent times.”

Drawing on three decades of federal data, industry performance metrics and sector case studies, the analysis (download below) “shows that railroads’ cost structure and operating model make them less vulnerable to volatility and better positioned to recover from supply chain shocks.” The analysis, AAR says, “underwent external expert review to ensure methodological soundness and clarity of findings.” Because rail primarily serves manufacturers for bulk and intermediate goods, cost fluctuations are less likely to reach consumers compared to trucking, which dominates last-mile and retail distribution. Longer business planning horizons and superior fuel efficiency further help railroads prevent cost spillovers that drive up consumer prices, the association noted.

Key findings from the analysis include:

• “A 10% acceleration in trucking cost growth correlates with a 2.3% rise in goods inflation, while a similar rise in rail cost growth results in just 0.7%.
• “Trucking cost shocks typically hit consumer prices within one to two months; rail cost changes are smaller, slower and fade faster.”

Beyond price impacts, railroads’ operational resilience reduces the need for emergency trucking, storage charges and local disruptions that can compound into national price spikes, according to the analysis. During the COVID-19 pandemic and port congestion, rail transit times briefly increased but quickly normalized. For example, on the busy Los Angeles–Chicago intermodal corridor, transit times peaked at six days but rapidly returned to 4-5 days, ensuring inland movement without driving up shipping costs.

This resilience, AAR says, “is built on sustained investments and long-term planning with customers across sectors such as agriculture and energy.” Ahead of harvest season, railroads make forward commitments to absorb seasonal peaks and keep rates predictable—moving 25% of domestic grain and 40% of exports. In energy, rail reliably transports three-quarters of U.S. coal, helping reduce inflationary pressure on household energy bills, according to the analysis.

Rail’s fuel efficiency not only supports sustainability but also lowers costs, the association noted. On average, Class I railroads move one ton of freight 480-500 miles per gallon of fuel, about three to four times more efficient than trucks. Since 2000, railroads have improved fuel efficiency by 22%, reducing exposure to energy price fluctuations. If just 20% of long-haul heavy-truck freight shifted to rail, annual savings could reach $13 billion in fuel and $11 billion in reduced congestion and highway damage—benefits that ultimately flow to shippers, taxpayers and consumers, according to the analysis.

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Association of American Railroads (AAR) subsidiary Railinc on Dec. 2 reported rolling out a Rail Industry GIS (RIGIS) Routing + Mileage application.

RIGIS is described as “the central repository for North American railroad spatial locations and accurate mileage data on the railroad network.” It provides regulatory, financial settlement, and safety benefits for stakeholders including shippers, car owners, railroads, and local first responders. With its “unique routing and mileage tool, RIGIS allows users to visualize and analyze routes with a high degree of accuracy,” according to Railinc. “When an origin and destination are entered, the application displays the carriers involved and breaks down the mileage by state. Users can refine results by selecting preferred carriers or build their own routes with multiple network locations, including the ability to require junctions at specific interchange locations. The underlying API is highly scalable and highly available, ensuring reliable performance under heavy loads.”

This new routing capability, Railinc said, “strengthens industry data quality and ensures consistency in mileage calculations.” As rail networks evolve, the system is said to update station information, recalculate mileage, and provide railroads with a “standardized, authoritative source for routing and mileage data.” Additionally, the system simplifies system integration, reduces cost and redundancy for railroads, and allows any user—via the API—to incorporate open-source route visualizations into their own mapping applications, according to the Cary, N.C.-based company.

The AAR GIS Committee and Railinc partnered on the RIGIS Routing + Mileage application, and its development is the result of “validation and adjudication activities that resolved discrepancies between railroad data across North America,” according to Railinc.

“This is a new standard for industry location identification and mileage calculations,” Railinc Senior GIS Manager Brent Kastor said.

• MineHub, Railinc Partner to Enhance Rail Shipment Tracking Data Capabilities
• Railinc, Duke University Collaborate on Innovation to Advance Freight Rail Efficiency
• Freight Rail AI Evolution
• TransmetriQ Launches ‘Ocean to Rail Visibility’ Tool

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The Ideas Challenge—short for the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure (ARPA-I) Ideas and Innovation Challenge—was announced in August and will award winners a total of $1 million in prizes across two stages.  

For Stage 1 of this challenge, ARPA-I received 448 concept paper submissions, according to the USDOT. From those, 15 winners were selected and announced Dec. 2 as semi-finalists (see list below), who will be awarded $20,000 each ($300,000 total) and invited to present and further refine their ideas with business and government stakeholders at the USDOT Innovation Workshop. The Innovation Workshop will be held Dec. 9, 2025, at USDOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In Stage 2, semi-finalists from Stage 1 will be eligible to submit a detailed proposal and up to 10 will be selected as finalists to advance to the ARPA-I Ideas Challenge Finals in 2026, according to the USDOT. The finalists will present their project proposal to a panel of judges and audience members from the public and private sectors to compete for Stage 2 prizes that total $700,000.

The objective of the MetaRE Inc.-Arup project, “Next-gen Smart Sensors Turn Every Train into an Inspector,” is to “demonstrate the viability of novel technologies to detect rails [track] in unacceptable condition at full track speeds,” according to the companies’ one-page summary document. “We estimate that rail operators in the US pay at least $1B per year to inspect rail, logging 10 million inspection-miles per year at a cost of $100 per inspection-mile. Even using today’s fastest platforms for continuous testing, it takes over 19 train-days to inspect a transcontinental corridor, which a revenue service train can travel in less than half that time. We propose to deliver a system to significantly reduce the cost and increase the speed of performing visual inspections of rail.” The system, they said, is “an autonomous, non-contact inspection system based on light and millimeter waves to detect unacceptable wear and external flaws in rail,” and “can be mounted to revenue service equipment and operated at track speeds, allowing inspections twice as fast as currently possible and without any disruption to rail operations.” The team estimates that its system “could reduce the cost per inspection-mile by up to 99%.”

“By providing near-continuous monitoring of any track in revenue service, our system of small, low-cost train-mounted sensors could support remote and AI-enabled rail inspections, the development of digital twins, and robust preventative maintenance programs,” MetaRE Inc. and Arup reported. “The system would also neatly complement traditional ultrasonic inspections for internal defects. It would outperform expensive laser monitoring systems and data-heavy digital imagery systems on cost, capability, ease of implementation, and upside for further innovation. The system uses two subsystems in tandem, one based on millimeter waves (mm-waves) and the other on visible light waves, to detect rail wear and defects in real time at full track speeds. The mm-wave subsystem launches a mm-wave towards the rail to monitor its transverse profile. It captures the reflected waves and converts them into a digital ‘barcode’ that is characteristic of the rail transverse profile. A string of ‘barcodes’ thus generated in real time as the train travels is much less ‘data-heavy’ than other formats, such as high-resolution digital images. This allows for instantaneous diagnosis of the segment of rail in view by a simple comparison between the generated barcode with the one that corresponds to an acceptable rail transverse profile. The mm-wave subsystem is synchronized to GPS to log the exact location of a defect or excessive wear. A fault detection event immediately switches on the optical subsystem further back on the train, which operates as a depth imager to produce an accurate 3D reconstruction of the worn or defective section of the rail. The identified fault can then be verified and classified by a remote observer, either human or AI.”

The MetaRE Inc.-Arup project team includes Nanfang Yu, a Columbia University professor and an inventor of nanophotonic technologies, and Adam Jaffe, a senior engineer at Arup with a background in nanoscience and a focus on commercializing nanotechnologies with applications in the built environment.

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The STB in September granted Metra’s application for terminal trackage rights to continue service over three lines owned by host freight railroad UP. Metra and UP have been negotiating the transfer of commuter rail services on the three lines—the Union Pacific North, Northwest, and West—for several years. UP has historically provided service for Metra under a PSA (Purchase of Service Agreement), which has been extended several times while the railroads negotiate a new agreement.

Approximately 39% of Metra’s annual ridership (13.7 million out of a total 35 million passengers) is associated with the three lines owned, used and dispatched by UP (see map, below). Those lines were once operated by the Chicago & North Western Railway: the West Line to Elburn, the Northwest Line to Harvard and McHenry, and the North Line to Waukegan, with limited service to Kenosha, Wis. Metra has eight other lines; one of which, the historic Chicago, Burlington & Quincy line to Aurora, runs on right-of-way owned by BNSF, which still operates it under contract with Metra.

“As directed in the [STB’s] September 3 Decision, and reflected in the Parties’ Joint Status Report filed on November 13, 2025, Metra and UP have been negotiating the conditions and compensation for Metra’s use of UP’s terminal facilities,” Metra told the STB in its Dec. 1 filing (download below). “The parties have exchanged drafts of a comprehensive Trackage Rights Agreement to govern Metra’s use of the UP Lines and have exchanged multiple offers on compensation and other terms. The parties have made progress and reached common ground on some elements. For example, Metra anticipates that it will be able to reach agreement with UP on issues including the effective date; maintenance fee; train schedules and special trains and service change requests; dispatching protocol; a joint services committee for ongoing coordination of operational, maintenance, and capital project matters; dispute resolution; and audits. While the parties continue to confer, it is clear at this point that the parties will not reach agreement on all remaining disputed issues in a way that would remove the need for Board involvement.”

Because the STB’s September decision enables either party to request the Board’s establishment of compensation and/or conditions of use, Metra said it is doing so. Metra noted that it informed UP and “discussed the possibility of a joint request,” but UP declined.

“Compensation and the remaining disputed issues are too important and too material for Metra, the public it serves, and the taxpayers that provide critical funding for its transportation service to be left unresolved indefinitely,” the regional/commuter railroad reported. “Both UP and Metra have continued to operate cooperatively and safely on the UP Lines since the parties’ Purchase of Service Agreement (‘PSA’) expired on June 30, 2025. The Board has acted, as needed, when issues have arisen. … UP has asserted on review that ‘hosting passenger service on a freight-rail network is too important, complex, and potentially dangerous to undertake without clear terms governing dispatching, maintenance, liability, indemnity, and many other topics.’ … Metra agrees that Board involvement, as requested here, to establish the conditions and compensation for Metra’s ongoing use of the UP Lines, is necessary and appropriate.”

The key issues to be determined, Metra said, cover: the scope of the trackage rights; length of term; trackage rights fee “under the SSW Compensation formula,” how the fee is adjusted over time, and treatment of Metra’s capital contributions; performance standards; and liability, indemnification, and claims handling. While these issues are not the only ones unresolved, “they are the most consequential and bear on the other areas of disagreement,” according to Metra.

The regional/commuter railroad stressed that it “intends to remain engaged in negotiations with UP during this second phase of the proceeding and will continue to work with UP toward narrowing the issues for final resolution by the Board.”

Metra also proposed the following procedural schedule:

The next move: The STB’s.

• STB Grants Metra’s ‘Terminal Trackage Rights’ Application
• Reports: UP Takes Metra to Court
• STB Denies Metra’s Request for Temporary Injunction
• Metra to STB: Ensure Passenger Service on UP Lines ‘Continues Uninterrupted’
• UP, Metra Move Closer to Service Transfer
• STB Orders Mediation for UP, Metra
• Judge Pronounces Common Carrier Obligation for ‘Commuter Rail’ Dead
• Report: RTA Redirects Funds From Metra, Pace to Prevent CTA Service Reductions

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The official handover will take place on Dec. 8 at the Calumet City Public Safety Training Center, located at 24 State Street in Calumet City. The rail tank car will become a permanent asset at the training center, “ensuring that first responders are better prepared for emergency responses involving rail tank cars and hazardous materials,” UTLX noted.

Headquartered in Chicago along with its parent company, Marmon Holdings, UTLX “recognizes the vital role first responders play in protecting the public and responding to rail-related incidents,” the company said.

“This rail tank car donation will provide invaluable hands-on training opportunities for Chicagoland firefighters and emergency personnel,” said UTLX President Neil Finn. “We’re proud to support the fire department as they prepare to respond safely and effectively to real-world scenarios involving rail tank cars.”

“Rail incidents are complex, and firefighters need to understand the real hazards they’ll face in the field,” said Lt. Matt Drew of the Chicago Fire Department. “This rail tank car gives us the ability to practice safe, methodical response techniques before we ever encounter a true emergency, which ultimately protects both our firefighters and the community.”

Members of the media are invited to attend the handover event, which will feature representatives from UTLX, the Chicago and Calumet City Fire Departments, and Hulcher Services Inc., whose expertise, the company says, “was essential in coordinating the logistics of this donation.”

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The report (download below), the Class I says, “reflects CN’s progress and outlines actions taken to strengthen operation excellence by further tying sustainability to the core of its business strategy.”

“Delivering Responsibly is at the heart of how CN operates and grows,” said CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson. “This report highlights our commitment to powering the economy safely and sustainably. I want to thank our employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which we operate for their continued collaboration as we work together to build a safer, stronger, and more sustainable future.”

Key highlights from the 2024 Delivering Responsibly Report:

• “Environment: Achieved a 4% improvement in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity compared to 2023 and increased renewable fuel use to nearly 10% of locomotive fuel. CN maintained progress toward its science-based 2030 and 2050 ambitions.
• “Safety: Recorded the second-best injury performance in CN’s history and improved train accident frequency by nearly 8% year over year and deployed enhanced behavior-based safety training to identify and control workplace safety risks for frontline supervisors.
• “People: Delivered more than 1 million hours of training, expanded accessibility upgrades across more than 30 facilities in Canada, and strengthened wellness programs for employees.
• “Community: Contributed approximately $20 million to community initiatives, managed more than 56,000 public line inquiries, and trained 97% of CN’s Procurement and Supply Management team on sustainable procurement.
• “Governance: Ranked first among 215 companies on the S&P/TSX Composite Index for governance practices, reinforcing CN’s commitment to integrity and transparency.”

As CN moves forward on its sustainability journey, the Class I says it recognizes that “collaboration is essential to success.” Through its EcoConnexions Partnership Program, CN recognized more than 30 customers, suppliers, and supply chain partners for their leadership in sustainability.

These organizations, CN says, “are helping drive progress on climate action, reduce environmental impact, and promote responsible business practices. CN believes that collaboration across the value chain is essential to building a more sustainable future.”

Recipients of CN’s 2025 EcoConnexions Partnership Program in alphabetical order are as follows:

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Union Pacific updated investors Dec. 2 that its Surface Transportation Board filing to acquire Norfolk Southern will be pushed out two weeks due to “additional analysis from a contractor.” UP now expects to file its merger application with the STB in roughly two weeks (vs. our prior expectation of early December), putting a new date of Dec. 17-19. UP stated it doesn’t believe its earnings can grow in 4Q25 due to several factors heading into December, in line with our prior forecast, though below the current consensus estimate.

UP management called out its 4Q25 mix as being less favorable than previously expected, specifically lumber and specialized food and beverage, and will incur between $30MM and $40MM in merger related costs in 4Q25, with additional expense pressure from casualty items. It now expects earnings to decline y/y in 4Q25, which is worse than the consensus forecast calling for +1% earnings growth. Our current estimate of $2.80 (4% decline) remains intact vs. the $2.94 Street estimate. We expect consensus in 4Q25 to move lower toward our published number.

Western Class I competitor BNSF is asking the STB for a proceeding to examine anticompetitive behavior by UP from its Southern Pacific merger in 1996. BNSF says it still faces anti-competitive issues from a merger nearly 30 years ago years ago, and additional consolidation would exacerbate these problems. We believe BNSF is trying to shine as much light as it can on historical issues the Western rail has faced. We are surprised at the consistent noise BNSF is making ahead of this STB filing, particularly given our assumption that BNSF may inevitably be bidding for another Class I in the future if UP/NS is approved.

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CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) has appointed Félix Fernández as the CEO of CAF USA, taking on overall responsibility for the rail and bus segments in the U.S. States and Canada. He will also oversee industrial operations in the U.S., including supply chain supervision, industrial footprint and after-sales service required for the contracts developed by the company in this market.

Fernández, with a career spanning more than 30 years in the sector and having held various executive positions, “brings deep knowledge of the U.S. market and will lead the profitable growth process and value creation for the CAF Group in North America in the coming years,” the company said.

CAF USA has rolling stock manufacturing facility in Elmira, N.Y., fully equipped with carshell fabrication and assembly and testing of rail vehicles, including climate testing. CAF noted it “has long history of supplying rolling stock to Amtrak and transit authorities in cities across the U.S.”: Washington D.C, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Houston, Boston, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Baltimore (Maryland MTA Purple Line which also includes Operation & Maintenance for 30 years). Currently CAF has an order backlog for Boston, Omaha and Kansas City.

“The United States is one of the world’s leading mobility markets, both in the rail and bus segments, and represents one of the greatest opportunities for growth and value creation for the CAF Group, looking toward 2030,” the company said. “Given its importance and strategic fit for CAF, as well as its global growth prospects, the company has decided to address opportunities and challenges in both segments with a comprehensive approach.”

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On Nov. 14, the Rail Users’ Network (RUN) held its fall online conference. Its theme was “An Update—Keeping You Informed in the World of Passenger Rail & Rail Transit.” The organization also observed 25 years of advocating for more passenger trains and better rail transit in the United States and Canada, and the conference heard from 12 speakers: five about new starts (two of which are already in service), four on a panel about the merger of the Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) railroads that is now under consideration, and a presentation from an Amtrak official about plans for purchasing new equipment. I delivered the closing remarks. The other speaker was Dr. Richard Rudolph, Founder and Chair of RUN since it was established.

As part of the ongoing discussions about the proposed merger, the conference heard from three presenters: a rider-advocate with an economics background and experience as a planner, a renowned transportation economist, and a representative from rail labor. RUN Vice Chair Andrew Albert, who is also Chair of the Transit Riders’ Council in New York City and a rider-representative at New York’s MTA Board, moderated the panel. He opened the discussion by noting that a decision from the STB is expected during the middle or end of 2027.

The first presenter was Steve Roberts, President of the Rail Passengers’ Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC), and an economist and former planner at Amtrak and the Southern Pacific (SP). He pointed out that a merger of this sort is supposed to enhance competition and generate public benefits. He noted that shippers want reciprocal switching (using someone other than the local carrier for switching), fewer paper barriers at interchanges (which can inhibit innovative routing), no bottleneck rates (high rates where one carrier has a monopoly), as well as trackage rights on Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) where they interchange with the merged railroad. He distinguished between “hard costs” (infrastructure improvements) and “soft costs” (operational improvements), which are less expensive to deliver. He said that he expects UP to claim that it can handle any changes post-merger, despite difficult transitions after other mergers, such as when UP absorbed SP thirty years ago. He concluded by saying that hoped-for public benefits could come to Amtrak’s on-time-performance (OTP), Metra in Chicago, the tri-weekly Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Los Angeles, and the proposed new Amtrak route between Fort Worth and Meridian, Mississippi, mainly on CPKC, which resulted from the recent merger of CP and KCS.

The second presenter was longtime railroad economist and Railway Age Contributing Editor Jim Blaze. He began by saying: “This is not my first railroad M&A rodeo,” that he placed the likelihood of the STB approving the deal at 70% to 80%, but there could be some market complications. He addressed the question of whether such mergers are effective, would results be better and cheaper for shippers? On that subject, Blaze said that administrative costs would be lower and that there would probably be significantly less mode-shifting, but not massive layoffs. He acknowledged that there are unknown factors and that any predictions can be speculative but did not see “game-changing” results. He did not expect a major market change as happened when double-stacked containers became commonplace, railroads offering more “retail” transportation, or much diversion of freight from trucks. He cautioned that the railroads would continue to retain free cash flow, rather than rather than reinvesting any resulting savings. He concluded by mentioning how decision-makers discount expectations to present them in their filings and suggested that attendees also “look at the facts and conclude your own discounting factor.” He concluded by saying that, even if much of the shipping went away from the railroads and onto the highways, a market share as low as 20 to 25% would still be profitable for the rail carriers.

The third and final presentation on the panel came from Ron Kaminkow, Trustee for Rail Workers United, a rail labor organization that has members from several crafts (but is not a union). He recently retired from Amtrak, where he worked as an engineer. He began by saying that he started in Chicago and worked for all the Class I railroads, that they are adversaries to railroad workers, and that he helped fight a plan that BNSF proposed in 2014 to run with single-person crews. He is now fighting against the UP-NS merger and questioned why it’s on the table. He said that Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) rewards stockholders, but “it’s not good railroading” because it has resulted in the decline of freight service and additional delays to passenger trains. He said that lowering operating ratios and maintaining share prices is good for Wall Street, but that the savings could be spent better on double-tracking than on stock buybacks. He also questioned whether viable freight and passenger service is feasible with the Class I roads calling the shots and called for public ownership of railroads, as with other transportation. Regarding passenger trains, he expressed concern about a short-term meltdown, which would worsen delays, while consolidation of facilities would alienate workers and degrade service. Long-term, he predicted that having two monopolistic railroads would be worse than the situation in the 1890s. He called on advocates to build an alliance to fight the merger, especially in trackside communities. 

In my concluding remarks, I commented on the effects that I expected that the merger would have on passenger trains and on the likelihood that the STB would approve the deal. Before the conference, I had believed that it would not have much of an effect on the passenger side of railroading, because Amtrak does not run many trains on NS, and there is not much “transit railroad” activity on it, either. I had thought that the main issue was whether UP hosting the Amtrak trains now operating on NS track would change those operations. I was concerned that they would change for the worse. After listening to the panel, though, I became more concerned that congestion and delays resulting from the merger could harm passenger trains indirectly, even if there is not a lot of direct harm that could result from downgraded service. The schedule of the Crescent between Atlanta and New Orleans was lengthened not long ago, because NS could not keep the prior schedule, and the train now arrives in New Orleans after dinnertime and in New York early in the evening instead of early in the afternoon.

Today the railroads in the U.S. form two duopolies: one in the East (NS and CSX), one in the West (UP and BNSF), plus two (CPKC and CN) in the middle of the country on roughly north-south alignments. The merger will break that pattern by combining one of the Eastern roads and a Western road that has already absorbed many other railroads. It seems difficult to believe that the proposed arrangement could increase competition, give shippers better service, or facilitate the movement of passenger trains. Yet, it seems inevitable that the STB will approve it. While Jim Blaze sees a 70% to 80% likelihood, I see 98%, on account of politics.

Because of the party affiliations of the Board members, I expect that the merger plan will be approved. I have met Karen Hedlund and Robert Primus. They are Democrats, they could reasonably be expected to express concerns about the merger, and I have expressed my respect for them for considering what shippers and passengers want and need. Primus is contesting POTUS 47’s act of terminating his STB membership before the end of his term, which is scheduled to end in 2027. He received his notice of termination on August 27 of this year. He told PBS reporter Geoff Bennett that he still considers himself a member, and that the action “challenges the integrity of the Board” as reported on PBS News Hour on August 29. On October 1, Primus (in his official capacity) sued POTUS 47 and STB Chair Patrick J. Fuchs (in their official capacities) and the Board itself, in federal court for the District of D.C. Whether or not Primus succeeds in challenging his dismissal from the Board, I do not see his fate as affecting the merger.

It goes without saying that Railway Age will continue to follow this story as it develops but, at this writing, RUN is considering whether to take an official position and comment to the STB about the proposed deal. The RUN Board meets on Dec. 6 and is likely to discuss the matter at that time.

There has been a great deal of concern expressed about Amtrak’s equipment situation lately, especially by advocates. We have been reporting on it here at Railway Age, and the conference included a presentation on the subject by Michelle Tortolani, Amtrak’s Vice-President for Project Delivery – Fleet and Facilities. She started by saying that Amtrak’s ridership is growing and breaking records, so “We need more trains.” She described three equipment procurements: the Next Gen Acela fleet, the Airo sets for other trains on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and other corridors, and the long-distance fleet replacement. Amtrak has ordered 28 of the new Acela sets, and some are now in service. The trains are longer than the original sets that will soon be retired, and Tortolani said that they have 27% more seats. Amtrak has also ordered 83 Airo sets and expects to place them in service next year, starting on the Cascades trains in the Northwest. In addition, Amtrak is getting 50 Chargerlocomotives and is refreshing the Superlinercars that run on long-distance trains west of Chicago and New Orleans, and on the Auto Train.

Although efforts are being made to refresh the Superliner equipment, much of it is more than 40 years old, and advocates (including at RUN) have expressed concern that Amtrak is already running short consists on at least some of its long-distance trains. Tortolani noted that a Request for Proposals (RFP) for cars to replace the Superliners was issued in 2023, and that one for replacing the single-level Amfleet II cars that are roughly the same age came out recently. However, the target date for new bilevel cars is not until “the 2030s” and she did not say exactly when. She also described infrastructure upgrades “to maximize Amtrak’s fleet initiatives.” They include upgrading six Level I (full maintenance) and seven Level II (lighter maintenance) facilities. Ground has already been broken for two major ones: Ivy City (Northeast Washington, D.C.) and Southampton (Boston). She also described infrastructure projects on the NEC and its branches, like the East River Tunnel Project in New York City, the Connecticut River Bridge, and Portal North Bridge in New Jersey, projects funded through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), but she added that construction on those projects requires that funding come through first, and that some additional money is also needed for maintenance.

The Amtrak equipment situation is highly problematic. The corridors will have trains, although they will be less pleasant in some ways than the trains they will replace, with their cushioned seats, most of which face forward. For Amtrak to use the name Airo to describe its new trainsets for its corridors appears to reveal Amtrak’s true intention to imitate the airlines as much as possible, even though airline travel no longer gets the high marks from passengers that it once received. Frankly, I would strongly prefer a name that recalls the great railroad tradition like Libertyliner 250, which Scott Spencer of AmeriStarRail suggests. It has a patriotic feel and recalls the greatness that was part of the American railroad tradition for generations, but Amtrak seems to be heading in another direction.

Amtrak’s efforts toward replacing the current long-distance fleet appears to be a case in point. We have reported on the upcoming LD-fleet procurement. We obtained the Request For Proposals (RFP) for a new long-distance fleet to replace the bilevel Superliner cars, and it is 1,379 pages long. To make matters worse, the soonest the new equipment can be placed into service will be sometime in the 2030s. The middle of that decade is ten years from now, which is when VIA Rail needs to replace its tiny LD fleet of heritage cars built by the Budd Company for Canadian Pacific in 1954, and its procurement has advanced further than Amtrak’s.

It will probably be too late by then. Eight years from now, in 2033, 52% of the equipment on Amtrak’s long-distance trains today, comprising Superliner and Amfleet II cars, will be at least 50 years old, the same age as Amfleet I cars that now run on Amtrak’s corridors and which Amtrak recently released a proposal to scrap, rather than keeping the shells and rebuilding the cars, so they can continue to run. It will probably take longer to purchase new cars and get them into service than the existing fleet can last. Amtrak is already running shorter consists on the trains that use Superliner equipment than they had carried in the past, a practice that allows fewer passengers to ride and charges them higher fares, too. I stand by my assessment from early in the year. Unless Amtrak comes up with a means for expediting the procurement and getting new equipment into service sooner than planned, the long-distance network will die by attrition, one train at a time. My advice remains the same as it was then: Ride as much as you can, while you know you still can. That’s what I plan to do.

Phoenix, Arizona’s Valley Metro Rail has been growing incrementally for several years. On June 7, 2025, it officially became a two-line light rail system, when the South Central Extension opened (along with the Tempe Streetcar as a third line, although that was mentioned only briefly in the presentation). Luis Mota, Project Manager for the South Central Extension, gave the conference a detailed description of the steps that his agency took to bring the project to fruition, including outreach to local communities and other stakeholders. Mota said that light rail in Phoenix expanded twice recently: the 1.6-mile Northwest Extension Phase II on Jan. 27, 2024, and the South Central Extension. The latter segment is 6.5 miles long, has eight stations, uses 14 new vehicles, and cost $1.35 billion. As part of the project, Valley Metro created a new Downtown Hub for transfers between the two lines, which included building some new stations and moving part of the existing line onto a different street. Valley Metro Rail consisted of a single line until the project was completed and that line was split. Today’s A Line originates at the Downtown Hub and runs eastward to Mesa through Tempe, where it connects with the Tempe streetcar. Today’s B Line runs mostly on a north-south alignment, with a northwesterly component at the north end of the line.

Rail transit is now running in Hawai’i’s capital, Honolulu. Skyline, an elevated and automated rail line, operated by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportaiton (HART), is now operating west of the city center, and as close to downtown as the airport. Project Manager Lori Kahikina, HART Executive Director and CEO, gave the conference an overview of the troubled project which, after years of delay and financial difficulties, is finally running. She described the current line, which runs 16.1 miles with 13 stations. It consists of Segment 1 (west of the city) which opened on June 30, 2023, and Segment 2 (closer to downtown), which opened on October 16, 2025. Six more stations downtown on 3.3 miles of additional line are expected to open in 2031. Equipment consists of 20 four-car trains built by Hitachi and powered by third rail. The line is expected to alleviate traffic congestion when it is completed, and Kahikina noted that the start of service on Segment 2 was accelerated so it could happen this year. She acknowledged the difficulties that the project has faced in the past, noted that it is entirely tax-supported (83% local and 17% federal), and said: “They need to prove that they can pay off the bonds.” The line is entirely elevated, mostly at the third-story level, and sometimes 70 feet above ground. The route to downtown is being served by express buses until Segment 3 is completed and service begins.

Front Range Rail is a project that proposes new trains to Fort Collins (north of Denver) and Colorado Springs and Pueblo (south of Denver). Chris Nevitt, Board Chair of the Front Range Passenger Rail District, described the current project. It is now expected that service to Fort Collins will start in 2029 with three round trips per day, although one planned alternative calls for ten round trips between Fort Collins and Pueblo through Denver eventually, with trains running every 90 minutes. A Special Taxing District has been established to help pay for the service, while Nevitt stressed that the new trains would be “intercity” and not local, and that they would connect with Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD). He touted “innovative state funding,” said that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and RTD are partners on the project, and he also said: “It’s time to invest in a comprehensive transportation plan for Colorado.” He expressed the hope that, with participation by neighboring states, trains would someday go to places like Cheyenne, Wyoming and Raton, New Mexico (on the route of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief). He described Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and the other stakeholders involved in the project but did not say that rider-advocacy organizations like the Colorado Rail Passenger Association (ColoRail) are among them.

The RUN conference held last fall heard a presentation about a proposal to restore passenger trains between Salisbury (on Amtrak’s Crescent route) and Asheville, North Carolina. This conference featured a talk on another project in the Tar Heel State: the effort to bring trains back to the route between Raleigh and Wilmington, a port in the southeastern part of the state, through Goldsboro and other towns. While Wilmington was once the headquarters for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and contains many tourist attractions today, no passenger trains have called there since 1968. Steve Unger, Co-Chair of Eastern Carolina Rail, described the campaign to restore service. He said that Eastern Carolina Rail was founded last year and works with North Carolinians for Passenger Rail and the Carolinas Association for Passenger Trains (CAPT). The proposal is in the planning stage, one of seven applications from North Carolina in the FRA’s Corridor ID Program. He described other potential stops, said there is a gap in the route where new track must be built, listed the usual benefits that go beyond added mobility for potential riders, and said that service now appears to be seven to twelve years off. His advice: “Volunteer and advocate.”

The other new start presented to the conference would serve New York City: specifically, the “outer boroughs” of Brooklyn and Queens. It would not be another line on the city’s famous subway (and elevated rail) system, but the mode would be light rail, which is something new for the city. The project is the Interborough Express (IBX) and Jordan Smith, IBX Project Manager for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) described it. It would run for 14 miles on the historic New York and Manhattan Beach Railroad (1876-1924), now the Long Island Rail Road’s Bay Ridge Branch, and the IBX would be coordinated with today’s freight operations there. CSX owns the northernmost three miles, the Fremont Secondary. Plans call for 19 stations and connections with 17 existing subway or elevated lines, along with the LIRR at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and Woodside in Queens. Most of the line will run in a trench, and Jordan said that the embankments on its sides will be removed and replaced by walls, to increase its capacity from two to four tracks. The anticipated running time is 32 minutes end to end, trains will have a 600-passenger capacity, and the MTA expects 160,000 daily riders. Jordan said that the line will be funded with $2.75 billion from the MTA’s capital plan, but not with money from the Congestion Pricing toll. He also described the due diligence part of the planning process and how the light rail mode was selected. The IBX section found on the MTA website calls the project “a transformative rapid transit project that will connect currently underserved areas of Brooklyn and Queens” but does not say when service is expected to begin. The MTA is now conducting the Environmental Review for the project.

Phoenix has a tiny downtown area, surrounded by sprawl. Amtrak does not go there. It’s not a place where rail transit could reasonably be expected to flourish, but Valley Metro Rail is doing well. It has expanded several times, accelerated openings of new segments, survived a 2019 referendum to stop the expansion, and is now a two-line system, plus the Tempe Streetcar. They’re doing something right!

Skyline in Honolulu has been a troubled project for years, but the people behind it persevere. It will still be years before it serves the downtown area, but it could improve mobility in a city with congested roads. I have been waiting for the line to progress as far as it has before planning a visit to the Islands, or at least Oahu. I am now planning to go there, and when I do, I’ll ride Skyline and file a trip report.

Front Range Rail has big plans, and it could improve mobility along its corridor, which now has only limited bus service provided by Bustang (affiliated with CDOT) outside RTD’s service area, which includes Denver and some of its suburbs. Three round trips between Denver and Fort Collins would be a minor improvement over today’s bus service, but the proposed schedule of ten daily round trips running every 90 minutes could entice some motorists to join Denver’s non-motorists on the train. We don’t know if the line will offer such robust service, but even three daily round trips to downtown Fort Collins will make that beautiful town more accessible than it is today.

North Carolina has ambitious plans but, whether they come to fruition depends on the state’s politics, which appear to remain in a state of flux. It is difficult to get to Wilmington without a private vehicle today, and even three daily trains to and from Raleigh would change that to a significant extent. It would connect Front Street, Wilmington’s museums, and other attractions to trains within the state and elsewhere on Amtrak, but that will not happen anytime soon. At least the people in the region are getting together to advocate for more trains. It remains to be seen how successful they will be.

The IBX in Brooklyn and Queens could be an interesting model for a circumferential route that would link many existing subway and elevated lines in New York City, allowing residents of two of the city’s “outer boroughs” to get around those areas without the need to make the time-consuming trip through Manhattan. New York City has never had a light rail line before, so this will be an interesting experiment. So will the construction, which includes widening an existing trench to allow the transit line and freight tracks to coexist side by side. The line could become a model for developing rail transit elsewhere, or maybe even expanding the IBX to the Bronx, as was previously proposed and dropped.

As with proposed new starts everywhere, though, proposals do not mean much until a project is completed and service starts running. There are plenty of studies on projects that have been proposed and never built, and no passenger will ever ride a study. Phoenix has a history of extending its rail transit “system” and Honolulu has a line going, with the expection of serving the downtown core about six years from now. The IBX in New York would add to the variety of transit available in the city, as well as connectivity without having to go through Manhattan to travel between Brooklyn and Queens. The prospect of taking a train to Fort Collins, Colorado or Wilmington, North Carolina sounds great. I have visited both of those towns, as well as Goldsboro, on the way to Wilmington. I had to do it the hard way, on buses that run infrequently, and including a long ride on a local bus in Wilmington between the bus hub where Greyhound buses stop and the other bus hub near downtown. As with all proposed new routes, though, whether those trains run remains to be seen.

Dr. Richard Rudolph, founder and Chair of RUN since it began, opened the conference with a brief talk that mentioned some of the highlights in the organization’s history, and he started by saying that there were more than 80 persons who had registered for the conference. He then noted that he and other founding members of RUN were on the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee (ACAC) in the late 1990s and wanted to continue advocating for improvements in Amtrak and and connecting rail transit after their terms at ACAC expired. He also described RUN’s other activities, especially the conferences and the RUN Newsletter, and announced the next online Board meeting on Dec.r 6. The featured guest at that event will be Andy Byford, who was New York’s popular “Train Daddy” when he ran New York City Transit, and who is now supervising Penn Station redevelopment for Amtrak.

Rudolph recalled some of RUN’s campaigns, including calling for enhanced rail safety in the wake of the Lac Megantic disaster in Quebec in 2014, fighting for Amtrak’s national network including helping save the Southwest Chief in 2018, when there was a proposal under consideration to eliminate the segment between Newton, Kansas and Albuquerque and replacing it with a long bus ride, and voting “no confidence” in the leadership of Richard Anderson, who was then Amtrak’s CEO. He also said that, since then, RUN has been involved in campaigns to preserve service or bring it to Maine, Montana, and Mobile, and expressed concern about Amtrak’s equipment situation, particularly the long-distance fleet. He concluded by calling on conference attendees to keep advocating and become active with RUN.

I expressed agreement with what Rudolph had said about the organization. It is the only national advocacy organization that is concerned with all rail modes in the United States and Canada, from the long-distance trains on Amtrak and VIA Rail to local light rail and streetcar lines, as well as corridors and regional rail lines with magnitudes in-between. It is also concerned with connectivity between modes, including better transit at train stations, an important part of almost every rider’s experience.

I joined RUN in 2003 and was voted onto its Board of Directors in 2005. With only one exception, I have participated in every Conference Committee since that time. RUN conferences provide “continuing education” for advocates and encourage other rail communities, like managers, planners and others on the political scene, to participate at an affordable price. Before the COVID-19 virus hit, RUN held two-day conferences in various cities. When the virus came, it was time to move the conferences to an online format, which has been successful. Since then, RUN has held two such conferences every year, in the spring and fall.

Today, like many longtime RUN members, I am an “elder statesman” who is no longer as active as an advocate as I was in the past. I now concentrate on my reporting for Railway Age, although I will also report on the conference for the RUN Newsletter. RUN still provides a valuable service for me because it helps keep me up to date with developments on the advocacy scene. I know of no other reporters on the passenger rail and transit beat who report regularly on activities in the advocacy movement, even though the advocates are the only people on the scene who represent the interests of train riders and transit riders, people who are often ignored by decision makers, although they should be considered as the primary intended beneficiaries of the trains and transit offered to them.

These are hard times for Amtrak, rail transit, and the people who ride them. The POTUS 47 Administration appears hostile to any mobility that is available to non-motorists, as well as motorists. All transit is under intense pressure and fights to survive, as states and their political subdivisions that support it face increasing financial demands from all sides, while POTUS 47 and Congress reduce their support. The losses are real. Northstar trains in and near Minneapolis will be discontinued at the start of next year, only a few weeks from now. The streetcars on F Street in Washington, D.C. will roll for the last time on March 31, 2026. We will report their obituaries, but that will not help the riders get around.

RUN cannot solve those problems alone, but it is in a position to help advocates and others who care about our trains and rail transit make a best effort in the struggle to keep what we have, and possibly expand our mobility network on rails in the future. One of the ways RUN does this is through its conferences, which provide useful information from knowledgeable advocates and mangers.

There will be more to report on many topics concerning passenger trains and rail transit in the future. As has been the case in the past, some of my reporting will focus on what rider-advocates are doing to help the cause, even though such advocates and their constituents are not often taken seriously as genuine stakeholders on issues pertaining to mobility on rails. Without my long experience at RUN, I would not be able to report as thoroughly on the advocacy scene as I have through the years.

Here are a few “basics” about RUN: The organization advocates for improvements on all modes of rail passenger transportation in the United States and Canada. It is a not-for-profit corporation, and its Board members are all experienced advocates, some of whom have working experience as railroaders. RUN’s activities include the online conferences and its quarterly RUN Newsletter. RUN has individual members and organizational members, which are advisory committees and advocacy organizations. Dues for individuals are $40 per year, with an “introductory” rate of $25 for a new member’s first year.

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Rob Russell, Managing Partner, Russell-Kroese Partners, joins Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono for a wide-ranging discussion on the railroad industry and its future, with particular emphasis on the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. Among the topics are the health of the rail industry from 2002 to present; the service and rate environment, the outlook for intermodal business; challenges with connecting to a railroad for carload customers; when railroads say “we’re looking to grow,” what does “growth” really mean?; challenges for commercial professionals in the rail space; rail in the West vs. rail in the East; and “benefits” and “lookouts” for UP’s acquisition of NS.

Rob Russell is a seasoned transportation executive who operates fluidly from the boardroom to the shop floor. A certified six sigma black belt and a LEAN champion, Rob is a proven business leader who has a track record of strategy development, financial planning, business development, operations, and performance management to accomplish an organization’s desired goals. Pulling from more than 23 years of executive logistics experience across CWR Solutions, OmniTRAX, Progressive Rail and Union Pacific, he brings passion, expertise and dedication to his clients. In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Rob is recognized to excel within complex, high pressure organizations to achieve measurable and timely results by cultivating relationships, developing high performing teams, and delivering on time.

The post Rob Russell: ‘Rail is a Precious Commodity’ – RAIL GROUP ON AIR appeared first on Railway Age.

TNW Corporation has named Phil Logan as Director of Operations, overseeing all railroad transportation and locomotive functions; Michael Payne as Director of Safety, Environmental, and Training; and Levi Gracy as Senior Sales Manager.

With more than 30 years of experience in short line and Class I railroad operations, Logan has led large teams and implemented improvements in safety, service delivery, and operational efficiency, according to TNW Corporation. Payne, a veteran of the United States Air Force, brings three decades of railroad industry experience spanning safety management, operations, and workforce development across short line, Class I, and contractor construction environments. Gracy has progressed through positions of increasing responsibility in the railroad industry since 2007.

“A team-focused approach to culture, safety, customer service, and capital investment is essential to our success,” TNW Corporation CEO Paul Treangen said. “These industry veterans bring the experience and leadership we need as we continue to grow and serve our customers.”

• TXNW Wraps Up Texas Interchange Improvement Project
• Micah Powell Joins TNW Corporation
• TXGN, Synergos Close on 28 Acre Site

As the new Chief Commercial Officer, Kristi App is leading commercial operations across Port NOLA’s cargo, cruise, and industrial real estate portfolios.

She brings two decades of experience in international trade, transportation, and global logistics. App served previously at J.W. Allen & Company, Inc., a freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and global logistics provider. Most recently, she was Chief Operating Officer and also held such roles as Vice President of Business Development and Vice President of Exports.

“Kristi App’s extensive background in logistics, international trade, and commercial strategy make her an exceptional addition to our executive team,” said Beth Branch, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB). “Her vision and leadership will be key to advancing our growth initiatives, including the Louisiana International Terminal, and driving sustainable cargo development that benefits our region and our partners across the supply chain.”

“I’m honored to join Port NOLA at such an exciting time in its growth trajectory,” Kristi App, said. “The Port plays a vital role in connecting Louisiana to the global economy, and I look forward to working with our partners to expand our reach, strengthen our customer relationships, and position the Louisiana International Terminal as a world-class gateway for future generations.”

• Port NOLA Highlights Growth, Resilience During 2025 State of the Port Address
• Port NOLA Appoints Morten Møller Jensen as COO
• Adam Laurie Joins Port NOLA as CFO
• Port NOLA Advances Planning, Development of St. Bernard Transportation Corridor

The post People News: TNW Corporation, Port NOLA appeared first on Railway Age.

The New York MTA Construction & Development (C&D) on Dec. 1 announced that it has launched a beta version of the redesigned Capital Program Dashboard, offering the public an “easier and clearer” way to track construction projects across the entire transit system: New York City Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and Bridges and Tunnels. The dashboard allows users to monitor progress and see what is being built or replaced, where it is happening, what the budget is, how much has been spent, and when it will be completed. 

First introduced in 2010, the Dashboard has been redeveloped with modern web technology “to better reflect how the MTA is rebuilding and modernizing the transit system—and how the Authority is using smart, innovative construction methods.” With improved navigation, search fields, and filtering tools, the new dashboard, MTA says, “empowers the public to better understand and engage with information surrounding the hundreds of transit construction projects throughout the New York region, including whether they are funded by the Congestion Relief Zone tolling program.”

The dashboard currently includes all accessibility projects active in construction, projects in the procurement pipeline, and candidate locations for projects in the 2025-2029 Capital Plan. Additional projects and information will be added as C&D continues to refine features and functionality. 

Key upgrades to the dashboard include:

• “A new ‘Transit Service’ view. This simplifies finding a project by grouping infrastructure projects by the transit routes they affect and a redesigned map that clearly shows where work is happening across the system. Users can click on a specific line to see the multiple projects that have been completed, underway, and planned across the entire route—ranging from accessibility upgrades, Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) installation, state-of-good-repair work and other station upgrades.
• “A new ‘Initiatives’ view. This allows users to see projects categorized by major priorities such as ‘Accessibility’ or ‘Resilience’. This also includes an initiative around Congestion Relief to allow users to see which projects have been enabled by the Central Business District Tolling Program.
• “Real-world projects focused. The updated dashboard shifts the focus from using internal budget codes as the primary reporting structure to a way that makes more sense to the public—by project bundles that better reflect how we actually coordinate construction tasks, and contract and execute projects.”

“We are showing our work like no other government agency out there—a testament to the new MTA’s commitment to transparency,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “With a Capital Plan that prioritizes critical but sometimes hard-to-see infrastructure repairs, it is important that this dashboard highlight the massive number and scale of projects underway across the system.” 

For detailed information about the Capital Program Dashboard including how it was developed, how to navigate all its features and more about the history of capital data reporting, see this three-part blog series, Behind the Capital Program. The MTA is also inviting users to provide feedback while the dashboard continues to be refined and uploaded with more projects.

PANYNJ’s PATH commuter rail recorded its second-busiest month since the pandemic, reaching 75% of pre-pandemic ridership, the agency recently reported.

According to PANYNJ, October 2025 was PATH’s second-busiest month since the pandemic. The month’s passenger total of 5.7 million was only 0.1% below October 2024 (October 2024 was PATH’s busiest month since the pandemic). October 2025 ridership was 75.2% of pre-pandemic October 2019 ridership.

Average weekday ridership in October 2025 was 216,640 passengers. This was the second-highest average weekday figure since the pandemic, 0.5% behind September 2025. It was 2.4% above October 2024.

PATH welcomed 50.7 million riders over the first 10 months of the year. The total surpassed the same period of 2024 by 6.4%.

October weekend ridership on all five of LA Metro’s rail lines is up year over year, the agency recently reported.

Gains on the Metro A, B, C, D and K Lines ranged from 5.9% to 12.8% over 2024 levels in October, and boardings at the three Metro K Line stations that served the Taste of Soul Family Festival surged up to 224.5% compared to a typical non-event day.

Overall, Metro Rail saw modest gains in ridership over 2024 levels, while federal law enforcement activity continues to affect ridership on Metro Bus, which is down slightly year over year. The results of the October quarterly customer experience survey, the agency says, “shows that more than half of all Metro riders believe that the customer experience has improved over last year, particularly as related to service, safety and security, and that satisfaction with Metro Rail rose for the third consecutive quarterly survey.”

More information is available here.

Building on the success of One Fare, which is saving transit users in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) up to $1,600 per year, the Ontario government is extending the program for an additional two years to continue keeping transit costs down for riders. Since launching in 2024, One Fare has saved Ontarians nearly $200 million and enabled nearly 62 million free transfers across participating transit agencies.

The One Fare program lets transit riders pay only once when transferring between the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay, Peel TransHelp and York Region Transit. Since inception, Ontario says, the program has made travel across the GTHA “more affordable and convenient, protecting Ontarians’ pocketbooks and helping build a more integrated transit network.”

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is delivering on our promise to protect the hardworking people of Ontario in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty,” said Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. “We’re extending the elimination of double fares through One Fare to make transit more affordable and convenient, saving commuters up to $1,600 each year.”

The Ontario government is investing $70 billion in the largest transit expansion in North America, including the largest subway expansion in Canadian history. Through the GO Expansion program, the province is also delivering two-way, all-day service on GO Transit’s busiest rail routes. “Building a more integrated and regional transit system is a key action in the province’s Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe,” Ontario said.

SJJPA recently announced at its Nov. 21 Board Meeting that the seventh daily round trip of the Gold Runner will return on Dec. 8, marking the first time since early 2020 that the corridor will run its full pre-pandemic schedule. The restored trip expands travel options for riders moving between Bakersfield, the San Joaquin Valley, and Sacramento.

In March 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp 70% drop in ridership, leading to significant schedule reductions, SJJPA noted. Service was cut from seven to four daily round trips as travel across the state declined. As conditions improved and demand began to return, SJJPA gradually added back the fifth and sixth round trips.

With stronger equipment availability, Amtrak staffing in place, and final approvals from host railroads secured, SJJPA says it is now able to restore the seventh round trip. This return gives riders more ways to visit family, reach major destinations, and plan trips around the existing late-night 11:35 p.m. Sacramento arrival and early-morning 6:26 a.m. Sacramento departure.

“Bringing back the seventh daily round-trip marks an important milestone by restoring Gold Runner to full service,” said SJJPA Interim Executive Director David Lipari. “Thank you to the support of our passengers and the hard work of our staff, we’re excited to reintroduce this trip and bring the Sacramento train service back. This addition gives travelers greater flexibility and more convenient choices when planning their trips.”

The seventh round trip will operate as in 701 northbound and Train 704 southbound, terminating in Sacramento in the north and Bakersfield in the south.

In November, SJJPA introduced the new Gold Runner brand for the rail service and Thruway Bus network. Adopted after focused outreach and input from riders, the brand, the agency says, “supports a unified identity and highlights the broad reach of the Thruway Bus system, which plays a major part in connecting communities across the corridor.”

As SJJPA closes out the year, the return of the seventh daily round trip “reflects a steady rebuild of the service and strengthens access for communities from Bakersfield to Sacramento,” the agency noted.

The full schedule will be available prior to the launch of the seventh daily round-trip.

In an annual funding recommendation report from the FTA, the Austin Light Rail project received an overall rating and local financial commitment summary rating of “medium-high,” according to a Spectrum News report. The project also received “medium” ratings for mobility improvement, land use and project justification summary.

According to the report, the line received a cost-effectiveness rating of “low,” which, Spectrum News says, “may reflect the problems the Austin Light Rail has faced since its 2020 voter approval as part of Project Connect.” The project included “a generational $7 billion transit overhaul and an ongoing 20% property tax increase,” the Austin American-Statesman reported, but the cost of the light rail has since increased.

The funding recommendation ratings, Spectrum News reports, “are set to allow the Austin Transit Partnership to compete for federal funding through the Capital Investment Grant.” The line’s overall rating also “signals that federal staff view the project as financially and technically viable,” according to the Statesman.

Austin Light Rail was 27 miles long at the time of Project Connect’s passing but has since been reduced to under 10 miles, according to the report. It would run north to south between 38th and Oltorf streets and include an eastern spur stretching from Lady Bird Lake area to near the inside of State Highway 71.

The post Transit Briefs: NYMTA, PANYNJ, LA Metro, Ontario Government, SJJPA, Austin Light Rail appeared first on Railway Age.

After nearly 30 years, a fertilizer vessel has returned to the rail-served Port of Johnstown in Eastern Ontario, reopening one of Canada’s most strategic ag gateways, V6 Agronomy reported Dec. 1.

The recent arrival of the Federal Montreal to the new V6 Odyssey Terminal “marks the start of a modern Prairie–Seaway corridor led by V6 Agronomy and the Port of Johnstown, linking Western Canadian producers with Eastern and global markets,” according to V6 Agronomy, which is described as a “Canadian agricultural solutions” company. “This is a major step toward a stronger, Canadian-controlled nutrient and grain supply chain.”

The Port of Johnstown is on the St. Lawrence Seaway (see map above). Its spur line connects shippers to CN’s double-tracked main line along the Windsor–Quebec City corridor, and through interchange agreements provides service to Canadian Pacific Kansas City. The Port is also near the junction of several major roadways, including the 401 linking to Montreal and Toronto and the 416 linking to Ottawa; these arteries intersect within 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) of the Port and connect to the Prescott-Ogdensburg bridge to the United States. Country Road No. 2 provides access to neighboring Seaway towns, such as Prescott, Cardinal and Brockville.

According to V6 Agronomy, the Federal Montreal reactivated “a long‑dormant section of the St. Lawrence Seaway.” The renewed Prairie–Seaway trade corridor, it reported, links inbound fertilizers with outbound grain, pulses, and agri‑products through an integrated marine‑rail pathway: the Port of Johnstown.

Reestablishing direct marine fertilizer imports into Eastern Ontario is said to deliver:

• “Reliable, domestically controlled access to essential crop nutrients.
• “Expanded eastbound marine capacity for Prairie growers.
• “Efficient match-back flows for outbound grain, pulses, and agri‑products.
• “Reduced transportation emissions through improved marine and rail efficiencies.
• “New global diversification opportunities, including access to European and emerging markets.”

All discharge, handling, and loading operations occur entirely within the marine and rail footprint, which ensures that there is no impact on municipal roads or surrounding communities, according to V6 Agronomy.

Additionally, it said, Eastern Ontario provides “year‑round scalability with no competing vessel queues, positioning the Port of Johnstown as a critical alternative pathway in Canada’s agricultural export architecture.”

The renewed Prairie–Seaway trade corridor, V6 Agronomy continued, aligns with commitments outlined in Budget 2025, including:

• “Strengthening Canada’s supply chain sovereignty.
• “Expanding the Trade Diversification Corridors Fund (TDCF).
• “Scaling inland logistics capacity via the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF).
• “Advancing fertilizer emissions‑reduction through enhanced nutrient pathways.
• “Supporting rural economic development and regional infrastructure renewal.”

“By reactivating this gateway, we are creating a reliable, efficient, and globally competitive route that benefits farmers from the Prairies to the Great Lakes,” V6 Agronomy CEO Ryan Brophy said. “It’s a major step forward for Canada’s agricultural sector.”

“Through our strong partnership with V6 Agronomy, the Port of Johnstown is activating a modern marine‑rail corridor that strengthens national supply chains, supports Prairie growers, and creates new opportunities for Canadian agriculture,” Port of Johnstown General Manager Leslie Drynan noted.

“V6’s investment into this corridor represents a very meaningful milestone in establishing a resilient Canada‑wide fertilizer supply chain that strengthens crop nutrition security for growers across the country,” reported Fertinagro Biotech International, a Spanish fertilizer producer. “We see this as a strategically significant advancement—one that enhances national supply resilience, expands access to next‑generation fertilizer technologies, and creates new collaboration opportunities in sustainable nutrient innovation.”

• Canada’s First Fertilizer Terminal Launches at Port of Johnstown
• For Port of Johnstown, a New Terminal Facility

The post Federal Montreal Reopens Canadian Ag Gateway appeared first on Railway Age.

Funding is available through a variety of state and federal sources to support:

• Public transit services.
• Human service transportation.
• Transportation demand management (TDM).
• Rail initiatives.
• Planning efforts across the Commonwealth.

Applicants can find the current Application Guidance, including eligible project categories, on DRPT’s website. All applications must be submitted electronically via WebGrants, DRPT’s online grant management system.

After the application period closes, DRPT will evaluate all submissions and present funding recommendations to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) for inclusion in the Draft FY2027 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP). A series of public hearings will be held statewide before the CTB considers final adoption of the SYIP in June 2026.

The post Virginia DRPT Now Accepting Grant Applications appeared first on Railway Age.

A seven-person crew led by UP Bridge Foreperson Keegan Smutz and Manager-Bridge Maintenance Travis Cook safely removed and hauled a nearly 40-foot, 5,500-pound blue spruce donated by Stephen and CJ Carr of La Vista, Neb., to downtown Omaha, UP reported Dec. 1. The city’s “official Christmas Tree,” they positioned it earlier this month inside the Durham Museum for the 50th annual “Christmas at Union Station” celebration.

“Union Pacific crews have been delivering holiday magic to the Durham Museum for decades,” according to UP. “The railroad gifted the former Union Station to the city of Omaha in 1973, after Amtrak was created by an act of Congress and the site’s passenger operations ended.”

Housed in the station, the Durham Museum opened its doors in 1975 and revived a 1930s city tradition—raising a live Christmas tree in the great hall to celebrate the holiday season. The museum’s 2025 “Christmas at Union Station” event is presented by FNBO and sponsored by UP, Conagra Brands Foundation, OPPD, Mangelsen’s, and Douglas County, Neb.

“This is my 11th tree,” Keegan Smutz said. “I’m proud that we get to be a part of something that honors Omaha’s history.”

“We take pride in making it a safe, successful day at the Durham,” Travis Cook added. “It’s a long-standing tradition. Our crews look forward to it every year.”

NS, Amtrak, and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation will run their 26th Holiday Train on Dec. 13 in New York State. With stops in Binghamton, Bainbridge, Oneonta, Cobleskill, and Delanson, the event will again deliver toys and bring holiday cheer to local communities, according to the Class I railroad, which since 2022 has donated nearly $500,000 to the Foundation, supporting its mission to provide “joy, comfort, and hope to children in need across the nation through the gift of a new toy or book at Christmastime.”

The event starts at 9 a.m. at East Binghamton Yard (5 Holmes Place, Binghamton) with free donuts, hot chocolate, kids’ activities, music, and giveaways before the train departs for Bainbridge, its second stop (see full schedule above).

“For over 75 years, Toys for Tots has worked to ensure every child experiences the magic of the holidays,” Marine Corps Coordinator Patrick M. Lurenz said. “Our collaboration with Norfolk Southern and Amtrak brings that mission to life on the rails, reaching families in ways that truly make a difference.”

“Railroads have always been part of holiday traditions, and this train is a symbol of community and generosity,” noted Kristin Wong, Director of the NS Foundation & Community Impact, NS. “We’re honored to continue this journey with Toys for Tots and Amtrak to spread joy across our network.”

“We are proud to continue our annual tradition of celebrating the holidays with Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and Norfolk Southern in the Capital Region with Operation Toy Train,” added Bruno Maestri, Amtrak Special Assistant to the President. “Combining the magic of trains, the festivities of the winter holidays, and the joy we can bring to children is one of the highlights of our year.”

Separately, NS recently rolled out a new collection of holiday merchandise.

“The magic of Christmas came to life in downtown Trois-Rivières, Quebec, with the return of the illuminated Holiday Train, presented by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.‘s Quebec-Gatineau Railway,” according to a recent LinkedIn post by commercial photographer and licensed drone pilot Kevin Burkholder, which G&W reposted. “A true highlight of the season, the train’s arrival at the Trois-Rivières Port Park officially launches the holidays in a warm, festive, and welcoming atmosphere where young and old alike can experience a moment of wonder. The holiday train consists of QGRY GP38-2 3537 and caboose 434524.”

QGRY celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023. The railroad operates along 358 track miles that it either owns, leases, or has tracks rights over, and interchanges with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (at Montreal, Quebec) and CN (at Joliette, Shawinigan, and Quebec City in Quebec).

Meanwhile, the CPKC Holiday Train is touring Canada and the U.S. through Dec. 21, presenting musical performances and raising money, food, and awareness to support food banks across its network, and CSX hosted the 83rd running of its Santa Train on Nov. 22, delivering toys, gifts, and winter essentials to 13 communities in Appalachia.

The post ‘Holiday Briefs’: UP, NS, G&W appeared first on Railway Age.

Their achievements, RAC says, “reflect the industry’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the continued pursuit of safer, more sustainable rail operations across the country.”

The RAC Safety and Environment Awards “shine a spotlight on the innovative programs, cutting-edge technologies, and proactive practices that strengthen safety culture, protect communities, and enhance environmental performance,” the association noted. “These awards highlight the industry’s unwavering commitment to safety as job #1 and to leading Canada’s transition toward a more sustainable future.”

“Canada’s railways are built on a foundation of innovation, discipline, and pride in the work we do every day,” said RAC President and CEO Eric Harvey. “This year’s Safety and Environment award recipients demonstrate what is possible when we challenge ourselves to think differently and to lead with purpose. Their initiatives strengthen our industry, protect our communities, and pave the way for a stronger future. I’m proud to congratulate each of them on their outstanding contributions.”

And the 2025 winners are:

• Safety Award, Cando Rail & Terminals – Passing Knowledge Initiative: “Cando Rail & Terminals launched Passing Knowledge, a virtual, podcast-style safety education program driven by employee surveys, field observations, and audit insights. Designed to strengthen safety culture and engagement, the initiative delivers accessible, story-driven content that reinforces best practices and connects frontline employees through shared learning.”
• Safety Award, Metrolinx – Red Zone Green Zone (RZ/GZ) Program: “Metrolinx is transforming how it plans and delivers work protection through its Red Zone Green Zone Program. The RZ/GZ Program improves control, planning, and communication for construction and maintenance activities within the rail corridor, reducing major risk factors associated with train-to-worker and train-to-equipment interactions.”
• Environment Award, CN – B.C. Spill Drill and Exercise Program: Strengthening Communities: “Recognizing that community response teams are often first on site during an incident, CN redesigned its annual spill drills to foreground meaningful engagement with local stakeholders and rightsholders. Piloted in August 2023, the Prince Rupert Spill Drill brought together 75 participants—including local First Nations and six Tsimshian Nations, Transport Canada, provincial ministries, municipal governments, and CN operations and emergency response partners.”
• Environment Award, Cando Rail & Terminals – Li-Ion 2025: Advancing the Zero-Emission Fleet of the Future: “Cando Rail & Terminals is redefining what is possible in Canadian rail operations with its Li-Ion 2025 project—an ambitious initiative to electrify industrial switching using lithium-ion battery technology. By retrofitting a legacy, non-tier-compliant diesel locomotive into a fully electric, zero-emission unit, Cando has engineered a scalable and high-performance solution suited for closed-loop rail systems nationwide.”
• Environment Award, Metrolinx – Environmental Management System (EMS): “The overhaul of the EMS focused on ensuring alignment to the ISO14001 Standard including a rewrite of the EMS Manual, re-development of the EMS Aspects & Impacts Registry, third party review of the Environmental Legal Registry and development of 11 Environmental Performance Standards.”
• New Associate Member Award, DecisionWorks: “While drone-based data collection is no longer novel on its own, TrackSense is redefining what is possible in railway safety through an entirely new, unprecedented, and innovative approach that fully supports the entire lifecycle of a railway incident detection, engineering crew management and track inspection reporting. TrackSense is a data integration platform. It provides a single dashboard view of an entire railway that consumes data from multiple sources such as track geometry, flood prediction, forest fire fuel detection, remediation and water body analysis, digital twins to structural steel analysis, and concrete integrity analysis.”

The post RAC Members Earn Safety, Environment Awards appeared first on Railway Age.

The move, Wabtec said, will strengthen its Digital Intelligence business by adding complementary railway signaling technologies. It follows Wabtec’s $1.78 billion acquisition of Evident’s Inspection Technologies division (Inspection Technologies).

Founded in 1987, Frauscher has grown to more than 700 employees located in 15 countries, and has installations in more than 100 countries, according to Wabtec. The company also has a “significant presence in Europe and India,” which will enable Wabtec to “advance its international growth strategy in these key markets.”

The acquisition of Frauscher “is anticipated to provide immediate shareholder value with an accretive growth profile, accretive Adjusted EBIT margins, accretive Adjusted EPS in the first year of ownership, and accretive return on invested capital (ROIC) over time,” according to Wabtec. “The purchase price reflects an estimated multiple of 12.4x projected 2025 EBITDA adjusted for projected run-rate cost synergies, which Wabtec expects to be realized over a three-year period. Frauscher is expected to generate approximately €145 million of revenue in 2025.”

“This strategic acquisition is another step in executing Wabtec’s long-term growth strategy, which will provide enhanced value for our customers, shareholders, and employees,” Wabtec President and CEO Rafael Santana said Dec. 1. “The rare combination of our Digital Intelligence portfolio and Frauscher’s industry leading suite of products opens opportunities in a high-potential market for sustained growth, and strong and resilient profitability.”

“As the world’s rail network looks to meet the ever-growing transportation demands, the combination of our digital portfolio with Frauscher’s technology will provide operators innovative solutions to optimize their operations,” added Nalin Jain, President of Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence Group. “By combining our businesses, we will further strengthen Wabtec as an innovator in the rail industry’s digital transformation driving improved efficiency, reliability, and safety.”

Frauscher is the fifth Wabtec acquisition since November 2024. The company has also added Inspection Technologies, Fanox, Kompozitum, and Bloom Engineering to its portfolio.

• Wabtec 3Q25: ‘Continued Growth in Backlog, Sales, Margin and Earnings’
• Wabtec, Vale Partner to Test Ethanol Use in Locomotives
• Wabtec Lands $4.2B Kazakhstan Locomotive Contract
• Driving the Future of Rail: A Conversation With Wabtec’s Eric Gebhardt
• For Wabtec, ‘Another Strong Quarter’
• Watch: Wabtec’s Evolution Series Tier 4 Marks a Milestone
• Wabtec, IMT Enter Agreement to Distribute Railcar Telematics in European Markets
• Winter Weather Warm-Up
• Wabtec: ‘Strong’ 1Q25 Results, Full-Year EPS Guidance Increase
• Wabtec, ARTC Secure Agreement

The post Wabtec Acquires Frauscher (UPDATED 12/2) appeared first on Railway Age.

Amtrak issued a press release Nov. 18 touting the railroad’s performance in Fiscal Year 2025 entitled “Amtrak: A Year of Records.” With record ridership, record passenger miles, record capital investments and new trains, it would seem that Everything’s Coming Up Roses at today’s Amtrak. But as the late Paul Harvey might have said, there is “The Rest of the Story,” especially with Amtrak’s Long-Distance services.

Considering that they are the face of Amtrak for much of America, the meager amount of reference to Long-Distance trains in the document suggests different reality than what is intended to convey. It touts an 87% completion rate for the Superliner Refresh Program, without mentioning that “refreshing” is superficial, and far from the needed mechanical refurbishment, especially for cars 30 to nearly 50 years old, and that even with funding available since November 2021, Amtrak has yet to specifically determine a design for replacement equipment for the Superliners, much less select a manufacturer. Amtrak applauds its role in the complaint filed by the Justice Department in 2024 against Norfolk Southern for its chronic delay of the Crescent, but neglects to mention that Norfolk Southern gets to keep operating the northbound Crescent on a schedule more than three hours longer than in 2021 and includes an unsavory 11:29 PM departure from Atlanta.

And then there’s this from Amtrak: “Long-Distance routes saw increased capacity and strong ridership on iconic trains like the California Zephyr, Sunset Limited and Coast Starlight.” Such a claim is relative, depending on the points of comparison. Amtrak’s lack of serviceable aging equipment is well known, and most Western long-distance trains are operating or have operated with less than a full complement of equipment. Of the three trains mentioned by Amtrak, while their ridership is up from 2023, they all handled fewer passengers than in pre-COVID 2019. 2025 Coast Starlight ridership (sometimes operating with only two coaches) was only 88% that of 2019, and 82% that 2015. While 2025 overall long-distance ridership was indeed up 13% over 2023, it’s still down 2% from 2019 and slightly less than in 2015.

It should also be noted that in 2015, local ridership between New York and Washington wasn’t included for the Palmetto as it was in 2025, and ridership for the Winter Park Express ski train—included in California Zephyr numbers—was significantly higher in 2025 due to more frequent service.

But to really appreciate Amtrak’s apathy for its Long-Distance trains over the past 15 or so years, the Empire Builder is a case study. In 2005, buoyed by public recognition of the train’s 75th anniversary in 2004, Amtrak refurbished (not just “refreshed”) Empire Builder rolling stock. Not only did the equipment receive both mechanical and aesthetic makeovers but also got upgraded food service for both first and coach class passengers, and enhanced amenities such as a midday “Wine and Cheese Tasting” focusing on products from Washington State and Wisconsin. As a result, ridership soared and peaked at 554,266 in 2008, more than any other Amtrak Long-Distance train ever, and half again as much as the second-place Silver Star. (That year, nearly one out of every 50 Amtrak passengers rode the Empire Builder.)

Amtrak’s marketing department actively and specifically marketed its Long-Distance trains in the 1990s into the 2010s, creating robust patronage to Whitefish, Mont. during ski season, even advertising the Empire Builder as “The Perch Express” to lure people from the Midwest to Devils Lake, N.Dak. mid-winter for ice fishing! In 2014 amid the height of the Bakken Oil Boom causing a glut of freight traffic along the Empire Builder route ahead of BNSF’s investment of billions of dollars in new infrastructure, Amtrak had the resources to create a sixth set of Empire Builder equipment necessitated by a short-lived lengthening of the train’s schedule.

How things have changed. Rather than learn from the success of the Empire Builder in 2008 and apply it to other routes, Amtrak chose to phase out the added amenities. Much of the Whitefish ski business has disappeared due to an unpalatable schedule. Amtrak unstaffed stations in the larger college communities of Winona, Minn. and Grand Forks, N.Dak. and at Columbus, Wisc., the stop for Madison, the state capitol and Wisconsin’s second-largest city. Prior to 2022, the eastbound Empire Builder still had the distinction of being the only Long-Distance Amtrak train on a faster schedule than its pre-Amtrak counterpart, which also included the shortest equipment turn time of any Long-Distance train at only 6 hours, 20 minutes in Seattle.

In mid-2022, turn time was reduced to only 5 hours, 26 minutes, nearly ensuring a late eastbound departure when the corresponding westbound was tardy. (An extra set of equipment was/is out of the question.) Additionally, the westbound train had its departure from Chicago set back 50 minutes and additional dwell time added in Minot, N.Dak. to accommodate an hour-long train servicing and inspection that previously required only 20 minutes. As a result, train times are particularly unappealing at some of its busier stations, such as St. Paul (11:13 PM), Glacier Park (often after sunset), Whitefish (10:21 PM.), and Spokane (3:19 AM). Eastbound, the additional dwell time inbound and at Minot changed the arrival time in Chicago to late afternoon, severing connections with the Cardinal and Wolverine service. August is historically the busiest month for the Empire Builder, so effective Aug. 1, 2024, Amtrak eliminated one of the two coaches on the Seattle section of the train and operated as such for all of 2025.

The Empire Builder was the guinea pig as the first Long-Distance train to use the new ALC-42 Siemens locomotives in 2022. That these locomotives had teething problems is an understatement, and they didn’t fare well during the seasonal Northern Plains winter, resulting in numerous late trains and long-term cancelations of service that continued into 2025.

Not surprisingly, Empire Builder performance reflects the service deterioration. Ridership dropped significantly from its peak in 2008 as amenities were phased out, but throughout most of the 2010s, the train still handled 400,000 to 500,000 patrons—some 433,000 in the last pre-COVID year, FY2019. Since then, reduced connections, poor train times, late trains, equipment malfunctions and fewer available seats have reduced ridership by 16% over the pre-COVID level (364,495 in 2025).

So, as Amtrak pats itself on the back for all its perceived successes in 2025, remember “The Rest of the Story” with its Long-Distance trains and where they stand on the pecking order of Amtrak priorities. Amtrak proudly touted the Empire Builder (its most-ridden Long-Distance service) on its Diamond Anniversary in 2004. Today, we must ask: In light of aging equipment with replacement cars anything but certain, what is Amtrak’s plan to ensure that the Empire Builder will be a viable service to its Centennial in 2029 and beyond?

Mark Meyer is retired after spending 40 years in railroad operations at Burlington Northern and BNSF, most recently managing the locomotive fleet on North Operations, which included South Dakota and adjacent states. The opinions expressed here are his, not those of Railway Age.

The post Amtrak 2025: The Rest of the Story appeared first on Railway Age.

Alstom’s RSC sites produce and maintain high-speed, commuter rail, metro, and light rail vehicles. Manufacturing sites are located in West Mifflin, Pa.; Hornell and Plattsburgh, N.Y.; La Pocatière, Quebec; and Brampton, Kingston, and Thunder Bay, in Ontario; engineering and prototyping centers are in St-Bruno, Quebec.

The company is said to have delivered more than 15,000 new or renovated vehicles for transit agencies in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, New Jersey, the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver. The first five of its NextGen Acela trainsets for Amtrak began operating this summer on the Washington, D.C.-New York City-Boston Northeast Corridor.

Bernier had served as Chief Financial Officer for Alstom Americas since the company’s acquisition of Bombardier Transportation in 2021. He held the same role at Bombardier Transportation in North America, which he joined in 2019 from Bombardier Inc. According to Alstom, Bernier has held leadership positions across the aerospace, consumer goods, banking, and audit industries.

“I am thrilled to welcome Marc in his new capacity as part of the Alstom Americas executive team,” Alstom Americas President and CEO Michael Keroullé said. “Marc played a pivotal role in the transformation of the company since the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation in 2021, and has been a key contributor in the successful strengthening of Alstom in our region. In this new role, he and his team will continue to deliver on our commitment, to make Alstom the best rail technology partner to our customers and the communities they serve.”

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• SkyTrain Readies for Mark V Trainset Service

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