Railway Age magazine

R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC Executive Vice President Commercial Affairs Justin Broyles was named President and CEO after serving in an interim capacity since replacing Ed Quinn, who resigned June 4. Broyles, the company said, “has been instrumental in guiding the company through a pivotal time.”

“The Board of Trustees are proud to appoint Justin Broyles as our next President and CEO,” said April Colyer, Chairperson of the Richard J. Corman Board of Trustees. “The extensive search process proved to be an important opportunity to reflect on the leadership qualities and strategic alignment needed to guide the company forward. We were highly impressed by the caliber of the individuals that expressed interest in the role, and Justin distinguished himself throughout the process. Justin’s deep understanding of our business, proven leadership of our best-in-class team, incredible business acumen and vision and passion for continuing the rich legacy and culture of our company will be critical to our next chapter. The Board looks forward to working with Justin and is confident his expertise, vision and leadership will lead our company to continued success.”

Broyles rejoined R. J. Corman in 2018 after serving as Chief Commercial Officer at Patriot Rail. With nearly 25 years of experience in the railroad industry, he has held various leadership positions within R. J. Corman, focusing on emergency services, storm response, construction and national account management. As Executive Vice President Commercial Affairs, he oversaw all commercial activities, including managing the marketing and sales teams for R. J. Corman’s 19 short line railroads. 

“I am deeply honored and excited to take on the role of President and CEO of R. J. Corman Railroad Group,” said Broyles. “Over the years I have had the privilege of working alongside an incredibly talented and dedicated team. As we move forward, we will build on our strong foundation by continuing to prioritize safety, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency across all of our companies. I look forward to working with our team, partners, and stakeholders to shape the future of our company and the industry as a whole.” 

Broyles holds a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from Southern Illinois University and serves in several key positions within the transportation industry, including Chair of the Surface Transportation Board Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council, Vice Chair of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Chair of the Short Line Safety Institute and member of the Executive Committee Board of Directors of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers. 

Ed Quinn

Quinn joined maritime hospitality and transportation company Hornblower Group as President of Ferry and Concession.

“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided that it is time to step down as President and CEO,” said Quinn when he announced his resignation. “It has been an incredible honor to lead this organization and work alongside such a talented and dedicated team. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together and confident in the company’s continued success. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and cheering on the next chapter from a new vantage point.”

Quinn joined R. J. Corman as President and CEO in 2016, returning to the company after leading sales and marketing for industrial fan company Big Ass Fans®. In his previous tenure with R. J. Corman, he was VP of Strategic Contracts and Sales, VP of the Derailment Services Company, and General Manager of the Material Sales Company. “Under Quinn’s leadership as CEO, R. J. Corman acquired eight short line railroads, organically increased carload volume, added strategic Railroad Services locations for its Class I partners, grew services and partners for its Signaling Company, and continued to achieve success in the many other facets of its enterprise, including the notable response to Hurricane Helene and subsequent recovery efforts,” the company said.

“We very much appreciate all that Ed has done for our company,” said April Colyer, Chairperson of Richard J. Corman Living Trust, which owns R. J. Corman Railroad Group. “Ed has led our company for nearly nine years and, in addition to the significant growth we have achieved in our short line franchise, under his leadership we have continued our success in delivering safe and high-quality services to all areas of the railroad industry. We thank Ed for the leadership he has provided and look forward to continuing to build on the company’s success. The Trustees are confident in our management team in place and look forward to selecting the next CEO for R. J. Corman Railroad Group, which we expect to occur in the near-term. We are excited about the future opportunities for our company and look forward to many more years of working with our team to continue to provide a safe and rewarding work environment for our more-than 1,400 employees, who are the foundation of our success in this industry.”

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Combined with two similar projects already under construction in Philadelphia and Seattle, and another in planning for Rensselaer/Albany, N.Y., these collective investments, the company says, “will support Amtrak’s continued record ridership growth and help deliver a new era of passenger rail in America.”

While not visible to guests on their Amtrak journey, these upgrades are necessary to support new Airo trains arriving on more than a dozen routes over the coming years, the company noted. Each train will be operated as a single “trainset,” rather than individual railcars. The new rail yard facilities will help create a consistent maintenance system that “improves efficiencies and reduces turnaround times during repairs or inspections, while also improving safety and overall working conditions for employees.”

The three projects are as follows:

Boston (Southampton Yard)

Overview: An SPS New England-Railroad Construction Company (RCC) Joint Venture will design and construct a new maintenance facility and renovate existing facilities to support Northeast Regional, Acela, and Long Distance trains that operate out of this yard, connecting with cities such as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, and Richmond.

Improvements Include:

• Construction of a new two-track Maintenance & Inspection facility.
• Renovation of the existing two-track regional Service and Inspection facility into a two-track Service & Cleaning facility.

Timeline: Work will be conducted in phases, with full project completion expected in 2029.

(Rendering Courtesy of Amtrak) New York City (Sunnyside Yard)

Overview: A Scalamandre-Citnalta Joint Venture will design and construct new maintenance, inspection, and servicing facilities – as well as other related upgrades – to support Northeast Regional, Acela, Long Distance, and commuter trains that operate out of this yard, connecting with cities such as Albany, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Miami, and New Orleans.

Improvements Include:

• Construction of a new two-track Maintenance & Inspection facility.
• Construction of six new Service and Cleaning tracks with canopy coverage.
• Consolidation of commissary, employee workspace, material storage, and parking into a single location within the yard, including an efficient modular office compound.
• Bringing 11 existing service platforms to a state of good repair (required to clean/prepare trains for passenger service and store trainsets when not in operation).
• Other infrastructure upgrades to accommodate this work, including reconfiguration of two major interlockings and tracks connecting the yard to the NEC.

Timeline: Work will be conducted in phases, with full project completion expected in 2030.

(Rendering Courtesy of Amtrak) Washington, DC (Ivy City Yard)

Overview: A Clark-Herzog Joint Venture will design, construct, and renovate new and existing maintenance and servicing facilities to support Northeast Regional (including the state-supported Amtrak Virginia service), Acela, Long Distance and commuter trains that operate out of this yard, connecting with cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Charlotte, Savannah, Miami, New Orleans, and Chicago.

Improvements Include:

• Construction of three new exterior Service & Cleaning tracks with canopy coverage.
• Renovation of two existing two-track maintenance facilities to include a new drop table.
• Replacement of the existing water main infrastructure within and around the yard, which provides flexibility to serve multiple trainsets across the various facilities.

Timeline: Work will be conducted in phases, with full project completion expected in 2030.

“These investments are key to introducing our new Airo trains on the Northeast Corridor beginning in 2027,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. “With ridership and revenue at all-time highs, we’re making great strides to meet this growing demand with new, state-of-the-art trains that will improve service reliability and the overall customer experience, thanks to strong support from the [POTUS 47] Administration, Congress, and many other partners.”

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The National Mediation Board (NMB) on Aug. 18 released from statutory mediation the MTA Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and Transportation Communications Union (TCU). The first 30-day “cooling off” period begins Aug. 19, during which POTUS 47 could create an emergency board to “investigate and report” on the dispute.

Either side, the NMB, or the New York Governor could ask POTUS 47 to appoint a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). Absent agreements or the establishment of a PEB, self-help (strike or lock-out) could be exercised as of 12:01 a.m. EDT, Sept. 18, 2025, according to the NMB.

“It’s been 31 years since LIRR unions last walked off the job,” according to a Newsday report, “and 11 years since they last voted to go on strike. In 2014, a coalition of labor organizations, led by conductors’ union head Anthony Simon, negotiated an eleventh-hour deal with the governor’s office to avert a shutdown.” (See LIRR map below.)

MTA Railroads mapDownload

At issue now “is the size of raises for the five unions, who represent several trades at the [New York commuter] railroad, including locomotive engineers, signal workers, electricians, and ticket clerks,” Newsday reported Aug. 19. “Although more than half all LIRR union workers have already settled a contract that guaranteed 9.5% in wage increases over three years, the five remaining unions have held out for more, arguing that their raises should be more in line with what other railroads in the United States have offered workers in recent years, including Amtrak and Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA.”

MTA spokesman Tim Minton told the newspaper “that LIRR workers ‘are already the highest paid railroad employees in the country,’ and noted that the contract terms rejected by the unions have been accepted by more than 50,000 MTA employees and hundreds of thousands more public workers in the state.”

Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner provided the following explanation of the commuter rail provisions of the Railway Labor Act (RLA):

“Major Disputes on commuter railroads, including Amtrak commuter operations, are resolved under separate procedures created by 1981 RLA amendments. Amtrak intercity passenger operations are subject to the RLA’s freight-railroad provisions. 

“The NMB, a commuter rail authority, labor union, or a governor of a state through which the commuter railroad operates may request creation of a PEB. If appointed, there is imposed a 120-day status quo (no strikes; no lockouts) requirement. If, within the first 60 days, there is no resolution, the NMB must conduct a public hearing at which parties to the dispute testify. If, after resumption of negotiations, a voluntary agreement is not reached by the end of the second 60-day period, the commuter authority, labor union, or governor may request a second PEB be created.

“If a second PEB is created, a new 30-day status quo period commences. If, by the end of that period, a voluntary settlement is not reached, the parties present to the second PEB a “last, best and final offer,” with the PEB selecting, without modification, the one it finds most reasonable. The PEB’s selection is not binding. If a settlement still is not reached, a strike, unilateral promulgation of carrier-desired changes, or an employer lockout may commence. As with Major Disputes on freight railroads, the RLA has then run its course. Congress then may legislate settlement terms.

“Should labor commence a work stoppage, striking employees are denied, for the duration of the strike, unemployment benefits payable under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA). Should the commuter railroad reject the non-binding recommendations, precipitating a work stoppage, the commuter railroad may not take advantage of a strike insurance plan.”

Click here for a mediation overview and FAQ from the NMB.

Further Reading:

• BLET Givebacks to NJT a “New Normal” for Labor?
• NJT BLET Rank-and-File Ratify Deal
• Biden Orders Second PEB in NJ Transit-BLET Contract Dispute
• PEB 251 Established, Recommendations Released to Settle NJ Transit-BLET Dispute
• BLET Forks $50K Over to NJT for ‘Illegal Job Action’
• President Biden Signs H.J. Res. 100 Into Law

The post LIRR, Five Unions Enter ‘Cooling Off Period’ appeared first on Railway Age.

WMATA

WMATA is calling on the public to help finalize the exterior design of its 256 8000-series rapid transit cars from Hitachi Rail, which will start arriving in 2027.  

Voting for one of three design options (see below) will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 22. The winning concept will be announced the following week. (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority in 2021 similarly asked the public to weigh in on the exterior graphic design for its 254 new Stadler railcars. It revealed the winner in 2022.)

(Courtesy of WMATA)

According to WMATA, the designs are part of a “broader branding refresh” that includes refined logos and illustrations that reflect its heritage. With this final step in the process, it said, riders will see a “revamped color scheme in a warm palette that embraces modern design principles and pays homage to the standards” set by WMATA’s founding designers.

The transit authority added that it has “identified several cost-saving and efficiency measures for the 8000-series fleet program, resulting in $21 million that can be reallocated back into the Capital Program and a reduction in future operating and maintenance costs for the fleet.”

WMATA in 2021 awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail to design and build an initial order of 256 8000-series rapid transit cars, which were slated to replace aging 2000- and 3000-series cars. If all the options in the contract are exercised, a total of 800 cars will be supplied to WMATA worth up to $2.2 billion. The trains will feature WMATA’s first open gangway design that will help increase safety, passenger flow, and capacity, according to the transit authority. Eight-car trains will be made up of four sets of two-car pairs, and six-car trains will be made up of three sets of two-car pairs. The trains will offer more seating along the walls to allow more standing room for passengers and dedicated spaces for people who use mobility devices. Additionally, they will have more flexible space for bikes, strollers, and luggage.

According to Hitachi Rail, the trains will also include digital screens with improved journey information; on-board Wi-Fi; “Smart Doors” with individual response to obstructions; and high-definition security cameras. They will feature ventilation system improvements, incorporate “stringent cybersecurity requirements,” offer increased space between seats and wider aisles, include heated floors throughout, and provide improved regenerative braking.

Hitachi Rail will assemble the cars at its new Hagerstown, Md., plant. The $70 million, 307,000-square-foot factory and 800-yard test track will be 90 minutes from WMATA’s Greenbelt Rail Yard, where the completed 8000-series cars will be delivered.

WMATA in May 2024 officially retired its 2000-series trains, which reached the end of their 40-year service life and had issues nearly four times as often as its newer Kawasaki Rail Car USA-built 7000-series trains.

The 2000-series trains were manufactured by Breda in Italy, shipped to the Port of Baltimore in the early 1980s and assembled in Beech Grove, Ind. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of WMATA)

The 76 2000-series rapid transit cars, which were built by Breda in Italy (now Hitachi Rail Italy) and assembled in Beech Grove, Ind., debuted in 1983—about two years behind schedule due to a factory breakdown in West Germany and a labor strike in a Wilmerding, Pa., brake factory, according to WMATA.

They are said to have operated nearly 200 million miles and carried more than 775 million riders. According to WMATA, their introduction allowed the agency to offer service to Huntington and Fairfax County, Va.

While the 2000-series cars look similar to the 300 Rohr-built 1000-series cars that entered service in 1976 and were retired in 2016-17, WMATA said they included “new” features like flip-dot destination signs instead of mylar roll signs that often malfunctioned, exterior speakers for announcements, and a dozen fewer seats to allow more riders per train.

In the early 2000s, the 2000-series cars went through a mid-life rehabilitation, replacing propulsion systems, adding new exterior and interior LED signs, and updating the seats with a new color motif (Colonial Burgundy, Potomac Blue, and Chesapeake Sand), WMATA said.

The cars were largely in storage during the pandemic but were used in recent years while the agency addressed issues with the other fleet series, it said. WMATA in 2021 began sidelining its 748 Kawasaki-built 7000-series cars due to a derailment, so it could develop a response to wheel gage anomalies and implement a plan for safely returning them to service. The 7000-series comprises roughly 60% of WMATA’s fleet.

WMATA has said thst its long-term fleet strategy calls for phasing out the 290 Breda-built 3000-series cars starting in 2027. At the same time, WMATA will begin introducing the first of its new 8000-series Fleet of the Future cars. The rest of the WMATA fleet will comprise Alstom-built 6000-series cars (with the classic brown stripe motif) and 7000-series cars.

Further Reading:

• WMATA Restores ATO to All Lines
• WMATA Board of Directors Approves $4.957B FY2026 Budget

TriMet

TriMet on Aug. 18 reported installing dozens of digital displays at MAX light rail stations, bus stops and transit centers over the past year—including in places that didn’t previously have them. It now has more than 700 real-time displays, providing riders with service information, including train/bus arrivals and final destinations.

This is the first time TriMet has had real-time arrivals and service alerts displayed on electronic readerboards at every MAX station (except the Skidmore Fountain MAX Station, which will close Aug. 24).

TriMet also reported posting QR codes at stations, stops and transit centers to provide the same information. Additionally, riders can track vehicles and see up-to-date service information on its website, which is being upgraded.

Over the past year, it has added several new website features and improvements—with more still to come. Among them: an interactive map, including a 3D view, showing where the agency’s vehicles, stations, stops and Park & Rides are; a Trip Planner tool; and the ability to read and use the site in any of six languages with full translation support (English, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese).

Further Reading:

• TriMet Announces Service Cuts to Address Budget Shortfall
• WES: Commuter Rail Skirting Its Principal City
• TriMet Board Adopts $1.96B FY2026 Budget

Denver RTD (Courtesy of Denver RTD)

Denver RTD has upped its fare checks by more than 500% since May 2024 to ensure that riders on light rail and commuter rail trains have paid their fare to board, it reported Aug. 18. The Transit Police Department’s (RTD-PD), growth—now at approximately 100 officers—has allowed for increased patrolling across the agency’s stops and stations and on its vehicles.

According to Denver RTD, officers are conducting between 300,000 and 400,000 fare checks per month on the rail system this year.

“About 5% of RTD’s budget is comprised of fare revenue from customers,” Denver RTD reported. “Transit Police officers underwent fare enforcement training in October 2024 and the officers—along with contracted Allied security officers—are equipped with handheld scanners to conduct fare enforcement. An in-depth review led to RTD-PD’s four-step security plan initiated in August 2024, which ramped up fare enforcement to support customers and RTD employees. The agency found that 6% of customers did not pay their fare.”

The four-step security plan, it said, includes direct interaction with users of Denver RTD services and requires maintaining a high-visibility presence, which has been supported by RTD initiating 24/7 patrolling in May 2024 and growing the department to 120 officers by yearend. (In comparison, RTD-PD had 19 officers in 2022.)

The third step in the security plan: “When observing behavior that does not support a Welcoming Transit Environment, officers proactively educate customers by treating other customers with respect,” Denver RTD said.

The last step in RTD-PD’s security plan is to utilize technology. “Using real-time security video, officers can look at any camera in our 2,345-square-mile service area,” Chief of Police and Emergency Management Steve Martingano said. “These steps have led to a huge reduction in criminal conduct, including drug-related activity, thus allowing ridership to grow.”

Officers can access video feeds from their laptops in addition to Denver RTD video investigators conducting real-time video surveillance of stops and stations.

Beginning in 2023, the RTD-PD established live look-in cameras with the ability to hear and view vehicle activity for use in emergency situations across its bus fleet. The agency’s commuter rail system is already equipped with the live look-in technology and the addition of such technology on light rail vehicles is in progress.

With the combined tactics, including fare checks, security-related calls into the RTD-PD are down by about 33%, with reports of illicit drug use down anywhere between 50%-70% per month for 2025 compared with 2024, according to Denver RTD.

For monthly metrics, visit Denver RTD’s Security Related Metrics page, which launched earlier this year.

Separately, Denver RTD on July 30 reported that its Board has authorized General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson to enter into a successor three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001.

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Metrolink

Metrolink has elevated Tom Schamber to the role of CFO, effective immediately, the agency announced Aug. 18.

A seasoned leader with nearly three decades of strategic management experience in accounting, audit and financial operations, Schamber has been a “driving force” at the agency since 2016 and has led the department in an interim capacity since April 2025, Metrolink noted.

As CFO, Schamber oversees all aspects of Metrolink’s financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, contracts, procurement, grants, payroll and reporting. “He sets the vision for the department’s goals and priorities in alignment with Metrolink’s strategic plan and ensures that financial considerations are integrated into agency-wide decision-making,” according to the agency. Schamber directs the annual budget process, allocates resources to meet service needs, and guides investments toward projects that “enhance the customer experience and advance Metrolink’s role in the region.” He is also responsible for making internal processes “more efficient, transparent and effective,” including identifying opportunities for innovation that improve performance and support long-term sustainability, the agency noted.

“Tom has been instrumental in strengthening Metrolink’s financial position and ensuring we’re making smart, strategic decisions for our riders and the region,” Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said. “His expertise, dedication and genuine commitment to public service make him the right leader to shape our financial future.”

After joining Metrolink as a General Accounting Manager, Schamber was quickly promoted to the position of Controller, assuming all high-level and managerial accounting-related activities. He was named Director of Grants in 2020. Under his leadership, Metrolink says it has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, state and local funds to support the completion of critical projects and initiatives. Schamber previously held progressively senior roles across several public, nonprofit and financial institutions, including the City of Santa Monica, Lane Transit District, the University of Oregon Foundation, the Educational Policy Improvement Center, Foster Farms, Moss Adams LLP and Isler CPA.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Oregon and is a Certified Public Accountant through the Oregon Board of Accountancy.

“Over nearly a decade with Metrolink, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that strong fiscal stewardship can have in turning ambitious goals into tangible results,” Schamber said. “Together with our leadership team, I am committed to ensuring the agency’s growth and financial health while delivering the best possible service as a vital connector benefiting communities across Southern California.”

Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty on Aug. 18 announced the appointment of William “Bill” Motherway as Vice President of Risk for its U.S. Infrastructure operations.

With more than three decades of experience in legal, compliance and enterprise risk management, Motherway brings “a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the company’s risk oversight and mitigation strategies.”

In his new role, Motherway will lead the implementation of Balfour Beatty’s enterprise risk management framework across its Infrastructure business. He will be responsible for guiding the organization in “identifying, assessing and managing operational, regulatory and strategic risks.” His leadership, the company says, will also support the development of fraud risk assessments, internal control reviews, and compliance with Balfour Beatty’s internal control framework.

“Bill’s deep expertise in enterprise risk management, compliance and legal background will be instrumental in strengthening our operational resilience and supporting our long-term strategic goals,” said Mark Konchar, Balfour Beatty U.S. Infrastructure President. “His proven ability to lead complex risk initiatives and foster a culture of accountability aligns perfectly with our commitment to Zero Harm safety initiatives and operational excellence.”

Motherway’s career includes executive leadership roles throughout the industry, where he founded and managed captive insurance companies, led corporate litigation and compliance programs, and implemented enterprise-wide risk strategies. He also served as Risk Manager and Ethics & Compliance Officer for Sarasota County Government and held senior legal roles in both public and private sectors.

“I’m honored to join Balfour Beatty and contribute to a company that values integrity, innovation and safety,” said Motherway. “I look forward to working with our teams to enhance risk awareness, drive compliance, and support the company’s continued growth.”

Motherway holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Manhattan College. He is a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP), a licensed Property/Casualty Broker in 49 states, and an active member of the Florida and New York State Bars.

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The contract, valued at $1.972 billion, is being awarded to Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture between Halmar International and FCC Construction. It is the second of four construction contracts for the Q train extension. Despite New York City’s high construction costs, the MTA says, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2’s cost-benefit “is significant and is projected to have the lowest cost per rider of any active heavy rail project in the country.”

According to the agency, this new tunnel will extend from 116th Street to 125th Street. Crews under this contract will also excavate space for the future 125th Street Station, and in a “cost-containment measure that saves the MTA $500 million,” will outfit the tunnel along the route that was built in the 1970s to accommodate the future 116th Street Station.

The work to bore the new tunnel, between 35 and 120 feet below Second Avenue, is expected to take place using 750-ton machines equipped with 22-foot diamond-studded drill heads. Early work will commence later this year, with heavy civil construction starting in early 2026 and the tunnel boring itself expected to begin in 2027, according to the MTA.

The line’s first construction contract was awarded in January 2024 for utility relocation work. Crews working under that contract are relocating underground utilities from 105th Street to 110th Street on Second Avenue at the site of the future 106th Street Station, in order to facilitate the subsequent construction of the station. 

Crews working under the third contract will build the underground space for the future station at 106th Street and Second Avenue. That contract is currently in procurement. The fourth and final contract will cover the fit-out of the three stations, at 106th, 116th, and 125th Streets, and the systems needed to run train service, such as track, signal, power and communications. This contract is currently in design.

According to the MTA, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 is on schedule with a revenue service date of September 2032, and on budget. The project budget is $6.99 billion and is funded in part by revenues from the Congestion Relief Zone tolling program. 

“This is a meaningful step forward not only for the project but everyone in East Harlem and Central Harlem. Locals have waited almost 100 long years for their promised subway extension,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Thanks to investments from Governor Hochul and our partners in Washington, today the new MTA is moving forward with the largest tunneling contract in agency history, but—more important—with a project that pencils at the lowest cost per rider of any heavy rail project in America.”

Further Reading:

• NYMTA Kicks Off Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Project
• Now Advancing: New York’s Second Avenue Subway Phase 2
  
  

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No fewer than five Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) initiatives for rail transit will be spotlighted at Next-Gen Rail Systems, the communications, signaling and advanced technology conference presented by Railway Age, and formerly known asNext-Gen Train Control. Among these is the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) CBTC program.

Next-Gen Rail Systems reflects the evolving state of rail technology. Over the years, rapid technological developments—artificial intelligence, deep data analysis, machine learning, cybersecurity, telematics—have transformed train control into just one element of a complex, integrated platform. Systems and technology are constantly undergoing improvements and enhancements that deliver better safety, functionality, interoperability, versatility and reliability at lower life-cycle costs for rail transit, main line passenger rail, and freight railroads.

MARTA’S CBTC Program

In December 2024, The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) awarded Stadler Signaling North America a $500 million contract to equip its rapid transit network with Stadler’s NOVA Pro CBTC technology. The contract, the largest to date for Stadler’s signaling sector, marks the first time that a U.S. rail transit agency has used a Stadler train control system with Stadler rolling stock. Under the terms of the contract, Stadler will replace the current system within eight years of receiving a notice to proceed. NOVA Pro as deployed on MARTA will be engineer-assisted ATO (automatic train operation). “Stadler’s CBTC technology is recognized worldwide as a proven and widely used solution for metro systems,” the company noted. “It is used in many cities and countries and meets international standards and requirements. Stadler’s solution is characterized by a sleek, modular design that is compatible with any wireless communication network, including 5G and WiFi. The system can be flexibly adapted to various GoA (grades of automation). As a result, it offers the flexibility needed to meet the growing demands of public transit providers.”

“The resulting synergies between the on-board and trackside signaling components will allow for a smooth introduction of the system and increase operational performance while minimizing downtime,” Stadler said. The vehicles will be equipped at the Stadler plant in Salt Lake City, where the 56 new MARTA trainsets ordered in 2019 are being built. The trackside equipment will be installed, tested and commissioned directly on the MARTA network. As the on-board and trackside components come from Stadler the project “can be completed seamlessly,” the company noted.” During a transition phase, trains will be able to run with both the legacy and the new system. As soon as the trackside components have been installed across the board, the transition process to the new system will be smooth and without any interruption to operations.”

Alireza Edraki, Associate Vice President, Senior Program Director, HNTB, will give the presentation. In addition to MARTA, CBTC programs at MTA New York City Transit, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority, PATH, and Toronto Transit Commission will be featured.

Next-Gen Rail Systems is an essential gathering for all those involved in the growing rail systems market—whether the focus is transit, main line passenger, or freight. Railway Age is proud to present a rebranded, expanded event that features the same in-depth technical sessions and comprehensive project updates that attendees have come to expect. This conference, since its 1995 inception, has always been a “must attend” event.

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

Registration is now open for Next-Gen Rail Systems, to be held Oct. 30-31, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. Attendees can get early bird rates on their registration from now until Sept. 5.

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

Supporting Organizations

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

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The 2025 Forging a Better Tomorrow report, covering 2024 through early 2025, showcases results that benefit customers, communities, employees, and the broader economy, according to the Class I railroad.

(Courtesy of NS)

In addition to the Message From the Executive Team, the report includes the following sections:

• “Building a Better Planet”: Sustainability is integrated across every part of the NS business, from improving fuel efficiency to reducing emissions and transitioning to a lower-carbon freight network, the railroad reported. Guided by its Climate Transition Plan, the railroad said it has cut emissions by 16% since 2019, as it works toward a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2034; shown a 3% improvement in fuel efficiency year-over-year, which it said sets annual and all-time records; has more than doubled biofuel use since 2022; and launched RailGreen, “a first-of-its-kind emissions-reduction program helping customers reduce supply chain emissions.”

(Courtesy of NS)

• “Driving Business Excellence and Innovation”: Among the highlights from 2024: NS customers advanced 149 industrial development projects, which represented $4.3 billion in investment for new or expanded facilities within the railroad’s network; 94 customers either began shipping with NS for the first time or established new business opportunities with the railroad; NS completed $1 billion in infrastructure improvements across its 22-state network; and NS reconnected communities after severe weather, such as completing installation of the Newport bridge (a critical component in restoring rail service in and out of Asheville) following damage from Hurricane Helene.

(Courtesy of NS)

• “Creating a Brighter Future”: NS reported that “[p]eople are, and will always be, at the core of our strategy.” Craft railroaders represent more than 80% of its workforce. The railroad in 2024 launched the Labor Council, including leadership from all 13 of its unions, and in January 2025 started bi-monthly Safety Walkabouts, which it said are “designed to strengthen our safety culture through peer-to-peer engagement.” Since last fall, NS has come together with nine of the 13 unions to reach new, five-year collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, the railroad said it launched and refined talent development programs for early-career employees, employees preparing to take on leadership roles, and experienced mid-level managers and leaders. In 2024, NS contributed approximately $18.3 million to charitable organizations and awarded more than $6 million to 400-plus organizations through its Safety First and Thriving Communities Grant programs.

• “Advancing a Culture of Safety”: At NS safety is a “core value,” and the railroad reported that in 2024 it saw a 35% reduction in the FRA-reportable main line train accident rate and a 25% reduction in the train accident rate. Also in 2024, it provided $2.2 million-plus to support first responder organizations through its Safety First Grant program, deployed 17 new acoustic bearing detectors across its network, installed five new Digital Train Inspection Portals.

(Courtesy of NS)

• “Fostering Responsible Leadership”: In the past year, NS has taken “meaningful steps to strengthen the structures that guide how we govern, lead and operate,” the railroad said. “From refreshing our Board and executive leadership team to enhancing enterprise risk management, ethics, and compliance, we’ve worked to build a more transparent, accountable organization that drives performance and earns stakeholder trust. We also continued to advocate for smart public policy and a balanced regulatory environment that supports safety, service, and the future of freight rail.”

(Courtesy of NS)

• Reporting and Data: NS noted that its report was prepared in reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Universal Standards, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Rail Transportation standard, and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. This section includes disclosures, as well as data scorecards.

“Our commitment to sustainability is about strengthening the entire network for the future,” NS Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin said. “It’s embedded in how we operate, how we invest, and how we serve our customers and communities. The Forging a Better Tomorrow report shows how our railroaders are moving freight smarter, greener, and more fluidly.” 

Click here for the report covering 2023 and early 2024, and here for the report covering 2022 and early 2023.

The post NS Issues Sustainability, Safety, Operations, Community Impact Report appeared first on Railway Age.

This report comes to you from New Orleans where, at this writing, a new Amtrak service started Monday, Aug. 18. Following a celebratory Aug. 16 run, Mardi Gras Service got officially under way, with the departure of Train 24 for Mobile, Ala., at 7:35 AM. Several Amtrak managers and other employees were on hand to see the train off.

Amtrak

Train 24’s consist included two Siemens Charger ALC-42s, one at each end for push-pull operation. There were two Amfleet II 25000-series coaches, which are also used on long-distance trains that serve New York, and a snack-lounge car with business class seating. There was enough time before departure to purchase a quarter of a Muffuletta (a classic New Orleans sandwich combining a homemade olive salad with layers of thin-sliced Italian cold cuts) to eat on my way back home on Train 20, the Crescent. The Muffuletta was made in the suburban town of Kenner, and it represents the return of some New Orleans food specialties to Amtrak for the first time in more than 20 years. Amtrak’s poster for the new service includes a new slogan: “Y’all Aboard!” but conductors still make the traditional call. This morning, it was “all aboard!” for Mississippi and Mobile for the first time in nearly two decades.

There are two round trips per day on Mardi Gras Service between the Crescent City and Mobile, Ala., with intermediate stops at four locations along the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Getting those trains onto the rails required an effort spanning nearly two decades, representing the time since the Gulf Coast segment of the Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Florida was discontinued in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005. The storm knocked out all Amtrak service in the region, but the trains to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles came back. Trains east of the New Orleans did not until now, as Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service made its debut. The new trains bring rail passenger service back to the region less than two weeks short of two decades since the last scheduled trains ran along the line, on a tri-weekly schedule at that time.

Amtrak

This writer dubbed the latest struggle to bring passenger trains to the Gulf Coast the “Second Battle of Mobile.” As an actual legal battle, it had lasted almost four years, roughly the duration of the American Civil War of 1861-65, when the original Battle of Mobile was fought. The conflict pitted Amtrak against host railroads CSX (on its component, the Mobile & New Orleans, almost all the route) and Norfolk Southern (on the Back Belt in New Orleans) and the Port of Mobile. It included public hearings, an unprecedented eleven-day trial before the Surface Transportation Board (STB), and eventual peace negotiations that resulted in the first service on the line in nearly two decades and the first daily service since before Amtrak was founded in 1971.

There are several aspects to this story. One is the name Mardi Gras Service, with its historical and cultural significance. Another is the inaugural ride itself, which took place on Saturday, Aug. 16. There is also a political story, along with a story about new mobility, and I will take each in turn.

Mardi Gras Name Explained

Until it was announced that the new trains would be called the Mardi Gras Service, nobody knew what name would be selected. The name seems to be an excellent choice, as the Mardi Gras celebration is one of the most popular events of the year along the entire route, especially at both ends of it. The phrase “Mardi Gras” means “Fat Tuesday,” the last opportunity to feast before Lent, a season of self-denial in the Catholic tradition, which begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter. The day caps off Carnival, a month-long celebration in the winter. Carnival is celebrated in warm places like Trinidad and Brazil, but the Gulf Coast features the American version of the celebration. New Orleans has the biggest and most famous celebratory season, but Mobile also celebrates it, and a rivalry between those two cities about who was first and who has the best celebration was a topic of conversation by local elected officials from both places during the Aug. 16 festivities. Biloxi has a Mardi Gras celebration, too, and all three cities have museums about their own versions of the event.

Amtrak

The day’s activities began at the Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans about 6:45 AM, to allow plenty of time for boarding before the 8:00 departure. Everyone present was serenaded by the Stooges Brass Band, in the New Orleans tradition. Officials from the City, the FRA, and Amtrak made statements. So did elected officials, including local members of Congress and Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who was one of the major players in the effort to get the trains going. In the Mardi Gras tradition, leaders of two krewes (clubs that participate in planning and executing parades and other Carnival festivities and are involved in other civic activity) spoke officially. Leaders of the Krewe of Rex (founded in 1872) and the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club (predecessor founded in 1909; Louis Armstrong was “King of the Zulus” for the 1949 celebration) proclaimed good wishes for the new train service before the band led the march out the door and onto the platform, followed by the riders in the “second line” as they prepared to board.

At all four stops in Mississippi, well-wishers, perhaps as many as a thousand or two, showed up at the stations to see the train and greet it as it stopped and listen to music from local bands and speeches by mayors and other officials. Many members of the crowd were decked out in outfits showing the Mardi Gras colors of green, gold and purple. Amtrak President Roger Harris also wore a shirt that sported those colors, and received a number of favorable comments for doing so. The celebrations along the route began before the train came through, and continued after it left. Sen. Wicker made six speeches, the final being at a reception at the Mobile Convention Center. At each stop, Harris presented the mayors, who also made remarks, with a round sign that bore the Amtrak logo and the words “An Amtrak-Served Community.” Effective now, those communities fit that description.

Amtrak

Mobile has its own Mardi Gras and its own brass band. We were greeted by the music of the Excelsior Brass Band, which was founded in 1883, and who proved they could swing as much as New Orleanians on a spiritual tune popular in the Crescent City: Down by the Riverside. The riders “marched” to the Convention Center to the band playing chorus after chorus of Margie, past a diversified bevy of young women decked out in antebellum-style “Southern Belle” dresses. According to John Sharp, the reporter who covered the event for the Mobile Press Register (and was helpful to this writer in covering this continuing story), the clubs that participate in Mobile’s Carnival call themselves “mystical societies” instead of “krewes” as in New Orleans. Regardless of the name, the entire trip was a celebration of a unique and famous aspect of the culture of a portion of the South.

The Train Ride Amtrak

The ride itself was perhaps the most special part of the entire celebration. It was a round trip from New Orleans to Mobile, anticipating by two days the trains that would soon take passengers along the Gulf Coast twice each day in each direction, for the first time in decades. In a sense, the ride officially began about 25 minutes before actual departure, at the conclusion of the ceremony at the New Orleans station, when Conductor Fred George called “All Aboard” and the Second Line of eager riders made their exit.

Led by two Siemens Charger locomotives, the train consist included a a “Bag/Dorm” car (a crew car), four Amfleet II cars used for long-distance trains running east of New Orleans and Chicago, two snack lounge cars with business class seats, a business class car, and Inspection Car 10004, American View.

The trip began at 8:00 AM and proceeded through the terminal track and the NS Back Belt (historically Southern Railway) to Gentilly Yard in the Crescent City, also part of the route on Trains 19 and 20 from and to New York. After that, the rest of the route was on the New Orleans & Mobile (NO&M), formerly part of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) and now part of CSX. Scheduled running time for the route is 3 hours and 25 minutes, end to end, although the inaugural run did not meet that schedule. Revenue service runs are Train 23 from Mobile at 6:30 AM; Train 24 from New Orleans at 7:35 AM; Train 25 from Mobile at 4:30 PM; and Train 26 from New Orleans at 5:31 PM.

The ride was relatively smooth, although there were some rougher spots. Some of the route is rated for 79 mph, but other parts are rated for 69 or 60 mph. The land is low-lying and flat, with swampland, inlets, and larger bodies of water like Biloxi Bay. There is no dramatic scenery, but the route is pleasant. It largely reminded this writer of stretches of railroad in New Jersey, including the segment of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) used by trains serving Penn Station New York on Amtrak and NJ Transit, and by NJ Transit trains serving historic Hoboken Terminal. Some of the line was also reminiscent of that agency’s North Jersey Coast Line at the Jersey Shore.

The stations varied considerably, as do the towns along the route, but all of them have new platforms with accessibility features. The platforms themselves are short, as proposed consists will include only two coaches and a snack-lounge car with tables and business class seats. The trains will include a locomotive at one end and a cab at the other, for push-pull operation. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari, normally based in Chicago, took charge of reporters and placed us at the front of the train, which required a short hike to the platform and the location of the crowds and the festivities at each station. We had about 15 minutes at each intermediate stop, while Sen. Wicker, Amtrak President Harris, and local officials made speeches welcoming the inaugural train and the new service. Every stop boasted a large and enthusiastic crowd, local bands providing music, and a sea of gold, green, and purple, the colors that honor Mardi Gras at any time of year by order of the Krewe of Rex in 1892.

Amtrak

The train arrived at Mobile at 12:39 PM, and a reception with food and speeches at the Mobile Convention Center followed. Part of the deal that got the service started was the construction of a new station track and platform, including a new layover track adjacent to the existing track. The inaugural special did not use the new track and platform but instead used the old one for the last time.

The ride back was not as eventful but had more of the flavor of a “regular” run. The train left Mobile at 3:17 PM. There were thunderstorms with heavy rain on the way back, and more than a few drops found their way onto the floors of the vestibules inside the cars. The rain had held off until the train was in Mississippi on the way back to New Orleans, and it did not dampen the party atmosphere in either the coaches or the lounge cars, as the good times continued to roll, to paraphrase the New Orleans motto. Riders had boarded at each of the Mississippi stops, so the train stopped to discharge them. By the time the train arrived at the Crescent City at 6:58 PM, the sun had returned.

City of Gulfport

Food and New Orleans are inseparable. Even at the end of the trip, riders were treated to another local snack, as Magliari announced to everyone as they passed the head end of the train to enter the station. They were Hubig’s Hand Pies, a local brand of turnovers with some icing on the outside and pie filling of various flavors on the inside. These “pies” for the occasion came in apple and lemon flavors and bore a special label with the words: “The Inaugural Amtrak Mardi Gras Service.” In regular service, the trains are offering some Crescent City specialties, including Muffulettas and Community Coffee, a popular local brand.

Amtrak

Everyone with whom this writer spoke was excited about the service, which is the first new Amtrak route in decades and the first of what Amtrak officials hope will be several new corridors and other routes to be established in cooperation with the states. Harris told Railway Age: “I think the potential for the future is huge. There’s been renewed interest in passenger rail around the country. This new route is an example. It’s not just the Northeast.”

At trainside, as we walked toward the station, Magliari had the last word of the trip, telling Railway Age “It’s been a super day because of all the folks who turned out.” Thus, an Amtrak representative and longtime journalist summed up a day that everybody seemed to enjoy, both because of the train itself and the anticipation of a new line that, as you read this, has already started revenue service.

The Political Story Amtrak

As we reported, political speeches were part of the day’s activities. Political figures from Mississippi, both elected officials and others in the Magnolia State, played a large role in getting the new service going. Knox Ross, Chair of the Southern Rail Commission (SRC), told Railway Age that the effort went back for at least 15 years, to early efforts by former Sen. Thad Cochrane. Current Sen. Roger Wicker also pushed for the service since he took office. During the confirmation hearing for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the Biden Administration, Wicker asked the only question of the entire hearing about passenger rail, and it was about the effort to get the Gulf Coast service going.

Ross was one of the major players in the effort. He is an accountant and former mayor of his town. He spoke often at rail conference and elsewhere about his organization, and how it has been so helpful that the SRC was established by Congress. There seems little doubt of that, since it was the organization officially designated to receive the grants that paid for capital improvements for the host railroads.

John Robert Smith, another former Mississippi mayor (of Meridian, on the route of Amtrak’s Crescent train between New York and New Orleans) and former Chair of the Amtrak Board, was pushing the effort, too. He is now head of Transportation4America (“T4America”), a not-for-profit organization that promotes activity around train stations and intermodal connectivity. When this writer first met him about 25 years ago, he held the Amtrak and municipal posts and mentioned several good ideas for service expansions. None had been implemented, but the portion of one, at least as far as Mobile, is now in service. Maybe more, like a train between Meridian and Dallas, will start someday.

Amtrak

Most of the speeches, made at New Orleans, at Mobile, or in Mississippi, came from elected officials. Sen. Wicker made his sixth and final speech of the trip at Mobile. At the same place, so did Congressman Rick Larson, a Democrat who came from northwestern Washington State, further away than anybody else to attend the event. On several occasions, there was a spirit expressed of bipartisanship, rare in the United States today, but the beginning of the new train route after nearly two decades of efforts to get service restored is a celebratory occasion. In his statement for Amtrak, Harris noted that there will be 30 new Amtrak jobs based in New Orleans to support the train, and that there will be more service along the line than there had been in more than 54 years. In actuality, the period was somewhat longer. The one disappointing note was in the remarks made by Acting FRA Administrator Drew Feeley, a Birmingham native. He complained about Amtrak trains that were dirty and about the food (a complaint also expressed by some riders), but he complimented the inaugural special. He also noted that the agency was pleased to support the new service on the 145-mile route and mentioned the $178 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grants from the FRA.

Getting away from the bipartisan expressions of the moment and looking again at the situation that appertains today, there is one question with an answer that will say a lot about the future of passenger trains in the United States, and more specifically about the future of Amtrak’s Connects US plan to establish more state-supported corridors and other routes during the next decade. Between the first time the initiative was announced in April 2021 and the end of 2035, almost 30% of the time has gone by, yet the new Mardi Gras Service route is the first to be established. This is due in part to the resistance to the new trains from the host railroads, while the effect of partisan politics remains to be seen.

There are several states that join with Amtrak in financing and otherwise facilitating corridors and other trains running within their borders or into neighboring states. Many are in “blue” states like California, Washington, Illinois and New York State. Others are in “purple” states like North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania (while transit, especially in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is in deep trouble).

There have been a few experiments with state-supported trains in “red” states, where Republicans dominate, and most have not done well. There were short-lived experiments with a train from Mobile ln the morning that returned from New Orleans later in the day during the 1980s and 1990s. Neither lasted for as long as one year. In 2019, the governor of Indiana killed the Hoosier State between Chicago and Indianapolis on the days that the tri-weekly Cardinal did not run. The Heartland Flyer between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City almost bit the dust when Texas did not authorize money for that state’s share of the expenses to keep it going, but a local governmental organization filled in the gap and bought the train a reprieve for next year. There have usually been two daily round trips between St. Louis and Kansas City, but one is removed from the schedule when Missouri cuts funding.

The Deep South is a strongly Republican area, with only a few Democrats who hold office in the region, (especially in New Orleans and other cities. Amtrak trains have become a partisan issue in many places during recent years. Transit is suffering the same fate as the COVID relief money that kept transit going during the pandemic, as it’s running out. The future looks bleak for transit, as we have been reporting for the past two years.

Amtrak

Still, political advocates like Knox Ross and Amtrak officials like Roger Harris have expressed optimism about the new route and more potential routes around the country. They appear to be noting the enthusiasm of the crowds who came to the Gulf Coast stations to welcome the inaugural trains, and they appear to expect that the enthusiasm will turn into enough riders to make the route a success. Time will tell, and we will probably learn more over the next three years. If they are, the Mardi Gras Service will mark a major turning point in Amtrak’s efforts to start more trains on new state-supported routes.

The Mobility Story

It’s easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm that everybody on the train observed as it pulled into the Mississippi stations and Mobile. It was as if nobody had seen a passenger train in years, and they truly had not. Saturday’s train was a one-shot special, but it was only one more day before there would be two trains to New Orleans and two trains to Mobile every day. Everyone on the route can now make a day trip to any other stop on the route, and Mississippians can go to either New Orleans or Mobile, or to another stop within their state.

This is all well and good, but it misses the big story when it comes to mobility.

Most Mississippians are motorists, and that probably goes for most people who live in Mobile, too. Of course, everyone who played any part in getting the route started hopes that motorists will decide to leave their vehicles at home and take the train. That sort of trip makes the most sense when visiting New Orleans, with its narrow historic streets, beautiful buildings, and plenty of transit to take visitors around the city, along with the folks who live there. The 1923-vintage streetcars that run on St. Charles Avenue every day are legendary, and other cars run on Canal Street and in other places, including directly to the train station.

For non-motorists, though, the situation is completely different. Until now, there was no public transportation of any kind that ran to and from Bay St. Louis or Pascagoula. There is limited bus service to Biloxi on Greyhound on an inconvenient schedule and requiring a local bus to get to Gulfport. There were a few daily Greyhound runs to and from Mobile, but the bus station is several miles from downtown, and local buses do not serve the bus station for all arrivals and departures.

The train now stops at convenient downtown locations in all cities and towns, including Mobile. In short, everybody now has a train that goes to five new destinations where non-motorists formerly either had no access at all (except by taking an extremely expensive ride on a conventional taxi or app-taxi) or very little access, mostly at inconvenient hours. For them, the new trains will be a game-changer.

With or without an automobile, people now have access to every city and town on the new route. It will also be easier for people Mobile to Bay St. Louis to visit New Orleans by taking the train and using transit to get around within the city. Transit fares in New Orleans are low, the people are interesting, and it’s easier to strike up conversations on the streetcars of the Crescent City than on any other transit (this writer has ridden essentially all the rail transit in the country and can attest to that). There are also same-day connections available to and from other Amtrak trains to or from Chicago and next-day connections to and from the train to or from New York. Taking the train toward or returning from Texas or California requires more planning because of the Sunset Limited’s tri-weekly schedule.

Still, for the first time in many years, the nation’s rail mobility map has expanded to five new localities. It might not be much, but it’s the first such improvement in decades, except for Brightline in Florida, which is in the private sector and added service to Orlando Airport. Maybe the enthusiasm that all of us on the train saw in Mississippi will spread, and maybe more new Amtrak routes will follow.

We don’t know but, if the ridership on the Mardi Gras Service over the next few years ensures that train’s success, regardless of political or economic considerations, kindles similar or greater enthusiasm for more routes, that could begin to bring American mobility into a new direction and a new era. Of course, that’s a lot to hope for, and there is a lot to be learned from this new transportation experiment upon which Amtrak and Southern leaders are now embarking. The fact remains that there is more mobility now than there was last week. To this writer, that is the big story we’re reporting. In the spirit of Mardi Gras, more mobility for non-motorists and motorists alike is truly something to celebrate.

Amtrak

The post Amtrak Mardi Gras Service: ‘Y’all Aboard!’ appeared first on Railway Age.

CSX

“CSX is making significant strides in rebuilding its Blue Ridge Subdivision, a critical 60-mile stretch of railroad in North Carolina and Tennessee that was devastated by Hurricane Helene” last fall, the Class I reported Aug. 15.

The railroad has advanced to the track-laying phase along the scenic gorge. “It has taken roughly 10 months to get the roadbed ready for the track panel installation,” CSX Director of Track Kevin Haddix said.

The Blue Ridge Subdivision recovery project has involved retrieving track material from the Nolichucky River and rebuilding the rail bed, bridges, and culverts. This is a map of the impacted area.(Courtesy of CSX)

CSX is working toward a fall reopening of the line, which previously handled some 14 million gross tons of freight annually. “It’s important to CSX to get this line back open to restore fluidity on our surrounding lines,” Haddix noted.

The project is divided into sections based on the type of work. Details about the section of track under reconstruction, the damage and recovery status, a description of the work in progress, and the next steps are provided in the table below:

(Courtesy of CSX)

Meanwhile, Gen. Thomas Bostick, a member of the CSX Board of Directors and the 53rd Chief of Engineers, was recently recognized with the Gold de Fleury Medal, the highest honor awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Army Engineer Association, CSX reported Aug. 15. The award, a symbol of “exceptional service and dedication” to the Engineer Regiment, was presented during the 250th Engineer Birthday Gala, honoring Bostick’s 38-year career in the U.S. Army, as well as his continued contributions to the Corps since his retirement.

Congrats to CSX Board Member General Thomas Bostick on receiving the Gold de Fleury Medal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' highest honor! His 38-year #military career & leadership as the 53rd Chief of Engineers continue to inspire and strengthen CSX. Learn more:… pic.twitter.com/WowlUdSiMO

— CSX (@CSX) August 15, 2025

According to CSX, Bostick reflected on the significance of leadership and the responsibility of shaping the future in his acceptance speech. “To those rising in the ranks today, the mantle of leadership is waiting for you,” he said. “You’re not just inheriting a legacy—you’re shaping our future. And nations around the world will look to the Corps for advice, ideas, innovation, and inspiration.” Bostick also emphasized that the recognition was not only about his personal journey, but also a testament to the collective efforts of soldiers, civilians, mentors, friends, and families, CSX reported.

In a special post and video shared via social media, CSX thanked Signal Manager Clint Russell, who recently exemplified the railroad’s use of “technology and teamwork to create a safer work environment.” Russell, it said, took swift action to stop a train facing a potential safety hazard. Watch video above.

Further Reading:

• CSX Partners With Sappi North America
• CSX ‘Elevates Freight Efficiency’ With CSX Howard Street Tunnel Bridge Project
• Should BNSF and CSX Focus on the Watershed Now?
• UP+NS: An ‘Absolute Monster of a Railroad’
• CSX: ‘We Continue to Stay Focused’

BNSF (Courtesy of BNSF)

“BNSF operating teams have achieved improved performance this week after a challenging beginning to August on the Southern Transcon, the route connecting Southern California to the Midwest,” BNSF told customers in an online intermodal network update on Aug. 15. “Frequent storms and flash flood warnings throughout the Midwest have necessitated that trains operate at reduced speeds at times. Additionally, the extreme heat on the western end of the Transcon has led to some service interruptions. In response to these disruptions, we allocated additional resources and responders to the affected areas, increased track inspections and optimized our locomotive surge fleet to aid in the recovery efforts.”

Despite the challenges, BNSF reported, average car velocity and terminal dwell “remain steady” compared with the previous week and the average levels reported for July. The railroad’s local service compliance averaged 90% for the week, which BNSF said was higher than the prior week and more than 2% higher than the previous month.

In related news, June was a record month for dwell at the Southern California ports and for the week of July 13, BNSF had the most lifts ever performed in one week there.

Further Reading:

• BNSF 2Q25, 1H25: Revenue Essentially Flat, Operating Income Up, OR Down
• BNSF Opens New Salt Lake City Intermodal Facility

NS Representatives from City of Refuge and Norfolk Southern gather at the opening of the City of Refuge Welding Training Center in Atlanta. (NS Photograph)

NS and City of Refuge, a nonprofit organization, have opened a new welding training center in west Atlanta. Made possible by a $350,000 NS grant, the center offers hands-on training; industry-recognized certifications; and wraparound support like career coaching, transportation assistance, and job placement, NS reported Aug. 14.

“This first new welding class is off to a great start, and we are excited about the future for them and the job opportunities that the welding center will create,” said Bruce Deel, CEO of the City of Refuge.

City of Refuge student using the center’s new virtual welding simulator. (NS Photograph)

“This initiative is one of many efforts led by our Community Impact team to create meaningful opportunities and drive long-term, positive change in the communities we serve across our 22-state network,” added Kristin Wong, Director of NS Foundation and Community Impact.

“Skilled welders are essential to Norfolk Southern’s daily operations,” NS Vice President Safety John Fleps commented. “They help ensure our locomotives and railcars are safe, reliable, and resilient. That’s why we’re proud to invest in the next generation of talent through our partnership with City of Refuge. By supporting the launch of this new welding training center, we’re not only strengthening our workforce, we’re helping open doors to high-demand careers and economic mobility for residents in west Atlanta.”

Further Reading:

• STB Receives Notice of Intent for Proposed UP-NS Merger
• The Transcontinental Railroad Begins With UP+NS
• Vena’s Art of the Deal With NS
• UP + NS: What Comes Next?
• Union Pacific + Norfolk Southern: It’s Official

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

The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) on Aug. 15 announced that it has partnered with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct a “comprehensive tabletop exercise focused on enhancing emergency-response strategies for potential security incidents in the rail industry.”

Designed to strengthen coordination among key stakeholders, the exercise, ACTA says, brought together representatives from public agencies, private-sector partners, first responders and relevant local organizations to simulate real-world crisis scenarios. “These simulations help ensure a rapid, coordinated and effective cross-agency response should an actual emergency occur,” according to the Authority.

Key discussion areas included:

• “Enhancing intelligence-sharing frameworks between public agencies and private organizations.
• “Establishing clear public communication protocols during elevated threat levels.
• “Identifying and protecting critical rail assets through best-practice security measures.
• “Refining security and emergency-response plans for incident management.
• “Strengthening coordination between government agencies, first responders, the rail industry and relevant local organizations.”

The tabletop’s interactive format, ACTA says, enabled participants to ascertain potential threat vectors, test response plans, identify gaps and develop actionable improvements. “The insights gained will clarify inter-agency roles and responsibilities, inform future training, enhance emergency protocols and strengthen security readiness in the case of an emergency,” according to the Authority.

“Securing our regional rail infrastructure is not something that can be done in a vacuum; it requires a collaborative, united effort from all relevant emergency-response parties,” said ACTA CEO Michael Leue. “This exercise offered a vital opportunity to bring all stakeholders together, share expertise and strengthen the partnerships that are essential to keeping our transportation infrastructure safe and the nation’s goods movement secure. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in pursuit of a safer, more resilient rail system.”

The post ACTA, TSA, FBI Partner on Rail-Infrastructure Security appeared first on Railway Age.

TTC

The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto have given the TTC the go-ahead to pursue a single-source contract for new Line 2 subway trains with Alstom Transport Canada Inc., which has facilities in Quebec and Ontario, including in Thunder Bay, Brampton, and Kingston.

“In the face of U.S. tariffs and economic uncertainty, this decision will support Canadian and Ontario workers with good manufacturing jobs and ensure reliable trains for Toronto transit riders,” the agency said in a press release.

The current competitive process for the trains has been cancelled, and all bidders have been notified.

“To ensure that Alstom delivers state-of-the-art trains at a fair market price, maximizes the creation of Canadian jobs, and benefits Toronto,” Alstom, according to TTC, must:

• “Deliver a product that is compliant with the TTC’s original requirements.
• “Maximize Canadian content and create Canadian jobs.
• “Have its pricing subject to an independent third-party market price assessment.”

It is expected, the agency says, that negotiations will occur over the next few months with a report back to the TTC Board on the status of negotiations by the end of the year.

The base procurement is for 70 six-car train sets in total: 55 trains, jointly funded by the federal, provincial and city governments to replace aging trains on Line 2; and 15 trains for the Yonge North and Scarborough extensions. The contract would include options to procure additional trains to meet future needs when funding is committed and subject to Alstom’s performance.

“The TTC is working diligently to ensure the aging Line 2 fleet operates safely and reliably until new trains arrive,” the agency said.

According to a CBC report, the Ford government had expressed its “desire to see the train cars built in the province amid the ongoing trade war with the U.S.” All three levels of government have committed money to buy the new rolling stock, which is expected to cost some $2.3 billion, according to the report.

“To build the strongest economy in the G7, we need to ensure our investments are protecting jobs and championing industries right here in Canada. By partnering with Ontario, Toronto and the TTC, we are delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable public transit, and supporting good-paying jobs in Canada. We can all feel proud that these trains will be built for Canadians by Canadians,” said Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson.

“I would like to thank our funding partners for their support of our new subway trains. With the intention of maximizing Canadian content and supporting Canadian jobs, we will enter into negotiations with Alstom to secure the best product at the best price,” said TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali.

In related news, Unifor on Aug. 15 issued a release stating that the union “is very pleased to see that all three levels of government have confirmed that TTC subway trains will be manufactured at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay, securing jobs for workers represented by Unifor Local 1075.”

“This is a great victory. Unifor fought long and hard to get the federal, provincial and municipal governments to get on board and support a Made-in-Canada solution,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We must use our Canadian procurement dollars to support Canadian workers and Canadian-made products, especially given the current trade war.”

“This decision to formally award this contract to Alstom speaks volumes with respect to how we must support Canadian workers, local industries, economies and communities. We need to see more of this if we are to build a more resilient Canadian economy,” added Payne.

The Alstom sole-source construction contract means Unifor members will build the 70 six-car trains.

“This is the right move to bolster Canada’s economy by creating sustainable, good-paying jobs right here in Ontario,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi.

In January, Ontario committed to spend nearly $500 million to refurbish 181 GO Transit bi-level rail coaches, which is expected to support hundreds of jobs for at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay, according to the union.

“We are excited and ready to build the subways of the future,” said Unifor Local 1075 President Justin Roberts. “Reliable, sturdy and resilient—the way today’s announcement has contributed to the working lives of our members.”

SEPTA

With no state funding commitment in place SEPTA says it must move forward with 20% service reductions and a 21.5% fare increase. On Aug. 24, vehicles across the agency’s Bus and Metro network will run less frequently and with 32 fewer bus routes. On Sept. 1 base transit fares will rise to $2.90 and Regional Rail fares will increase by 21.5%. Regional Rail service cuts begin Sept. 2.

State lawmakers, the agency says, are still negotiating a budget for Pennsylvania and funding for SEPTA is still on the table. “If that funding is approved—we will work as quickly as possible to reverse the service cuts, but it would take time for us to do so,” SEPTA said in a press release.

The service cuts are the first of several steps SEPTA will take this year to fill a $213 million budget deficit—absent a legislative solution. Additional measures include a second wave of service cuts on Jan. 1, 2026, that include the elimination of five Regional Rail Lines, a 9 p.m. curfew on all rail services, and the elimination of 18 additional bus routes to achieve an overall 45% reduction in service.

“We understand that these measures will cause great hardship for our riders and for the city and Southeastern region as a whole. These cuts are new territory for all of us. We will keep fighting to bring service back and deliver the SEPTA that our riders, city, and region deserve,” the agency said.

REM

REM, Montreal’s light rail network is set to begin moving passengers again after a six-week summer shutdown, according to a CTV News report.

According to the report, the REM has been completely offline for commercial use since July 5 to test new extensions to Montreal’s North Shore and West Island. It is scheduled to start operating for the rush hour commute next week.

(REM)

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

Located at the intersection of Interstate Highways 88 and 39 and Class I railroads operated by BNSF and Union Pacific (UP), the City of Rochelle Railroad and the RITC “provide a location where industries of all sizes can access direct rail services, whether or not they have rail at their company location,” the City said in a press release.

Opened in 2020 as a joint effort between the City of Rochelle and the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation, the facility transloaded 1,000 railcars and served as a staging area for hundreds of shipping containers used by a dozen customers. Increased demand for rail-to-truck transloading and third-party logistics services in the Rochelle area are requiring the expansion of RITC, according to the City.

“Today’s expansion of the Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center is a testament to our city’s commitment to economic growth and regional connectivity. We are proud to be a hub where industries of all sizes can thrive, and this project reflects our continued investment in the future of Rochelle as a critical logistics and transportation center in the Midwest,” Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows said.

“The success and rapid growth of the RITC demonstrate how strategic infrastructure investments can unlock opportunities for both local businesses and global supply chains,” said City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh. “We are excited to see this expansion come to life, and we remain focused on providing the support and resources companies need to move goods efficiently and reliably through Rochelle. The City of Rochelle is proud to partner with the Illinois Department of Transportation and grateful for the available funding, through the rail freight program, which provides needed infrastructure enhancements such as this.”

“We continue to be excited about future growth in Rochelle, IL and how we can benefit the community and companies,” said Peter Hoth, Principal-Corporate Development at Burlington Junction Railway (BJRY). “Our customers and Class I railroad partners are essential to that growth. We are dedicated to continuing providing our ‘white glove’ rail switching services to our customers and transload partners through the City of Rochelle Railroad.”

“This expansion will not only help unlock economic potential in Rochelle, but it becomes an important asset for the movement of freight in Illinois, the transportation hub of North America,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “We are proud to have helped see this project to fruition through a grant from our Illinois Competitive Freight Program, which is increasing safety, improving reliability in the nation’s supply chain and boosting commerce at the community level throughout the state.”

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The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s Port Authority Transit (PAT) PCC car No. 1713, the “Terrible Trolley,” made its service debut Aug. 12, following a two-year restoration program that included duplicating a livery applied in 1980 to honor the Pittsburgh Steelers, their four Super Bowl titles and the “Terrible Towel” yellow and black rally towel. PAT, now Pittsburgh Regional Transit, is host agency for the 2025 Railway Age/RT&S Light Rail Conference. Elizabeth Hosier, then the Museum’s Director of Visitor Experience, wrote the following story in 2023 with contributions from the project volunteers. We’ve updated it to reflect that the Terrible Trolley is now in service. — William C. Vantuono

Pittsburgh earned the nickname “the Steel City” in the late 1800s as entrepreneurs like Andrew Carnegie established steel mills around the city. In fact, Carnegie Steel’s contributions to the industry advanced it by leaps and bounds throughout the 1880s. As the steel industry grew, the city did too, and by World War II, the demand for steel meant the mills were running 24 hours a day. Pittsburgh produced 95 million tons of steel for the war effort. This also led to massive amounts of pollution. A visitor to Pittsburgh claimed, “Pittsburgh, without exception, is the blackest place I ever saw…” After the war, the city made efforts to clean itself up with initiatives for clean air and clean rivers. Throughout the late 20th century, the city improved environmentally and culturally, developing into the 90 unique neighborhoods that exist now.

U.S. Steel production peaked in the mid-1970s, and Pittsburgh remained a thriving industrial giant. However, foreign steel production led to a collapse of the U.S. steel industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This led to the closure of mills and massive job losses for people in the Pittsburgh region. In fact, the unemployment rate in the region peaked at 17.1% in January 1983. Pittsburghers were left to struggle to make ends meet as the economic recession hit them hard.

Today, not all Pittsburghers are die-hard Steelers fans, but unlike other cities, even non-fans in the region seem to know how the Steelers are doing. For a long time, the Steelers meant more to the region than just being a football team, and that stems from the economic downturn of the 1970s and ’80s.

Art Rooney founded the Steelers franchise in 1933 by. Originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team seemed to be great at one thing: losing. By 1940, it had changed its name to the Steelers—just in time for WWII to cause a player shortage. They spent the one season as the Phil-Pitt “Steagles” and another as the Card-Pitt “Carpets.” (The Steagles, officially known as the Phil-Pitt Combine, was the team created by the temporary merger of Pennsylvania’s two NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season. The two franchises fielded a single combined team because both had lost many players to military service during World War II. In 1944, they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card-Pitt or, mockingly, as the Carpets. This team finished 0–10, marking the only winless team in franchise history.)

After the war, the Steelers showed some improvement, making the playoffs for the first time in 1947. It lost its first-round game and never made another—until after hiring Chuck Noll as head coach in 1969, and the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Both events seemed to have changed the team’s luck completely. Knoll had an eye for talent and drafted some of the most notable names in Steelers history: “Mean” Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster. They were a dynasty, going to the playoffs eight times, winning four Super Bowls in six years. The team earned the nickname “the Super Steelers” and its winning streak was exactly what the struggling region and its people needed.

The city came alive as it watched its team. Myron Cope (1929-2008), legendary sports journalist, radio personality and color commentator best known for being “the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers,“ started the iconic Terrible Towel tradition. The yellow rally towel with black letters debuted Dec. 27, 1975 and was an instant classic. In fact, the idea took hold in several aspects, and everything in the city became “terrible.” Steelers fans have taken photos with their towels all over the world, even on the International Space Station!

Everyone that was around when the Steelers became Super has a story about watching those games, gaining hope with each first down. Someone who remembers those Steelers is Kim Sever. Kim grew up surrounded by adults in Pittsburgh, watching football and helping cook dinner. She spent time with her grandmother and learned a myriad of useful life-skills, including the art of letter writing. It was during one of those Steelers games that Kim got the idea that the city should have a trolley painted to honor the team and the “terrible” tradition. Her grandmother suggested that she write a letter with the recommendation. In late 1979, nine-year-old Kim wrote to Mayor Richard Caliguiri. The mayor wrote back explaining that he wasn’t in charge of the public transit system but that he would pass along her suggestions.

Courtesy Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

The car chosen for the paint job was PAT PCC 1713. It was built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company and originally ran on the Charleroi and Washington interurban lines. The car ran as the Terrible Trolley throughout most of the 1980s. It was retired in 1988 but returned to service only a year later. It was finally retired for good in 1998. PAT then sold several retired cars to different entities, including some private collectors. PCC 1713 was one of the cars sold into private ownership. It was stored indoors in Ohio for 25 years. The owner did some repairs to it but overall did not have the time or resources to complete a restoration and made the decision to sell it to the Museum. Brownlee Trucking, Inc. agreed to help transport the car from Ohio to the Museum. In addition, the Museum was able to secure an NFL license agreement through the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Eamon Foundation, the charity designated by Myron Cope’s estate as the owner and beneficiary of “The Terrible Towel” trademark.

PAT PCC No. 1713 in 1980. Courtesy Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum began restoration work on 1713 in 2023. The project to return it to the Terrible Trolley paint scheme and to make it operable was one of our youth volunteer projects. We were pleased to announce co-project managers Jack Jost, who was only 17, and Ayden Kendlick, who was 18. They were advised by more senior volunteers and staff, but they took control of the project and rapidly made progress. The first step was to pressure wash and clean the car inside and out. This process was quite the endeavor as the car had been untouched for quite some time, and a few critters had made their way inside. Next, they worked quickly to rewire the interior lights and make sure they worked properly. Both steps happened within just a week of 1713’s arrival at the Museum.

The work moved quickly. The volunteers worked to raise the car off the ground and remove the trucks for inspection and repair. They also removed the motor-generator. The crew inspected the rust caused by salt damage from the years spent operating in Pittsburgh’s winters. A good portion of the underbody was replaced. They also worked with Prime Collision on the painting process and timeline. While inspecting the paint, volunteers came across areas where they could see the layers of past paint jobs, including paint from when it was the Terrible Trolley. Additionally, when it was repainted, PAT did not remove all decals, leaving spots where the faint outlines of player’s numbers were visible in the right lighting.

The post The ‘Terrible Trolley’ Rides Again! appeared first on Railway Age.

Santa Fe Railway diesel-electric locomotive No. 93 is on its way to Mid-America Car in Kansas City, Mo., for a complete cosmetic restoration, Wichita, Kans.-based Great Plains Transportation Museum (GPTM) reported Aug. 17. Built by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors Corporation in late 1967, the unit was donated to museum by BNSF in June 1999.

Following nearly two years of fundraising, the Santa Fe No. 93 restoration campaign on June 20, 2025, eclipsed the approximately $200,000 required to have the work completed.

BNSF Picking Up Santa Fe No. 93 at GPTM in Wichita, Kans. on Aug. 17, 2025. (Courtesy of GPTM)

BNSF worked on a round-trip transportation plan with GPTM, which reported that the Oklahoma Railway Museum, using its BNSF customer account, created the waybill necessary to move No. 93 under the reporting marks OKRX93. The Class I railroad in late July performed a mechanical inspection of the unit required for movement.

No. 93 pulled Santa Fe passenger trains between Chicago and California or Texas from 1967 to 1971 and freight trains for Santa Fe and successor BNSF from 1971 to 1998, according to GPTM, a 501(c)3 not-fot-profit educational and preservation organization. It will be restored in the red and silver Santa Fe Super Fleet scheme it has worn since 1989, when then railroad President Michael R. Haverty approved an updated version of the well-known and historic scheme used on passenger train locomotives from 1937 to 1971, the museum reported when restoration-work fundraising began in 2023.

Donations are still being accepted online via www.gptm.us, in-person at GPTM (700 East Douglas Ave., Wichita, Kans., 67202), or via phone (316-263-0944); and lithograph and canvas giclee prints of John Winfield’s “Warbonnet Renaissance” are still available for purchase in support of the effort.

“Warbonnet Renaissance” by railroad artist John Winfield. (Courtesy of GPTM)

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Editor’s Note: Grady C. Cothen Jr., though he retired from the Federal Railroad Administration in 2010, has remained active in the industry, writing papers on safety-related subjects, several of which Railway Age has published. He most recently assisted as a “friend” to a major RSAC working group. Grady retired from FRA after 36 years in various positions: Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program Development (1994-2010); Associate Administrator for Safety (1991-1994); and Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel for rail safety, labor protection and asset sale projects (1975-1991). Prior to that, he served as a trial attorney in the Enforcement Division of the FRA Office of Chief Counsel. Grady was also Acting Associate Administrator for Policy from 1986-1988, where he provided executive direction for economic, financial and traffic analysis and freight policy studies, including recommendations for Departmental positions in rail proceedings before the Interstate Commerce Commission. This editorial is adapted from remarks he gave at the 55th meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) in 2016, marking its 20th anniversary. We publish this in the wake of FRA’s disbanding of RSAC after 29 years, and the uncertainty surrounding whether it will be resurrected in some form. – William C. Vantuono

I earned my grey hair in large part tending the vineyard we know as the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee. Although I retired from FRA in 2010, I continue to have a strong interest in the success of that body.

The RSAC is one tool that FRA and its partners use to advance safety, and we need every effective tool we can get. Let me trace how we got here, why that matters, and a little about what we need to do to keep the RSAC relevant and effective.

The RSAC was something of a surprise to all its parents in 1995. It wasn’t planned. It sprang from good intentions and lots of desperation. The good intentions were bestowed by the Clinton Administration, particularly by Vice President Gore and his plan to transform government. All citizens were now “customers,” and our success was dependent upon the customer’s satisfaction—an awkward posture if you are operating under authorities that mandate regulation and enforcement. About this time, I had written myself a job description as regulatory czar in the Office of Safety. The regulatory program, with lots of “to dos” already listed, was dead in the water as statutory deadlines floated by. Administrator Jolene Molitoris, understandably, didn’t want to roll out new rules produced solely by agency staff—several of which were already about finished—because they might offend “customers.”

The matter of perhaps greatest urgency was roadway worker protection, a matter of life and death, for sure, as tragic circumstances once again declared. There were calls for an emergency order. When we couldn’t agree what to do internally, I suggested a formal negotiated rulemaking to get things moving. Jolene concurred; and the parties, to their credit, accepted the challenge. The product was a clear step forward, but there were issues that had not been sufficiently developed under the pressure to agree. Neutral facilitation produced movement but not clarity. Litigation and further rulemaking ensued.

From this initial experience it was clear that the industry parties were game for getting in there and working on problems, and it was clear the FRA had learned a lot from the parties during the process. But we could hardly afford to do formal negotiated rulemakings for every topic on the agenda, and it was not clear from the roadway worker outcome that that process was the best.

Desperation led to some degree of hard-won inspiration in the form of the RSAC. FRA invited the industry parties to join a broader advisory committee to work on most of the regulatory agenda. This was met with a firm “yes, but” from management and labor, in particular. So, we almost literally had to negotiate the shape of the table first. Nobody wanted to be outvoted, and the Class I’s and labor were not so sure anybody else should be at the table. FRA wanted the committee to include every legitimate interest affected and probably couldn’t have gotten the RSAC chartered on any other basis. All the industry parties were obviously fearful that their constituencies would blame them for any unfavorable outcome they could not block. FRA had a non-delegable responsibility to decide, at the end of the day, whether or not the RSAC came up with a recommendation, and couldn’t just let the process run amok.

The result was a unique structure, with no precedent under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. If just you looked at it on paper, it was apparently designed to fail miserably.

Under the bargain worked out with the industry parties, FRA would reserve the right to offer tasks, after prior informal consultation. The committee would consist of organizational representatives, not individuals. Just as examples, the organizations would include more than the usual suspects, with the National Association of Railroad Passengers (now the Rail Passengers Association) playing an active role, Safe Travel America keeping all us mindful that our inaction can have consequences, and the governments of Canada and Mexico invited to work on standards harmonization. Over time, additional organizations were added in an attempt to benefit from, and promote, the industry’s diversity.

Under this construct, FRA would chair the committee and vote along with everyone else. The RSAC would establish working groups where the heavy lifting would occur, comprised exclusively of those parties with a stake in the subject matter—always including FRA. Complete consensus would be required to discharge a recommendation from a working group, and a simple majority would be required to get it accepted in the full RSAC. The full RSAC could remand the issue once, by a unanimous vote, but the working group product would not be subject to amendment in the full body. FRA committed to using the resulting recommendations to formulate proposals whenever possible.

These principles were embodied in a document called “The RSAC Process.” Over the years, the committee, to my knowledge, has deviated only slightly from this prescription, and then only by unanimous consent. Notably, parties have often been generous by entering into partial consensus when they have felt unable to support the entirety of a proposed working group recommendation. In some cases, parties have remained in a negotiation even when they knew (and privately warned us) that factors external to the negotiation would prevent them from reaching a final consensus—just to ensure FRA got the best picture of how their legitimate interests might be protected.

When this process was hammered out, there were many voices within and outside the Department of Transportation that said we couldn’t do business that way. Forming a Federal Advisory Committee comprised of organizations was unusual, to say the least. By tradition, advisory committee members were supposed to be selected individually for their expertise and would “serve the public interest.”

The idea that members would carry their interests into the meeting openly and proudly, rather than in their back pockets, was anathema. To mix metaphors, you were supposed to leave your hat at the door—good luck with that if you are an elected union officer or trade association staffer!

The idea that the FRA would really manage and participate in the committee was shocking—you know, somebody could say something that would embarrass or overcommit the Department; and what we would do then? Bureaucrats are supposed to be seen but not heard on any “controversial issue.”

These concerns were not without some basis, of course, but the notion that the Federal Advisory Committee Act did not permit this kind of body, just because it hadn’t been done quite this way before, was just flat wrong—as I insisted. Let’s just say we won the battle. The RSAC commenced operations on April 1, 1996.

Over time, the RSAC process forced major changes in how FRA did business internally. At least when the process worked well, silos fell and the Administrator’s office became involved, materially, much earlier in the process. The responsible FRA senior executives had to ensure that the Administrator was briefed when useful and that the FRA team always operated within the Administrator’s instructions.

The RSAC Process also required investments in training for all concerned. FRA made “interest-based bargaining” the engine of working group activities.

History matters, because—through whatever serendipity—form followed function. The industry and FRA were at a point where we needed something like the RSAC very badly.

Many FRA staff members had been Federal civil servants for quite a while and needed to be updated on the state of the industry. FRA lawyers, economists and analysts needed a rapid education in the particulars of the issues before the agency. The RSAC provided that mechanism.

Industry personnel in departments such as transportation, engineering and mechanical were often wary of their counterparts in labor—and the anxiousness was, let us say, “reciprocated.” Particularly in the early days, when working groups went on the road, members got to spend time together socially, barriers began to fall, and mutual respect on a personal level often flourished. Good relationships don’t guarantee good outcomes, but they greatly facilitate that result. It may be growing trust at this level helped, at least a little, to enable Confidential Close Call Reporting and other risk reduction elements.

State rail program representatives, some suppliers, and other stakeholders were alienated from the regulatory process, sometimes questioning FRA’s good faith as steward of the national rail safety program. The RSAC let everybody see the process of making regulations up close, and if you wanted to you could pitch in! Many did.

The issues coming before the agency were becoming more complex and highly technical. FRA could get expert advice from its own staff, including the Office of R&D and the Department’s Volpe Center; but how much better to have access to industry experts, as well! Real time peer review, iterative analysis, and reference to international standards sometimes permitted the RSAC working groups and task forces to advance the state of the art.

Technology was rapidly outstripping FRA’s ability to reduce risk using traditional, prescriptive regulations; and at times, existing regulations threatened to constrain progress. So RSAC working groups helped fashion processes and standards for approval of new and alternative technology that FRA would have struggled to conceive by itself. Dialogue within the working groups helped to educate all of us regarding the need to migrate in the direction of performance-based regulations.

I am painfully aware that the RSAC is not an emblem of unvarnished success. Consensus has not been achieved for every task. Things have taken too long. For some, traveling to high-cost Washington D.C. so FRA could save money has been galling. Despite the training and hand holding, members have sometimes had to endure ad hominem attacks issued by other members who were desperate to protect their interests and unable to muster a better argument.

If all of us take this process for granted, it can rapidly fail and become a fading memory. But if we remember where we came from, and how far backwards we could go, I submit we will want to look forward and try to make it work. For that to happen, everybody will have to give a little and some a lot.

The Department of Transportation needs to give the most, because this process serves its mission. Efforts to rebuild internal silos need to be stopped cold. Tasks can only be accomplished if FRA teams—specialists, engineers, lawyers and economists drawn from disparate organizational elements—work well together and pull in the same direction. Team members must be willing, and their immediate supervisors must buy in, or at least act like it.

The Administrator must be empowered to guide the agency’s participation, and consensus outcomes must be supported within the Executive Branch rather than second-guessed by lawyers upstairs or analysts across town, most of whom have scant domain knowledge.

FRA must ensure that its budget requests support a robust RSAC schedule of activities, including opportunities for working groups and task forces to get out on the railroad and into the supply community to gain first-hand familiarity with the subject matter of pending tasks. Rolling out a national program also provides the opportunity for system and local union officers to participate and grow in their leadership positions and come to understand “what’s going on in Washington.”

FRA’s senior executives need to be properly appointed and tasked, and incumbents need to be supported. FRA should ensure that each working group is sponsored by a senior executive or other senior officer who is willing to roll up their sleeves and learn the issues with a degree of granularity that will permit that individual to provide the necessary liaison between the Administrator and the working group, subject to the guidance of the Chief Safety Officer.

FRA must keep offering well-timed proposals to focus working group discussion and crystalize the issues. However unpopular, FRA must hold the working groups to reasonable timetables while recognizing exceptions when it makes sense. But FRA needs to step up the pace of production. When consensus is in hand, the proposed and final rules need to be produced in a timely manner. The RSAC can’t be prodded to work more briskly if FRA can’t produce. That will happen only if individual counsel and staff are held accountable, and if the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and Office of Management & Budget behave sensibly, reserving formal review for rules that are truly significant and keeping to their own deadlines without manipulation of the process to make the agency look like the culprit. FRA must continue to speak for those who are not directly represented in the process.

Industry parties need to play their part, as well. Nothing tears at the fabric of RSAC more than surprises. Each party representative needs to keep that individual’s organization briefed on the issues in play and needs to seek support for pending consensus recommendations before final working group action. The whole idea, beyond good outcomes on paper, is buy-in for implementation.

Nothing drains energy and good feeling from a process more than unfair collateral attacks. RSAC participants need to ensure that their lobbyists and press offices know about the good work going on within the RSAC. That doesn’t mean all will be sweetness and light, but in some cases, we can save everybody embarrassment—and that will increase the likelihood that we will be able to control our own futures, collectively.

Everybody will need to take a breath when the opportunity presents itself and make a serious effort to simplify the growing corpus of regulations already on the books, to relieve unnecessary regulatory burdens, and to ensure that remaining regulations are as progressive and robust as the industry they govern.

So here we have a collaborative forum consisting of those affected by regulations who are willing to invest time and effort to make them better, which came into being out of unusual circumstances, and which has achieved a record much more distinguished than many of us might have expected. It calls to mind that oft-cited legend about Benjamin Franklin, as he left the constitutional convention in Philadelphia. He is said to have bumped into his friend Elizabeth Powell, who inquired about the form of government produced inside. He replied, “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.”

I’m no Franklin, but the RSAC is a demonstrably successful collaborative body—if you can keep it.

The post RSAC: A Demonstrably Successful Collaborative Body appeared first on Railway Age.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Aug. 15 reported releasing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program (IFAC), making $45.98 million available to assist public entities in “facilitating and evaluating public-private partnerships and exploring innovative financing and alternative delivery opportunities for Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act -eligible projects.”

Eligible applicants for the Build America Bureau-administered program include state, tribal, or local governments; special purpose public authorities; or agencies chartered by a state, tribal, or local government. 

Grants are available for up to $2 million, with the first $1 million requiring no local match. This is the second NOFO for IFAC, with funds allocated from fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026 (if available). Applications are due no later than Oct. 1, 2025.

According to the USDOT, two types of grants are available under the program: technical assistance and expert services. Technical assistance grants, it said, enable recipients to “build organizational capacity and identify a portfolio of underutilized assets by hiring qualified employees or procuring advisors.” Expert services grants enable recipients to “procure expert professionals in connection with the development of a specific asset or assets,” it noted. Applicants must choose one of the grant types to apply for in this round of funding. 

The Build America Bureau will host a free informational webinar about the IFAC NOFO and program on Aug. 27, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Accommodation requests must be submitted to InnovativeFinanceTA@dot.gov by Aug. 20, 2025. While participation in the webinar is not mandatory to receive funding, the Build America Bureau said it encourages potential applicants to learn about the application process and activities that can be funded before applying. A recording of the webinar and a copy of the presentation will be posted on the IFAC website.

“This novel program is promoting efficient and effective use of publicly owned assets, by enabling communities to find answers to this basic question: do they have underutilized assets that can be leveraged to address their infrastructure needs,” Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian said. “The Bureau is constructing a bridge between our state, tribal, and local partners who have valuable underutilized assets and private partners who have expertise and financial capital to generate additional value from those assets to address community needs faster and at lower cost.”

Separately, the Build America Bureau last month reported a policy update to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act credit program that will allow all types of transportation infrastructure projects to finance up to 49% of eligible costs.

Resources and Additional Information:

• 2025-2026 Program FAQs
• FY22-24 Awards Information
• Grant Management Invoicing Process
• Quarterly Progress Report Template

The post USDOT: Applications Welcome for Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program appeared first on Railway Age.

“Competition Will Put Passenger Rail on the Right Track,” a new Discovery Institute report, “outlines a bold vision for restoring American passenger rail through competition, private sector innovation and targeted infrastructure investment.”

Co-authored by Discovery Institute Founder and Board Chair Bruce Chapman and Senior Fellow Ray Chambers, who also heads AIPRO (Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations), the report (download below) “argues that the time is ripe for meaningful reform.”

Chapman and Chambers note that Congressional reauthorization of transportation policy “is on the horizon” and cite “growing interest from private operators.” They propose a “Passenger Rail Authority” to “restructure the national system and open the door for public-private partnerships” with “the power to restructure passenger rail policy, much as happened with the U.S. Railway Association (USRA) beginning in 1974.” Chambers added that “the future of passenger rail is not about dismantling Amtrak. It’s about modernizing it and allowing private innovation to thrive alongside it.”

Chapman and Chambers propose eight “reform goals.” Excerpts:

1. “Restructure the US passenger rail system to ensure competition by adopting a Competitive Access Model. If the Amtrak statutory right to access freight tracks at a below-cost rate continues unaltered, the deck will be stacked against private rail competitors. Few could survive. Therefore, the old model for expanding intercity service needs to change. Over the past few years, Union Pacific and AIPRO have developed a model for passenger rail access called the Competitive Direct Access Model (CDAM). The current Amtrak statutory operator preferences over track owners, which have created a near-monopoly, would be eliminated. Access to track usage, key performance indicators and operating standards, including on-time performance, would be negotiated through legal contracts, and disputes would be settled by arbitration. Amtrak would continue to operate as a commercial entity and compete in the new passenger rail marketplace. Amtrak and private competitors would have equal access to tracks through negotiated agreements with the freight railroads… It is a frequently deployed model used to achieve commuter rail access from Florida’s Tri-Rail to Chicago Metra’s 86-mile Rockford line. It has been used on intercity service, most notably to set Amtrak access terms for the California Capitol Corridor. Federal Railroad Administration grants for new corridor projects would require competitive bidding among potential operators, or, in some cases, public justification for a sole-source selection.”
2. “Strengthen state government management of city-pair routes (routes of less than 750 miles). Following PRIIA guidelines, states should fund, as desired, any subsidies needed for city-pair routes. There are now 30 city-pair corridors, and the FRA has provided scoping funds for 69 new projects in 41e states. The fact is, only a few states, such as Washington, California and Connecticut, are adequately staffed and trained today to manage this responsibility. Accordingly, the FRA should help build capacity for state management through technical assistance and even one-time Federal-State partnership grants.”
3. “Consider Separating Northeast Corridor Train Service and Infrastructure. The Shuster Blue Ribbon Panel on Amtrak reform was under the auspices of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Its 1997 report and the 2002 report of the Statutory Amtrak Reform Council (on which Bruce Chapman was a member) made similar proposals. The recommendations were to split Amtrak into two federally owned corporations, one focused on the passenger rail operations and the other on infrastructure. This functional separation would clarify costs, improve financial transparency and facilitate targeted investments by the government for infrastructure and by private management for operations. The new Passenger Rail Authority would provide detailed recommendations to the President and Congress, and the FRA would implement the recommendations.”
4. “Reconfigure long-distance (LD) routes to optimize traffic flow and manage costs effectively. One of the principal challenges in passenger rail operations concerns the future of long-distance trains. These services are highly popular with local leaders and highly unprofitable as a general rule. If the LD network is to be stabilized and expanded a clear commitment is needed similar to highway and aviation. The public interest must be defined and stable funding provided. The current LD network has a large footprint across rural America and has significant bipartisan support… The LD network offers connectivity to underserved rural communities, granting mobility where commercial airlines do not fly and intercity buses do not operate. For the National Network it is necessary to assess social and economic benefits and then authorize subsidy levels. It is important to note [Amtrak’s] National Network is composed of two separate groups. The first is state-supported city-pair corridors … under 750 miles. The second is the LD network… For the state supported network … the states determine the economic and social benefits and provide the subsidy. For LD routes, Congress must play that role by quantifying the social and economic benefits and providing stable funding.”
5. “Establish a sustainable rail capital fund, similar to those that support roads and air traffic. This federal fund would be sufficient to build bridges, tunnels, stations, maintenance yards, bypasses, and other necessary infrastructure to expand the passenger rail network. Funding sources might include rights-of-way utility fees and transportation-oriented development “value capture” from urban development projects adjacent to new passenger rail facilities. Meanwhile, the FRA’s Federal State Partnership Discretionary Grant program should continue. Primary applicants should be states, with Amtrak and state-approved private competitors being eligible.””
6. “Institute legal reforms. Liability and indemnification processes for equitable insurance access should be made available to new private competitors. Commuter systems should be admitted to this program. Likewise, a National Equipment Supply initiative should be established to identify and meet equipment needs for the next 20 years. Environmental and other permitting should be accelerated to complete all reviews within the next two years.”
7. “Create a High-Speed Rail (HSR) Plan. The Authority should devise a plan for HSR development that includes planning, regulatory processes, and funding systems needed to build a network akin to those in China, Japan and Europe. For a plan to be real, primary funding sources must be identified. This could include a mix of federal grants, state funds, and private investment, including through transportation-oriented development… This Plan must apply ‘lessons learned’ from California’s troubled and very costly HSR project, which faces solid Republican opposition as ‘the train to nowhere.’ Pursuing a program with bipartisan support will be critical.”
8. “Assure worker rights on the intercity passenger network. Intercity rail corridor development will uphold worker rights for rail operations, as established under PRIIA, section 301. This includes labor rights during any transitions from Amtrak to new operators for operating and non-operating (rights of way maintenance and signal crews). On infrastructure construction projects, the Davis-Bacon Act’s prevailing wage requirements will apply to all federally funded projects.”

The report highlights what Chapman and Chambers call “successful private rail models such as Brightline in Florida”* and recommends “leveraging infrastructure grants to stimulate further private investment and improve service quality nationwide.”

*Mandatory redemption came due on close to $1 billion in private activity bond debt. Brightline is reissuing that debt, on Aug. 12 distributing a Series 2025B “Limited Remarketing Memorandum.” The term rate is 10%, but Brightline claims it’s “expected to yield 15% to bondholders of Series 2025A bonds.” Bondholders have also been offered a security lien on Brightline West equity. The company in July deferred a scheduled payment to bondholders, and petitioned state agency Florida Development Finance Corp., to issue up to $400 million of private activity bonds for design and planning on its Tampa extension and improving existing routes. Brightline, though, has managed to increase capacity and train frequency, which is helping increase ridership.

Rail-Right-Track-Discovery-InstituteDownload

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MARTA

The MARTA Board of Directors on Aug. 14 appointed MARTA Chief Legal Counsel Jonathan Hunt as interim General Manager and CEO, following the retirement of Collie Greenwood on July 17, 2025.

“I am honored by this appointment and grateful to the Board for this opportunity,” said Hunt. “My experience at MARTA, the respect I have for public transit and understanding of what this Authority is capable of, along with the relationships I’ve built in metro Atlanta put me in a prime position to serve in this interim role. With the support of MARTA’s executive team and staff, I intend to immediately get to work addressing service issues and advancing projects ahead of the World Cup.”

The Board also named a strategic operational advisory group to support Hunt in his interim role. The group will be led by former MARTA General Manager and CEO Keith Parker, and its members include Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick, Atlanta Regional Commission Executive Director & CEO Anna Roach, and City of Atlanta Chief Strategy Officer Peter Aman.

“We understand that selecting an internal candidate for this interim position may appear to be more of the same from MARTA and that we are content with the status quo. That could not be further from the truth,” said MARTA Board Chair Jennifer Ide. “An internal candidate with institutional knowledge, combined with the counsel and support of the advisory group will result in strategic decision-making and guidance on the search for a permanent leader, ensuring alignment in the short and long term.”

The MARTA Board of Directors has also formed a search committee that will work with an executive search firm to select a permanent GM/CEO. The ad hoc committee consists of Chair Jennifer Ide, Valencia Williamson, Al Pond, Rita Scott, and Sagirah Jones.

Hunt has worked in MARTA’s Legal Department for almost 12 years and was named Chief Legal Counsel in 2024, bringing with him decades of experience in transit, real estate, finance, corporate law, and construction management. Prior to joining MARTA, he served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, representing among other entities, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Hunt also serves as President of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Legal Affairs Committee and sits on the national board of APTA.

Chief Customer Experience Officer Rhonda Allen served as acting GM/CEO since June 18, 2025. “She is an invaluable member of the MARTA team and will continue to focus on a broad range of initiatives on improving the customer experience, including delivering MARTA’s new Breeze system,” the agency said.

Ports of Indiana

Global logistics industry veteran Dexter Salenda has joined Ports of Indiana as the organization’s first Foreign Trade and Economic Development Director. This position was created to expand Ports of Indiana’s Foreign-Trade Zone program and offer new services for companies dealing with challenges related to international trade and tariffs, supporting Indiana’s economic growth.

Salenda brings nearly 15 years of experience in transportation, supply chain and Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) sales and operations from positions with DHL Global Forwarding, DB Schenker and INzone—the Greater Indianapolis Foreign-Trade Zone operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

In his most recent role, as Director of Business Development/Key Account Management for DHL’s Life Science, Healthcare and Chemical sectors, Salenda “drove significant new business growth and spearheaded multinational account strategies to enhance efficiency in temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical supply chains,” the organization said.

“Bringing Dexter on board marks a strategic expansion for Ports of Indiana in the supply chain services we provide to international businesses and the state,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “Dexter’s logistics and foreign trade industry knowledge will be essential to our organization as we try to create new value for Indiana companies through foreign-trade zones and international container shipments. His efforts will help us establish long-term partnerships with Indiana customers that are doing business all over the world—especially those that can benefit from the cost savings and operational efficiencies related to tariffs and container services.”

All three Ports of Indiana facilities are designated Foreign-Trade Zones and the organization can support the creation of FTZs at individual businesses around the state.

“It’s an exciting time to join the Ports of Indiana team and I’m looking forward to playing an important role in the organization’s overall growth,” said Salenda. “Priority number one is creating awareness and aligning customers with our FTZ benefits and expertise to grow containerized cargo business through the ports. With developable land and a growing portfolio of services, the ports are attracting interest from potential long-term partners, and I’m eager to leverage those assets and contribute to our state economy.”

Salenda is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has been an active member of various regional economic development committees, including the Indy Chamber’s Foreign Direct Investment Steering Committee and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee.

North American Rail Solutions

North American Rail Solutions on Aug. 14 announced that Wyatt Cox has joined the company as General Counsel, bringing extensive experience in both private practice and corporate legal environments and will play a key role in supporting the company’s continued growth and operational strategy.

“Cox is a growth-minded, solutions-oriented legal leader with a strong record of developing and scaling legal and risk functions to support organizational expansion,” the company said in a press release. “Known for his strategic approach, he has consistently implemented legal frameworks that balance risk and reward while aligning with business needs. He thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments and is recognized for his high emotional intelligence, clear communication skills, and ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of an organization.”

“We’re excited to welcome Wyatt to the team,” said Tom Lucario, CEO of North American Rail Solutions. “His ability to align legal strategy with operational goals, along with his collaborative leadership style, will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow across North America.”

Prior to joining North American Rail Solutions, Cox served as Vice President of Legal and Compliance at BluSky Restoration Contractors. During his nearly seven years with BluSky, he played an integral role in the organization’s growth and expansion to one of the largest, most respected restoration contractors in the country. Cox led BluSky’s legal, risk, and compliance functions, as well as several other key initiatives related to M&A, ESG, the company’s charitable foundation, licensing, and corporate governance.

“North American Rail Solutions is at an exciting and transformative point in its growth, and I’m thrilled to join the team at such a pivotal time to continue driving innovation in the railroad services industry and shape the next chapter of company’s already remarkable story,” Cox said. “I look forward to working alongside our talented people to build on the company’s strong foundation and help position the business for long-term success.”

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Intermodal chassis equipment provider and pool manager TRAC Intermodal has launched TRAC GeoFleet, described as “a smart chassis solution that provides customers with guaranteed chassis availability, usage-based billing through geofencing capabilities and GPS tracking.”

Available nationwide, TRAC GeoFleet, the company said, “gives customers control over a private, on-demand chassis fleet stored at their location. They pay only for the chassis when they use it. Railroads, motor carriers, ocean carriers, BCOs (beneficial cargo owners) and NVOCCs (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers) can choose the size and type of TRAC chassis they want and store it on their property, under a flexible term lease model. Billing doesn’t begin until chassis depart the geofenced area around their facility. Customers benefit from guaranteed chassis availability, instant access when needed and reduced uncertainty during market shifts. GPS-equipped chassis give customers full visibility and control to optimize the use of their equipment. Usage-based billing aligns with demand. Guaranteed chassis availability reduces delays, while GPS tracking provides real-time visibility to optimize planning. By eliminating last-minute sourcing and mitigating market volatility, TRAC GeoFleet offers customers predictable, cost-efficient chassis availability.”

“As the largest marine and specialty chassis provider and pool manager in the U.S., TRAC continues to redefine our category by developing smart, on-demand fleet solutions that best fit the evolving needs of our customers,” said Daniel Walsh, President and CEO of TRAC Intermodal. “Our customers can now operate with guaranteed access to TRAC’s trusted equipment and advanced visibility tools, while paying only for what they use.”

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