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Here’s how four recent patents are helping us lead the way. 

At our Alliance Intermodal facility in Fort Worth, Texas, drones are transforming how we manage inventory. Our patented drone-based Automated Yard Check (AYC) system uses aerial footage and machine learning to triangulate the exact location of containers in 3D space. 

“Before this, it took an entire shift to complete a yard inventory,” said Michael Ibanez, co-inventor and manager of technology services. “Now, we maintain a real-time inventory using drones and truck-mounted cameras. That means faster turnarounds for drivers and better service for our customers.” 

The system is already in use at Alliance and in Los Angeles, with plans to expand to most of our 27 intermodal facilities by 2027.  

Planning intermodal service is a team relay race. Our patent-pending  Transportation Service Design system known as Load Plan Optimization (LPO) uses AI to optimize how we assign shipments to trains and routes.

By using an AI-based algorithm that creates a load plan for an outbound train in seconds, we ensure the right containers and trailers are located where they need to be on the production tracks, minimizing the overall distance our hostler drivers need to travel.

“These two patent applications, LPO and AYC, supplement each other,” said Hernandez. “These technologies improve the customer experience and increases efficiency.”

Every five-minute job is a frozen or broken bolt away from becoming hours not minutes. Locomotive maintenance is a specialized discipline that requires extensive training, practical experience, and patience to develop proficiency. The process of changing injectors used to involve awkward angles and a fair amount of physical strain. But a new patented tool, developed by machinists Chad Sellman, Jason Carlson and James Rumpca, at BNSF’s Northtown Diesel Shop in Minneapolis is changing that.

The Engine Component Removal Tool allows mechanics to remove both the injector and its retaining bolt in a single, fluid motion. It eliminates the need for excessive force, reduces the risk of injury and speeds up the job.

“This tool mitigates the chance of line of fire, release of energy and overexertion,” said Sellman, one of the co-inventors. “Now, the tool does the heavy lifting. It’s safer, more efficient, and just makes sense.”

Jason Carlson, who helped spark the idea during a routine injector change, reflected on the journey.

“I’m excited and proud that we recently received a patent for a tool we designed together. We discovered this idea by accident while changing injectors. Through collaboration and multiple iterations, we developed the final version that earned this patent. I never thought I would be receiving a patent, and I’m thrilled to have reached this milestone.”

This achievement reflects our teamwork, creativity, and commitment to making our work more efficient and safer. I’m grateful to be part of a team that turns ideas into reality and can’t wait to see what we create next.”

The tool is now in use in Northtown and is being evaluated for broader deployment to all BNSF’s shops. It’s an example of how innovation at BNSF often starts with solving a problem and a team determined to make things better.

Switching operations are complex, but our patented Multi-Objective Train Block Assignment System makes them smarter. This technology uses data and optimization models to assign train blocks (groups of cars) to classification tracks in the most efficient way possible.

Whether the yard is full or flowing, the system adapts, minimizing unassigned volume, reducing switch moves, and improving throughput. It even generates visual tools like charts and diagrams to support real-time decision-making.

“What’s exciting is how this started as a manual process on a whiteboard and evolved into a fully data-driven decision assist tool,” said General Director of Transportation Cory Misiewicz. “Now, we’re helping yards optimize hump yard bowl capacity, reduce dwell (time trains are spent in yards), and deliver a product our customers can rely on.”

At BNSF, we’re not just solving today’s challenges, we’re building tomorrow’s railroad. These patented technologies reflect our commitment to innovation, service, and safety. 

Further Reading:

• ‘Force Multipliers’

The post BNSF Leads Rail Industry in Innovation With More Patents Than All Other Class I Railroads Combined appeared first on Railway Age.

A former Nickel Plate Road GP9 is headed to an Ohio tourist railroad where it will be restored to operation. Last week, the Cincinnati Scenic Railway announced a deal with the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society to acquire NKP GP9 532. 

GP9 532 entered service on the NKP in 1959 and eventually joined the Norfolk & Western, which later became part of Norfolk Southern. It was donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in 1984 and was later acquired by the NRHS chapter in 2015. Cincinnati Scenic is currently raising funds at nkpohio.org to restore the locomotive to operation. 

“Cincinnati Scenic Railway is excited for the opportunity to return another piece of historic rolling stock to our collection. Thanks to our friends at the Roanoke Chapter, future generations will be able to ride behind 532 and witness it in operation,” said railroad president Ray Kammer Jr.

Meanwhile, another piece from the NRHS Roanoke Chapter collection found a new home last week. N&W Tool Car 1407 has been donated to VMT to be permanently reunited with 4-8-4 611. The car was originally built in 1927 as a mail storage car. In the 1980s, the car was converted into a tool car for N&W 611. It remained in that service until the end of the Norfolk Southern steam program in 1994. The car was then acquired by the NRHS chapter. When 611 returned to the main line in the 2010s, the tool car was again matched with the locomotive. 

“The Roanoke Chapter is pleased to form this partnership with the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Together we can highlight the historic role of the 611 and 1407, from the 1950s through today, ensuring both artifacts continue to be together as they were intended,” said Roanoke Chapter President Tim Witt. 

The Roanoke Chapter maintains a large collection of historic equipment, including a Norfolk & Western Alco T-6, a “Redbird” GP9, and over two dozen other pieces. Earlier this year, the group announced it would be constructing a new restoration facility.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

The post Nickel Plate GP9 Sold to Ohio Tourist Road appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

In terms of monitoring Class I network health, the first two numbers we look at every week are the daily number of trains failing to depart on time due to a shortage of crews (trains holding for crews) or locomotives (trains holding for power).

They’re great metrics because, rather than look at the supply of crews and locomotives and try to guess whether they’re sufficient for current demand, these metrics quantify the initial consequences of a demand/ supply imbalance (not having enough). As such, they’re basically risk meters that move in real time, and they’ve been moving a lot lower recently.

Three weeks ago, we talked about a “beautiful absence of emergencies,” and this recent period of relative normalcy has allowed the railroads to drive down departure delays due to shortages of crews and power. In the chart below, we’ve consolidated these two metrics across the four U.S. Class I railroads. In the week ending Aug. 29, trains holding for crews came in at 12.1 and trains holding for power at 7.8, totaling 19.9. When was the last time we saw a reading below 20?

In the eight years since this data has been reported, there have only been five other weeks below 20, which was between March 28 and May 1, 2020 (circled in chart). What was happening at that time? The COVID lockdowns, temporarily cratering demand relative to the supply of crews and power (crew shortages came back to bite them five months later via a historically low furlough recall rate).

Here are the same totals for crews and power, but broken out by individual railroads since the beginning of 2023, as they bounced back from the 2022 Service Crisis. We’ve seen improvements across the board, with BNSF the biggest contributor in recent times, with significant drops starting in April of this year.

It’s all good news, because with these departure delays sitting around historic lows, it means operational risk is low, the national rail network’s ability to take a punch from a major hurricane or other natural disaster is high, and crew and locomotive resources are adequate relative to current train starts, containing labor expense and locomotive capex. If the railroads keep improving, we’ll be forced to retire this report because we’ll have nothing to write about. Would they miss us?

The post Trains Holding for Crews and Power Falling appeared first on Railway Age.

We hosted a call with rail industry participants on an update on rail service, end markets, and thoughts on a transcon merger. Tariffs are having a meaningful effect on import/export demand, and customers are taking as long as possible to order goods. Class I service remains fairly healthy. A transcon merger came with mixed views, formal filing with the STB will be key for stakeholders to establish opinions.

A short line panelist sees a transcon network eliminating network frictions and emphasized the watershed opportunity. In addition to share gains from truck, some gains could also be made from short lines situated along watershed lanes. Recall that Union Pacific has disclosed $1.75 billion in revenue synergies in a single-line framework. As we have previously noted, prior mergers have seen incremental revenue estimates raised materially and believe upside is likely in this case.

Achieving beneficial transcon service is not impossible with an interline agreement such as proposed by CSX/BNSF, but our short line panelist noted this would be easier (and have cost advantages) in a fully integrated network. The STB’s revised 2002 merger rules acknowledge that interline agreements can deliver gains without requiring integration, but we note that the Board has also consistently established precedent, citing gains that only integration can achieve in prior merger decisions. We believe a lot will hinge on the final STB filing and course of proceedings/comments.

Two panelists (short line operator and rail logistics provider) were optimistic that a potential UP+Norfolk Southern integration would proceed smoothly, but the shipper was very cautious. This has been a key question, given the rail industry has a past of serious post-merger service snags usually arising out of problematic tech integration. Rail panelists acknowledged problems in the UP+Southern Pacific combination as well as the Conrail split between CSX and NS, but emphasized that technology has come a long way since those transactions in the 1990s. We concur with this view and believe that although service issues can creep up, disruptions will be contained relative to prior experience. This has been observed with the relatively quick recovery in the CPKC network following a snag in its tech integration. In contrast, both the historical deals mentioned had unique hurdles.

The chemical shipper on our panel took a less optimistic view of a rail merger. This shipper’s focus will be on the concessions that UP and NS will offer in their filing to the STB. Per this shipper, the details around switching and open access will be critical and assurance of concessions is far from enough—the devil will be in the details and reactions from the customer base are likely to be varied. In the previous edition of our proprietary rail shipper survey, we found that ~two-thirds of shippers supported a merger, provided remedies were offered.

Commodities have been a mixed bag this year, with the weakness coming from pulp/paper and chemicals/plastics. Our short line rail panelist cited three mill closures this year (one of them recently), all located on their railroad, driven by oversupply and global trade tensions. Our chemicals panelist stated YTD chemicals demand has been materially lower than its 2025 forecast (down double-digits, mostly international), with the hopes that 2026 will be flat at best. The weakness has been across resin types. Our panelist attributed the weakness to trade impacts and softer goods demand for items such as appliances (such as fridges, stoves). Another panelist stated he is seeing a big impact on his business from import/export declines (sand, chemicals), weaker cross-border traffic, and less leasing/buying of equipment. Shippers are taking as long as possible to order goods given uncertainty, resulting in a time crunch that is leading to trucks winning share from ports.

The post Mixed Views on Mergers appeared first on Railway Age.

Now in service at Class II Sierra Northern Railway (SNR) is the first of four HFC (hydrogen fuel cell)-powered, ZE (zero-emission) four-axle switcher locomotives.  

Developed with SNR subsidiary Railpower Technologies and “designed, built, and tested in West Sacramento (Calif.)” the locomotive is described as “the first [of its type] in the United States built specifically for freight rail.” The project was made possible through a P3 (public-private partnership). The California Energy Commission awarded $4 million to design and demonstrate the prototype. In 2023, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District provided $19.5 million to for three additional locomotives. In addition to Railpower, technology partners include GTI Energy, OptiFuel Systems LLC, Ballard Power Systems and the University of California, Riverside.

The locomotive, No. 193, completed testing on March 27, 2025, and is now in regular service. SNR plans to have four of these units in service by 2027, “with a long-term goal of converting its entire fleet and eventually commercializing the technology.”

This prototype locomotive, equipped with with onboard storage and advanced battery integration, reduces the railroad’s annual diesel fuel consumption “by about 10,000 gallons,” SNR noted. “Statewide, California’s 260 switcher locomotives each consume an average of 50,000 gallons per year, according to industry estimates. Converting them to hydrogen power could cut more than 12 million gallons of diesel annually—the equivalent of removing nearly 20,000 cars from the road.

SNR said it plans to leverage FastOx® gasification technology, developed by sister company Sierra Energy, to produce clean hydrogen fuel for its locomotives. This technology convert waste into hydrogen, “creating a sustainable fuel source while reducing dependence on landfills,” SNR added. Sierra Energy currently operates a 20-metric-ton-per-day gasification facility at Fort Hunter Liggett in California, where post-recycled waste “Is transformed into clean electricity—a model that can be adapted to generate hydrogen for freight rail. Hydrogen power, already used in buses, trucks, and passenger rail, has now been adapted for freight through rigorous safety testing and redundant onboard systems that meet all state and federal standards. The project supports California jobs in engineering, construction, and operations while contributing to a growing clean energy supply chain that can scale nationally.”

“This is a milestone not only for Sierra Northern but for the future of freight in California and beyond,” said Kennan H. Beard III, President and CEO of Sierra Northern Railway. “Hydrogen locomotives offer a proven, scalable way to deliver cleaner air while keeping goods moving efficiently.”

“This was a team effort,” said Michael Faust, President and CEO of Railpower. “The strong alliances have shown that hydrogen freight solutions are scalable, cost-effective and ready for real-world use.”

“This launch marks a pivotal moment in the rail industry’s transition away from diesel,” said Mike Hart, CEO of Sierra Railroad Company. “This demonstrates California’s innovation in delivering cleaner air for local communities while creating scalable solutions for the nation’s freight network.”

SNR, headquartered in West Sacramento, operates freight and passenger rail across California with divisions in Oakdale, Ventura and Fort Bragg. Founded in 1897, the company provides freight transportation, transloading, infrastructure development, and scenic passenger services. Sierra Railroad Company includes SNR, Mendocino Railway, Sierra Energy and passenger services such as the Skunk Train and River Fox Train. The company has operated in California since the 19th century. Railpower Technologies (which SNR acquired from RJ Corman Railroad Group in February 2025) designs and manufactures low-emission locomotives across North America. Its platforms include hybrid battery and HFC locomotives engineered for freight duty cycles. Sierra Energy Corporation uses FastOx® gasification to convert waste into clean energy. Its commercial facility at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., processes up to 20 metric tons of waste per day.

The post SNR Debuts HFC ZE Switcher appeared first on Railway Age.

RSI on Sept. 4 announced that is has joined the B&O Railroad Museum as a key partner to support the Bicentennial of American Railroading in 2027. Together, RSI and the museum, “will shine a spotlight on the past, present, and future of American railroading” as the nation celebrates 200 years since the founding of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, America’s first chartered rail line, on Feb. 28, 1827.

As a Bicentennial partner, RSI will display its logo on the anniversary website, www.americanrail200.org, and has committed to amplify the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027 with its membership and beyond.

RSI will also work with the museum on the planning of its new Innovation Hall showcasing the present and future of railroading technologies. The Innovation Hall will open in 2027.

“The invention of the railroad is often viewed as the internet of its time given its transformative impact on American life,” said Kris A. Hoellen, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum. “Having RSI as a partner, representing the technologies that ensure the rail system continues to innovate, is a natural fit to be front and center in the celebration.”

“RSI is honored to join this historic celebration,” said RSI President Jim Riley. “The Bicentennial is a chance to celebrate two centuries of progress while showcasing how rail will continue to move America forward.”

The Bicentennial of American Railroading will be a nationwide celebration culminating in 2027, inviting railroads, industry partners, museums, and communities across the country to participate.

New data released on Sept. 4 by APTA highlights the growth and economic impact of the public transportation industry in the U.S., “reinforcing the need for strong and consistent investment in public transportation systems nationwide.

APTA’s new 2025 Public Transportation Fact Book (download below) shows ridership reached 7.66 billion trips in 2024—a significant rebound from pandemic lows. This represents the fifth consecutive year of ridership growth. Public transportation is a $93.4 billion industry that directly employs more than 430,000 people and supports several million private-sector jobs, making it a key driver of economic activity in communities of all sizes, according to the association.

“These numbers tell a story of resilience and growth, and why investment in public transit and passenger rail is essential,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “Public transportation remains the backbone of economic mobility in communities across America, with 87 percent of trips directly impacting the economy by connecting people to work, retail, healthcare, and entertainment opportunities.”

Key highlights from the 2025 Public Transportation Fact Book include:

• “Economic Impact: Public transportation is a $93.4 billion industry, making it a significant economic driver, with 77% of federal transit funds supporting private businesses through contracts, services, and supply chains.
• “Ridership Recovery: Ridership has shown steady growth, climbing from 4.81 billion trips in 2021 to 7.66 billion trips in 2024—a 59% increase—demonstrating the essential nature of public transportation services.
• “Employment Growth: The industry employs 437,313 people as of 2023, providing good-paying jobs and career opportunities across the nation. Public transportation employment has remained strong, supporting families and communities nationwide.
• “System Expansion: The nation’s public transportation network continues to grow, with 26 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, 48 surface rail systems (light rail and streetcar), 37 regional railroad systems (commuter rail and hybrid rail), and 16 heavy rail systems providing diverse transportation options.”

“What these statistics really show is that public transportation is more than just moving people from point A to point B,” Skoutelas said. “We’re talking about connecting working Americans to economic opportunities, supporting students in their educational pursuits, and ensuring that communities remain accessible and vibrant.”

“Public transportation serves as a lifeline for communities large and small across America, especially for seniors and people with disabilities,” Skoutelas noted. “Rural residents with disabilities rely heavily on public transit, taking approximately 50 percent more public transit trips than those without disabilities.”

The data also reveals public transportation’s expanding role in supporting air travel and tourism, with 31 airports in 22 urbanized areas now connected to rail or BRT systems, facilitating seamless multimodal transportation for travelers and workers.

“As we look toward the future, these numbers reinforce that investment in public transportation is investment in America’s economic competitiveness,” Skoutelas said. “Every trip on public transportation supports local businesses, reduces traffic congestion, and provides transportation options that benefit entire communities.”

APTA also released its 2025 Q2 Ridership Report (download below) showing that public transportation ridership was 7.3% higher in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the year before. Riders took more than two billion trips on public transportation in the quarter for the first time since 2020. Together, riders took 140 million more trips in the second quarter of 2025 than in the same quarter in 2024. Ridership has increased for five consecutive years.

The post Association News: RSI, APTA appeared first on Railway Age.

Class III rail service provider SCFE and U.S. Sugar, a south Florida-based sugarcane and vegetable farming and processing business, recently announced the promotion of Bob Lawson to Vice President of SCFE and General Manager of U.S. Sugar Railroad Operations.

“U.S. Sugar’s railroad operations have been a cornerstone of the company’s history and overall success, and Lawson’s affinity for agriculture and trains made him a perfect fit,” the companies said.

“The efficient and reliable transportation of sugarcane to our mill is crucial to our operations, and Bob has played an integral role in that process for many years,” said U.S. Sugar President & CEO Ken McDuffie. “Under Bob’s leadership, I am confident our railroad operations will continue to thrive and contribute to the overall success of our company.”

Lawson has held many leadership roles, including Team Leader and Juice Operations Facility Leader at Southern Gardens Citrus Processing, Area 3 Manager in the Agriculture Department, and General Manager of Harvest Operations. Since 2011, he has served as General Manager of Harvest and Railroad Operations, and in June 2022, he was named the General Manager of Railroad Operations.

Lawson, who was first drawn to agriculture growing up in Chiefland, Fla., where he worked on his uncle’s vegetable farm, earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Food, and Resource Economics and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics, both from the University of Florida. In 1996, he began his career with U.S. Sugar as a Harvest Foreman at Boy and South Shore Farms.

ENSCO on Sept. 4 announced that it has appointed Brian Sieger as Facilities Manager at the TTC, “a pivotal role that supports the continuous operation of the world’s largest rail testing facility.”

With more than 40 years of cross-industry facilities and project management experience, Sieger brings a “solutions-driven mindset to the oversight of this critical national asset,” ENSCO said.

In this role, Sieger is responsible for overseeing the upkeep, safety, and functionality of TTC’s expansive campus infrastructure, including buildings and support systems. The position, ENSCO says, “is critical to ensuring uninterrupted support for complex testing and training programs for both government and commercial customers.”

“The TTC is imperative to the future of the rail industry: from supporting high-speed vehicle testing to cybersecurity training. Brian’s experience, energy, and curiosity make him a perfect fit for this role. His leadership helps ensure the site remains safe, reliable, and ready for the future,” said Jackie Van Der Westhuizen, Vice President of Surface Transportation Group, ENSCO, Inc.

Sieger’s career has spanned a wide range of technical and management roles. Beginning his career as an HVAC technician, Sieger has since advanced into senior leadership roles overseeing complex facilities portfolios. While new to the rail industry, he brings a deep understanding of infrastructure systems and a passion for continuous learning, ENSCO noted.

“This site is full of engineering marvels, and I’m excited to be part of the team that keeps it all running. Much of the equipment here challenges my curiosity, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. The TTC team has been incredibly supportive, and I’m here to help us grow with new customers and cutting-edge testing,” said Sieger.

The post People News: SCFE/U.S. Sugar, ENSCO appeared first on Railway Age.

Grain Valley, Mo.-based KBS on Sept. 4 reported achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification, which it described as a “globally recognized standard for quality management systems.” The certification, valid through 2028, covers all the company’s major engineering, project management, operations and service sites across North America. KBS said that under the ISO framework, it is required to “monitor customer needs, address issues transparently, and drive ongoing refinement—keeping quality and responsiveness embedded in everyday operations.” Annual independent surveillance audits will be conducted to confirm compliance, according to the company, which supplies end-to-end wayside and onboard conventional signaling Control, Command, and Signaling (CCS) platforms and systems.

This is the first ISO 9001 recognition under the KBS name, following the company’s 2024 transition from Alstom Signaling North America into the Knorr-Bremse Rail Division. “While many KBS employees have long worked within ISO-certified systems, achieving the certificate as a stand-alone company required extensive effort to streamline, scale, and update processes for KBS’s current size and portfolio,” according to the company.

“When customers see ISO 9001 certification, they know they are working with an organization whose processes have been validated by a third party to meet demanding international standards,” KBS Quality and Safety Director Jay Kochman said. “It confirms the stability of our operations, the strength of our processes, and our ongoing commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations.”

“Achieving ISO 9001 demanded a full transformation of our quality management system,” added Michael Bupp, QMS Manager at KBS. “We transitioned from being part of a much larger, global framework to a stand-alone system designed for KB Signaling’s portfolio and scale. The process strengthened our documentation, streamlined methods, and reinforced a culture of continuous improvement—giving us a more agile and responsive foundation to serve our customers.”

• One Year of KB Signaling
• New from KB Signaling: Rail TempEst
• KB Signaling Launches IXC-R20
• KB Signaling Showcases QuEST Rail Software-Based LCP at Railway Interchange 2025
• KB Signaling Expands WSDMM

Fort Worth, Tex.-based NARS on Sept. 4 reported “a strategic combination” with Brandon, Miss.-based ZA to form what it called “the leading provider of railroad-related design, maintenance, repair, construction, and other support services in the U.S. and Canada.”

ZA was founded in 2010 as a provider of outsourced rail support services to the U.S. Class I, short line, and industrial rail sector, according to NARS, which was established in 2021 following DFW Capital Partners’s acquisition of American Track. Like American Track, ZA will be a subsidiary of NARS. Among NARS’s other subsidiaries: Universal Rail Systems, North American Rail Products, and Tri Innovations.

“We are looking forward to partnering with [ZA Founder] Zach [Ainsworth] and the whole ZA team, who have built a great American business doing critically important work to keep the nation’s Class I and short line railroads operating safely and efficiently,” said Tom Lucario, President and CEO of NARS, which serves a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, petrochemical, mining, agricultural products, food and beverage, basic raw materials, ports, transload facilities, transit, and Class I and short line railroads. “We are confident that we can bring strategic direction, valuable capital, shared services and other support to help ZA continue to grow into the leading player in its markets.”

“I am excited about this combination with NARS, which will allow ZA to continue to service our important Class I, short line, and industrial customers, while benefiting from the resources and North American reach of a much larger company,” Zachary Ainsworth noted. “I look forward to being part of the NARS team and expanding the customer base, capabilities and value proposition of the combined business.”

In related news, NARS recently acquired Rapid Track. It also appointed Doug Severidt as Procurement Director and Wyatt Cox as General Counsel.

Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Wabtec on Sept. 4 reported that it was “Proud Partner” of the Pittsburgh Steelers, an NFL franchise that has 21 million fans across the nation. In this capacity, the company’s branding and interactive displays will be visible at the football team’s Acrisure Stadium throughout the season. Wabtec will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Steelers’ weekly “Power Play”—a content series deployed across the team’s social media channels, and is said to have the third-highest social following among all 32 NFL clubs—to highlight a “standout moment” from every game.

“With a shared commitment of forging the next generation of innovators,” Wabtec reported that it will also be a Co-Presenting Partner of Steelers STEM. This program is said to empower students across Western Pennsylvania to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on experiences—from interactive online programming to in-person events. According to Wabtec, this program has impacted more than 24,000 students across the region since 2019.

Additionally, Wabtec will act as a Supporting Partner of the SteelHERS Social, an annual spring event that takes place at Acrisure Stadium. An extension of the Steelers’ Women of Steel initiative, this platform launched in 2023 “to celebrate, connect, and empower the team’s female fanbase,” according to Wabtec.

The partnership officially launches at the Steelers’ home opener on Sept. 14, 2025, with additional activations and community programs rolling out throughout the season, Wabtec reported.

“Partnering with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a natural extension of our deep roots in this region,” said Gautham Appaya, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of Wabtec. “Together, we celebrate Pittsburgh’s proud legacy of innovation, adaptability, teamwork, and resilience—qualities that define both our organizations.”

“We’re excited to welcome Wabtec to the Steelers family,” commented Ryan Huzjak, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the Steelers. “This partnership unites two historic Pittsburgh-born organizations that are recognized across the globe.”

Editor’s Note: Wabtec’s relationship with Railway Age goes back more than 150 years. George Westinghouse (1846-1914), among whose signature inventions was the automatic air brake, actually introduced his revolutionary device publicly in the magazine, having brought a model of it to our Chicago offices in 1869. He obtained a patent for it in 1873. In 1886, Railway Age was the first technical publication to use color on advertising pages, for the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.

• Watch: Wabtec’s Evolution Series Tier 4 Marks a Milestone
• Wabtec’s Kumar: ‘Innovating With Purpose’
• Happy 150th! Wabtec Celebrates Anniversary, New HQ

The post Supply Side: KBS, NARS/ZA, Wabtec appeared first on Railway Age.

Brownfields are sites hindered by environmental concerns that can complicate redevelopment. NCRR’s program, the company says, “helps communities take critical, initial steps toward entry into the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Brownfields Program, positioning sites for remediation, industrial investment and job creation.” The program, NCRR adds, “complements the Build Ready Sites initiative with the goal to expand the pipeline of rail-served properties and remain a catalyst for economic growth across North Carolina.”

“NCRR is helping communities turn yesterday’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities by preparing rail-served sites for new industry and lasting jobs,” said NCRR Chief Commercial Officer Trish Haver.

Jackson County received $92,000 to assess a 42-acre former sawmill site at 3636 Skyland Drive in Sylva which closed in early 2024. The county will provide a 20% match toward the $115,000 project, which will fund environmental assessment and remediation planning. The goal is to repurpose the property for future industrial use.

“This project allows Jackson County to transform a recently closed sawmill into new opportunities for our people and our future,” said Jackson County Manager Kevin King. “With NCRR’s support, we are preparing the site for industry, rail access, and workforce training. These investments will create good jobs and long-term prosperity for families across Western North Carolina.”

In Rowan County, the Town of Spencer plans to facilitate transformation of a property at 2555 North U.S. Highway 29, once a textile dyeing and finishing facility, into a rail-accessible industrial site, attracting investment and expanding job opportunities. NCRR awarded the municipality $99,800 in grant funding, with a 20% match, or nearly $20,000, provided by Samet Corporation.

“This funding helps us partner with property owners and redevelopment professionals to ready a site that has remained inactive and largely untouched for roughly 25 years,” said Spencer Town Manager Peter Franzese. “By preparing this property for industrial use, we hope to identify new possibilities for investment and quality jobs in our community, while addressing a site that has long stood as a reminder of one of North Carolina’s most significant economic challenges.”

To ensure long-term impact, NCRR says it requires that supported sites:

• “Enter the NCDEQ Brownfields Program as part of redevelopment planning.
• “Use grant funds within two years of the award for on-site remediation.
• “Secure a company that will move at least 40 rail cars annually for five years; if not, partial repayment may be required.”

The post NCRR Awards First Brownfields Site Grants appeared first on Railway Age.

BNSF on Sept. 4 announced that it will open an intermodal facility in Oklahoma City. The 42-acre site, which will launch in mid-November, was “a direct result” of a partnership with customer Hobby Lobby, which “was looking for a simpler and more economical movement of its loaded containers from the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach to the network of Hobby Lobby distribution centers in OKC,” according to the railroad.

In the future, Oklahoma farmers and other businesses will have the opportunity to utilize the facility for export to the West Coast, the railroad reported.

“Expanding into this new rail market is a great example of us listening to our customers’ needs and looking for ways to provide solutions that will spur shared growth opportunities across the region,” BNSF Group Vice President of Consumer Products Jon Gabriel said. “We are excited to offer this unique solution to Hobby Lobby, which creates a much more effective supply chain and at full potential could eliminate up to 40,000 truck moves off the highway each year.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for Hobby Lobby to partner with the BNSF,” Hobby Lobby Chief Financial Officer Jon Cargill commented. “As we grow our business, more efficient movement of product will allow us to continue to offer the great value our customers have come to expect.”

BNSF also has an automotive facility in Oklahoma City.

• BNSF, CSX Teaming on Intermodal Services
• BNSF Opens Logistics Center in North Houston

CSX on Sept. 3 reported that Diageo, Geocycle LLC, and Chemours have received 2025 Customer Environmental Excellence Awards “for their commitment to reducing carbon emissions and advancing sustainable supply chain solutions through rail transportation.” Together, the three companies eliminated more than 38,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions by choosing rail, CSX said. 

Now in its fourth year, the annual awards program honors customers who are demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship by shifting freight from truck to rail; helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and supporting a cleaner, more sustainable future, according to the Class I railroad.

“Rail is the most fuel-efficient way to move freight over land, and when our customers choose CSX, they’re also choosing to reduce their environmental impact,” said Kevin Boone, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at CSX. “We’re proud to partner with Diageo, Geocycle, and Chemours, and all of our customers who are making sustainability a priority and taking measurable steps to decarbonize their supply chains.”

Announcing a major milestone in #NewYork: Massena Industrial Land is the state's first CSX Select Site! This prime 209.2-acre location is development-ready for #logistics & #manufacturing with direct CSX #rail access. Move your business forward: https://t.co/dDFnxjrCi3 pic.twitter.com/Ye85Lg7i7A

Meanwhile, CSX on Sept. 4 reported that Massena Industrial Land is New York’s first CSX Select Site. A bronze-level site, it is “strategically positioned” in Massena, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. It offers 209.2-acres, direct CSX rail service, full utility access, and immediate proximity to major U.S. and Canadian transportation corridors, according to the railroad. “With extensive due diligence completed, the site is ready for immediate development in logistics, advanced manufacturing, or cross-border distribution,” CSX said.

The railroad last month reported presenting the Madisonville-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation with a commemorative rail spike, celebrating Madisonville Industrial Park II as Kentucky’s first Silver Level CSX Select Site.

Sites that earn CSX Select Site designation are said to “meet stringent criteria for infrastructure, site preparedness, and streamlined regulatory compliance, ensuring they are ready for immediate development.”

For more on CSX Select Sites, read: Diageo North America Establishes Beverage Distribution Plant at CSX Select Site, Rickenbacker South Industrial Rail Park Receives CSX Select Site Platinum Designation, CSX Adds Eight Rail-Served Properties to ‘Select Site’ Program, and CSX Launches Select Site Online Property Search Tool.

“Shout out to our railroaders at Decatur Yard in Illinois for hitting a major safety milestone: 365 days injury-free and counting!” NS reported via social media on Sept. 4.

This is an “incredible achievement,” it said, “at the largest flat switching yard in North America.” The 3.6 mile-long facility moves 1,000-plus railcars per day and serves agricultural customers.

“To our team at Decatur: thank you for all you do to stay safe and look out for one another,” NS wrote in its post. “Your hard work and dedication keep us—and the world’s food supply chain—safely rolling, 24/7.”

• UP, NS Notify STB of Intent to File Merger Application
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• UP+NS: An ‘Absolute Monster of a Railroad’
• NS Issues Sustainability, Safety, Operations, Community Impact Report
• NS Showcases Restored Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 
• NS Delivers ‘Strong’ 2Q25 Results
• Shippers Appeal Rail Price-Fixing Win
• NS’s Adams Tops 2025 Women in Rail Lineup
• Rail Insights 2025 Takeaways

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

RAILWAY AGE, SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Imagine a future where autonomous freight trains in North America operate across long distances. This future is one the industry must consider if it wants to compete against trucking and its futuristic vision of autonomous truck platoons, according to those working to bring autonomous operations to freight rail. “If it can help the industry be more efficient and productive, it can bring more volume to the network,” Philip Moslener, Wabtec Corporate Vice President Advanced Technologies, told Railway Age. 

Autonomous rail already exists in many places around the world, such as airport people-movers or driverless rapid transit like Honolulu’s Skyline system. But taking rail to the next level and incorporating autonomous technology into the freight rail space, like that used in Rio Tinto’s Australian operations, requires the ability to handle complex situations. Unlike airport people-movers and rapid transit, which operate in a captive, self-contained environment, autonomous freight rail must have systems that can anticipate, analyze and respond to various situations occurring along an open right-of-way, in real time.

“You need to have what’s called a perception system,” Moslener said. He and his team research new technologies, such as those incorporating AI (artificial intelligence), and see how they can be leveraged in rail operations to support market share growth and reduce carbon emissions. “It could be cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), heat sensors, acoustic sensors, you name it. That’s one of the fundamental building blocks of any autonomous system—rail, truck, cars, whatever.”

MxV Rail has been working to develop increased levels of automation in North American freight rail. Researchers there have been benchmarking efforts against what’s been done in Australia, and they’ve also studied automation advancements in the automotive space, according to Joe Brosseau, Assistant Vice President of Communications and Train Control. “Overall, the approach to automation in North America has been an incremental development roadmap, essentially adding technologies piece by piece to attain near-term benefits that will increase safety, operational consistency and efficiency, but building those things on a pathway to higher levels of automation,” he said.

When the freight rail industry initially explored automation several years ago, it looked first at designing the full specifications of what would be required for autonomous operations, according to Brosseau. However, as time went on, the industry realized that one huge system would lead to unreasonable costs with no benefit for a long period of time. “In 2021, we redesigned the program to focus more on an incremental approach where we can gain benefits along the way but still be on a pathway to what we call high automation,” he said.

Now the rail industry uses a multi-pronged approach to develop automation technology. This approach seeks to incorporate Positive Train Control (PTC), the existing overlay system that enforces speed restrictions and train separation, among other safety-critical tasks. 

Researchers have been exploring how PTC can interact with sensors that would enable autonomous operation, including those that detect and identify right-of-way obstacles, for example. Information from those sensors would interact with PTC to set up stop or speed targets. Some in the industry call this “PTC 2.0.”

“PTC enforces the maximum speed limit, but it’s still incumbent on the crew to look out for obstacles in front of the train,” Brosseau said. “With the restricted speed enforcement enhancement, we essentially add some of these sensing capabilities to detect obstacles.” The PTC system gets the information on the obstacle and automatically forces the train to slow down. MxV Rail has also explored how energy management can promote automation in manual control zones, according to Brosseau.

MxV Rail doesn’t directly investigate use of rail AI applications, but it does indirectly review its use. The various sensing capabilities that MxV Rail is testing with the supply community also involve machine vision capabilities, for example; “AI that’s interpreting data and then providing that information to automation systems, energy management or PTC, to detect obstacles,” Brosseau said.

Indeed, suppliers such as Wabtec use AI to develop sensors that take in data from the environment. The AI assists in situational analysis and trajectory planning, according to Philip Moslener.

MxV Rail spends a lot of its time in autonomous rail researching sensing capabilities. One aspect of that is evaluating the radar technology being used in some of the automotive automation space and developing proof-of-concept testing. “It’s a low-cost technology, and from what we’ve seen, it may be capable of doing what’s needed for restricted speed enforcement operations, our current focus on the incremental roadmap,” Brosseau said.

Another aspect is working with suppliers with technology they believe can meet requirements for the automation space. They involve several different sensor types, among them cameras, video, radar and LiDARs. “We’re not focused on one specific technology. We want to see what’s out there,” Brosseau said. “We’re setting up a program for next year where we hope to be equipping locomotives with some of the technology now available in the supply market, essentially demonstrating if it has the potential to meet our requirements for restricted speed enforcement, specifically.”

MxV Rail has been working with suppliers to conduct testing at MxV Rail’s Pueblo, Colo., campus, but Brosseau hopes next year will see deployment in revenue service operations so that MxV Rail and others can collect information in different operating environments. “There’s a lot we can do at our facility in terms of testing out fundamental functions of the technology,” Brosseau said. “But for this type of sensing technology, we need to see how it operates when there’s dense foliage, for instance, which we don’t have here in Colorado. We want to collect information from a more diverse environment.”

Like MxV Rail, Wabtec approached the concept of constructing an autonomous rail system by thinking in terms of multiple building blocks. These include perception, supervisory and PTC systems. This approach has helped Wabtec develop Teleops, its solution for when an autonomous freight train breaks down in a remote location and there is no one on board to take care of the problem.

“Teleops is basically the ability for somebody to go on board the train virtually,” Moslener said, likening the program to situations where someone in an IT department assesses a work computer remotely. “Teleops means ‘operation from a distance.’ So, it’s somebody at a desk, with the controls, patching themselves into the train and controlling it.” Wabtec has demonstrated the technology on its locomotives at its Erie, Pa., test track. 

Although Teleops is still in the research and development phase, Wabtec is using some of its elements now, according to Moslener. “We can use it today, for example, to prepare trains for departure,” Moslener said. “In a yard, it takes a long time to initialize a train and prepare it for operation. Why can’t we do it from an air-conditioned office?”

Another Wabtec R&D project is the Maverick, a small autonomous locomotive that would haul short trains traveling distances less than 750 miles, such as between a port and a distribution center. Designed to haul 10 to 15 railcars, a Maverick would be equipped with perception and teleoperation technologies, enabling it to be operated from a remote dispatch center. Its purpose is to capture a short-haul, just-in-time market that tends to be underserved by the rail industry and where transloading from truck to rail is cost-prohibitive.

Development of Wabtec’s R&D projects depends in part on market demand and interest in these offerings, according to Moslener. However, “we’ve found that as we develop these technologies, we come up with other ideas,” he said. “Teleops is going to be needed for a large, fully autonomous train, but we can use it today in certain applications.” For example, a mining customer in Brazil is interested in using Teleops for unmanned zone operations where it’s too dangerous for humans because of landslides. 

Through its work on Teleops, Wabtec has developed Pathfinder, a technology that can be implemented on older, low-horsepower locomotives to allow them to use new digital equipment and sensors that one day may allow for autonomous operations. “If you want Netflix on your older TV, what do you do? You change the TV, or get a Roku Streaming Stick,” Moslener said. “Think of Pathfinder as a Roku Stick for an older locomotive. Pathfinder, with its digital technologies and PTC, can be plugged in, allowing older low- and medium-horsepower locomotives to be outfitted with new technology.”

Wabtec describes Pathfinder as “a small digital slug designed to automate the train, not necessarily the locomotive. It detaches the brain from the brawn, where the low-horsepower unit still relies on its existing propulsion technology, but all the intelligence and automation in how to run the train resides in Pathfinder.”

Meanwhile, the R&D team at Progress Rail has been developing Talos, which the company describes as “leveraging machine learning to analyze and optimize train routes, as well as develop customized strategies for individual routes that factor in operational conditions. Talos incorporates track topography, train consist information, route data and historical analysis to build a unique and optimized operating strategy resulting in significant improvements in fuel and/or time efficiencies, The technology will also enable the locomotive engineer to focus on safety and situational awareness.”

Talos has been designed “for use in all locomotive makes and models,” and Progress Rail engineers have been testing the technology at MxV Rail. The company says the train, controlled by AI, operated more than 200 miles “without human intervention, operating flawlessly with independent power.”

“Talos is more than an energy management system—it’s a bridge to the future of autonomous freight rail,” Sammy Akif, Progress Rail Vice President of Advanced Rail Technology, told Railway Age. “By integrating an AI-based controller and machine vision safety systems, Talos transforms traditional rail operations into an intelligent, sustainable network. As the industry moves toward automation, Talos stands out as a scalable, interoperable platform designed to optimize fuel, reduce emissions and seamlessly connect legacy infrastructure with next-generation locomotive technologies.”

Discussing autonomous freight rail operations in North America may sound glamorous or futuristic, but for some, the elephant in the room is whether autonomous trains will replace workers. Moslener said he believes that wouldn’t be so, and Teleops is being designed with the understanding that automation will still require some level of human involvement in the loop.

“Everybody’s saying, it’s going to replace jobs and all that. The way we look at it is, there’s a lot of opportunity in rail. Rail is underutilized,” Moslener said, pointing to how the North American rail network, despite some choke points, has a lot of capacity. To him, addressing that underutilization “really should be our motivation in the industry to say, if we can grow rail traffic, it means more jobs, not fewer jobs. It’s not about eliminating people. It’s about maximizing what we have. We’re working for the purpose of increasing the amount of volume on the network, which increases the amount of jobs, and we’ll need more maintenance and more operators. The message we’re trying to convey: Don’t be afraid of AI in this space. A good utilization of AI is one where we can improve efficiency and bring more volume onto rail, and that just benefits the industry.”

Besides the issue of jobs, bringing autonomous technology to freight will also require discussion and interaction with the public, just as the debates over autonomous trucking lanes have surfaced. The major benefit in developing intermediate steps to autonomous freight rail technology is that “it builds trust with the public,” Moslener said. “Autonomous technologies are now used in other applications. We need to build trust in the systems we’re developing. The building block approach helps gain trust in these systems. We’re going to be able to get to autonomous freight rail at some point, but we need to make sure we can trust these systems. And we’ve got to put them out there and try them.” 

The post A Future With Autonomous Trains? appeared first on Railway Age.

The newspaper reported that Judge Sierra Thomas-Street’s “order applies to route cuts, service reductions, and staffing reductions”; SEPTA is also “barred from implementing any new cuts.”

This order covers bus routes, Regional Rail and special services like Sports Express, and the transit agency must also stop station closures and any Paratransit route eliminations or reductions, according to 6abc.

Judge Thomas-Street did allow SEPTA “to move ahead with a fare hike of 21.5%,” 6abc reported. “That increase was supposed to go into effect earlier this week, but was postponed” per her Aug. 29 ruling.

The judge did not provide an opinion explaining the rationale behind her decision, which The Inquirer noted “is a typical practice in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.”

According to 6abc, Thomas-Street’s decision “stems from a lawsuit filed against SEPTA,” arguing that the transit agency’s cuts “were not equitable and put low-income riders and minorities at a disadvantage.”

SEPTA has not decided if it will file an appeal, spokesperson Andrew Busch told The Inquirer. “‘We’re evaluating our legal options,’ he said, adding that the transit agency plans to comply with the judge’s order … [and] hasn’t set a date yet for restoring service or raising fares.”

The transit authority, The Inquirer noted, previous said full-service restoration would take “at least 10 days.”

“We did make very clear that there are certain baseline things we need to do to make sure we’re doing this safely,” 6abc reported Busch as saying. “That’s safety for our workforce and safety for our riders, so immediately was never going to be tomorrow morning [Sept. 5].”

Meanwhile, 6abc reported, “talks continue in Harrisburg to find a permanent funding solution for SEPTA’s $213 million budget deficit.”

Like transit agencies across the country, SEPTA has said it is facing a budget gap due to a combination of the end of federal COVID-relief funding and increases in the day-to-day costs of providing service to riders. The federal COVID funds helped SEPTA maintain service for essential workers through the pandemic. While ridership has recovered over the past few years, SEPTA said it has had to take on additional costs to address “emerging challenges—particularly crime, disorder, and the vulnerable population,” and “to grapple with the impact of inflation on everyday necessities such as fuel, power, and supplies. In response, SEPTA has reported that it has been cutting costs and generating new revenue. “Aggressive” austerity measures, including a freeze on management pay and cuts to third-party consultants, have resulted in savings of $30 million, according to SEPTA. Other measures, such as an earlier fare increase and the resumption of paid parking at Regional Rail lots, are generating new revenue. Together, the transit authority said, these efforts have helped reduce its budget deficit from $240 million, reported last fall, to a forecasted $213 million.

In a related development, SEPTA on Sept. 4 reported that Moody’s Ratings had revised its outlook from stable to negative for the transit agency but did not change any of its “currently positive ratings for SEPTA’s debt” (download the Moody’s report below).

• SEPTA: Drastic Service Cuts Begin, Deeper Cuts Planned for 2026 
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• SEPTA Releases Reduced-Service Schedules
• SEPTA FY26 Budget Includes Service Cuts, Fare Hikes
• Second of a Series: Philadelphia Leads the Way
• 2025 Passenger Rail Outlook: ‘Murphy Was an Optimist!’
• Fifth of a Series: SEPTA Hopes for Good News

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RAILWAY AGE SEPTEMBER 2025 ISSUE: Improved train dynamics, ease of retrofits, lower maintenance costs, increased safety: All these figure into draft gear and cushioning device developments.

In-train forces—buff and draft—can literally make or break safe train operation if not properly controlled. Among the critical components are draft gears and end-of-car cushioning units from such suppliers as Amsted Rail, Miner Enterprises and Strato, Inc. These components need to be capable of managing thousands of tons of force. Following is a roundup of offerings from these suppliers. 

“Amsted Rail’s Active Draft Cushioning Units are designed to provide railcar draft shock protection from in-train forces caused by changes in speed and topography in a moving train,” Director Engineering John Deppen and Vice President Global Engineering explained to Railway Age. “Our Active Draft Cushioning Unit employs internal polymer pads that maintain a neutral piston position that allows for draft travel, absorbing draft shock energy through both hysteretic and hydraulic damping. Without this provision, the neutral piston position in conventional cushioning units is in a fully extended mode with no available draft travel, which can result in metal-to-metal contact (yoke-to-railcar draft lugs) and thus significant draft shock forces.

“As the draft travel from the neutral position is relatively short, typically 1.00 inch and up to 2.00 inches, active draft cushioning units are still able to effectively protect the railcar and its sensitive lading against without compromising buff shock performance. Voluminous testing and simulation work performed by both the AAR Research Committee/MxV Rail and industry participants over the past several years have validated the performance of active draft cushioning units, including the necessary draft travel.

“AAR specifications M-921E (autoracks) and M-921F (general service railcars) define the requirements for active draft cushioning, which still maintain the 50,000-pound and 100,000-pound hydraulic lock preloads, respectively. While the specifications have been in place for many years, the AAR recently decided to mandate active draft cushioning unit applications in new railcars effective Jan. 01, 2026. The Cushioning Unit Manufacturers Engineering Committee (CUMEC) is currently reviewing the viability of upgrading reconditioned and aftermarket units to active draft standards, as there are many different configurations, as can be seen in Rule 59 of the Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules. This will help the AAR determine a potential timeline for requiring those units to be converted to active draft type cushioning, as many of them are becoming obsolete.

“This implementation of active draft cushioning units is critical to improving the reliability and efficiency of train operations, as enhanced draft shock protection will reduce stresses and load cycles in railcar draft components, particularly the coupler knuckle. Increasing train length, trailing tonnage and operating speeds demand more from the running gear, so this is a step in the right direction to extend component life, help reduce line-of-road failures and get sensitive lading to its destination damage-free.”

“Often with hydraulic-based systems, energy is not efficiently managed. Short life cycles lead to costly maintenance; and assets are not sufficiently protected when broken knuckles, hose separations and lading shifts interrupt operations,” says Miner Enterprises, which, with nearly 130 years of experience in railcar equipment design, is “one of the industry’s top suppliers of draft gears, brake beams, gates, constant-contact side bearings and other high-performance components.”

Introduced in 2018, the Miner FCS® (Friction Cushioning System), the company says, is designed to “raise the standard of protection currently being provided by traditional hydraulic cushioning devices. FCS® units utilize Miner’s proven draft gear technology to achieve greater slack management, increased draft protection and better control over run-in and run-out events.  This results in significant reductions in train consist restrictions, fewer unplanned service interruptions, and improved operations throughout the network.” 

Installed in the railcar pocket, each Miner FCS® uses two draft gears in a specialized tandem arrangement. “Utilizing Miner’s proven draft gear technology, Miner FCS® minimizes free movement caused by slack, which prevents premature wear, lowers maintenance costs and better-protects assets,” the company notes. “It also provides the flexibility to safely operate longer trains.”

The Miner FCS® also mitigates run-in and run-out events by combining draft gear friction with Miner’s patented TecsPak spring material. This, Miner says, “leads to fewer lading shifts, broken knuckles and hose separations—root causes for undesired stoppages and costly delays often associated with hydraulic units.”  

Miner notes that the FCS® “installs easily as a straightforward application” on refrigerated and standard boxcars, steel coil cars and flat cars, including center beam and general service flat cars. The company has been collaborating with Class I railroads for several years in developing the Miner FCS®. More than 10,000 Miner FCS®-equipped cars are in service, with a combined 400-plus million service miles.

“Strato continues to conduct R&D on Non-Hydraulic Energy Management Systems to bring the benefits of these technologies to the industry,” Vice President Strategic Business Development Mike Ring tells Railway Age. “Aside from our Selective Cushioning Unit (SCU), which has gained approval under the new AAR M-902 specification, and which has performed well over the past seven-plus years in thousands of cars, we have developed the new Sentry Cushion Unit for autorack service. We are working with the AAR committees to gain approval to begin field service testing. 

“We also have a version of the Sentry unit for 286K GRL (gross rail load) service  entering field service applications in September 2025. The main advantages of the Sentry series of cushion units are easier and lower retrofit costs, lighter weight, and improved impact and train action characteristics. Car types that have received these energy management system upgrades include box cars, coil steel cars, and centerbeam and bulkhead flat cars. They’ve have been running well over the entire North American interchange rail system, in all climates and regions, for more than seven years.”

“Moving all our efforts with individual unit testing, cycle testing, and proof loading and everything else we do in-house to perform full-scale impact tests—which we did previously with third-party facilities like MxV Rail—re-ups our commitment to the product line and its continuous development, as well as to some new iterations we’re working on to improve retrofitting costs on different car types,” Ring adds. “In continuing these efforts, we’ve been chasing after the retrofit cost to make it a direct swap for existing units to help what our customers are searching for. We continue to find ways to increase performance while lowering retrofit costs, moving toward a direct swap for ease of conversion. On the draft side, we have an established and mature product line, from yokes to coupler bodies and knuckles and all the jewelry that goes along with it.” 

Strato has added products in the area of four-port receiver access plates “to help ensure the industry has adequate supply in converting the North American fleet, as these are now mandatory where they can be applied,” Ring says. “Strato has also added C10 pins, a full complement of brake pin sizes, draft keys and brake shoe keys, as well as reconditioning services for couplers and yokes. We continue to grow through developing new products and services that our customers need and we have a new product pipeline full of innovative projects to come in the future.

“The rail industry continues to move in the direction of non-hydraulic energy management systems to improve train dynamics, lower in-train forces, improve safety of train consists, reduce operational delays caused by hose separations and knuckle breakage, and to reduce the amount of maintenance required to maintain cushioned cars. 

“Life cycle cost savings are a key driver of these relatively new energy management systems. In many cases, when assets are improved with AAR M-902-equipped energy management systems, these assets are chosen over the hydraulic equipped counterparts and in more demand, thus improving asset utilization for M-902 equipped fleets. Leasing companies that have or are upgrading to the M-902 energy management systems will find that these equipped cars are getting requested to be utilized by the railroad operators for the above mentioned reasons. 

“When the railroads can spend their time moving freight instead of setting out and repairing cars, and dealing with operational delays caused by hydraulics, the whole system operates more efficiently, thus helping the railroads deliver their customers’ freight on a more consistent basis and helps competition with the long haul trucking industry. 

“The M-902 energy management system-equipped cars benefit the entire rail system in so many positive ways and will surely become the de facto standard as the years pass. That said, Strato is committed to doing the best job we can to support the betterment of our industry and our customers.” 

The post Force Control appeared first on Railway Age.

The National Capital Trolley Museum in Montgomery County, Maryland, has acquired a rare PCC car from the Netherlands, allowing the museum to “extend the narrative” about these significant streetcars. 

Built in 1952 as part of a series of 22 cars, The Hague Tramway Company 1006 served in revenue service until 1981. From 1983 to 2008, it was on display at the factory where it was manufactured, before being modified for narrow-gauge operation and used sporadically on the Belgian Coast line until 2014.

In May 2022, HTM 1006 was transferred to the Netherlands Transport Museum in Hoofddorp. Unfortunately, with the closure of the NTM announced last year, the future of 1006 was uncertain. As two cars of this series (1022 and 1024) are already preserved in the Netherlands, there was limited local interest in saving 1006. Wanting to be able to tell the story of how the PCC streetcars — developed in the United States in the late 1930s — were used all over the world, the National Capital Trolley Museum stepped in to save it. The car was recently relocated to another museum in the Netherlands, where it is being converted back to standard gauge. It is expected to arrive in the United States in 2026.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff

The post European PCC Bound For National Trolley Museum appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

The Sound Transit staff on Aug. 28 “reported a need for an additional $14 [billion] to $20 billion in today’s dollars to cover capital program costs to complete” the ST3 light rail projects that voters approved in 2016—“unless cost-saving measures are applied,” according to KIRO 7 in Seattle. This is 20%-25% more than “what’s currently outlined in the Long Range Financial Plan,” the media outlet reported on Sept. 1. Sound Transit, it said, cited “challenges including lower-than-expected revenues, rising costs and uncertainty surrounding tariffs and federal funding commitments.”

The agency also said “it will need a few billion dollars more to cover service delivery costs, including new and replacement light rail vehicles, investments to improve light rail system resiliency and other maintenance and operations costs,” according to KIRO 7.

The Sound Transit Board for the past few months “has been focused on implementing an action plan, deemed ‘the Enterprise Initiative,” KIRO 7 reported. “It describes the initiative as a comprehensive effort that helps identify affordability gaps and tools available to cut costs. The initiative aims to update the system plan, while staying in line with the original voter-approved ballot measure.”

According to the media outlet, the initiative’s first phase “calls for analyzing how the region has changed since 2016, building a deep understanding of the scale of the problem and understanding how to use available tools to solve these challenges (or coming up with new tools to fix them).” The second phase, “which the agency has previously said will begin in 2026, calls for identifying approaches for updating the ST3 System Plan and adopting a new long-range financial plan,” reported KIRO 7, which noted that the process is expected to wrap up in the first half of 2025, “but the deadline is not set in stone.”

According to a Sept. 2 KIRO-7 report, “[t]his is not the first time Sound Transit has had to realign its budget for ST3.” It adopted in 2021 a realignment plan “after recognizing an estimated $6.5 billion affordability gap for delivering on ST3.”

“It’s not about whether these projects are going to happen, it’s about when they’re going to happen,” Sound Transit Board Member and Seattle Councilman Dan Strauss said, according to KIRO 7.

Meanwhile, the Sound Transit Board on Aug. 28 also approved a six-year $92.7 million contract with the Systra-Brookville Joint Venture for the mid-life overhaul of all 58 Sounder commuter railcars (18 cab cars and 40 coaches). The work covers the door system, HVAC control system, floors, restrooms, lighting, painting, couplers, and trucks, and other key components will be rebuilt. Rider amenities such as USB power outlets and improved bicycle storage areas will also be included.

“The 58 existing cars, which were manufactured by Bombardier, are all between 22 and 26 years old, and have been in use since Sound Transit started launching commuter rail service in 2000,” The Urbanist reported Sept. 2. “The aging cars will be overhauled in stages, with an average of five cars out of service for overhauls at any given time over the next six years. Those cars will be subbed out for new railcars Sound Transit purchased from Alstom, which acquired Bombardier in 2021. Those 11 cars were purchased in 2020 for $46.5 million, as part of a joint order with two California transit agencies, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission and North County Transit District.”

NJT and Alstom on Sept. 3 released the following statement regarding the 34-mile River LINE light rail system in Southern New Jersey:

“NJ Transit and Alstom are committed to providing safe and reliable service for our customers on the River LINE. After several years of working closely together to assess the conditions of the River LINE, NJ Transit and Alstom today announced that responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the line will begin to transition to NJ Transit on Sept. 3, 2025. NJ Transit will assume all responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the River LINE by the end of this year.

“This mutually agreed decision reflects the evolving investment needs of the service, which have grown beyond the current scope of Alstom’s contract covering River LINE operations and maintenance. This transition will enable NJ Transit to be best positioned to shape and implement the next steps that will strengthen and enhance the future of the service.

“Alstom remains committed to ensuring a safe and efficient transition, while continuing its support of NJ Transit’s success through other ongoing projects—including the manufacturing and delivery of hundreds of new multilevel commuter railcars, the first of which are expected to arrive beginning in the middle of next year. Both NJ Transit and Alstom value the strong partnership built over many years and look forward to continuing to work together on projects that deliver safe, reliable and innovative public transportation for New Jersey and the region.”

The Camden-to-Trenton River LINE (download map below) was originally operated by the Bombardier Transportation, which in 2021 was acquired by Alstom. It has a fleet of 20 Swiss-built Stadler Rail GTW (Gelenktriebwagen, or “articulated railcar”) 2/6 DMUs (diesel multiple-units).

NJ.com on Sept. 3 reported that the joint NJT-Alstom statement “had an upbeat, conciliatory tone,” but the transit agency’s “own data reporting reflected dissatisfaction with River Line operations.”

“In July, the line had the highest number of canceled trains, 15, out of all NJ Transit’s three light rail lines,” according to the media outlet. “The majority of light rail rider feedback in July was about the River Line. NJ Transit officials blamed it ‘largely due to the contractor’s inability to maintain a sufficient level of available equipment throughout the course of the month.’ River Line trains rolled the least mileage between breakdowns of the three light rail lines. River Line trains averaged less than 5,000 miles in July. It also had the worst on-time light rail performance at 82% of trains arriving on schedule, NJ Transit data said.”

Additionally, NJ.com reported, “problems with trains [in August 2023] prompted a reduction in the frequency of weekday service from trains every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes during the morning and afternoon commuter rush periods [which lasted until October 2023].” The problems included “engine and heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues,” according to the media outlet. “A $700,000 program to rebuild River Line rail car diesel engines that was announced in 2020 had resulted in only one of 18 engines being completed as of Oct. 2023,” it reported.

“The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and the City of Atlanta have joined forces to conduct an in-depth $625,000 Passenger Rail Station Alternatives Study to determine where a new Amtrak station should be built in Atlanta,” according to the SaportaReport, a online media outlet based in Atlanta. “ARC, through federal funds, allocated $500,000 towards the study, while the City of Atlanta is contributing $125,000. The team has commissioned the engineering firm WSP to lead the planning effort. It is working with Decatur-based Sycamore Consulting, which is overseeing public outreach.”

According to ARC, relocating the current Atlanta Amtrak Station on Peachtree Street in midtown to another, modernized site in the downtown area “could create opportunities to improve customer service, ADA-accessibility, and multimodal connections for rail travelers” on Amtrak’s Crescent route, which links Atlanta to New Orleans, Birmingham, Charlotte, Washington D.C., and New York City. The relocated station, it said, would also serve as a “signature local destination and gateway to the city for visitors while providing scalability for longer term service improvements between Atlanta and other cities.”

“I’m very optimistic that we are going to put together a plan that identifies an ideal location and outlines the next steps,” ARC Principal Transportation Planner Tejas Kotak said, according to the SaportaReport. “By the end of December, we will identify our ideal location for a future Amtrak station.”

Metrolinx’s two new tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have officially been named “Libby” and “Corkie.” A naming contest launched in June 2025 saw more than 900 submissions and 1,000-plus votes cast. According to Metrolinx, Jason Paris submitted the winning names as a tribute to two of the communities the Ontario Line subway will serve in the City of Toronto: Liberty Village and Corktown (see map below). Libby and Corkie are slated to dig about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) of twin tunnels beneath the city’s downtown core. 

The 9.7-mile (15.6-kilometer) Ontario Line will have 15 stations, running from Exhibition Place through the downtown core and connecting to the Line 5 Eglinton at Don Mills Road. During peak periods, the Ontario Line is slated to reduce crowding by up to 15% on the busiest stretch of TTC’s Line 1 between Bloor-Yonge and Wellesley.

According to Metrolinx, excavation is now complete at the tunnel launch shaft where the TBMs will start tunneling in early 2026. Construction crews recently broke ground on the second tunnel launch shaft at Gerrard. 

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