USA railroad industry news
Business news about railway and urban transit infrastructure, operations, policy, projects and the supply industry in the United States of America.
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Metro Report International
Washington metro reinstates automatic train operation after 15 year hiatus
USA: Automatic train operation has resumed on the Washington DC metro after a 15 year gap. ATO was installed when the metro opened in 1976, but it was turned off following a fatal collision in June 2009. This was caused by a track circuit failure that ...
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Metro Report International
More walk-through Subway cars in latest New York MTA procurement
USA: New York MTA has approved a $1·27bn firm order for a further 435 Kawasaki Rail Car R211 Subway cars, including 80 R211T cars with open gangways. This takes the total number of R211 cars ordered under the 2018 framework agreement to 1 610, of which ...
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News
California high speed rail promoter seeks outside expertise as DOGE threat looms
USA: The California High Speed Authority is seeking external specialists in a range of rail-related disciplines to attend a bespoke forum in late January as speculation mounts about the prospects of the project under the incoming Trump administration.
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News
Fuel cells orders for passenger and freight traction
NORTH AMERICA: Ballard Power Systems has signed two agreements to supply fuel cells for use on freight locomotives in Canada and passenger trains in the USA. On December 5 Ballard announced a long-term supply agreement to provide Canadian Pacific Kansas City with 200 kW fuel cells ...
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News
Alstom awarded California Metrolink operation and maintenance contract
USA: Southern California Regional Rail Authority has awarded Alstom a combined Train Operation & Maintenance Services contract for its Metrolink passenger rail services. Alstom is to take over on July 1 2025 when its current fleet maintenance contract and the separate operating contract with Amtrak expire. ...
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Metro Report International
Stadler awarded ‘breakthrough’ Atlanta CBTC contract
USA: Stadler has announced an ‘international breakthrough’ in the signalling sector with the award of a $500m eight-year contract to supply its NOVA Pro communication-based train control to replace Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s current metro signalling equipment. Stadler said the MARTA order announced on December ...
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News
Wind Point Partners acquires Velocity Rail Solutions
USA: Chicago-based private equity firm Wind Point Partners has completed a corporate carveout of locomotive services business Velocity Rail Solutions from Stellex Capital Management’s A Stucki Company. Velocity’s services include mobile refuelling, inspection, maintenance and light repairs and replenishment of consumables such as oil, sand and ...
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Metro Report International
Contract let to build Newark airport peoplemover as successor to monorail
USA: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has selected a joint venture of Tutor Perini and O&G for a $1·2bn contract to design and build a 4 km peoplemover with three stations to replace the existing AirTrain Newark monorail serving the New Jersey ...
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News
Stadler trains ordered to expand TEX Rail fleet
USA: Trinity Metro has ordered four more Stadler Flirt diesel multiple-units to increase capacity on the TEX Rail line from central Fort Worth to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. They are to be delivered from Stadler’s Salt Lake City factory in 2027, as an option on the ...
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Metro Report International
West Seattle Link light rail route approved
USA: Sound Transit’s board has approved the route and location of stations on the 6·6 km West Seattle Link Extension. The three-station light rail branch is planned to open in 2032. The project now enters the design phase, covering detailed work to finalise the route ...
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News
Norfolk Southern revives battery traction ambitions with Alstom partnership
USA: Class I railroad Norfolk Southern Corp is to convert two diesel prime movers to hybrid operation through a partnership with Alstom.
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Metro Report International
Drones and social media partnerships tackle deadly ‘Subway surfing’
USA: The Operation Lifesaver safety campaign has expressed concern over an increase in illegal ‘Subway surfing’, where people ride on the outside of metro trains, and New York City Transit has deployed drones to back up a publicity campaign developed with teenagers to tackle the problem ...
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News
Legal changes aim to streamline Californian rail electrification projects
USA: The Governor of California has signed legislation designed to accelerate electrification by exempting zero-emission railway projects on existing lines from requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, which can lead to legal delays. The bill passed with bipartisan support was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom ...
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Metro Report International
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail operating contract awarded
USA: NJ Transit has awarded a joint venture of ACI and Herzog a contract to operate and maintain the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail network after the current design-build-operate-maintain contract expires. The new contract runs for 15 years from September 15 2025, with two five-year extension options. The ...
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News
Report highlights the benefits of a railroad career
USA: The Association of American Railroads has published Rail Jobs Report: The Value and Opportunities in Railroading to highlight career opportunities in rail freight.
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News
Rate & Route tool aims to make it easier to see rail freight options
USA: Association of American Railroads subsidiary Railinc has launched a Rate & Route tool designed to help shippers more easily understand how to use rail services. It takes into account distance, cost, transit time, fuel surcharges and other fees; Railinc said rates for the shipment of ...
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News
Metro-North unveils bi-mode locos to increase electric operation
USA: New York MTA has unveiled the first of the Siemens Mobility SC42-DM Charger electro-diesel locomotives which will enable it to increase the use of electric traction on Metro-North Railroad commuter services. The operator’s existing batch of GE P32AC-DM locos use electric power only in the ...
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News
NJ Transit unveils first Multilevel III double-deck EMU car
USA: The first of NJ Transit’s Multilevel III double-deck electric multiple-unit cars was unveiled by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy at the operator’s Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny on October 30.
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Metro Report International
DART begins construction of Silver Line depot
USA: Dallas Area Rapid Transit held a groundbreaking ceremony for the rolling stock maintenance depot for its future Silver Line commuter route on October 24. The facility near the line’s Shiloh Road station in Plano will feature two buildings for the line’s Stadler diesel multiple-units to ...
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News
Class I railway tests level crossing safety system
USA: LILEE Systems is testing its SafeRail wireless level crossing activation system with a Class I freight railway which is aiming to enhance safety, minimise service disruptions and increase average train speeds. SafeRail combines four LiDAR and camera imaging systems to monitor level crossings and tracks, ...