North America
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In depthInterview: ‘We have the tools – it is in our hands to deliver’
The next decade will be crucial for the global fight against irreversible climate change, and rail is the only mode that is well placed to deliver significant decarbonisation in the transport sector, UIC Director-General François Davenne explains to Chris Jackson.
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News
BNSF to take back southern Montana corridor
USA: BNSF is to take back the operation of the former Northern Pacific main line through southern Montana, which was leased to Montana Rail Link in 1987. The east–west route between Huntley, Montana, and Sandpoint, Idaho, had been leased to MRL for 60 years by predecessor ...
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Metro Report International
Puebla tram-train ceases operation
MEXICO: The tourism-oriented tram-train service in Puebla ceased operation on December 31, with the local government announcing that it was no longer economically viable. The 17·2 km route was launched in January 2017, using the Ferrosur freight railway including various rehabilitated sections to link the historic ...
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News
Alabama-USA Corridor rail investment programme to improve port links
USA: State Governor Kay Ivey has announced the Alabama-USA Corridor, a proposed $231·6m programme of rail investment to provide improved intermodal transport inland from the port of Mobile to support economic development ‘It can provide options for freight containers to reach new destinations inland, which our ...
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News
Canadian National and Google Cloud form technology partnership
CANADA: CN and Google Cloud have announced a seven-year strategic technology partnership. This includes collaboration to develop a digital platform to give customers more visibility of logistics planning, shipping and payments, with simplified ordering and automated tracking. CN will also gradually move the majority of its ...
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News
New York MTA awards $2∙9bn Penn Station Access contract
Photo: Amtrak USA: New York MTA has awarded a 63-month design and build contract to a joint venture Halmar International and RailWorks for work on the Penn Station Access programme. To be completed within a budget of $2∙9bn, the programme covers the four-tracking of a 30 ...
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Metro Report International
PTC reaches Naugatuck valley
USA: Working with Connecticut Department of Transportation, Metro-North Railroad has completed the installation of signalling and Positive Train Control on the Waterbury Branch. The single-track line had been the last section of MNCR still relying on manual block operation, and its resignalling completes the roll-out of ...
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News
Amtrak leadership change follows a milestone year
USA: Bill Flynn is to retire as CEO of Amtrak on January 17, with current President Stephen Gardner becoming President & CEO. Flynn will continue as a senior advisor for the remainder of the financial year. Stephen J Gardner ‘With the Biden ...
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News
Hydrogen freight locomotive demonstration planned
USA: Progress Rail, BNSF and Chevron have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a fuel cell demonstrator locomotive to assess the viability of using hydrogen as an alternative to diesel for main line freight operations. Progress Rail plans to design and build a prototype ...
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News
KCS put into trust as CP completes share purchase agreement
NORTH AMERICA: Canadian Pacific Railway formally completed its US$31bn acquisition of Kansas City Southern on December 14, in preparation for the planned merger of the two railways, and has put the smaller company into a trust pending regulatory approval of the merger application. Closing of the purchase ...
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News
Shareholders back CP-KCS merger
NORTH AMERICA: Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern shareholders have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed merger between the two railways, allowing the transaction to move ahead.
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News
High-strength steel wagons designed to improve efficiency
USA: A ‘stronger, lighter and more energy-efficient’ open wagon design which makes use of high strength steel to reduce empty weight by 6·8 tonnes has been announced by US Steel, The Greenbrier Companies and Norfolk Southern, which has ordered an initial batch of 800. The companies ...
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News
GO Transit BiLevels to be overhauled
CANADA: Transport authority Metrolinx has awarded Alstom a C$171m contract for the mid-life overhaul and refurbishment of 94 BiLevel commuter coaches used on GO Transit commuter serves in the Toronto area. The two-year programme is to be carried out at Alstom’s Thunder Bay plant where the ...
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News
Shaw to succeed Squire as Norfolk Southern CEO
USA: Norfolk Southern Chairman & CEO James A Squires is to retire on May 1 2022, with Executive Vice-President & Chief Marketing Officer Alan H Shaw becoming CEO. Shaw has 27 years of experience in marketing, operations and finance at Norfolk Southern, and was appointed CMO ...
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News
VIA Rail highlights comfort and accessibility of next generation of Corridor trains
CANADA: National passenger operator VIA Rail has officially unveiled the first of the 32 push-pull trainsets which Siemens Mobility is supplying for inter-city services on the Québec City – Montréal – Toronto – Windsor corridor. ‘This new fleet marks a new era for passenger rail service ...
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News
Wagon lease fleet bought
USA: ITE Management has purchased the North American wagon assets of CK Industries, saying the ‘highly productive, well-maintained’ fleet would directly benefit the ‘breadth and flexibility’ of its wagon leasing business. CK Industries is a privately held company with wagon leasing business in France and Germany, ...
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Metro Report International
Grade separated junction opens in Chicago
USA: Chicago Transit Authority has opened a grade-separated junction north of Belmont station, the first major improvement to be completed as part of its $2·1bn Red and Purple Modernisation Phase One project. Designed and built by a joint venture of Fluor Corp and Walsh Construction Co, ...
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Metro Report International
Mexico City metro track renewals contract
MEXICO: Comsa has been awarded an €80m contract to undertake track and electrical system renewals on Mexico City metro Line 1. Work is scheduled to start in Q2 2022, with the contract including materials supply and construction works covering a total of 39 track-km including loops ...
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News
Mexican approval for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger
MEXICO: Competition commission COFECE and telecoms institute IFT have granted regulatory approval for Canadian Pacific Railway’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern. ‘This important milestone marks the next step on our path to creating the first single-line rail network linking the US, Mexico and Canada’, said ...
