North America
-
NewsWabtec and GM to co-operate on battery and hydrogen locos
USA: Wabtec and General Motors have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to collaborate to develop and commercialise GM’s battery and hydrogen technology for Wabtec locomotives. Wabtec will bring expertise in energy management and systems optimisation, and GM its Ultium battery ...
-
News
Legal settlement restores almost $1bn in California high speed rail funding
USA: The federal government has agreed to return $929m in grants to the California High Speed Rail Authority following the settlement of legal proceedings with the state of California.
-
News
Northern Ontario passenger rail service to be studied
CANADA: The government of Ontario has allocated C$5m to support the development of plans to reintroduce passenger train services running north from Toronto to Timmins or Cochrane. Ontario Northland’s Northlander train service between Toronto and Cochrane ended in 2012; at the time the province ...
-
News
Contract for jaguar inspired Tren Maya fleet signed
MEXICO: The 36·6bn pesos contract to supply 42 diesel and electro-diesel trainsets for the Tren Maya project was signed in the presence of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on June 9. National tourism promotion fund Fonatur announced on May 26 that it had chosen a ...
-
News
US Steel sells railway business
USA: Fortress Transportation Infrastructure Investors has agreed to buy US Steel’s Transtar business, which operates six freight railways serving the steelmaker’s major production facilities. These are the Gary Railway in Indiana, Lake Terminal Railroad in Ohio, Union Railroad in Pennsylvania, Fairfield Southern in ...
-
News
Amtrak raises concerns over CSX-Pan Am deal
USA: National passenger operator Amtrak has raised concerns over the proposed acquisition of New England regional railroad Pan Am Railways by CSX Corp.
-
News
Bogalusa Bayou Railroad buys Geaux Geaux Railroad
USA: Watco’s Bogalusa Bayou Railroad has acquired Amzak Capital Management’s Geaux Geaux Railroad, which runs 42 km from Slaughter to Zee in Louisiana. The line serves paper and packaging company Hood Container, and interchanges with Canadian National in Baton Rouge. Watco said Geaux Geaux ...
-
News
Lac-Mégantic rail bypass agreement
CANADA: The federal government and Canadian Pacific Railway have signed an agreement covering the next steps in the development of the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass, which will enable trains to avoid the Québec town which was devastated when an unattended crude oil train ran away in July ...
-
News
New branding as short line group targets expansion
USA: Denver-based short line holding company Pioneer Railcorp has changed its name to Pioneer Lines, in support of its vision for national expansion. Founded in 1986, Pioneer Lines now operates 15 railways in 12 states, and provides related services such as transloading, switching and storage. ...
-
Metro Report International
Californian contactless payment demonstration
USA: Monterey-Salinas Transit has introduced contactless payment on its bus services as part of the Caltrans-led California Integrated Travel Project to improve travel planning and transit payments throughout the state. Caltrans is working in collaboration with Visa, payment gateway supplier Cybersource, back-office supplier Littlepay, SC ...
-
News
Pikes Peak Cog Railway reopens after $100m modernisation
USA: The Broadmoor Manitou Pikes Peak Cog Railway reopened on May 20, following a $100m modernisation programme which has included the delivery of a new fleet of push-pull trainsets and conversion from the Abt to the Strub rack system. The 14·3 km standard ...
-
News
Amtrak urges stronger regulation of freight railroad access as it sets out $75bn expansion plan
USA: Amtrak has challenged policymakers to support its expansion plans by strengthening the enforcement of regulatory rules giving passenger trains priority when running on tracks owned by the freight railroads.
-
News
Tren Maya rolling stock supplier selected
MEXICO: National tourism promotion fund Fonatur has selected a consortium led by Alstom’s Bombardier Transportation México subsidiary as preferred bidder for a contract to supply rolling stock, communications systems and depots for the Tren Maya project, The contract announced on May 26 covers the supply ...
-
Metro Report International
Hamilton LRT back on with federal funding
CANADA: The federal government has announced C$1·7bn of funding for the Hamilton Light Rail Transit project, matching Ontario’s C$1·7bn contribution to ensure that the proposed line can go ahead and will be long enough to be viable. Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney said the ...
-
News
Kansas City Southern agrees CN merger and drops CP
NORTH AMERICA: Kansas City Southern and Canadian National announced a definitive merger agreement on May 21 which CN President CEO JJ Ruest said would ‘create the premier railway for the 21st century.’ KCS and Canadian Pacific had announced a ...
-
News
Commuter operator expands Bike Cars programme
USA: Chicago commuter rail operator Metra has extended its Bike Car programme, with the introduction of coaches modified to carry bicycles on two more lines and further routes set to follow. Two coaches have been modified for use on the Rock ...
-
Metro Report International
Four shortlisted for contract to replace Newark airport monorail
USA: Port Authority of New York New Jersey has issued four shortlisted groups with a request for proposals for a contract to design, build, operate and maintain a 4 km elevated peoplemover to replace the ‘outmoded and unreliable’ AirTrain monorail at Newark Liberty International ...
-
Metro Report International
‘Drumbeat of progress’ as Sound Transit’s fleet and network to be tripled in size
USA: Seattle’s Sound Transit has put into service the first six of 152 light rail vehicles which it had ordered from Siemens Mobility as part of an expansion programme. This will see its fleet tripled and line extensions opening every year to expand the network ...
-
News
Bidders vie for Tren Maya rolling stock contract
MEXICO: National Tourism Fund Fonatur has confirmed that two groups have submitted tenders to supply up to 42 diesel, electro-diesel and electric trainsets for the Tren Maya project, with a winning bidder due to be announced on May 26. The contract covers maintenance of the ...
-
News
Research partnership targets low-carbon freight
USA: Wabtec has set up partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University and short line specialist Genesee Wyoming with a view to developing a range of low-carbon technologies for freight railroads. At the heart of the proposals is the Freight Rail Innovation Institute, a research body ...
