USA railroad industry news – Page 4
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NewsMetra awarded funding to buy battery trains
USA: Chicago commuter operator Metra has been awarded a $169·3m federal Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement grant for the purchase of up to 16 battery multiple-units. Metra said the zero-emission trainsets are ‘likely’ to be used on its Rock Island Line, benefiting the air quality ...
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Metro Report InternationalPublic feedback incorporated into Boston Green Line LRV specifications
USA: Public feedback is being incorporated into the specifications for the Type 10 Supercar light rail vehicles which CAF is to supply for Boston’s Green Line. ‘It’s important for riders to know that we care about both their safety and also their experiences on the system’, ...
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NewsAI and loco cameras to identify railway trespass risks
USA: AI-backed technology to use images from forward-facing locomotive cameras to identify railway trespass risks is to be developed by Wi-Tronix and Florida passenger operator Brightline. The project has been awarded $1·648m from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements grant programme. High-definition ...
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NewsAmtrak Airo train production provides supply chain boost
USA: Amtrak says the production of Airo trainsets at Siemens Mobility’s Sacramento plant is boosting businesses across the country, with more than 3 500 parts being manufactured by nearly 100 suppliers in 31 states. ‘As we build to support the soaring demand for train travel, Amtrak ...
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NewsCalifornia orders hydrogen trains
USA: Stadler has been awarded what it calls a ‘transformative’ contract to supply hydrogen fuel cell multiple-units to California. The contract signed with the California State Transportation Agency and California Department of Transportation on October 12 includes a $80m firm order for four trains, with options ...
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In depthTraction: Intermittent wiring could form path to decarbonisation
Is there a feasible way to decarbonise North America’s railroads? Partial electrification matched with battery-powered traction may offer an answer.
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In depthUSA: Coastal corridor offers a growth blueprint
With Amtrak seeking to develop medium-distance corridor services linking selected city pairs across the USA, Dave Lustig looks to southern California, where inter-city passenger trains offer an attractive alternative to gridlocked highways.
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Metro Report InternationalSacramento orders more low floor LRVs
USA: Sacramento Regional Transit District has ordered further eight Siemens Mobility S700 low floor light rail vehicles. The latest order announced on October 9 follows from an initial 20 which were ordered in 2020 and further eight ordered in 2021, taking the total order to 36. ...
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NewsUS National University Rail Center of Excellence funded
USA: Funding has been approved to enable a consortium of nine universities to establish a National University Rail Center of Excellence, which will develop the future workforce and undertake research into passenger and freight rail efficiency, reliability and safety. Research topics could include rolling stock technology, ...
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Metro Report InternationalLong Island Rail Road inspection vehicle ordered
USA: ENSCO Rail has been awarded a contract to design and supply a self-propelled track inspection vehicle for New York MTA’s Long Island Rail Road. The ‘state-of-the-art’ vehicle to be delivered in Q2 29026 will be equipped with multiple track conditioning monitoring systems from ENSCO and KLD ...
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NewsPacific Surfliner switches to renewable fuel
USA: The Siemens Mobility Charger diesel-electric locomotives hauling Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner service are now using renewable fuel made from materials including used cooking oil. The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency which manages the Pacific Surfliner service said this would ...
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Metro Report InternationalPhiladelphia launches contactless payment
USA: Philadelphia transport agency SEPTA has rolled out contactless payment on its metro, light rail and bus services, with commuter rail services to follow in early 2024. The technology was supplied by Conduent under an ongoing fare collection systems contract. Fares are the same as using ...
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Metro Report InternationalNew York Subway seeks cool ideas
USA: New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has invited proposals for innovative, cost-effective and low emission ways to cool its subway stations. MTA is concerned that the subway network is vulnerable to extreme weather events, warning that extreme heat conditions are expected to increase as a result ...
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Metro Report InternationalPolice robot to patrol New York Subway station
USA: A police security robot is being trialled at the New York Subway’s Times Square station. The K5 robot has been supplied by Knightscope, which develops autonomous security robots and emergency communication systems. The manufacturer said the K5 was designed to provided ‘force multiplying physical deterrence’, ...
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NewsNorfolk Southern begins construction of East Palestine safety training centre
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony on September 21 marked the start of construction of Norfolk Southern’s First Responder Training Center in East Palestine, Ohio. The centre is intended to provide free training for emergency responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, building on the railway’s existing Operation ...
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NewsMTA Metro-North Railroad orders electro-diesel locos
USA: Siemens Mobility has been awarded a firm order to supply six more Charger electro-diesel locomotives for use on MTA Metro-North Railroad commuter services between Connecticut and New York. The order announced on September 26 has been placed by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority on behalf ...
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Metro Report InternationalNext-generation Baltimore metro car unveiled
USA: Maryland Transit Administration has unveiled the first of 78 metro cars being supplied by Hitachi Rail to replace the existing fleet on the Baltimore Metro Subway Link. MTA said on September 14 that the new vehicles would represent ‘a significant leap forward in our mission ...
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NewsAmergin Rail buys wagon fleet
USA: Transport asset investor Amergin Asset Management’s Amergin Rail business has acquired PNC Bank’s lease fleet of more than 6 000 wagons. ‘This acquisition is consistent with our goal of acquiring attractive transportation assets that will deliver stable risk-adjusted returns for our investors’, said AAM CEO ...
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NewsBrightline opens West Palm Beach to Orlando extension
USA: Private sector inter-city train operator Brightline has extended its Miami – West Palm Beach service 270 km north to Orlando. The first service arrived at the station in Orlando airport on September 22, where it was met by more than 500 elected officials, business leaders ...
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Metro Report InternationalElectric excavator tested on Los Angeles metro extension work
USA: Skanska is piloting the use of a zero-emissions electric excavator on Los Angeles Metro’s Purple (D Line) extension project. The contractor says the battery-powered Volvo EC230 is the largest electric excavator of its kind, and offers the same capabilities as a diesel equivalent. ...