Transit Briefs: DART, SEPTA
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) earned the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its FY 2026 budget and 20‑year financial plan, underscoring its focus on transparent, long‑term fiscal stewardship. The award, judged by more than 1,900 participants, signals DART’s adherence to top‑tier budgeting standards. Meanwhile, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) reported a 14% jump in daily ridership for March 2025, reaching 746,506 unlinked passenger trips. Growth was strongest on bus/trackless‑trolley routes and the B and L subway lines, reflecting robust system‑wide demand.
People News: HNTB, TRB
HNTB announced that former New Jersey DOT commissioner Francis O’Connor has joined as Senior Vice President and Business Development Director, focusing on agency and tolling growth. O’Connor brings leadership experience from NJDOT, NJ Transit, and the Turnpike Authority. The firm...
STB Advances LGIR Texas Project
The Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis issued a Draft Environmental Assessment for Laredo Gateway Industrial Railway’s proposed 2.6‑mile common‑carrier line in Webb County, Texas. LGIR, a Kraus Development subsidiary, has petitioned for an exemption to bypass standard prior‑approval...
Investing With Customers for Growth
Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) is leveraging customer‑driven industrial projects to fuel its own growth, exemplified by two flagship investments on opposite coasts. In Savannah, the Georgia Central Railway (GC) backed Hyundai’s $5 billion electric‑vehicle plant with track upgrades, higher speeds and...
STB Eyes Changes to Ex Parte Regs
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) is seeking public comment on a proposed overhaul of its ex parte communication rules, prompted by an Association of American Railroads petition. The board aims to clarify “routine” and “procedural” contacts, allow technical queries with...
Supporting the U.S. Economy
CSX is leveraging its rail network to support U.S. re‑industrialization through its Select Sites® program, which certifies rail‑ready industrial properties. Since its 2012 launch, the initiative has grown to 80 certified sites across a dozen states, adding 21 new locations...
Rail Shippers Raise Concerns About Middle East Conflict (UPDATED 4/15)
The Fertilizer Institute and the Alliance for Chemical Distribution have each sent letters to the Surface Transportation Board urging Class I railroads to prioritize fertilizer shipments and warning against unjustified surcharges amid the Strait of Hormuz closure caused by the...
Conrail Modernizing Critical Systems
Conrail, the neutral asset manager for Norfolk Southern and CSX, is overhauling its signaling, communications and power distribution systems through an expanded partnership with automation specialist WAGO. Since 2019 the railroad has deployed WAGO PLCs, HMIs and spring‑pressure CAGE CLAMP...
Rail’s Imperative: Building Resilience and Value
Trinity Industries argues that rail’s future depends on network velocity, equipment reliability and capital efficiency rather than fleet size alone. It outlines investments in automated manufacturing, flexible car designs, expanded mobile maintenance and digital telematics to cut cycle times and...
Transit Briefs: BART, MBTA
BART reported a post‑pandemic ridership surge in March, logging 5,403,140 exits—the highest monthly total since the COVID era and 13% above budget. Average weekday trips exceeded 200,000 for the first time since the pandemic, while Saturday ridership rose 38% year‑over‑year,...
APTA’s Legislative Conference Calls for ‘Robust’ Federal Investment
At its 2026 Legislative Conference, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) called for a robust federal investment, recommending $138 billion for public transit and $130 billion for passenger rail over the next five years. APTA’s new Economic Impact report claims every dollar...
Don’t Let Misinformation Derail Safety
The Railway Safety Act faces criticism that its stricter standards are a union‑driven jobs program, but evidence shows the measures address genuine safety gaps. A 2017 Transportation Technology Center study identified 15‑mile hot‑bearing detector (HBD) spacing as optimal, and the...
TD Cowen NEARS Conference Takeaways
At the NEARS conference, Union Pacific reaffirmed its long‑term short‑line partnership strategy, while Norfolk Southern emphasized that the pending merger could dramatically cut empty railcar miles by enabling a national intermodal network. Attendees highlighted accelerating AI adoption and new automation‑focused...
Engineering Reliability in a Changing Rail Industry
FreightCar America argues that the future of freight rail hinges on engineering discipline that couples safety with manufacturing consistency. By embedding layers‑of‑protection into design and production, the company reduces error and variability, enabling scalable output even as demand fluctuates. Targeted...
RIP, D.C. Streetcar (Updated)
The District of Columbia’s modern streetcar, a 2.2‑mile line that began service in February 2016, ran its final trip on March 31, 2026. The line, built at a cost of roughly $190 million, never achieved sustainable ridership, peaking at 1.2 million riders...
