ORDC Approves Grant Assistance for Projects
On April 6, 2026 the Ohio Rail Development Commission approved $3.9 million in grant funding for two local projects and earmarked additional state funds to support three larger rail‑rehabilitation initiatives seeking federal CRISI assistance. The grants include $300,000 for Ross County to replace a bridge over the Jackson Rail Line and $125,000 for Winchester Ag Service to upgrade rail facilities serving a new plant. Federal‑application grants total $3.45 million for a $10.4 million Cincinnati Eastern Railroad mainline rehab, a $7.5 million Wabash upgrade, and a $46.5 million Indiana & Ohio Railway improvement that will enable double‑stack container clearance. ORDC also signaled intent to sponsor grade‑separation projects under the upcoming Railroad Crossing Elimination program.
Please Don’t Mess With NS Heritage Locomotives
The opinion piece urges Norfolk Southern to protect its 22 heritage locomotives if a Union Pacific‑Norfolk Southern merger receives Surface Transportation Board approval. The heritage units, first unveiled in 2012 at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, celebrate predecessor railroads such...
Lewistown Station Improvement Project Begins April 7
Amtrak will break ground on the Lewistown Station improvement project on April 7, allocating $3.5 million from the Federal Railroad Administration. The work raises the 250‑foot concrete platform eight inches, upgrades LED lighting, signage, HVAC, and refurbishes the entrance, windows, and ADA‑compliant...
CSX’s Magnetic Particle Testing Helps Identify Issues
CSX is expanding its rail‑car safety program by pairing magnetic particle testing with traditional visual inspections. The technique uses an electromagnet and iron particles to highlight surface cracks that visual checks might miss. CSX’s mechanical teams, led by senior manager...
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Washout on BNSF’s Stampede Subdivision
BNSF suspended service on its Stampede Subdivision after a 600‑foot, 60‑foot‑deep washout disrupted the Cascades route linking Puget Sound to inland markets. The railroad rerouted trains and issued an intermodal network update, warning customers of non‑standard routing. Engineering crews are...
SEPTA To Begin M Line Rehabilitation Project March 29
SEPTA will launch a $55 million rehabilitation of the historic Bridgeport Viaduct on the M Line starting March 29, replacing train service with shuttle buses through May 9. The 3,525‑foot, 1911‑era bridge will undergo structural steel repairs, bearing replacements, deck and abutment work,...
Sound Transit Approves Contract for New Operations and Maintenance Facility
Sound Transit’s board approved a progressive design‑build contract with Hoffman Construction to build a new Operations and Maintenance Facility South in Federal Way. The $350 million agreement covers final design, site work, roadway upgrades and construction staging on a 70‑acre site,...
Illinois Commerce Commission Gives a Green Light to $376 Million For Rail Safety Improvements
The Illinois Commerce Commission approved a $376 million allocation for the state’s Crossing Safety Improvement Program covering fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The five‑year funding will finance upgrades at high‑risk rail‑highway intersections across Illinois. The initiative targets modernizing warning systems, installing...
NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Amtrak Worker Fatality in Pennsylvania
The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the February 23, 2026 fatality of an Amtrak roadway‑maintenance foreman in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The worker was struck by an eastbound snow‑patrol train traveling about 87 mph while clearing snow from a switch on...
STV Wins Traffic Engineering Contract in Connecticut
STV has been awarded a statewide traffic engineering contract by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) under a new task‑based agreement. The firm will serve as prime consultant, handling everything from preliminary traffic studies to construction‑phase assistance. Services include traffic...
CTDOT Releases 2027-2030 STIP
The Connecticut Department of Transportation unveiled its draft 2027‑2030 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, outlining over 380 projects funded by $4.5 billion in federal, $932 million in state, and $45 million in local dollars. About $1.1 billion of the plan is earmarked for transit, including...
Phase 3 of Signal Work at MBTA’s Columbia Junction Starts March 26
The MBTA has finished Phase 1 and 2 of its Red Line signal modernization ahead of schedule and will launch Phase 3 on March 26, with each phase expected to last about two weeks. Phase 4 is projected to start around April 9. The work replaces...
CTA Sues Federal Government Over Red Line Extension Pause, Project Funding
The Chicago Transit Authority filed a federal lawsuit on March 20, 2026 against the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration to restore roughly $2 billion in federal funding for the Red Line Extension and Red & Purple Modernization projects. The...
For CSX, Drones Are An Important Item In The Toolbox
CSX has turned drones from a proof‑of‑concept into an enterprise‑wide asset, now operating over 250 unmanned aircraft across its rail network. More than 350 employees hold FAA Part 107 certifications, enabling eight departments to leverage aerial data for inspections, mapping and...
ENSCO Taps Gregory Grissom To Lead Inspection & Asset Management Services
Gregory T. Grissom, P.E., has been appointed Division Manager of Rail Inspection & Asset Management Services at ENSCO, Inc., bringing more than 25 years of railway engineering and leadership experience. Previously president of Loram Technologies, Grissom oversaw the integration of...
Union Pacific Announces America250 Celebration Featuring President Donald J. Trump Locomotive, America250 Locomotive, and Big Boy Steam Eastern Operation
Union Pacific announced its America250 Celebration, unveiling three special locomotives: the No. 1776 America250 unit, a Trump‑dedicated No. 4547, and the historic Big Boy 4014 steam engine beginning its Eastern tour. The America250 locomotive features a waving American flag motif, while the Trump...
Texas Rail Grade Separation Projects Obtain New Funding
The Texas Transportation Commission approved $160.4 million for rail‑grade‑separation projects across the state. Funding, sourced from the Off‑System Rail Grade Separation State Fund, will support five initiatives in San Antonio, Houston, Laredo and Amarillo. The projects aim to eliminate road‑rail conflicts,...
Cleaning up Rail Grinding
RailTechnology has launched its Silent Track (ST) rail‑grinding system, a spark‑free, water‑efficient solution designed for confined urban tunnels. The electric‑powered unit uses oscillating, water‑cooled abrasive stones to achieve full rail coverage in a single pass, eliminating diesel engines and hydraulic...
MDOT MTA Earns LEED Silver Certification
The U.S. Green Building Council has granted LEED Silver certification to the Maryland Transit Administration’s Purple Line Operations and Maintenance Facility in Glenridge, Maryland. The rating acknowledges high‑performance standards in energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction, highlighted by solar‑reflective...
UTA Unveils 2026 Maintenance Projects Schedule
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) released its 2026 maintenance schedule for the TRAX light‑rail and FrontRunner commuter‑rail systems, detailing work on bridges, tunnels, track and ballast across multiple lines. Projects span March through August, including a two‑day Green Line suspension...
California High-Speed Rail Authority Issues RFQ
The California High‑Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract covering architectural and engineering (A&E) services. The IDIQ will be awarded to three distinct pools—minor works for small businesses,...
Ontario Invests C$138MM For Future Northlander Passenger Rail Service
Ontario announced a C$138 million investment to acquire 205 kilometers of rail between North Bay and Washago, securing more than 25 % of the future Northlander passenger corridor. The acquisition, completed in February, aims to prioritize passenger service while channeling freight revenues back to...
AutoHaul Drives Efficiencies at Rio Tinto in Australia
Rio Tinto’s AutoHaul system now runs up to 53 fully autonomous GoA4 trains, each 240 wagons long, across its 2,000 km Pilbara rail network, moving roughly 326 million tonnes of iron ore per year. The driverless operation, managed from a Perth control...
Amtrak Celebrates The Restoration of Two South Carolina Stations
Amtrak announced the completion of major upgrades at Camden and Denmark stations in South Carolina, investing $3.5 million and $2.3 million respectively. Both locations now feature new concrete boarding platforms, accessible walkways, LED lighting, and updated signage to meet ADA standards. The...
North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project Advances
The signing of a Project Labor Agreement propels the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement, a $472.3 million federally funded effort to modernize the rail link between Cambridge and Boston. The project will expand track capacity from four to six, replace...
LNW Receives $27MM CRISI Grant To Rehabilitate Track
Louisiana and North West Railroad (LNW) secured a $27,320,000 CRISI grant, complemented by a $5,580,000 local match, to fund a $32.9 million track‑rehabilitation project. The initiative will replace rail and upgrade 44 miles of the McNeil Subdivision between Magnolia, Arkansas and Gibsland,...
CTDOT Announces $20MM in Rail Freight Infrastructure Grants
The Connecticut Department of Transportation announced a $20 million rail freight infrastructure grant program, supplemented by $4 million of private railroad investment. Six regional freight carriers—CSO, HRRC, NAUG, NECR, P&W, and PAS—will receive awards ranging from $1.5 million to $4.9 million for bridge repairs,...
International Heavy Haul Association Announces Retirement of CEO Scott Lovelace and Appointment of Antonio Merheb as Successor
The International Heavy Haul Association announced the retirement of longtime CEO Scott Lovelace, honoring his decades of service to the global heavy‑haul rail community. The board unanimously appointed Antonio Merheb as the new CEO, effective March 11, 2026. Merheb brings a PhD and...
TD Cowen: Takeaways From the Next-Gen Freight Rail Conference
At the Railway Age Next‑Gen Freight Rail Conference, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern CEOs reaffirmed confidence that their proposed merger will satisfy regulators and deliver cost savings, while the Surface Transportation Board signaled a push to accelerate environmental permitting and...
City of Palmdale Secures $2M for Grade Separation Project
The City of Palmdale has secured a $2 million federal grant to fund the Rancho Vista Boulevard Grade Separation Project. The investment will finance right‑of‑way acquisition, utility relocation and construction of a six‑lane overpass at the busy Rancho Vista and Sierra...
TTC Operated By ENSCO –– Continuous Welded Rail: Managing Track Buckling and Stability
Continuous welded rail (CWR) underpins modern rail networks by removing joints, lowering maintenance costs, and supporting heavier traffic. However, its thermal sensitivity creates longitudinal forces that can cause tensile breaks in cold weather or compressive buckles in heat. Rail neutral...
Union Pacific Restores Nebraska Rail Bridge
Union Pacific’s engineering, track and signal crews completed a full restoration of the historic 1899 freight rail bridge over Salt Creek in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. The project replaced timber sections with concrete spans, repositioned a massive truss using a 300‑ton...
RT&S March 2026 Editor’s Notebook –– Comments About This Issue
The March 2026 issue of Railway Track & Structures spotlights railroad engineering education, featuring the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) and the federally‑backed National University Rail Center of Excellence (NURail CoE). The nine‑university consortium, supported by the...
Amtrak Will Launch First Round of Community Grants for B&P Tunnel Program March 23rd
Amtrak will begin accepting applications for its Community Investment Program on March 23, targeting projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore. The program is part of a $50 million phased investment to replace the 150‑year‑old B&P Tunnel, a critical...
S-Line Rail Corridor Construction Progresses
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has begun construction on a $22.7 million grade‑separation bridge at New Hope Church Road in Raleigh, part of the three‑year S‑Line Raleigh‑to‑Richmond (R2R) high‑performance passenger rail project. The S‑Line, owned by CSX, fills a critical...
Norfolk Southern Announces Extended Partnership With Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC)
Norfolk Southern has renewed its partnership with Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center, committing $250,000 per year for the next two years. The funding will continue to power ATDC’s Sustainability Tech vertical, which now supports 29 active startups across renewable...
East Harbour Transit Hub Main Building Construction Begins
Metrolinx has broken ground on the East Harbour Transit Hub, a new interchange station in Toronto’s Riverdale, Riverside and Leslieville neighborhoods. The 38‑acre transit‑oriented community will link the Lakeshore East and Stouffville GO lines with the future Ontario Line, targeting...
CSX Modernizes Data Management System
Infosys announced the completion of a large‑scale data modernization program for CSX Corporation, deploying its AI‑first Topaz platform built on Microsoft Fabric and Purview. The effort consolidated CSX’s fragmented data landscape into a unified cloud‑native environment, creating over 170 data...
Blizzard Conditions Necessitate Winter Maintenance Across Northeast
Heavy snowfall, high winds and sub‑zero temperatures swept the Northeast on February 22, prompting the MTA, NJ Transit and SEPTA to suspend or curtail services. The MTA halted Long Island Rail Road operations, shifted Metro‑North to hourly runs, and deployed de‑icer...
Pennsylvania PUC To Update Railroad Safety Regulations
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted unanimously to begin rule‑making that will modernize the state’s railroad safety regulations, the first overhaul since 2013. The motion, prompted by the three‑year anniversary of the East Palestine derailment, calls for updates to wayside...
YARDS Project Will Restore Railroad Yards in Four States
The Yard Area Rail Decongestion and Safety (YARDS) project will rehabilitate rail yards on five lines across four states, consolidating them under OmniTRAX Holdings. The $51.194 million effort is funded primarily by a $40.955 million CRISI grant, supplemented by a $10.239 million local...
UP Rail Gang 9001 Completes Rail Replacement Project in Arizona
Union Pacific’s Engineering Rail Gang 9001 finished an eight‑mile rail‑replacement project in Arizona in just 16 days, showcasing the speed of the Class I’s $3.3 billion 2026 infrastructure program. The crew deployed 24 pieces of heavy equipment and employed a rail‑heating technique to...
Riley Departs RSI
Railway Supply Institute (RSI) abruptly dismissed President Jim Riley after just under a year in the role, citing the need for a leadership change amid a volatile economic and geopolitical environment. Board Chair Greg Dalpe announced the decision and praised...
