Prototype News

U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Dec. 27, 2025 saw a slight uptick, the Association of American Railroads reported Dec. 31. Volume totaled 392,295 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.7% compared with the same week last year, with carload gains partially offset by intermodal softness.

Total carloads for the week ending Dec. 27 were 188,673 carloads, up 2.5% compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 203,622 containers and trailers, down 1.0% compared to 2024.

Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included coal, up 5,037 carloads, to 55,823; motor vehicles and parts, up 1,779 carloads, to 9,910; and grain, up 1,099 carloads, to 20,579. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included chemicals, down 2,166 carloads, to 28,533; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,203 carloads, to 6,258; and forest products, down 452 carloads, to 6,750.

For the first 52 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,509,099 carloads, up 1.5% from the same point last year; and 14,055,601 intermodal units, up 1.5% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 52 weeks of 2025 was 25,564,700 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.5% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 27, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 272,344 carloads, down 0.9% compared with the same week last year, and 269,132 intermodal units, up 0.4% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 541,476 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.2%. North American rail volume for the first 52 weeks of 2025 was 35,187,322 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4% compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 74,120 carloads for the week, down 7.0%, and 54,633 intermodal units, up 4.9% compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 52 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 8,387,041 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.0%.

Mexican railroads reported 9,551 carloads for the week, down 12.9% compared with the same week last year, and 10,877 intermodal units, up 5.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 52 weeks of 2025 was 1,235,581 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.5% from the same point last year.

The post Flat Traffic Figures For Week 52: AAR appeared first on Railway Age.

All four Class I railroads—BNSF, CN, CPKC, CSX—that will remain independent, at least in the short term, if the Surface Transportation Board approves the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, have given the application an “Incomplete” grade. The organization representing one of the railroads’ largest customer base, the National Grain and Feed Association, also marked it incomplete. Following a UP/NS response (deadline is Jan. 2), STB is expected rule on the completeness by Jan. 16 or Jan. 20, starting the formal evaluation process, or sending UP and NS back to the drawing board to make adjustments and resubmit.

The comments are very disparate in size. CN and CPKC, loudest in opposition, submitted 91- and 65-page documents, respectively. Potential future merger partners BNSF and CSX filed brief (7 and 22 pages, respectively) statements. The NFGA also exercised brevity, with 9 pages. Following are excerpts, each with downloadable copies of the full statements.

CN (Through U.S. Subsidiary Grand Trunk Corp.)

“Because the Application fails to meet the requirements of 49 C.F.R. part 1180, [STB] should reject the Application as incomplete and require Applicants to resolve those deficiencies. Applicants seek approval from the Board for a proposed transaction they assert is an ‘unprecedented opportunity for our country’ because it will purportedly ‘create America’s first transcontinental railroad’ and ‘transform the nation’s supply chain.’ Applicants are correct that their Application is unprecedented in at least one respect: They seek the Board’s approval to undertake the first major transaction under the Board’s new rules, which require Applicants to show that the proposed transaction would not only preserve, but enhance competition. Yet they fail to provide the Board, or interested parties, the information that is required … and necessary to evaluate the profound impacts the proposed transaction would have on U.S. shippers. Applicants’ failure to provide this required information is not a simple mistake. Rather, they have concealed the overlapping nature of the UP and NS networks in order to incorrectly portray the proposed transaction as ‘end-to-end.’ At the same time, Applicants omit the information most essential to the Board’s evaluation of the proposed transaction and its competitive effects, as well as for analyses by interested parties. In addition to failing to adequately disclose the competitive harms of the proposed transaction, Applicants fail to propose the required competition-enhancing conditions. These are not comments on the merits: The regulations require this information.”

CN Comments Completeness of ApplicationDownload BNSF

“Although BNSF believes the Application cannot be approved on the merits, BNSF defers to the Board’s judgment on ‘whether the Application contains the information required in 49 C.F.R. part 1180’—with the understanding that the merits will be addressed by the parties and considered by the Board at a later time. As submitted, the Application fails to establish that the proposed merger transaction meets the public interest standard on the merits and cannot be approved by the Board.

“BNSF does, however, offer three overarching points in this submission for the Board’s consideration of the Application at this stage and selection of an appropriate schedule for this proceeding. First, although BNSF takes no position on whether the Application provides the minimum procedural information in order to proceed, the Application was UP and NS’s case-in-chief, yet it only superficially grapples with the serious issues the proposed merger creates for shippers, American businesses, the rail industry and the American economy. BNSF identifies certain merits issues now because they impact the schedule and information exchange that is needed to address the Application. Second, based on the lack of meaningful detail in the Application, BNSF is concerned that UP and NS may attempt to supplement their submission to address the many deficiencies in it at a later date—without sufficient time for other parties to provide comments and for the Board to fully consider the supplements and comments thereto. Accordingly, BNSF reemphasizes that a longer schedule—consistent with the one sought by BNSF and others—is necessary to address the issues this Application raises. Third, UP and NS have failed to provide requested discovery and data necessary to fully consider and address the Application. The Board should require production in a timely manner …

“Any serious discussion of a proposed Class I merger—as a matter of law and common sense—must include a rigorous analysis of its impacts on competition, including product and geographic competition. (requiring ‘‘full system’ impact analyses’ on competitive issues). Understanding geographic and product markets is essential to understanding whether a merger will cut off shippers’ access to other railroads, give the merged company more price leverage through greater control over certain industries, and/or affect long-term investment decisions that matter to local communities. But here, UP and NS all but ignore the merger’s effects on geographic and product competition, instead repeating that this is an ‘end-to-end’ merger. For example, the Application does not try to model or measure any shifts of traffic flows, even though the new rules require ‘an analysis of traffic flows indicating patterns of geographic competition or product competition.’ UP and NS made no attempt to show where freight flows would shift from current origin-destination routes as a result of the transaction, where those shifts would occur, and how those changes would affect various communities … UP and NS’s surface-level presentation of their case-in-chief is exacerbated by their approach to data-sharing and discovery. UP and NS have not provided the source data that underlies their modal share and truck diversion analysis—the core of their purported benefits analysis. Nor have UP and NS provided the data that underlies their market share calculations in the report of their economist, Dr. Bailey. The failure to provide this data impairs other stakeholders from beginning their assessments and rebuttals …”

BNSF Comments Completeness of ApplicationDownload Canadian Pacific Kansas City

“CPKC addresses four reasons why the Board should reject the Application as incomplete.

“First, Applicants have not supplied the Board or interested parties with the data that allegedly support the core set of claims upon which the entire Application is predicated: that the merger ‘will convert more than 2 million truckloads of traffic from long-haul trucking to rail.’ Applicants’ truck diversion analysis started with Transearch county-to-county truck flow data that Applicants have not provided with their workpapers, and it relied on truck rate data that Applicants obtained from DAT Freight & Analytics, which Applicants also have not provided with their workpapers. The Board’s rules and its Decision No. 3 (served Aug. 28, 2025) required that data to be made available with the Application so that the Board and interested parties can appropriately test the merits of Applicants’ analysis.

“Second, Applicants have not submitted a complete copy of their Merger Agreement, brazenly withholding from disclosure two key pages delineating UP’s promises to NS about conditions UP is obligated to offer or accept to secure regulatory approval for their proposed merger. The withheld Schedule defines the nature of the conditions that NS can sue to require UP to accept and also those that would allow UP to walk away from the merger, and thus likely reflects the best glimpse that the Board and interested parties will get of Applicants’ own assessment of the scope of the anticompetitive harms their proposed merger would cause and the kinds of conditions that may be sought—but resisted by UP—to address those harms.

“Third, Applicants incorrectly disclaim an obligation to provide any serious analysis of the downstream effects of their proposed merger. As UP contended in 2000: ‘The important public policy questions in the next major Class I merger proceeding will focus on whether a North American railroad duopoly is in the public interest. The Board will choose between a future in which two huge transcontinental systems develop single-line services in isolation from each other and a future in which all remaining railroads strive to develop more efficient services over remaining interline routes. This is an important choice that can be made only once, because mergers are likely to be permanent.’ The Board’s rules require Applicants to address that ‘overriding public policy question’ at the outset, yet Applicants have failed to do so.

“Fourth, although Applicants have provided some economic analysis of the proposed merger’s effects on competition, Applicants have—by their own admission—chosen not to provide the full assessment of horizontal competition that the Board has relied upon in far smaller mergers. That lack of rigor falls short of the robust analysis required by the Board’s rules.

“The Board should require Applicants to submit a revised application that corrects these deficiencies. If the Board chooses instead to accept the Application, it should require its immediate supplementation with the omitted information and data, and it should establish a schedule that takes account of Applicants’ apparent aim to augment the Application’s bare-bones analyses on rebuttal, after which other parties would have no meaningful opportunity to respond under Applicants’ proposed schedule. The Board should take advantage of the full amount of time provided by Congress’s one-year evidentiary period and provide non-applicants with a ‘surreply’ opportunity to respond to new argument and evidence submitted by Applicants in their replies to Comments and Requests for Conditions.

“Applicants make extraordinary claims. They claim that their proposed merger creates public benefits that will exceed $3 billion dollars ‘in a normal year.’ In large part, those claimed benefits flow from Applicants’ assertion that the proposed merger would ‘convert more than 2 million truckloads of traffic from long-haul trucking to rail.’ But Applicants failed to provide to the public the data underlying those claims. Applicants’ traffic projections are ‘based on the Joint Verified Statement of David Hunt and Matthew Schabas of Oliver Wyman.’ Messrs. Hunt and Schabas relied on S&P Global Markets ‘Transearch’ data on county-to-county truck flows and DAT Freight & Analytics data on average truck freight spot and contract rates. In direct violation of their obligations under the rules and the Board’s decisions in this very case, Applicants have failed to make that information available to the public.

“That is not the only significant omission. Relying on a baseless assertion of privilege, Applicants have withheld from the public the promises that UP made to NS about commitments UP would offer or accept to remedy the proposed merger’s anticompetitive harms. It is a bad start to this process—and a worrisome precursor to the merits of Applicants’ future privilege claims—that Applicants are seeking to hide what were likely among the most heavily negotiated commercial terms of their agreement.

“Each omission is enough to reject the Application and require Applicants to re-file and re-start the clock to give the public sufficient time to prepare responsive comments.

CPKC Comments Completeness of ApplicationDownload CSX

“Based on CSXT’s review, the Application lacks certain important elements required by the Board’s statute, consolidation procedures, and rules. The Application’s deficiencies fall into two categories. The first consists of discrete but important omissions, including in the application for control of other railroads and the failure to include the complete merger agreement, which are addressed in Part I. In addition, the Application fails to meaningfully engage with fundamental requirements of the new rules adopted by the Board in 2001. Major Rail Consolidation Procs., 5 S.T.B. 539 (2001) (‘New Rules’). These deficiencies— namely, the Application’s failure to identify and analyze the downstream effects of its proposed merger, to fully calculate the merger’s net public benefits, and to provide evidence supporting its purported measures to enhance competition—are addressed in Part II.

Each of these deficiencies renders the Application incomplete as originally filed. 49 U.S.C. § 11325(a). CSXT is mindful that the Board will not engage with the merits of the Application at this threshold stage. Applicants’ failure to include the information needed to satisfy all of the informational requirements of 49 C.F.R. § 1180 for a major transaction in their Application, however, makes it unfairly burdensome for non-applicants like CSXT to assess and respond to the impacts of the proposed UP/NS merger and, because of the lack of required information, unfairly complicates the evidentiary record-making process necessary for the Board to determine whether the merger would be in the public interest. These issues are compounded by Applicants’ proposed procedural schedule, which combined with the Application’s deficiencies, would effectively leave non-applicants no opportunity to respond to what should be Applicants’ prima facie case. These deficiencies render the Application incomplete and, as required by 49 U.S.C. § 11325(a), ‘the Board shall reject it.’ The Board should direct the Applicants to supplement their filing before accepting the Application as complete.”

CSX Comments Completeness of ApplicationDownload National Grain and Feed Association

“The Major Rail Consolidation Procedures promulgated by the Board in 2001 in Ex Parte No. 582 (Sub-No. 1) (‘2001 Rules’) codified several new merger policies that the Board would require future merger applicants to specifically address in their merger application to avoid further reductions to intermodal and intramodal competition, and to prevent the re-occurrence of the significant service failures that had occurred in the major railroad mergers that immediately preceded the 2001 Rules. The Application falls short of the letter and spirit of the 2001 Rules on these two critical subjects.”

NFGA Comments Completeness of ApplicationDownload

The post BNSF, CN, CPKC, CSX, NGFA: UP+NS Merger Application ‘Incomplete’ appeared first on Railway Age.

NYMTA

Both MTA Metro-North Railroad and MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) have broken post-pandemic ridership records in December, according to MTA. The week of Dec. 15 was the highest post-pandemic ridership recovery week for Metro-North, with 827,015 total riders representing a record 88% of an average pre-pandemic week in December 2019, the agency reported. The weekend of Dec. 20-21 was said to be Metro-North’s strongest weekend ridership performance of the post-pandemic era, with 245,638 riders. Average midweek ridership of 244,809 on Tuesday-Thursday, Dec. 16-18, stood at 88% of December 2019 midweek ridership, a new post-pandemic record, the agency noted.

At LIRR, 183,250 people rode the train on Saturday, Dec. 13, and 152,661 people rode on Sunday, Dec. 21—the highest post-pandemic Saturday and Sunday ridership.

According to MTA, on-time performance for both commuter railroads in 2025 has consistently been at or near 97%. Customer satisfaction levels are also high, with LIRR at 81% and Metro-North at 85%, according to MTA’s latest “Customers Count” survey.

“We’re thrilled to see record ridership on Metro-North,” Metro-North President Justin Vonashek said. “From Super Express trains to delighting customers with our holiday lights trains, we’re always finding new ways to enhance the rider experience.”

“We continue to shatter ridership records because we are providing plenty of service to meet demand and remain focused on improving the customer experience,” LIRR President Rob Free added. “The LIRR is the best way to travel not just during the holiday season but throughout the year and we look forward to breaking more records in 2026.” 

Further Reading:

• Watch: NYMTA Launches Railcar Acceptance, Testing Facility
• MTA Releases 2026 Operating Budget, Four-Year Financial Plan

SMART (Photograph Courtesy of SMART)

SMART on Dec. 26 reported that 2025 was its “strongest year yet,” with record use of the nearly 50-mile regional/commuter rail system (1,123,686 rider trips), SMART Connect shuttles (17,097 riders), bikes onboard (146,898 bikes carried on trains), and the SMART Pathway (1,029,421 walking and bicycling trips). The system logged more than 1.1 million passenger trips in Fiscal Year 2025, up 32% from Fiscal Year 2024, and 23.4 million-plus passenger miles were traveled by train instead of by car.

(Map Courtesy of SMART)

In 2025, SMART opened new stations in Windsor and Petaluma and began work to extend passenger rail service to Healdsburg, with the Healdsburg station projected to open in 2028. SMART reported that it is advancing long-range planning that has the Cloverdale extension “included in regional and statewide planning frameworks.”

Looking ahead to 2026, SMART said that rail service levels will increase by 19% as a result of the MASCOTS regional transit coordination initiative, which is slated for implementation in mid-April 2026. “Based on current trends, SMART is currently projecting 1.4 million train riders and 1.2 million pathway users in FY26,” it said.

HART (Photograph Courtesy of Hitachi Rail)

Hawaii’s HART recently reported “the successful completion” of an annual audit of its financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. The audit was performed by N&K CPAs, Inc., an independent accounting firm based in downtown Honolulu. “This marks the fourth consecutive year an independent auditor issued an unmodified opinion, indicating no internal controls weakness and HART’S financial statements are fairly presented and free of material misstatements,” according to the public transit authority responsible for the planning and construction of Skyline, a fully automated, driverless urban light metro system.

“The positive result of the FY25 financial audit is a clear reflection of the hard work, integrity, and accountability of our entire HART Ohana,” HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina said. “This result reassures taxpayers funding the project that we are fully committed to managing every dollar responsibly while delivering a rail system they can be proud of.”

“We have audited the financial statements of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), a component unit of the City and County of Honolulu, as of and for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, and the related notes the financial statements, which collectively comprise HART’s basic financial statements as listed in the table of contents,” N&K CPAs’ report states, according to HART. “In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position of HART, as of June 30, 2025, and the changes in financial position and its cash flows for the fiscal year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”

Skyline Map (Courtesy of HART)

Skyline’s first segment opened in June 2023. It included nine stations and 10.75 miles of guideway. Segment 2 opened in October 2025. Segment 3 is expected to wrap up in 2030.

CTA RPB-TOD_Plan_Sum_ReportDownload

CTA has issued three Requests for Proposals, each to redevelop a parcel of land in the Lakeview neighborhood that it acquired to build new track structures and stage construction during the Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) project. Now that construction work in this area is substantially complete, CTA said it wants to redevelop the land as part of its TOD Plan, which was created in 2018 to “promote cultural, generational, economic, and family composition diversity; seek commercial, retail, and civic uses that encourage vitality; capitalize on transit proximity; focus on the quality and scale of future neighborhood development; pursue environmentally sustainable and economically viable development; improve the public realm; and seek to provide affordable housing options.”

The RFPs are for the following parcels:

• Southeast corner of W. Newport Ave. & N. Clark St.; officially portions of 3401-3427 N. Clark St. and 947-949 W. Newport Ave. This parcel includes the historic Vautravers Building, which was moved 30 feet west to allow the CTA to completely reconstruct and straighten century-old Red and Purple Line track structures.
• Southwest corner of W. Roscoe St. & N. Clark St.; officially portions of 3366-3368 N. Clark St. and 947-955 W. Roscoe St.
• Frontage along N. Clark St.; officially portions of 3330-3348 N. Clark St.

Proposals are due by Feb. 25, 2026.

CTA in 2018 published a separate TOD Plan for parcels in the RPM Project’s Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization area in the Uptown and Edgewater communities (download below). CTA said it expects to issue RFPs for those parcels in 2026. 

LBMM-TOD_Plan_Sum_ReportDownload

CTA is completing Phase One of the multi-phase RPM Program, which is rebuilding the 9.6-mile stretch of Red and Purple line track structure and stations on the North Side that were a century old. RPM is replacing aging infrastructure and will help CTA boost train service as needed.

Further Reading:

• RTA Board Approves 2026 Regional Operating Budget and Capital Program
• Gov. Pritzker Signs NITA Act Into Law
• Chicagoland Transit Gets Reprieve

VTA

Two major projects in VTA’s TOD portfolio are moving forward with funding from California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program. Earlier this month, the transit agency reported that the Capitol Station TOD in San José and the 87 E Evelyn Phase I TOD in Mountain View were each awarded $49 million to help increase ridership, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and expand access to essential services.

Capitol Station TOD, San José (Rendering Courtesy of VTA)

The Capitol Station TOD is located on a portion of the 10-acre VTA Park & Ride lot at Capitol Expressway and Narvaez Avenue in San José. In March 2022, VTA selected MidPen Housing as the project developer.

Of the $49 million awarded by AHSC, $35 million will be used for housing development. MidPen, in partnership with VTA and the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing, will build 201 affordable rental homes for households earning 30%-60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), including 51 Permanent Supportive Housing units for formerly homeless individuals.

Approximately $14 million will fund transportation improvements, including:

• A VTA Light Rail Blue Line crossover, allowing trains to turn around mid-line.
• 10 new VTA bus shelters.
• A new upgraded transit plaza.
• 2.3 miles of Class IV protected bikeways.
• More than 3,000 feet of public walkway upgrades.

“These upgrades will create safe, seamless access to transit, schools, parks, and essential services,” VTA said.

The Capitol Station TOD project will also provide one SmartPass per unit for at least two years, as well as anti-displacement and workforce development programs, totaling more than $500,000, according to VTA.

87 E Evelyn Phase I, Mountain View (Rendering Courtesy of VTA)

The two-acre Evelyn site, located along Evelyn Avenue and Pioneer Way in Mountain View, is a former VTA Park & Ride lot. The station closed in 2015 for Orange Line double-tracking and the property was sold to the City of Mountain View in 2023, according to VTA.

The city selected Affirmed Housing to develop 268 affordable units and a daycare center over two phases. Of these units, 42 will be reserved for Santa Clara County’s Rapid Rehousing Program for Extremely Low-Income households and 15 for Permanent Supportive Housing for unhoused households.

Of the $49 million in AHSC funding, $35 million will be used for housing development. In Phase I, Affirmed Housing will deliver 161 affordable homes for households earning 30%-60% AMI, according to VTA.

Approximately $15 million will fund transportation improvements, including:

• Two new electric Caltrain trains.
• 10 new bus shelters, including VTA shelters.
• 2.7 miles of Class IV protected bikeways.
• 5,000 feet of public walkway upgrades.

The project will also contribute approximately $400,000 for VTA SmartPasses for all units, as well as anti-displacement and workforce development programs, according to VTA.

“These projects show how affordable housing and transit infrastructure can work together to create vibrant, sustainable communities, helping people live, work, and travel without requiring a car,” VTA said.

Separately, VTA in July landed $100 million in California state funding for the BART Silicon Valley Phase II project.

The post Transit Briefs: NYMTA, SMART, HART, CTA, Santa Clara VTA appeared first on Railway Age.

The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) announced Dec. 30 that members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have ratified a national collective bargaining agreement covering more than 12,000 freight rail employees.

With this ratification, approximately 95% of the union-represented freight rail employees at railroads participating in national handling are now covered by 12 ratified collective bargaining agreements that follow the industry-wide pattern.

The ratified agreement provides:

• “Wage increases of 18.8% over five years. Based on current inflation projections, this increase will translate to real wage growth for covered railroaders, along with pay certainty for the life of the contract. Under these agreements, average annual wages will rise to about $135,000 and average total compensation will increase to about $190,000 by the end of the contract in 2029.
• “Enhancements to world-class health and welfare benefits with no increase to the employee contribution rate. Employees’ 2025 health care premiums have decreased to about $277/month, well below the national average of more than $500/month for employer-provided family coverage.
• “Access to more paid vacation time for employees earlier in their careers.”

“We congratulate BLET members on their ratification vote,” said Jeff Rodgers, Chairman of the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) and the NCCC. “With 11 unions and nearly all freight rail employees covered by a ratified agreement through 2029, employees have resoundingly endorsed this pattern agreement with 18.8% wage increases and enhanced benefits.”

BLET members join employees represented by ATDA, BMWED, BRC, IAM, IBB, IBEW, NCFO, SMART-MD, SMART-TD, and TCU in approving a total of 12 national collective bargaining agreements covering the period through Dec 31, 2029. These national agreements are in addition to dozens of local agreements reached and ratified this round.

Since the exchange of Section 6 notices on Nov. 1, 2024, the 2025 bargaining round has seen “historic collaboration” between freight rail carriers and unions that has led to nearly all rail union employees having ratified agreements just more than one year later, NRLC noted. “Early local agreements set the stage for this momentum, establishing a clear pattern that addresses employee needs while strengthening the freight rail industry’s ability to provide safe, reliable service.”

The 18.8% wage increase in these pattern agreements builds on the historic 24% wage increase from the 2022 bargaining round. Taken together, these wage increases represent a nearly 50% (compounded) wage increase for covered employees between 2020 and 2029.

Further Reading:

• NCCC Reaches National Agreements With TCU, BRC
• NCCC, ATDA Ratify National Agreement
• NCCC, BMWED Vote to Ratify National Agreement
• IAM Ratifies National Agreement With NCCC
• NCCC, IBB Ratify National Agreement
• NCCC, IBEW Vote to Ratify National Agreement
• NCCC, NCFO Ratify National Agreement
• SMART-MD Votes to Ratify National Agreement With NCCC
• NCCC Reaches Tentative Agreements With SMART-TD, Yardmasters
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The post NCCC, BLET Ratify National Agreement appeared first on Railway Age.

NS

“This year, we made meaningful investments across our network to improve our railroad, our industry, and the communities we serve,” NS reported Dec. 29. Among the highlights:

Safety 

• NS invested in its employees, “building the skills and capabilities of generational railroaders” through Safety Camps, two-day, intensive leadership development programs. The railroad in 2025 achieved what it said was its “lowest injury and accident rates in more than a decade.”
• NS trained 5,800 first responders through its Operation Awareness and Response (OAR) program.
• Railroaders companywide—from senior leaders to frontline employees—“joined forces to raise awareness, protect communities, and help save lives during Operation Lifesaver’s See Tracks? Think Train!® Week.”
• NS installed three new Digital Train Inspection (DTI) portals, bringing the total number in networkwide operation to 10.
• NS deployed its “first-ever” Wheel Integrity System (WIS) “that uses AI and ultra‑high‑resolution imaging to spot cracked wheels at track speed, preventing potential derailments before they happen.”

Operations

• NS last spring restored AS Line service around Asheville, N.C., after working for six months to repair track that was damaged by Hurricane Helene. The line connects Eastern Tennessee to Western North Carolina.
• NS established “specialized cross-functional War Rooms focused on critical areas such as wayside operations, locomotive reliability, and car maintenance.” According to the railroad, they “monitor real-time performance, reduce delays, and engineer long-term solutions.”
• NS’s Bellevue Yard achieved a milestone: processing nearly 2,600 cars in a single day, including more than 1,100 in one shift—“all without a single safety incident.”

Infrastructure

• NS committed more than $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades across its 22-state network “to enhance safety, productivity, and fluidity.” Key achievements included replacing more than 480 track miles of rail, installing 1.9 million new crossties, adding 375 highway/rail grade crossing protection systems, and delivering 84 bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects, along with seven terminal upgrade projects “to support capacity, efficiency, and customer demand.”
• In partnership with the Georgia Ports Authority, NS completed work on the Blue Ridge Connector inland port, which will open next year in Gainesville, Ga. The railroad said it led track construction and signal installation for the project, which is designed to boost capacity and cut carbon emissions by up to 90%.
• NS modernized and expanded Alabama’s 3B Corridor, which connects markets in northern and central Alabama with the Port of Mobile. Upgrades included new sidings and yard expansions to support the automotive, agriculture, and manufacturing industries.

Community Impact

• NS distributed $18.3 million to communities across its network through Safety First and Thriving Communities grants and other programs.

Sustainability  

• NS introduced RailGreen, described as “a first-of-its-kind solution enabling customers to reduce emissions from their freight rail shipments via verified certificates for supply chain emissions reduction.”
• Josh Raglin, NS Chief Sustainability Officer, was named Sustainable Business Leader of the Year by Environmental Finance.
• NS’s “living shoreline” in Lamberts Point, Va., won Best Sustainability Program from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
• NS’s Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pa., completed the railroad’s 1,000th DC-to-AC locomotive conversion, extending each locomotive’s life by at least 20 years and leading to “lower costs, reduced emissions and greater reliability” of the equipment.

Enterprise

• In 2025, NS reported achieving “a world-class response rate of 42% to our customer survey.” The survey results, it said, “show that we made meaningful investments in our customer relationships, service reliability, and proactive communication to boost customer value.”
• NS held its second-annual Labor Summit, building upon its “strong relationships with labor partners to listen, learn, and find more ways to improve together.”
• NS held “Safety Walkabouts,” accelerating what it called a “culture transformation” bringing together railroaders across crafts, roles, and responsibilities.

Customer Successes 

• “From the AI economy to renewable energy, NS is helping customers build critical power infrastructure, such as transformers, generators and wind farm components,” it said. “By leveraging our rail network for efficient, reliable transport, NS ensures customers can scale quickly and sustainably for tomorrow’s needs.”
• NS also supported customer goals. “When SA Recycling sought to increase its daily carloads from 14 to 25 and eliminate mainline switching conflicts, we worked with them on a solution, ultimately connecting our Doraville Yard directly to their facility,” the railroad reported. “The result is a smoother service and improved operational efficiency.”
• NS expanded its Short Line Performance Project from an initial pilot to all 260-plus short line connections across its network. The program, it said, “improves interchange performance through shared data, daily visibility, and stronger two-way communication with short line partners.”
• NS’s Great Lakes Reload facility in Chicago has experienced a 62% increase in volume since the railroad acquired it in 2024, NS said. The facility includes a 386,000-square-foot climate-controlled warehouse, 13 overhead cranes, and 18 indoor rail spots to support efficient freight transfer and storage, according to the railroad. It serves the steel, cement, and lumber industries, and handles other bulk commodities.

Innovation

• NS’s new Automated Track Geometry Measurement System (ATGMS) “captures changes that could indicate potential defects without disrupting operations.” By continuously collecting data, “ATGMS helps our craft colleagues enhance safety and performance throughout the network,” according to the railroad.
• NS was recognized with a Fast Company 2025 Innovation by Design Award for its DTI portals, which it noted “spotlight how NS is applying AI and human expertise to make inspections smarter and operations safer.” 

Railway Age in November named NS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Orr 2026 Railroader of the Year. Orr will be presented with the award on March 10, 2026, following the Railway Age Next-Gen Freight Rail 2026 conference in Chicago.

CSX

CSX helped deliver the first rail shipment of construction stone from Benson Mines to Astro Aggregates’ Long Island facility, connecting upstate resources to NYC projects. Proud to support growth and sustainability in our communities. Learn more: https://t.co/msWWbgu18f pic.twitter.com/UDKjPFbMyv

— CSX (@CSX) December 22, 2025

Astro Aggregates, LLC, earlier this month reported that its Hicksville, Long Island, loading facility received the first rail delivery of construction stone from upstate New York’s Benson Mines. The roughly 350-mile journey was serviced by Genesee Valley Transportation, CSX, and Anacostia Rail Holdings’s New York & Atlantic Railway.

Astro Aggregates, a provider of construction stone and other aggregates to the New York City, Long Island and New Jersey markets, and Benson Mines signed a multi-year partnership for rail moves in December 2024.

“We are excited to see this partnership with Benson Mines reach this milestone,” said Marc Furman, President of Astro Aggregates. “We see the relationship benefiting our asphalt and ready-mix customers in the boroughs of New York City and Long Island. As we continue to grow our market presence in the Long Island market and adjacent states, we will continue to market the NYSDOT certifications of the Benson stone and pursue additional state certifications. This material will be used to build the skyscrapers of New York City and pave the roads of all of Long Island. We see the volume of stone being shipped increasing from this initial load [of 500 tons] to using 500 cars per year and then steadily increasing thereafter.”

Astro Aggregates reported that it plans to bring to the Benson Mines site a mobile crushing unit “to efficiently work through the existing stockpiles [of quarried waste rock] and then develop a static plant that can produce higher volumes and load railcars directly from the conveyor.”

Separately, Eco Material Technologies earlier this year opened the Blissville Rail Terminal in Queens, N.Y., to distribute its fly ash and sustainable cementitious materials to the metro area construction market. The terminal is served by New York & Atlantic Railway and operated by Precision Terminal Logistics, LLC in partnership with Eco Material.

BNSF (Courtesy of BNSF)

For the past four years in San Bernardino, Calif., BNSF and J.B. Hunt Transport Services have taken part in the National Wreaths Across America event, placing wreaths on U.S. veterans’ graves. Volunteers from the Patriot Guard earlier this month escorted wreaths, transported free of charge by BNSF and J.B. Hunt, to the Riverside National Cemetery, the railroad reported via social media on Dec. 27 (see photograph above).

“Each year, the teams come together to honor those who served, even in the midst of our busiest season,” BNSF Assistant Terminal Superintendent Tom Batts said. “We demonstrate the value of coming together for a special purpose, while maintaining seamless operations.”

The 2025 Wreaths Across America event took place Dec. 13 at 5,598 locations; more than 3.1 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths were placed in remembrance of “our nation’s heroes,” according to Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit.

Separately, BNSF in November marked its 11th consecutive month of “record-breaking” terminal dwell.

The post Class I Briefs: NS, CSX, BNSF appeared first on Railway Age.

“Ray has been an exceptional leader whose steady hand and deep industry knowledge have strengthened our short line operations and elevated our service standards. We are grateful for his dedication and wish him the very best in retirement,” said R.J. Corman Railroad Group President and CEO Justin Broyles.

Before joining R. J. Corman Railroad Company, Goss built a “distinguished reputation” in the rail industry holding various leadership and operational roles at major railroads such as Genesee & Wyoming Inc., Amtrak Corporation, and Canadian Pacific Railway, where he developed expertise in engineering, transportation management, safety initiatives, and customer relations. “His broad experience and commitment to excellence positioned him as a respected figure in the field, ultimately leading to his appointment as President of R. J. Corman Railroad Company’s operations,” the company noted.

Under Goss’s leadership, R. J. Corman Railroad Company achieved “remarkable growth and modernization.” Since 2019, the company expanded its network through strategic acquisitions and new operations, adding the Childersburg Line, Raleigh & Fayetteville Railroad, Knoxville & Cumberland Gap Railroad, as well as the Owego & Harford Railway, Lehigh Railway, and Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway. These additions, the company says, “strengthened R. J. Corman’s presence across key regions and enhanced its ability to serve diverse markets.”

Goss also championed transformative infrastructure improvements, securing federal TIGER and CRISI grants to rehabilitate hundreds of miles of track, upgrade bridges, and modernize grade crossings. These investments, R.J. Corman says, “improved safety, efficiency, and reliability for customers while supporting regional economic development.” Under his tenure, the company consistently earned top safety honors, with all short lines receiving Jake Awards in recent years and several earning the prestigious President’s Award for exemplary safety performance. These accomplishments, the company adds, “reflect Goss’s unwavering commitment to operational excellence and customer service, leaving a lasting legacy of growth and innovation.”

“It has been an honor to lead R. J. Corman’s railroads and work alongside such a talented team,” said Goss. “Together, we’ve advanced safety, improved efficiency, and strengthened relationships with our customers. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and I’m confident that they will continue to be leaders in the industry and take the company to new heights.”

The post Goss to Retire as R.J. Corman President appeared first on Railway Age.

“We’re pleased to be moving to the next step in the procurement process for the light-rail vehicles the City needs to maintain and expand its transit service,” said Bruce Ferguson, Branch Manager, LRT Expansion and Renewal. “We look forward to working with Hyundai Rotem Company to deliver this crucial infrastructure to support Edmonton’s growth to a city of two million people.”

Design and manufacturing of 40 high-floor light-rail vehicles is anticipated to begin in 2026, with vehicles arriving in 2029 and 2030.

In February, the City of Edmonton’s Evaluation Committee shortlisted the following three bidders to participate in the Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the design and manufacturing of up to 53 new high-floor LRVs.

• Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. (CAF)
• Hyundai Rotem Company (Hyundai Rotem)
• Siemens Mobility Limited (Siemens)

The City followed a “rigorous, fair and competitive” international procurement process. Two of the three bidders shortlisted by the City submitted proposals to supply the vehicles. Hyundai Rotem Company received the highest combined technical and financial score.

In 2024, the Request for Qualifications (RFQS) received strong interest from industry. A total of six submissions were received from international bidding teams.

High-floor LRVs are necessary to replace the 37 aging U2 models that have been operating on Capital Line and Metro Line for more than 45 years, according to the City of Edmonton. Up to 16 LRVs are being procured to accommodate service growth for the Capital Line South Extension and Metro Line Northwest Extension.

“LRT is a key part of Edmonton’s mass transit network and a solution to move people quickly, efficiently and sustainably along transportation corridors,” said Ferguson. “Investing in new light-rail vehicles is necessary to keep transit service operating efficiently and reliably as Edmonton continues to grow.”

The City is aiming to award the contract in early 2026.

More information is available here.

The post Edmonton Selects Preferred LRV Procurement Bidder (UPDATED, 12/30) appeared first on Railway Age.

The agency joins several other railroads, including Wheeling & Lake Erie (W&LE), East Penn Railroad (ESPN), Genesee & Wyoming (G&W), Reading & Northern (R&N), Pennsylvania & Southern (P&S), Nevada Northern Railway Museum (NNRY), and North Shore Railroad (NSHR), in painting a locomotive a in red, white, and blue scheme as part of a tradition started during America’s Bicentennial in 1976.

The post NJ Transit Introduces New Patriotic Paint Scheme appeared first on Railway Age.

“The train’s annual journey embodies the spirit of the holidays, bringing families and neighbors together while helping those in need in our communities,” the Class I said.

“Year after year, the CPKC Holiday Train proves that generosity and community spirit know no bounds,” said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel. “Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who came out to see a show, donated to this great cause, and made the season a true celebration of giving. The incredible support we receive reminds us of what is possible when we come together with kindness and purpose.”

Holiday Train Highlights:

• Since 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $28.3 million and collected more than 5.6 million pounds of food for local food banks in Canada and the U.S.
• The 2025 Holiday Train hosted 194 live music shows in six provinces and 13 states featuring performances by artists such as Barenaked Ladies, Tyler Shaw and American Authors.

Additionally, the spirit of the holidays stretched into Mexico where CPKC operated the Tren Navideño, a dazzlingly decorated train that visited communities across Mexico, continuing a tradition that began in 2010.

The post 2025 CPKC Holiday Train Raises Record $2MM appeared first on Railway Age.

Total carloads for the week came in at 206,674, a 10.5% drop-off, and intermodal volume was 280,464 containers and trailers, a 4.3% decrease compared with 2024, according to the AAR.

For the week ending Dec. 20, 2025, two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They were grain, up 1,294 carloads, to 23,272; and motor vehicles and parts, up 177 carloads, to 16,024. Commodity groups that posted declines included coal, down 9,571 carloads, to 51,534; miscellaneous carloads, down 8,235 carloads, to 1,044; and chemicals, down 3,662 carloads, to 31,508.

For the first 51 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,320,426 carloads, up 1.5% from the same point last year; and 13,851,979 intermodal units, up 1.6% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of this year came in at 25,172,405 carloads and intermodal units, rising 1.5% from the same period in 2024.

North American rail volume for the week ending Dec. 20, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 310,557 carloads, down 8.7% from the same week in 2024, and 361,679 intermodal units, down 3.9% from prior-year period. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 672,236 carloads and intermodal units, a 6.1% decrease. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of this year was 34,645,846 carloads and intermodal units, rising 1.4% from 2024.

Canadian railroads for the week ending Dec. 20, 2025, reported 89,678 carloads, dipping 3.5%, and 66,363 intermodal units, falling 3.9% from the same point last year. For the first 51 weeks of 2025, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 8,258,288 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 2.1%.

For the week ending Dec. 20, 2025, Mexican railroads reported 14,205 carloads, declining 12.5% from the same week last year, and 14,852 intermodal units, gaining 5.5%. Their cumulative volume for the first 51 weeks of this year came in at 1,215,153 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.5% from the year-ago period.

The post AAR: U.S. Carloads, Intermodal Down for Week 51 appeared first on Railway Age.

A Denver, Rio Grande & Western SW1200 recently arrived in Utah after being acquired by the Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. 

Rio Grande 133 was built in 1965 and spent years working in Utah before heading east to South Dakota, where it operated at various grain elevators. It eventually ended up in Iowa. In early 2024, it was announced that the locomotive had been donated to the NRHS chapter by the Southeast Farmers Coop. The engine remained in Iowa until late 2025, when it moved west to Utah, where it will be put on display at the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, pending a cosmetic and operational restoration.

The group is currently raising $15,000 to acquire a new set of batteries, preserve and improve its original Rio Grande paint, and address some rust issues. Donations can be made through GoFundMe.

—Justin Franz 

The post Rio Grande SW1200 Back Home in Utah appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

We hosted a former Class I CEO to review the recent Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application. He sees a very strong filing with acceptance likely though not until 2027. The CGP (Committed Gateway Pricing) solution enhances competition and should pass STB’s test. The network plan supports disclosed truck conversion opportunities in transcontinental and watershed lanes. Competitors are likely compelled to adapt and could eventually propose their own combinations.

Our panelist (who prefers his identity not be disclosed) believes UP and NS have put forward a very strong application that is likely to be accepted, though finalized likely in 2027. Review could likely take longer than planned, and a 1Q27 timeframe for a final decision is reasonable with little possibility that the process can be expedited. We believe this could very well get pushed to later in the 1Q27 quarter. Public comments on the merger application’s completeness are due 12/29/25. Overall, Our panelist views the filing as adequately showcasing enhanced competition with no glaring omissions on competition or concessions.

CGP effectively does the job of enhancing competition by offering shippers more choices. Traditional gateway pricing has been limited to some lanes in the I-5 corridor and allows a captive shipper to gain access to a competing railroad at pre-determined prices. UP has moved to offer this to all captive shippers of CSX and BNSF across all applicable lanes, significantly expanding choice. A fixed pricing matrix significantly speeds up the transcon’s quoting speed. Additionally, UP has sworn off pricing in excess of rail inflation (plus fuel) on these CGP hauls while also committing to prevailing service standards. Our panelist believes this will measure favorably to the STB’s competition test.

The disclosed operating and pricing plan fully tracks with intent to convert significant truck freight to rail. Seven of 10 terminal expansions are in the watershed region, with our panelist emphasizing that very little capacity has been constructed on these lanes so far. His view aligns with our analysis on revenue synergy upside from watershed. He also expressed high confidence in the transcon piece, noting that 4 out of the disclosed 6 new intermodal lanes will drive significant competitive advantage for the transcon. The Port of LA to gain import competitiveness as a result, taking share from the Panama Canal. Lastly, our panelist noted that auto freight conversions to rail remain an underappreciated aspect of merger synergies.

STB intends to focus on shippers’ concerns, so some concessions might be required but likely will be established on a case-by-case basis. The STB will likely require that the transcon keep CGP in place through the long oversight period that will be mandated in a potential approval. Opposition from competing Class Is and unions are unlikely to factor much in the regulators’ review. Our panelist is not surprised that the combination sees only three 2- to-1 shippers and views this is as a very manageable issue for UP.

Competing Class I’s would necessarily have to take service-improving actions to adapt to this proposed transcon, including potentially combining. The suite of actions includes 1) additional capital spend to bolster service, 2) entering alliances among the remaining Class I’s, 3) eventually joining the CGP regime with the UP/NC transcon and 4) exploring potential combinations among each other. Our panelist sees little chance of favorable outcomes from the STB for Class I competitors and would thus not be surprised to eventually see competing rails propose a combination of their own.

The post Former Rail Executive: UP-NS Deal Likely to Get Done & Other Views appeared first on Railway Age.

In May, GATX Corp. and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wells Fargo’s rail operating lease portfolio of approximately 105,000 railcars for $4.4 billion. On Dec. 23, the joint venture partners announced that they have received all required regulatory clearances to complete the transaction, which GATX anticipates will close on or about Jan. 1, 2026.

Initial joint venture equity ownership will be GATX (30%) and Brookfield Infrastructure (70%), with GATX having the option to acquire 100% of the joint venture equity over time. Additionally, Brookfield Infrastructure has entered into an agreement to directly acquire Wells Fargo’s rail finance-lease portfolio, composed of approximately 23,000 railcars and approximately 440 locomotives. GATX will serve as manager of the railcars in the joint venture and of the finance-lease railcars and locomotives directly owned by Brookfield Infrastructure.

Wells Fargo’s 105,000 railcar operating lease portfolio consists primarily of freight cars (95%), spread across a diverse mix of specific car types.Fleet utilization when the deal was announced was approximately 97%.

Joint Venture Structure

Initial equity ownership in the joint venture will be shared between GATX (30%) and Brookfield Infrastructure (70%). GATX will have commercial and operational control of the joint venture assets and will manage all assets on behalf of the partners. “GATX will hold a series of annual call options that, if exercised, will enable GATX to acquire up to 100% of Brookfield Infrastructure’s equity interest over time,” the company said. “If each annual call option is exercised, GATX would acquire Brookfield Infrastructure’s equity interest in 10 years or less. GATX’s initial equity contribution will be approximately $400 million and will be funded through general operating cash flow and financing activity. Future call options, if exercised, also will be funded through general operating cash flow and financing activity and will fit manageably within GATX’s ordinary capital investment plan. It is expected that the joint venture will be a static pool of assets. GATX’s current and future investment and growth initiatives across its businesses are expected to be unaffected by this acquisition.”

Joint Venture Financing

In addition to the partner equity contributions, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BofA Securities, MUFG Bank Ltd., and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) are providing the joint venture with a fully underwritten $3.2 billion, five-year unsecured term loan and a $250 million unsecured revolving credit facility. BofA Securities acted as the sole financial advisor to GATX and Brookfield Infrastructure. Mayer Brown is serving as legal counsel to GATX. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is serving as legal counsel to Brookfield Infrastructure.

Financial Statement Impact

“Given GATX’s commercial and operational control of the joint venture assets, it is expected that the joint venture will be consolidated on GATX’s financial statements,” GATX noted. “It is expected that Brookfield Infrastructure’s initial joint venture equity contribution, a Non-Controlling Interest (NCI), will be presented on GATX’s balance sheet as common equity. GATX’s post-acquisition credit and return metrics are expected to be generally in line with current metrics.”

“This is an outstanding opportunity to build on GATX’s leading North American platform,” said Robert C. Lyons, President and CEO of GATX. “Throughout our 125-plus-year history, we have developed unique asset, commercial and operational expertise that positions us to acquire and integrate this fleet. Importantly, by acquiring the assets in this manner, we will maintain the financial flexibility and capacity to continue growing all our businesses while capitalizing on the value creation opportunities inherent in the assets acquired. We will work closely with customers to ensure an efficient transition to GATX’s commercial and operational platform. The acquisition will enhance GATX’s fleet diversification, providing additional opportunities to serve our customers. In the first full year after closing, we expect the impact of the transaction to be modestly accretive to earnings per share, with more material contributions thereafter.”

GATX’s global portfolio of assets includes tank and freight railcars, commercial aircraft spare engines, and tank containers. BIP is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager, with more than $1 trillion of assets under management.

COMMENTARY David Nahass

“The acquisition of Wells Fargo Rail by a partnership of GATX with Brookfield Infrastructure represents another private equity reach into operating lessor railcar ownership,” comments Railroad Financial Corp. President and Railway Age Financial Editor David Nahass. “However, in this case, Brookfield has partnered with a knowledgeable and respected partner in GATX, so the deal takes on a different spin. Rumors about a possible sale of Wells Fargo have been circulating for months, but this seemingly negotiated deal demonstrates the benefits of size and of relationships.

“It seems like a savvy win for GATX, which has maintained the option to acquire all of Wells Fargo’s operating fleet without committing 100% of the equity and balance sheet capacity up front. This can cap Brookfield’s upside in the deal but also give it some certainty of return. But acquiring the operating responsibility and oversight for the fleet gives GATX a market position that is almost double its existing fleet size today (~113,000) and gives it a control position over roughly 23% of all operating lessor-owned railcars (~944,000).

“Industry watchers will focus on the very interesting per-car price (without having great detail about the overall age and consistency of the Wells Fargo fleet), which seems to be a very reasonable $42,000 per car.

“After the CPKC merger and even today there are always discussions about “the next merger.” Perhaps the same thought process needs to be applied to railcar operating lessors.”

The post GATX, Brookfield Infrastructure JV Acquiring Wells Fargo Rail Assets (Updated 12/23/25) appeared first on Railway Age.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s growth-oriented merger argument remains sound, but the bid-ask spread on competitive concessions remains unknown until the rails respond. Downstream, we view today’s filing as constructive for domestic intermodal (Hub Group best positioned to benefit mid-term, in our view) and better-than-feared for Wabtec’s locomotive businesses. We put our pencils down on our initial review of the UP-NS STB merger application, sharing our initial thoughts on the impact on UP-NS and their suppliers and growth partners below.

Tops Down – Update on Synergies. Gross revenue synergies increased slightly and dyssynergies (concessions to other rails) declined notably, driving approximately $1 billion of incremental EBITDA synergies on a net basis vs. September’s outlook. UP’s updated assessment of potential markets (both intermodal and carloads, particularly in “watershed” region) added ~$250 million in net revenue synergies, but the largest driver of the net increase was the $750 million removal of previously outlined dyssynergies. Ultimately, UP believes their combination has already made a profound effect on enhanced competition pointing to recently announced partnership agreements and offer “Committed Gateway Pricing” (CGP) to allow shipper access to their combined network. Cost synergies remain unchanged at $1 billion while planned capital investment increased slightly to $2.1 billion (+$100 million vs. prior). UP also newly outlined $133 million of annual capex savings by Year 3, driving some slight upside to their free cash flow target to $12 billion-plus (up from ~$12 billion).

The Big Question – Gateway Access. We’re reserving our judgment on what UP’s big competitive offer of CGP is and isn’t until we see the other rails’ responses. On paper, it sounds reasonable, but it’s complicated, and the devil will be deeply in the details. We have no doubt the other Class I’s will unearth every imaginable issue with this as a tool to enhance competition and wait for their official counter-arguments to build a more thoughtful opinion of our own.

Tops Down – Revenue Build. All in, traffic gains are expected to generate $4.2 billion of incremental revenue (+11% vs. UP/NS’s combined 2026 consensus base), translating into $2 billion of net revenue EBITDA synergies (+10% vs. UP/NS 2026 consensus). Forecasts indicate an annual growth opportunity of 1.4 million intermodal loads and 425,000 carloads of manifest, bulk and auto products, with nearly 500 million tons of steel, grain, lumber, chemicals and manufactured goods to originate or terminate in the watershed market. Of that growth, 75% is modeled to come from the highway (mentioning conversion of 105,000 annual carloads from trucks after transforming watershed markets to single-line service) while the remaining 25% will be taking share from rails.

Hub Group, Schneider National, J.B. Hunt – IMC Takeaways. The merger application was constructive for intermodal, and specifically asset-based IMCs. The already aligned UP/NS partner HUBG wrote a glowing support letter arguing the merger would help realize intermodal’s growth potential in the U.S. economy and enable manufacturing re-shoring, positioning itself as a flagship partner of the combined railroad but stopping short of sharing its own growth projections. Knight Transportation also wrote in support of the deal but didn’t share projections for growth either. Interestingly, neither JBHT, SNDR, nor STG Logistics contributed letters of support. Higher level, Oliver Wyman’s analysis of intermodal’s share gain potential from the merger (incremental +1.2-1.4 million domestic intermodal units) was tops-down without IMC-specific conclusions. We’d also note that projected growth capital to drive merger synergies is heavily skewed to supporting intermodal capacity.

Wabtec – Locomotive Investment Takeaways. The bad news? UP-NS doesn’t anticipate buying any new locomotives to support its growth, relying on the buffer of parked locomotives at both rails of ~2,500 today (7,600 total road locomotives less 5,100 active, isolating the high-horsepower main line units that WAB focuses on). The better news? Neither UP nor NS have been buying new locomotives anyway, as they’ve invested in modifications where WAB completely overhauls existing locomotives in a capital-efficient manner. The merger application’s growth strategy calls for re-activating ~800 more road locomotives over the 3-year integration period on a current active base of ~5,100, which approaches the last 3 years’ modification commitment of ~300 WAB units/year combined for UP-NS. Additionally, their estimates suggest that optimizing the network would only shed ~60 active road locomotives from efficiencies before the growth stage drives higher locomotive needs. In short, this analysis doesn’t suggest the merger is a growth opportunity for WAB with the combined railroad, but it appears far more “business as usual” than the bear case of “UP-NS mod demand will collapse” that emerged immediately following the merger announcement in July. To quote the application, the “… ability to optimize locomotive assignments across a combined fleet will also create a sufficient buffer such that it will have an opportunity to remanufacture older locomotives to meet future demands.”

Wabtec – Locomotive Servicing Takeaways. There has been a lot of ink spilled on the risk to modified locomotive capex from UP and NS post-merger, but we’ve also been concerned about WAB’s steady and lucrative bread-and-butter outsourced locomotive parts and maintenance business (reported in services and with backlog) potentially being on the chopping block. We’ve reviewed the cost synergy breakdowns and discussion, and there’s zero mention of insourcing this type of work from either railroad, which we view as a great outcome for WAB vs. a less prominently discussed merger risk.

The post Merging Lines – First Take on UP-NS Application appeared first on Railway Age.

She succeeds Charlene Polege, who stepped down from the role earlier this month.

Trans brings more than 30 years of human resources experience in public service, public safety, and the nonprofit sector primarily in Denver and Colorado Springs. She served most recently as Chief of Staff for Denver Rescue Mission, where she led a campaign “to elevate employee experience, including initiatives that reduced overall employee turnover,” according to RTD, which provides light rail, commuter rail, bus, on-demand, paratransit, airport, and special event services in eight counties.

Previously, Tran was Chief Human Resources Officer for the Colorado Department of Human Services and led statewide negotiations for the Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions (COWINS) collective bargaining agreement representing 27,000 employees, which RTD said was the first agreement of its kind in Colorado state government. Tran also worked for the City and County of Denver as Director of Human Resources for Public Safety, overseeing more than 7,000 civilian and sworn employees while managing labor relations and negotiations across six collective bargaining agreements.

Tran earned a Master of Business Administration, with dual concentrations in HR management and leadership, as well as a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Colorado. She holds three professional certifications: Society for Human Resource Management, Human Resources Certification Institute, and Public Sector Human Resources Association. Tran is also a member of the SHRM Executive Network, and works on the El Pomar Emerging Leaders Program’s Asian American Advisory Council and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs School of Business Career Coaching Program.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to serve as Chief People Officer at RTD,” Tran said during the Dec. 22 announcement of her appointment. “Our dedicated employees are the driving force behind our mission of making lives better through connections I am committed to equipping every member of our team with the resources, training, and support necessary to advance that mission by providing safe, reliable, and efficient public transportation services that serve our communities across the Denver metro area.”

Further Reading:

• For Denver RTD, FY26 Budget Tops $1.5B
• Denver RTD Releases Draft 2025 Finishing FasTracks Report

The post Denver RTD Tabs Tran as CPO appeared first on Railway Age.

While Amtrak has started upgrading its maintenance facilities to support major fleet acquisitions, including NextGen Acela, Airo, and planned Long Distance trains, developing and implementing a strategic plan would help the company “make better-informed decisions about its long-term facility needs,” and “fully implementing a management framework” for facility upgrades would help it “gain efficiencies and other benefits not apparent from managing these projects individually,” the latest Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has found (download below).

OIG-A-2026-002 National FacilitiesDownload

This report, “Major Programs: Improved Planning for Maintenance Facility Upgrades Could Help the Company Better Meet Its Fleet Goals,” is the result of OIG’s audit of Amtrak’s National Facilities program. “Our objective was to assess the company’s management of the program and to identify any risks to achieving its goals,” said the OIG, which conducted its work from December 2024 through December 2025 in Seattle, Wash.; Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Washington, D.C. 

Amtrak is spending an estimated $4 billion to upgrade and modify some of its maintenance facilities in support of its $8 billion (at minimum) new fleet, but two key “challenges … have delayed its progress,” according to the OIG. They are:

1. Incomplete strategic planning: Amtrak’s facility planning “has lagged behind its fleet planning by about 15 years even though the two efforts are closely interconnected,” the OIG said.
2. The lack of a management framework: Amtrak “is separately managing dozens of facility projects rather than managing them as a single, coordinated effort, as called for by company and industry standards,” the OIG said.

As a result, “some facilities will not be ready in time to service the company’s new trains, which could hinder its ability to fully operate the new equipment at the intended service levels,” the OIG reported. “Instead, the company may need to store some new trains intermittently, which could postpone the capture of additional revenue. Further facility delays—which remain a risk—would add to the existing delays in fully operating its new fleets.”

Level 1 Maintenance and Inspection facilities are Amtrak’s largest maintenance facilities, which it uses to perform ongoing maintenance activities such as periodic inspections, and other major mechanical activities that require the use of a crane, according to the OIG. These facilities are usually located near major terminals throughout the network. The company initially plans to upgrade six of its Level 1 facilities (pictured above).(Courtesy of the OIG) (Courtesy of the OIG) “If the current schedule holds, company officials told us—and company documents show—they can operate the first 24 of 28 NextGen Acela trainsets and the first 12 of 83 Airo trainsets without additional maintenance facility capacities,” the OIG reported. “After that point, however, they may not be able to fully operate the new trainsets until completing additional facilities modifications. For example, under current schedule projections, the number of new Airo trainsets may exceed the company’s maintenance capacity intermittently over the first four years of revenue service, as Figure 3 [above] shows.” (Courtesy of the OIG)

To address Amtrak’s incomplete strategic planning and lack of a management framework, the OIG recommended that:

• Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy and Planning Jennifer Mitchell “[c]ontinue to develop and implement a joint strategic fleet/facilities plan. The plan should define company goals, timelines, and next steps to ensure that the company’s fleet and facilities efforts align. The plan should also include an inventory of existing facilities and a method to continuously assess which modifications are critical to support future operations and reprioritize, as needed.” Mitchell, in commenting on a draft of the OIG report, agreed with the recommendation. “Management stated that the company finalized the fiscal year 2026 Strategic Fleet and Facilities Plan in November 2025 and that this plan addresses the topics noted in our recommendation,” the OIG reported. “Management also stated that the company initiated development of three documents that lay out more detailed strategies for addressing fleet acquisition, facility development, and funding and financing of fleet and facilities projects. The target completion date is June 30, 2026.”
• Amtrak Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery Laura Mason “[d]evelop and implement a management framework for … facility upgrades, including a management plan with the requisite components outlined in company and industry standards. This should include a risk management process and tools, such as a risk register.” In commenting on a draft of the OIG report, Mason agreed with the recommendation, according to the OIG, and the “target completion date is March 31, 2026.”

Further Reading:

• OIG: Amtrak Has Opportunities for Improvement on HTP
• Amtrak Breaks Ground on Southampton Rail Yard Modernization Project in Boston
• Amtrak and Partners to Break Ground on Ivy City Rail Yard Modernization Project in Washington, D.C.
• Amtrak Awards Three Design-Build Contracts for East Coast Rail Yard Modernization Projects
• Amtrak King Street Yard Upgrade Under Way
• Amtrak OIG: LDFR Program ‘High Risk’

The post OIG to Amtrak: Improved Facilities Planning Needed to Support New Trains appeared first on Railway Age.

Northumberland, Pa.-based North Shore Railroad Company & Affiliates (NSHR) on Dec. 22 rolled out a tribute to America’s 250th anniversary: NSHR 2238.

Local artist Pedro Reyes hand-painted symbols of “our nation’s liberty and independence,” according to NSHR, whose North Shore Railroad was named Railway Age’s 2017 Short Line of the Year.

(Photographs Courtesy of NSHR)

“While there are many commemorative paint schemes and vinyl wraps on locomotives (or murals on walls depicting locomotives), this is the first, documented time a locomotive has been painted as a mural,” the Central Pennsylvania short line company said.

On the first side, NSHR 2238 displays:

• “George Washington crossing the Delaware River (a notable turning point in the Revolutionary War).”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• The “Declaration of Independence (as penned by Thomas Jefferson, and signed on July 4, 1776).”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• The “Liberty Bell (believed to have first rung in Philadelphia after the reading of the Declaration of Independence).”

(Photographs Courtesy of NSHR)

Displayed on the second side are:

• A “bald eagle flying over ‘amber waves of grain’ by ‘purple mountains majesty’ as sung in, America the Beautiful.”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• An “American flag, waving proudly, colored in red (meaning valor and bravery), white (meaning purity and innocence), and blue (meaning vigilance, perseverance, and justice).”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• The “Statue of Liberty (a gift from France for the centennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence).”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• “‘Oceans, white with foam’ as written in the song, God Bless America.”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

Other features on display include:

• One stack showing “Paul Revere’s lantern (a symbol of his ride, alerting the colonists that the British were coming)” and the other stack showing “a cloud of black gun powder (symbolizing the war fought and won by Colonial Soldiers).”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• On the cab, below the hood, is the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and on top of the cab roof is “the full inscription found on the Liberty Bell (derived from Leviticus 25:10), ‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof.’”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• On the cab door is “the Mayham Tower, a 30-foot tower designed by Major Hezekiah Mayham, which was built and used in Augusta, Ga., 2,238 days into the war. [It] symbolized one of the major turning points in the Revolutionary War in the south … [and] the countless battles it took for our nation to claim our independence.”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

• The back of the cab displays “red, white, and blue fireworks (fireworks being a tradition set by John Adams from America’s inception).”

(Courtesy of NSHR)

“We are blessed to have such a talented artist in our backyard,” NSHR President and CEO Jeb Stotter said of Pedro Reyes’s work. “If we did not have total faith in him and his work, this engine would never have been repainted. We knew from the word, ‘Go,’ that Pedro was the perfect partner for this project, and we were right.”

“We wanted our locomotive to be more than a patriotic tribute,” NSHR Treasurer Diana Williams noted. “We wanted it to honor the 250th anniversary and history of this great nation.”

“We love and admire the engines that have been presented in celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial thus far,” added Loni Martz Briner, NSHR PR and Media Manager. “However, we are doing something very different. One thing is for certain, this locomotive is now a beautiful piece of American history. The best word I can use to describe her is EPIC!”

No. 2238 is slated to travel NSHR’s system, with scheduled photo opportunities and tributes in 2026, according to the railroad company, which includes the Juniata Valley Railroad, Lycoming Valley Railroad, Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad, Shamokin Valley Railroad, and Union County Industrial Railroad, in addition to the North Shore Railroad.

This is not the first time NSHR has repainted a locomotive as a tribute. In 2024, it dedicated the LVRR 9052 (Veterans Unit) and LVRR 9050 (Memorial Unit) to United States military service members—”past, present and fallen.”

The post NSHR Unveils ‘Semiquincentennial Locomotive’ appeared first on Railway Age.

When Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Americans were promised modernization of the country’s transportation network. Roads, bridges, ports, and supply chains were all supposed to emerge faster, stronger, and more competitive. 

Several years later, the results do not match the promise. 

Projects are slow to materialize, costs have ballooned, and much of the funding has been absorbed by planning, compliance, and state-level bottlenecks rather than visible improvements.

Spending bills allocate money, but they do not create incentives for cost control, integration, or operational efficiency. In practice, many of those incentives arise outside the federal funding framework.

By contrast, freight railroads are privately owned and financed. Investment decisions are driven by market demand and shareholder discipline rather than federal appropriations. Over the past decade, railroads have invested tens of billions of dollars annually in track, signaling systems, terminals, and intermodal capacity. Projects proceed only when they improve efficiency, reliability, or network performance.

Despite moving roughly 40% of the U.S. long-distance freight by ton-mile, freight rail received little direct benefit from the infrastructure bill. At the same time, a proposed private merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern now requires federal approval from the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The review focuses on whether integration would improve or impair service quality, shipper access, and competition, especially in light of service disruptions following prior consolidation. The Board has paused the transaction while it evaluates the merger’s effects on congestion, network performance, and pricing for shippers.

While the transaction involves no federal funding, it has significant implications for how freight moves across the national rail network— implications that align closely with the objectives Congress articulated in the infrastructure bill.

Supporters of the merger argue that integrating the east-west rail systems would reduce interchange delays, lower dwell times at transfer points, and reduce network bottlenecks. Fewer handoffs and smoother coordination reduce operating costs and improve reliability for shippers. Economically, the proposal builds rail capacity by improving how existing infrastructure is coordinated, rather than by building new public assets. 

That outcome aligns with the infrastructure bill’s stated objectives of improving transportation efficiency, strengthening supply-chain resilience, and reducing congestion. In this case, those gains would come from private coordination rather than federal spending.

From an economic perspective, consolidation matters if it adversely affects price and service quality. The relevant question for the STB is whether this merger would increase market power over shippers or reduce costs by eliminating coordination failures and operational friction.

Here, the economics point in the latter direction. Integrating the two rail systems would reduce transaction costs embedded in the current network, including delays from interchanges, repeated handoffs, and fragmented routing. Eliminating these frictions lowers operating costs and improves service reliability. When costs fall in competitive freight markets, those savings are passed through to shippers and consumers. On economic grounds, a transaction that lowers costs and improves performance is welfare-enhancing.

What makes this case particularly compelling is that these gains come without federal spending. The merger would expand effective transportation capacity using existing infrastructure rather than new taxpayer-funded construction. 

And the uncomfortable truth is that Washington has struggled to deliver infrastructure at scale, even with historic funding levels. Environmental reviews, procurement rules, labor mandates, and overlapping jurisdictional approvals slow projects to a crawl. The result is not only delay, but diminished ambition, as agencies optimize for compliance rather than performance.

Private infrastructure investment occurs where demand is clear, efficiencies can be realized, and long-term returns justify the upfront cost. Freight railroads cannot pursue symbolic projects or absorb persistent inefficiencies. Investments must improve reliability or lower costs, or they fail financially and impose real consequences on management and shareholders.

None of this suggests that regulatory scrutiny is unnecessary. Oversight remains essential to protect competition, ensure fair access for shippers, and prevent abuses of market power. The role of the STB is to ensure that integration improves service and lowers costs and does not restrict competition. 

On economic terms, the proposed merger is positioned to deliver the type of infrastructure improvement policymakers passed four years ago, without relying on public funds. 

Danielle Zanzalari is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Seton Hall University. She frequently researches on financial regulation, public finance and an array of economic efficiency issues.

The post How Railroads can Deliver What Congress Promised: Better Infrastructure appeared first on Railway Age.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum recently completed the restoration of Virginia & Truckee Transfer Car 1. 

The specialized flatcar was built in 1891 to transport narrow gauge locomotives between the V&T’s Carson City shop and the Carson & Colorado Railroad in Mound House, Nev. The V&T owned the C&C until 1900, when it was sold to the Southern Pacific. The car was later converted into a regular flatcar but was rarely used. In 1938, it was sold to Paramount Studios for $50 and used in films such as “Union Pacific” and “The Harvey Girls.”  In 1971, the car was sold to Short Line Enterprises and stored in Jamestown, Calif., before being donated to the Nevada State Railroad Museum in 1988.

Following the recent restoration of the V&T 1, the NSRM staff placed Dayton, Sutro & Carson Valley locomotive Joe Douglass atop the car. The 0-4-2T Porter locomotive was used to haul tailings from the Carson Valley Mill to the Douglass Mill in Dayton, Nev. Like the C&C locomotives, the Joe Douglass was maintained at the V&T shop in Carson City, meaning it was likely moved by car 1 at some point in the past.

—Justin Franz 

The post Nevada State Railroad Museum Restores V&T Transfer Car appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

SJRRC (Courtesy of SJRRC)

Chris Orlando has been named CEO of SJRRC, which owns and operates, and is the policy-making body for the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) commuter rail service connecting Stockton and San Jose, Calif. SJRRC is governed by a Board of Directors comprising six full-voting members from San Joaquin County and two special-voting members from Alameda County.

With more than two decades of leadership experience across public transportation, government, strategic communications, and private-sector business development, Orlando served most recently as Deputy Managing Director for the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN), which oversees the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, an intercity rail service based in Southern California. He also held leadership roles at the North County Transit District (NCTD), where his responsibilities spanned rail and bus operations, strategic planning, innovative mobility solutions, customer service improvements, government affairs, and capital funding and grant programs. Additionally, Orlando served 12 years on the San Marcos City Council, helping guide regional planning, transit-oriented development, long-range policy updates, and fiscally responsible governance. His private-sector experience includes co-founding a technology company and directing communications and strategic initiatives for national organizations.

According to SJRRC, Orlando’s “background in operational excellence, innovation, and strategic growth aligns with the Commission’s ambitious vision for the future.” In addition to his role with SJRRC, he will also serve as CEO of the SJRRC-administered San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), which since July 2015 has been responsible for the management and administration of Gold Runner service, previously Amtrak San Joaquins. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the 10 member agencies along the 365-mile Gold Runner Corridor throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area.

“We are excited to welcome Chris Orlando as SJRRC’s next CEO,” SJRRC Chair Lisa Craig-Hensley said. “Chris brings an exceptional blend of executive leadership, public policy experience, transportation expertise, and strategic vision. His collaborative focused approach to drive major transit initiatives and strengthen regional mobility systems makes him the right leader to guide SJRRC into its next chapter. We also want to express our deep appreciation to David Lipari for his outstanding service as Interim Executive Director. His leadership during this transition has been invaluable, and we are grateful that he will continue to play a key role in the agency’s success as Deputy Executive Director. We look forward to working with both Chris and David as we continue building a transformative future for rail and bus in California.”

“I am honored to join the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission as CEO,” Chris Orlando said. “I want to thank the SJRRC Board for their confidence and for the opportunity to serve in this role. SJRRC and SJJPA together oversee a vital network of commuter rail, intercity rail, and connecting bus services, and I’m excited to help advance this integrated system. The agencies have built a strong foundation of service, innovation, and regional collaboration, and I am committed to leading the next era of growth. Together with our Board, staff, and partners, we will continue to deliver reliable, forward-looking passenger rail and transit services that connect communities and expand opportunity across the region.”

SJRRC Executive Director Stacey Mortensen stepped down from her role Aug. 31, 2025, after more than 27 years of leadership.

MDOT (Courtesy of MDOT MTA)

Kathryn B. “Katie” Thomson on Jan. 7 will become Acting Secretary of MDOT, which comprises the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA); Maryland Port Administration (MPA); Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA); State Highway Administration (SHA); and Maryland Transit Administration (MTA); as well as the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

Thomson brings more than 30 years of experience in transportation, aviation, energy, and sustainability law, policy, and operations to her new role. She served previously as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, where she acted as chief operating officer for an organization of more than 45,000 employees. She oversaw a $20 billion annual budget and led initiatives to enhance safety oversight, modernize national airspace infrastructure, and strengthen workforce pipelines. A veteran of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Thomson has also served as the department’s General Counsel, supervising 500 attorneys and coordinated legal work across all modes of transportation, and as director of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s implementation, managing the strategic investment of $660 billion in federal funding to modernize the nation’s infrastructure. In the private sector, Thomson was Vice president and Associate General Counsel for worldwide transportation and sustainability at Amazon, and a partner at the law firms Sidley Austin and Morrison & Foerster, with a focus on environmental and transportation law.

Thomson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

“I am deeply grateful to [Maryland] Gov. [Wes] Moore and Lt. Gov. [Aruna K.] Miller for this incredible opportunity to serve the great State of Maryland,” Thomson said during the Dec. 18 announcement. “My experience managing complex systems has given me a clear view of the immense potential in Maryland’s transportation network, and I look forward to partnering with the dedicated MDOT team to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead—ensuring we continue to build a future that leaves no one behind.”

Paul J. Wiedefeld stepped down as Secretary on Aug. 1; MDOT Deputy Secretary Samantha J. Biddle has been serving as Acting Secretary since then.

BLET (Bonnie Brihan Photograph, Courtesy of BLET)

BLET National Vice President Pete Semenek is retiring Dec. 31, marking the end of a 34-year career as both a railroader and union leader, according to the union.

Semenek began his career in 1991 on the Soo Line Railroad when he hired out as a conductor. He was promoted in 1993 to locomotive engineer, working in the Soo Line yard in Bensenville, Ill. A member of BLET Division 790 (Chicago), he was elected as Local Chairman in 1997 and served in that position until 2011, when he was elected to General Chairman for the CP Rail System/U.S. General Committee of Adjustment. Semenek was reelected as General Chairman at quadrennial meetings in 2015 and 2019. He was elected as BLET National Vice President for a term beginning on Jan. 1, 2023, at which time he was appointed head of the BLET Arbitration Department. Semenek has also served as Labor Member-First Division of the National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB).

“Pete Semenek has been a tireless labor leader for more than three decades, and I am proud to have worked with him,” BLET President Mark Wallace said during the BLET Advisory Board meeting held earlier this month. “Countless BLET members throughout the United States have benefitted from his leadership as Head of the BLET Arbitration Department. He will be missed. On behalf of the Advisory Board, I extend best wishes upon his well-deserved retirement.”

“It was an honor and privilege to serve as a union officer and represent the hard working Brothers and Sisters of the BLET,” Semenek said. “It was also my honor to serve alongside the fine body of officers at the BLET National Division; they are true professionals who exude great compassion for the needs of our members.”

The post People News: SJRRC, MDOT, BLET appeared first on Railway Age.