Railway Age magazine

Baylor Scott & White is one of the most notable hospital networks in the country, and its name originated from two legendary railroaders. That’s because BNSF predecessor railroads served as a guiding force behind the development of modern-day corporate healthcare.

Through the early years of expansion, railroads hired doctors and built hospitals to provide healthcare for workers. Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GCSFR) was a trailblazer in employee care, becoming one of the first railroads to introduce a companywide, employee-funded health plan.

Over time, railroad surgery developed, and because the specialty required treating patients in the field, railroads created railcars that functioned as examination and operating rooms.

They also adopted hospital cars, a practice carried over from the Civil War. These offered a fully stocked operating room and holding area for up to four patients. The purpose was to stabilize patients before sending them to a regular hospital.

Railroad physicians played a role in the development of first-aid kits, medical transportation devices and pre-employment examinations, which improved occupational safety. The kits contained medicines and sterile dressings, with training provided to workers by doctors.

Railway doctors didn’t limit care to work-related injuries. They performed elective surgeries, routine checkups, baby deliveries and advised railroad officials on sanitation, safety and public health. Their work advanced emergency medicine, occupational medicine and public health practices, helping to lay the groundwork for today’s health care.

Railroads also built hospitals for employees that pioneered U.S. employer-based healthcare by providing organized medical services and creating early health insurance models. The first Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) hospital opened in Las Vegas, New Mexico, in 1884. Over the next four years, ATSF opened hospitals in Ottawa, Kansas, La Junta, Colorado, and Fort Madison, Iowa. In 1892, the GCSFR opened the Temple, Tex., hospital.

Dr. Arthur Carrol Scott was chief surgeon for ATSF in 1892 and made many contributions to the field, including developing the hot cautery knife still used in cancer surgery.

In 1897, Scott appointed Dr. Raleigh R. White as Santa Fe Hospital house surgeon, forming a partnership of joint chief surgeons. In 1922, the two opened a hospital together that was eventually renamed the Scott and White Memorial Hospital.

The Santa Fe Hospital exclusively served railroad employees until 1966. In 1983, It merged with the Scott and White Memorial Hospital, which evolved into the Baylor, Scott and White Health system.

The legacy of railroad doctors continues. BNSF has a medical team focused on programs that benefit our employees and improve safety. That team collaborates with other railroad medical teams, a tradition started in 1888, when railway surgeons began sharing best practices, eventually forming the National Association of Railway Surgeons. Today, BNSF’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theodore Aquino meets physicians from all Class I railroads to discuss industry health and safety issues and share medical best practices.

Additionally, Aquino leads specialized BNSF teams that provide a range of services, including management of drug and alcohol programs, fitness for duty evaluations, overseeing medical equipment and administration of physical exams by a network of providers.

“We work to ensure that our employees have programs to support their ability to thrive in the workplace,” Aquino said. “My team works day in and day out to make sure we are the safest railroad in the industry.”

The post How BNSF Predecessor Railroads Helped Shape Modern Healthcare appeared first on Railway Age.

At a June 2025 U.S. House Subcommittee hearing on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, Wabtec Corporation’s Executive Vice President and CTO Eric Gebhardt testified on behalf of RSI. His testimony highlighted the transformative technologies reshaping America’s rail network, and how support from Congress is needed to continue RSI’s mission of advancing safety in the rail industry.

We sat down with Gebhardt to dive deeper into the themes of his testimony and explore how Wabtec and RSI are working together to build a safer, smarter and more efficient rail system.

Your testimony highlighted the role of technology in improving rail safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Can you provide a specific example of a recent technological innovation from Wabtec that has demonstrably saved lives or prevented accidents?

One of the most impactful technologies we’ve deployed is Positive Train Control (PTC). It’s been in operation for about five years in the U.S. and is now active on 24,000 locomotives, covering over a million miles daily. PTC acts as a safety overlay across the Class 1 track network, enforcing speed limits and train authorities to prevent accidents.

We’re now advancing to PTC 2.0, which shifts from track-circuit-based systems to GPS-based tracking. This upgrade will enable virtual block systems, increasing network fluidity and capacity while maintaining SIL4-level safety standards on an international scale.

You mentioned the importance of partnership with Congress and the administration. In your opinion, what is the single most critical policy or legislative action that Congress could take right now to foster greater technological advancement in the rail industry?

Continued federal funding for research and development (R&D) and technology deployment is essential. Besides funding, we need streamlined regulatory approval processes. Faster waiver processes and closer collaboration between the FRA, Class 1s, and suppliers would accelerate deployment and maximize safety and efficiency gains.

What role does the rail supply industry play in ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of the American rail system, beyond just providing new technology?

The rail supply industry is the cornerstone of U.S. transportation. It supports economic development, drives innovation and ensures the backbone of freight movement remains strong. Beyond technology, we contribute to infrastructure upgrades, emissions reductions, and regulatory modernization. Whether it’s deploying Tier 4 emissions tech or digitizing safety systems, our collective efforts shape the future of rail.

RSI plays a critical role in advocating for the effectiveness of our industry, educating lawmakers and coordinating railway industry voices.

Given the upcoming Sept. 30, 2026, expiration of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), what are your primary concerns and hopes for the next surface transportation reauthorization bill?

We hope to see sustained or increased federal investment, especially with dedicated set-asides for digital safety and inspection technologies. Technologies like Pathfinder allow short lines to upgrade entire trains without replacing the electronics on every locomotive—bringing PTC and Trip Optimizer capabilities to more operators.

We also need expanded support for advanced inspection technologies like RailGhost, which has the potential to use acoustic, thermal, and visual monitoring for automated inspections. These innovations reduce risk for yard personnel and improve maintenance accuracy.

Your testimony focused on three key areas for rail safety: accident prevention, asset health awareness, and network utilization. How do these three domains work together to create a holistic safety strategy, and which one presents the most significant challenge to implementing new technology?

These domains are deeply interconnected. Accident prevention is driven by systems like PTC. Network utilization improves with technologies like virtual blocks and Trip Optimizer.

Asset health awareness is where we see the most transformative potential and is the biggest challenge.

Wabtec remotely monitors 18,000 locomotives, processing 10 million data messages daily and issuing 400 maintenance recommendations. This enables condition-based maintenance, extending service intervals and improving reliability. The challenge lies in integrating and acting on this data across diverse fleets and operators. When done right, this creates a digital ecosystem that enhances safety, efficiency and, ultimately, profitability.

What is your long-term vision for how emerging technologies will fundamentally reshape the American freight rail networks over the next decade?

Our vision is a network that’s safer, more reliable and at a higher velocity. Technologies that include acoustic monitoring, thermal imaging, and AI-driven diagnostics will make inspections smarter and faster.

We’re not just improving rail—we’re redefining it. With RSI’s leadership and industry collaboration, we’re building a future where rail remains the most efficient and sustainable way to move goods across America. Technology, policy, and partnership must move in lockstep to ensure America’s rail system remains the safest and most efficient in the world.

The post Driving the Future of Rail: A Conversation With Wabtec’s Eric Gebhardt appeared first on Railway Age.

While consolidation sentiment varied at the NEARS conference, there was a belief that the deal would get done. Comments on the economic backdrop were not positive, varying from sub-seasonal to weakening. We continue to believe the Union Pacific+Norfolk Southern deal has a 90% chance of getting approval and expect synergy numbers to be walked up over time.

In a fireside chat with TD Cowen Managing Director Industrials and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl, Union Pacific CFO Jennifer Hamann struck a very positive tone regarding the company’s proposed acquisition of NS. She noted that UP was fairly conservative when publishing its synergy targets and ranked transcontinental intermodal as having the most potential and quickest benefit to the railroad’s top line. Watershed freight opportunities were also called out with a tip of the proverbial cap to our note quantifying the opportunity that was published last week. That said, she was quick to point out that these watershed opportunities would take longer to develop than the transcontinental intermodal business. Although no update on when the official filing would reach the desk of the STB, it was noted that they are targeting the lower end of the three- to six-month window deadline. This means our next major catalyst beyond 3Q25 earnings could come in the first half of November.

NS Vice President Business Development Stefan Loeb offered a sobering industrial development outlook, noting that the number of projects moving into engineering and construction declined from 30 in 1Q25 to 20 in 2Q25 and then sharply down to 5 in 3Q25. Tariff uncertainty was attributed for the freeze, and 3Q’s number was the lowest number the NS panelist has ever seen. Tariffs present a hurdle to reindustrialization due to the degree of import input that takes place in industrial projects.

First mile/last mile service was in focus, and panelists highlighted short line partnerships and visibility. Short lines help serve ~40% of NS’s industrial business. As a result, NS implemented a system to track interchange performance daily with short line partners in 2024. Volumes on monitored interchanges grew 4.5% by the end of the year. NS also set up a dedicated sales team to interact with the short lines. Visibility technology such as RailPulse and internally developed solutions for smaller customers have also been deployed.

A supply chain panel consisting of a railroad shipper, a major TMS (transportation management system) provider and a short line railroad noted that the economic conditions remain very challenged. One panelist stated that while his company has finalized plans for next year, he would not be surprised to see it flat-to-down. When asked about the proposed UP+NS transaction, it was noted that none of the companies on stage have taken an official stance (with one stating they always remain neutral). The TMS provider stated agreement with many of the stated goals of the merger in principle and is hopeful it is successful as this company is a large UP partner. The shipper expressed a good deal of concern, given his experience over the years with mergers, including the recent technology glitches from the CPKC.

BNSF General Director of Marketing – Industrial Products Mark Ganaway introduced a new first/last mile team that focuses on carload growth. Partnership with 200 short lines has helped BNSF grow into new markets, including a new intermodal facility in Salt Lake City won from a competitor. Despite the uncertainty, BNSF is investing in improving service; it has rolled out new initiatives for customer service, AI that identifies track defects, and streamlined processes for customer communication. Policy uncertainty around tariffs has created a visible slowdown in projects, and many customers are questioning when to make investment decisions. The macro-outlook has worsened, as we’ve moved through the year, with hope that deregulation and rate cuts will help spur the industrial economy, though there are no signs to be seen.

STB Vice Chair Michelle Schultz spoke to STB procedures while remaining measured on merger-related questions. The Vice Chair attested to measures the Board has taken to issue decisions quickly and reduce delays. Once UP and NS file their merger application, the Board is required to decide on whether the application is complete within 30 days, following which a comment period commences for up to one year.

The post NEARS: Consolidation, Weak Economic Backdrop Highlighted appeared first on Railway Age.

When Amtrak was founded in 1971, there were no passenger trains running north of Massachusetts or the Empire Service line in New York State. The were no passenger trains at all in the Adirondacks and northern New England, and the only train connecting the United States and Canada was a non-Amtrak operation between Buffalo and Toronto.

Today the Adirondack runs through the mountains to Montreal (when it does run), the Downeaster trains connect Boston with New Hampshire and Maine, and there are two trains in Vermont: the Vermonter in the eastern part the state and the Ethan Allan Express in the western part. There are profiles of those trains and the areas they serve later in this article.

Northern New England, including Vermont, lost its passenger trains before many other regions of the country did. Maine had no scheduled passenger trains from 1965 until 2001. The same was true of New Hampshire, except for a short-lived non-Amtrak train between Boston and Nashua, Manchester, and Concord for one year in the late 1970s. The Connecticut River Line, with service run jointly on the New Haven, Boston & Maine (B&M), Central Vermont (CV), and Canadian National (CN) Railroads, consisted of two daily trains until 1966: the Ambassador, a day train (with a Boston section at one time), and the Montrealer northbound and the Washingtonian southbound (on the PRR south of New York). Today the CV is the New England Central Railroad, part of the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad system.

For its first five years or so, Amtrak was in an expansionary phase, and the Montrealer came back on September 30, 1972, and I was on the first trip to Montreal. Local politicians and the governor of Vermont welcomed the train at their stops. It carried a dining car and a lounge car with a piano, and Amtrak called the car “Le Pub,” an apparent bow to entertainment in Montreal and to create a party atmosphere for skiers riding to the slopes. The train later became the Montrealer both ways. The route changed from time to time due to poor track conditions and moved onto the southern portion of the CV route between New London and Brattleboro, passing through Palmer, Massachusetts (east of Springfield) in 1989, following a two-year suspension.

The Montrealer came to an end in 1995, when the Canadian portion of the line was discontinued and St. Albans, Vermont became the new northern terminal. The train was renamed the Vermonter and became a day train. It runs between St. Albans and Washington, D.C., and the schedule has changed little in the past 30 years, except that it detoured east from Springfield to Palmer and then north on the CV until conditions between Springfield and Brattleboro improved enough to restore service on that route. At one time there was also a connecting bus between St. Albans and Montreal, but that has been discontinued, too. Today there is talk of restoring the bus connection, and possibly even running through to Montreal again. Both are feasible, but time will tell if either of those events happen.

Like many trains, the daytime and overnight trains in New York State to Montreal ran for the last time on April 30, 1971. With State support, the Adirondack came back on August 6, 1974 on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad (D&H, now part of CPKC) as a day train, successor to the D&H’s Laurentian. That re-established service on the D&H, which the Ethan Allen Express alsouses as far as a junction slightly south of Whitehall, New York. That train began running on Dec.r 2, 1996. North of Whitehall, it runs on a former D&H branch to Rutland, now part of the Vermont Railway. Originally there was an intermediate stop at Fair Haven, which was moved to Castleton in 2010. It terminated at Rutland until July 29, 2022, when the route was extended north to Burlington and ridership increased dramatically.

Burlington is as close to being a “city” as Vermont has. It is the most-populous municipality in the state, with a population of about 45,000, and it is also home to the University of Vermont (UVM). The term “city” seems to have its own meaning in the Green Mountain State, Vergennes is the state’s oldest “city” with a population of 2553 in 2020. While there were occasional passenger trains of some sort serving Burlington, it and the region to the south did not host scheduled passenger trains from 1953, when the Rutland Railroad discontinued the Green Mountain Flyer and Mount Royal, until the Ethan Allen Express was extended in 2022. There were tourist excursions, and a local service, the Champlain Flyer, which ran only from 2000 until 2003. Today, Burlington’s 1916-vintage Union Station, on the shore of Lake Champlain and at the foot of Main Street, again hosts passenger trains daily.

The Connecticut River serves as Vermont’s eastern border with New Hampshire. The Vermonter train runs near the river, making nine stops in the Green Mountain State: Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Windsor, White River Junction (named after a river junction, but it later became a railroad junction), Montpelier Junction, Randolph, Waterbury, Essex Junction, and St. Albans. It also makes a brief foray into New Hampshire, and Amtrak added a stop at Claremont (Junction), probably to claim that it serves the Granite State, before Downeaster trains began serving three communities there on its way to Maine.

I visited Windsor, Randolph, Waterbury and Montpelier on a 2012 trip with a friend who had a camper and was willing to undertake a 12-day ramble with me to see towns on the Adirondack and Vermonter routes and crossing Lake Champlain on a ferry. In August 2022, I stayed in White River Junction for several days, enough time to use the local bus system to visit nearby Vermont and New Hampshire towns, including Hanover, the home of Dartmouth College. The train schedule also allowed excursions to Bellows Falls and Brattleboro for an afternoon of sightseeing in each town. One piece of history that survives in White River Junction is the Coolidge Hotel, built in 1926 and with a provenance dating back to 1849. It was a classic “railroad hotel” located one block from the station, and visitors take the train and stay there today. It was not named after Calvin, who was POTUS 28 during the 1920s, but after his father, John. I took day trips from Burlington to visit the northernmost stops earlier this month.

The towns on the Vermonter route are all similar, yet they all seem to have their own character. They are quaint and attractive, with many old houses and historic commercial buildings in the downtown areas, which are small and easily walkable for able-bodied persons. In addition to being scenic, many of the towns along the route sport art galleries and museums, as well as history museums that tell their stories. The route is also somewhat scenic, with its long stretches of country between towns.

For the past three years, and after a 69-year absence, there is a train that serves western Vermont and runs as far north as Burlington, Vermont’s biggest city (or town, if you prefer). It comes from New York on the Empire Service line as far as Schenectady, continues on the Adirondack line (historic D&H) almost to Whitehall, and then goes to Vermont, stopping at Castleton, Rutland, Middlebury, Ferrisburgh, and terminating at Burlington’s historic Union Station.

Lake Champlain forms the western boundary of much of the state, although its eastern shore is only visible briefly south of Burlington (its western shore is the location for part of the Adirondack route, which delivers many more views of the lake. The towns along the route are like those on the route of the Vermonter, although they each have their own character, as well. Stone quarrying, especially marble and granite, is a major activity in the region (the state also produces large amounts of slate). The towns are scenic, especially Middlebury, which seems to typify Vermont more than any other town in the state that Amtrak serves. Ferrisburgh is apparently a sprawly town without a significant town center. The Ferrisburgh station (also called “Ferrisburgh/Vergennes”) is slightly more than one mile from downtown Vergennes, another town with old houses and a quaint, historic Main Street. The train terminates at Burlington, Vermont’s biggest city and hub for travel within the northern part of the state.

The route itself is new. Until 1953, the Rutland Railroad (parts of which are now the Vermont Rail System) served Rutland and Burlington from New York, using the old Harlem Line to Chatham in that state (now served by Metro-North for slightly more than half the original route, while the northern part was been converted into a “rail trail”) and getting to Rutland through Bennington and Manchester. When Burlington service was restored in 2022, the Vermont Rail System became the host railroad on the extension, with the station at a junction, which allows the train to change directions (the Rutland Railroad had a station called Center Rutland, which is still standing and is a museum today). The line is not particularly scenic, but Rutland is interesting, and Middlebury appears to typify towns in Vermont.

The consist is like other trains on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), running 1970s-vintage Amfleet I coaches and a snack car that also has business-class seats. There is a unit on each end, which is necessary for two reasons. Northbound, the train approaches the Rutland station from a southwesterly direction and leaves in the northwesterly direction, so it changes direction there. The yard where it ties up at Burlington is south of the station, and there is no opportunity to wye the consist or otherwise change direction at the station itself.

Burlington is worth seeing, and it is served directly by the Ethan Allen Express and indirectly by the Vermonter. The latter train requires a bus segment to and from Essex Junction on the #2 bus to or from downtown Burlington, a ride that takes 30 to 40 minutes. The connection to the morning departure is available seven days a week, but the bus stops running before the northbound arrival on Sundays.

This writer visited Burlington during the week after Labor Day and used local buses to visit eight other towns in the area, as well. Burlington is an attractive town, with a downtown area that encompasses about 20 square blocks. It has many historic government and commercial buildings. Church Street is unusual, in that it has been transformed into an auto-free pedestrian mall, without curbs, but with street furniture installed on the length of the auto-free segment, which contains many restaurants and stores. The streets running south of Main Street contain mostly houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Willard Street is the most scenic, with Victorian-era mansions, many of which are now part of Champlain College, a private institution. The University of Vermont (UVM) campus is interesting, too, with Old Mill, the school’s original building, and the Billings Library, designed by famed New England architect H.H. Richardson. The northern part of town has attracted immigrants for more than a century, resembles similar neighborhoods in Boston, and still contributes to Burlington’s multicultural flavor.

The food scene in town was disappointing, with few local specialties. There is lots of good beer, though, much of it made at local brewpubs. Soft ice cream (locals calls the flavors “creamies”) is popular, too, especially the “maple” flavor that is made with local maple syrup.

Bus service to towns beyond Green Mountain Transit’s local range is very limited. There are “commuter” routes to places like Montpelier and St. Albans, but the schedule only includes two runs for commuters and a single midday trip on weekdays only. The trip to St. Albans requires a 6:15 AM departure from Burlington, acceptable for a single visit, but very difficult for any local non-motorists.

Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the country (population about 8,000), and it also has old houses and a historic downtown area. The State House and the Vermont History Museum are worth visiting. Scheduling was tight, but there was also time for a short visit to the nearby town of Barre, which is served by a different bus route. It was tricky, but possible to schedule around the two “commuter runs,” a situation that applied to Middlebury and St. Albans trips, as well as to Montpelier.

Tri-Valley Transit, a different provider, operates the “commuter” service to Middlebury. On the morning run to that town, the driver and the two other passengers allowed me to take about two minutes to photograph the train station at “Ferrisburgh/Vergennes” as Amtrak calls it. Ferrisburgh does not have much of a town center, and the station is located more than two miles from it.

If there is one town that appears to epitomize the picture of a small Vermont town, Middlebury is it. I had about 4½ hours to explore the town and, while there was no time to waste, it was enough. The campus of Middlebury College consists mostly of beautiful, historic white stone buildings. Main Street and other streets in town sport a historic appearance, both houses and commercial buildings. The Henry Sheldon Museum contains interesting memorabilia from a local collector, and I managed to have time for some good food and beer for lunch. The two afternoon bus departures for Burlington were spaced 105 minutes apart, so that’s how much time I had to explore Vergennes. It was worthwhile, and enough.

Winooski, an old mill town, is located next to Burlington. It is served by the #2 bus, one of the busiest routes in the Burlington system. The Champlain Mill, which has been repurposed into an office building, also contains a local history museum and a separate museum about the mill and the textile industry. The bus route continues to Essex Junction and terminates at the Amtrak station there.

For railroad history, the town to visit is St. Albans, north of Burlington. For a full day in town, the last available bus leaves Burlington at 6:15 AM, which allows either 10 or 11 hours before the return trip. There is also a midday run that allows a shorter visit, but there is enough to do in St. Albans to spend all day there. The town was headquarters for the Central Vermont Railway (originally the Vermont Central), and the 1873 railroad office building is still standing. The train shed and much of the old yard that adjoined it are long gone, although the roundhouse to the north is still standing, too. Retired railroaders often gather at 9:15 AM to see Train 56 off as it leaves for New York and Washington. The town’s history museum, housed in an old school on historic Church Street, contains a wealth of information about the railroad and many other local topics, and seems impossible to see it all in the six hours it’s open. The town has some good local eateries, too. I chose to take the earlier of the two buses to Burlington, which allowed a bit of time to see Milton, a small town south of St. Albans, on the way.

Understanding Vermont’s history should be considered part of the preparation to appreciate a visit to the Green Mountain State. The best place to start examining the conditions that made Vermont what it is today is the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier, located less than a block form the State House on State Street (also worth a visit). Vermont was the first state admitted to the Union after the country won its War for Independence. The colonial governments of New York and New Hampshire fought over competing land grants in what is now Vermont. Nonetheless, many Vermonters sided with the forces fighting for independence. Their leaders, especially Ethan Allen, are honored today, although the Ethan Allen Homestead near Burlington is not accessible on local transit. The locals were tired of the fighting between the neighboring governments and effectively declared their own independence (the Old Constitution House is a museum in Windsor). Toward the end of the war, there was a failed attempt to negotiate with the British, but differences were settled after the war was finally won, and Vermont became a state in 1791. Slavery was prohibited, a forward-thinking policy, especially for that era.

Vermonters apparently continue to maintain a strong independent streak. Sen. Bernie Sanders got his start in Burlington, and is still popular, as are his progressive policies. However, one “progressive” policy that is not observed in the state is providing significant transit service. It took a long time to extend the Ethan Allen Express route to its current length. Rail passengers can go between Vermont and points south, but not to or from Montreal, which is the nearest “big city” to many communities in the state. There has been occasional talk about running trains on the old Rutland Railroad through Bennington and Manchester, but no service has come from those efforts. There is also talk of reopening the branch on the CV (now part of CN) between Essex Junction and downtown Burington. Such a route might be a good candidate for the sort of operation proposed by Henry Posner III and others, using his “Pop-Up Metro” system, but the two endpoints are served by one of the most-frequent bus routes in the state, one of the few that runs a full span of service six days a week and daytime service on Sundays.

Several bus providers run routes throughout the state, but the level of service everywhere outside Burlington is very limited. Buses on many routes run three or four times a day, some on Saturdays and others only on weekdays, although they often connect with neighboring providers. Still, whatever access they offer to non-motorists and motorists alike is available only a few times during each service day, at most. Burlington has a relatively comprehensive set of local routes within its limits and a few nearby towns, but service is very limited beyond that local area.

The Burlington trip was interesting, and there was a lot to see. Still, transit is so limited that such a trip is not for anybody uninitiated in using limited transportation options. Like visiting White River Junction, Waterbury and other places in the state served by the Ethan Allen Express and the Vermonter, visitors need to accept Vermont as they encounter it, and as Vermonters like it. It has not been easy to get trains running in Vermont, and advocates such as those at the Vermont Rail Action Network helped get them going. Now visitors and Vermonters themselves appear to be enjoying them.

The post Vermont by Rail appeared first on Railway Age.

Industry veteran Eric Olson, P.E., has joined STV Inc. as Senior Vice President and Rail Director, West Operating Group. Olson comes to STV from Gannett Fleming, which he joined in 2016 as Transit & Rail Business Line Leader, West Region.

“With more than three decades of experience, Olson has been at the helm of several high-profile transit initiatives in California, and his expertise in managing complex, design-build transit programs has established him as a trusted leader in the industry,” STV said. “For example, he previously oversaw the $2.5 billion LA Metro Expo Line Extension and played a pivotal role in the Pasadena Gold Line and its Eastside Extension.  

“Eric’s track record in delivering complex rail programs across Los Angeles and beyond is unmatched,” said Liz Justison, P.E., P.M.P., President of STV’s Transportation West Operating Group. “His leadership and insight will strengthen our rail practice in the West and help us continue delivering projects that transform mobility for our local communities.” 

Olson holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He is a member of the Design-Build Institute of America, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Transportation Association. 

STV noted that it “has delivered projects in the West for more than 30 years, serving as a leading provider of comprehensive engineering, planning and design services for commuter rail, light rail, bus, zero-emissions vehicles and maintenance facilities. Recent projects include the LA Metro Zero-Emissions Bus Program LA Metro Purple Line Extension Section 2 and Section 3 and the Sound Transit East Link and Northgate Link Extensions Systems Construction.”

The post Olson Joins STV West Ops Group appeared first on Railway Age.

On Sept. 17, 2025, the BNSF Executive Train was seen heading east at Depew, N.Y. (just south of Buffalo) on CSX’s Chicago-New York main line, “giving folks a chance to see something not often seen on eastern railroads,” notes frequent Railway Age contributor Stephen C. Host, who hails from nearby Hamilton, Ont.

But don’t jump to conclusions. This was not a pre-merger exploratory inspection trip. The BNSF business consist was heading to Long Island for the PGA Ryder Cup, where it will be used for a BNSF customer event in Uniondale, N.Y. The train is expected to be parked for eight days on MTA Long Island Rail Road property at Hempstead, N.Y., from Sept. 21 to 29, as a hospitality/staging area.

Warren Buffett was not on board. Just sayin’.

The post It’s Just Golf. Honest! appeared first on Railway Age.

Class III Savage Tooele Railroad (STR), an 11-mile line connecting with Union Pacific’s Shafter Subdivision in Utah, is now ready for service.

Described as “Utah’s first new short line railroad in more than a century,” STR links UP directly to Lakeview Business Park, Grantsville, Utah, a 1,700-acre master-planned site developed by The Romney Group and Prologis. In addition to rail service, the park offers immediate access to I-80 and I-15, proximity to the Salt Lake City International Airport, and is a 20-minute drive to UP’s Salt Lake City intermodal terminal. Savage, a privately held global provider of supply chain infrastructure and solutions, developed the railroad in partnership with UP, The Romney Group and Prologis.

The Surface Transportation Board approved STR in April 2024; construction started in November. The railroad will operate five days a week with a 286,000-pound GRL (gross rail load) capacity. Lakeview Business Park, whose tenants have only able to receive and ship commodities by truck, will begin receiving rail shipments later this month.

“We know this is a much-needed link for the supply chain in northern Utah,” said Jeff Roberts, president and CEO of Savage. “Now that the Savage Tooele Railroad is operational, we’re excited to see it add value for our customers and support businesses in the area.”

“Integrating rail service into Lakeview Business Park creates a logistical competitive advantage,” said Gus Gradinger, Vice President, Customer Led Development, Prologis. “This new connection expands options, reduces transportation costs and enables faster distribution—making the park an even more attractive place to do business.”

“Lakeview has always been about building long-term value for users and the surrounding community,” said Josh Romney, President of The Romney Group. “The Savage Tooele Railroad expands what’s possible here and reinforces our commitment to forward-looking development.”

“This is a win-win as we work together to meet growing demand in Salt Lake City,” said Kenny Rocker, Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales, Union Pacific. “Short line partnerships like this one with Savage Tooele Railroad allow us to deliver innovative rail solutions that help our customers connect to our premier network and get to market faster.”

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Intramotev, developer of the TugVolt autonomous battery-electric railcar, has entered into a new commercial agreement with short line holding company Watco, which will deploy the technology within its network, beginning with the Wood River Transload Terminal in Illinois, just north St. Louis, Mo.

The Wood River Transload Terminal has a geodesic dome used for indoor storage and transloading commodities like soda ash and steel, and a 450-spot railcar storage yard.

“At Watco, we’re always exploring new ways to support our customers,” said Watco Senior Vice President of Operations Solutions and Support Aaron Jensen. “This program with Intramotev reflects our commitment to evaluating innovative technologies that could help us better meet the needs of our shipper customers.”

Intramotev describes itself as “the first company in the world to commercially deploy autonomous freight railcars.” TugVolt technology is currently in revenue service for Carmeuse Americas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The company has moved more than 250,000 tons of material this year and has delivered more than 3,500 carloads in production.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to create value for Watco’s customers with the TugVolt and its corresponding technology,” said Intramotev CEO and Co-Founder Tim Luchini. “Our technology brings new levels of flexibility to yard operations, helping customers move freight exactly when and where they need it. That means fewer delays, lower costs, and supply chains that work on the customer’s schedule.”

The post Intramotev, Watco Forge TugVolt Commercial Agreement appeared first on Railway Age.

SECDOT Duffy will not appreciate this: The American Public Transportation Association awarded its 2025 Innovation Award to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for the agency’s controversial—but effective and sensible—Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) Tolling Program.

The first in the U.S. but one of many around the world, all of which have worked well, the CRZ initiative, implemented by MTA Bridges and Tunnels, defines the MTA as an organization that has “demonstrated significant leadership, is an outstanding role model of excellence, whose accomplishments and innovations have greatly advanced public transportation.” APTA’s award “recognizes excellence, leadership and innovation that have had transformative impact, honoring organizations that demonstrate innovative concepts or effective problem-solving techniques and are recognized as outstanding role models whose accomplishments and projects have a significant impact and inspire others.”

“Since its launch on Jan. 5, 2025, the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Program has succeeded in reducing traffic, speeding up the flow of traffic and reducing delays, not just in the CRZ but throughout the region, while generating revenue to fund critical transit improvement projects,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Since the program started, more than 17.6 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone compared to last year, down by 12%. Every day, 87,000 fewer vehicles enter the zone. This is a win not only for the MTA team but for everyone trying to make cities work better. The positive results of congestion pricing show that state and local government can still take big swings on policy and succeed, and that should give us all hope.”

Need more numbers? Here they are:

“Congestion pricing has had notable benefits reducing gridlock on bridges and tunnels crossing the East River and Hudson River, making commutes faster,” the MTA recently noted. “Every crossing entering the congestion relief zone has seen morning peak travel times reduced in 2025 when compared to 2024.” 

• Brooklyn Bridge: 13% faster.
• Holland Tunnel: 36% faster.
• Hugh L. Carey Tunnel:16 % faster.
• Lincoln Tunnel: 10% faster.
• Manhattan Bridge: 5% faster.
• Queens-Midtown Tunnel: 4% faster.
• Queensboro Bridge: 21% faster.
• Williamsburg Bridge: 23% faster.

Transit ridership across all modes has increased from January to August 2025 when compared to the same period last year:

• NYCT Subway: 9%.
• NYCT Bus: 13%.
• Long Island Rail Road: 10%.
• Metro-North: 7%.
• Access-A-Ride: 22%.

In July, the MTA achieved its best summer subway ridership week since 2019, hitting four million three days in a row in a summer season, “a first since the start of the pandemic.“ The LIRR exceeded its post-pandemic daily ridership record twice in July, carrying 298,419 passengers July 23 and 295,419 passengers July 22.

By the way, motor vehicle accidents in the CRZ are down 14%. Traffic injuries are down 15%. Earlier this summer, the New York City Department of Transportation released data showing that pedestrian fatalities on New York City streets “are at historic lows, matching levels last seen in 2018.”

APTA’s award followed a series of previous honors for Congestion Relief Zone Tolling, including the Outstanding ITS Project of the Year Award from the Intelligent Transportation Society of New York (ITS-NY), the Best Project in the Specialty Construction Category (Regional Award Level) by Engineering News-Record (ENR), and the Toll Excellence Award in Social Responsibility from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA).

The CRZ Tolling Program gets my personal IPDASN (Ignoring Politically Driven Anti-Sustainability Nonsense) and TISHH (There is Still Hope for Humanity) Awards.

Ebbene, cosa ne sai! Doing something for the public good! What a concept!

The post APTA Lauds NYMTA CRZ Tolling appeared first on Railway Age.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority, or Metro) has been named 2025 Outstanding Public Transit Agency of the Year by APTA (American Public Transportation Association). APTA presented the award to the Metro team, board members and management Sept. 16 during its TRANSform Conference in Boston. The award recognizes 12 qualitative and quantitative measures such as ridership, safety, operations, customer service and financial management.

“The APTA Awards recognize organizations and leaders in the public transportation industry in North America who have demonstrated significant leadership, are outstanding role models of excellence, and whose accomplishments and innovations have greatly advanced public transportation over the past three years,” WMATA said. “Metro was selected for its record customer satisfaction and ridership growth; redesign of the entire Metrobus network; a dramatic increase in rail service; opening of seven new stations; improved customer amenities such as better wayfinding signage and more digital screens in stations; and public safety achievements, including an eight-year low in crime, 82% drop in fare evasion, and new in-house police academy.”

WMATA last won Outstanding Public Transportation System in 1997; prior to that in 1987. The agency took home APTA’s Innovation Award in 1986, 2004, and 2012, and the Gold Safety Award in 2024 and 2025. This year, WMTA also won the Outstanding Partnership in Public Transportation award with Kimley-Horn and Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning for the Better Bus initiative.

“We are honored to be recognized for the hard work and dedication the Metro team has put into transforming America’s Metro System and proving our immense value to the region we serve,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “This award is more than just a recognition; it is a call to keep pushing forward and continuing to provide the service excellence our customers deserve.” 

“The achievements and legacies of our awardees inspire us all to continue striving for excellence in our industry and to making a lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said. “Congratulations to all who have been recognized for their accomplishments and for making positive impacts in their communities and our industry.”

To commemorate the award, WMATA will unveil a specially wrapped bus, train and MetroAccess van. Additionally, all trains, buses and Metro Access vehicles will feature new decals to celebrate the award. 

The post WMATA Garners Top APTA Award appeared first on Railway Age.

This year, Railway Age and RT&S are pleased to venture to Pittsburgh on Oct. 1-2 for the much-anticipated 2025 Light Rail Conference, featuring a packed lineup of LRT (light rail transit) professionals who are significantly influencing today’s rail transit industry. Among the reasons to attend is “LRT Train Protection on the Boston Green Line,” presented by Robert Hanczor, CEO and Founder of Piper Networks Rail North American Streetcar Market Sales Manager.

Piper is currently deploying the Green Line Train Protection System for the MBTA in Boston. The system includes three critical safety deliverables, including: collision avoidance for Green Line trains, overspeed protection, and full territory response to signals and speed changes. The GLTPS relies on Piper’s Cenelec SIL-4 Ultra-Wideband positioning technology to localize trains operating both at grade and in the underground central subway areas. Onboard displays provide safety alerts for operators, and the system implements safety braking to ensure safe operations. This presentation will describe the deployment strategy for surveying the Green Line territory, building comprehensive onboard databases for relevant speed, grade, and infrastructure points. Robert will also cover wayside installation methods as well as back office integrations for control center oversight of rail operations.

Robert Hanczor, Ph.D. is the CEO and Founder of Piper Networks. He leads a team dedicated to improving transportation safety with advanced sensor technologies for precision localization, collision avoidance, rail network surveying, digital twin software, maintenance vehicle protection, intrusion detection, and track worker visibility. A 30-year software engineering veteran, Robert guides the research and development of new technologies that can accelerate safety advancements for both transit and freight rail applications. Under Robert’s leadership, Piper has expanded its portfolio of expertise with an emphasis on safety certification of its product line. Piper is currently deploying the Green Line Train Protection System for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

This edition of our annual in-person Light Rail Conference will be filled with dynamic panels and the chance to network with a wide-reaching group of like-minded professionals. It offer a comprehensive review of the specialized technical, operational, environmental, and socio-economic issues associated with LRT in an urban environment. All this will take place at the Fairmont Pittsburgh.

Presented Oct. 1-2 at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, the 2025 Railway Age and RT&S Light Rail Conference is a must-attend premier conference on LRT for transportation professionals in planning, operations, civil engineering, signaling and train control, and vehicle engineering. Students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are also welcome.

Key sessions will focus on:

• Strategic insights into major new-builds and expansion projects.
• Engineering sessions illustrating how to best support long-term efficiency and safety.
• Capital program oversight, risk mitigation, and performance tracking.
• Resilience planning, sharing adaptive strategies for extreme weather events.
• Improvements to customer-facing technologies such as fare collection, communications and security.
• The viability and scalability of alternative propulsion technologies.
• Confronting funding challenges.

In addition to Robrt Hanczor, transit leaders on the program include Andy Lukaszewicz and Justin Selepack of Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Bryan K. Moore and Casey Blaze of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), Henry Posner, Ida Posner and Nate Asplund of Railroad Development Corporation (RDC), Harry Skoblenick of Alstom, Barbara M. Schroeder of Benesch, Rachel J. Burckardt of WSP USA, and many more.

Industry support for the Railway Age / RT&S 2025 Light Rail Conference is strong, including sponsorships from 4AI Systems, Piper Networks, Benesch, RDC and Stadler. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com or (212) 620-7224.

The post 2025 Light Rail Conference Focus: MBTA Green Line Train Protection appeared first on Railway Age.

For 2025’s 37th week, North American freight rail traffic declined marginally, with carloads falling 0.5% and intermodal down 1.3%, compared to 2024, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Sept. 17. U.S. traffic declined slightly in both categories; Canadian traffic grew a little. Mexico was another story entirely, with intermodal loads growing nearly 15% and carloads plummeting almost 11%. Cumulative 2025 volume saw U.S. traffic growing 3.1%, Canadian growing 2.2%, Mexican falling 7.5%, and North American climbing 2.5%

Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 514,167 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.6% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending September 13 were 231,237 carloads, down 0.5% compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 282,930 containers and trailers, down 2.6% compared to 2024.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included chemicals, up 2,446 carloads, to 34,891; motor vehicles and parts, up 765 carloads, to 17,608; and nonmetallic minerals, up 732 carloads, to 32,754. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 2,321 carloads, to 60,817; miscellaneous carloads, down 1,947 carloads, to 8,776; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 834 carloads, to 16,382.

For the first 37 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,194,763 carloads, up 2.3% from the same point last year; and 10,007,894 intermodal units, up 3.8% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 18,202,657 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.1% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 13, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 336,615 carloads, down 0.5% compared with the same week last year, and 369,524 intermodal units, down 1.3% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 706,139 carloads and intermodal units, down 0.9%. North American rail volume for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 25,051,904 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5% compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 92,231 carloads for the week, up 1.2%, and 71,932 intermodal units, up 1.1% compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 37 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 5,978,337 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.2%.

Mexican railroads reported 13,147 carloads for the week, down 10.9% compared with the same week last year, and 14,662 intermodal units, up 14.6%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 37 weeks of 2025 was 870,910 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 7.5% from the same point last year.

The post AAR Week 37: Rail Traffic Dips Slightly Overall appeared first on Railway Age.

Andy Byford, Amtrak Senior Vice President and Senior Board of Directors Advisor, Penn Station New York, is a featured speaker at Next-Gen Rail Systems, the communications, signaling and advanced technology conference presented by Railway Age, and formerly known as Next-Gen Train Control. Byford’s talk, “Penn Station New York Megaproject,” will focus on the modernization and transformation of Penn Station New York, the nation’s busiest passenger rail facility.

“The transformation of Penn Station must be much more than bricks and mortar. It must be about making the station operationally sound, safe, clean and easy to navigate,” Byford notes. “Customers need to feel like they know where to go. Everybody recognizes that what we have now is not good enough.”

Andy Byford, well-known to Railway Age  conference attendees, is a globally acclaimed authority in public transit with an esteemed record of leading large transportation systems worldwide. Now Amtrak SVP and Senior Board of Directors Advisor, Penn Station New York, he previously led Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Program. Prior to his roles at Amtrak, Byford served as Commissioner of Transport for London, President of MTA New York City Transit, and CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission. His accomplishments include overseeing completion of London’s Elizabeth Line and modernization of the New York City subway. His work on the MTA earned him popularity among New Yorkers, who nicknamed him “Train Daddy.”

“Next-Gen Rail Systems expands the focus of Next-Gen Train Control, the communications, signaling, and advanced technology conference presented by Railway Age since 1995,” saysEditor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. “The new name reflects the evolving state of rail technology. Over the years, rapid technological developments such as AI (artificial intelligence), deep data analysis, machine learning, cybersecurity and telematics have transformed train control to become just one element of a complex, integrated platform. That’s why we’ve expanded the program to encompass the entire system. Sessions will examine how signaling and train control is constantly undergoing improvements and enhancements that deliver better safety, functionality, interoperability, versatility, and reliability, at lower life-cycle costs.

“Next-Gen Rail Systems is an essential gathering for all those involved in the growing rail systems market—whether your focus is transit, main line passenger, or freight. We are proud to present a rebranded, expanded event that features the same in-depth technical sessions and comprehensive project updates that attendees have come to expect. This conference, since its inception, has always been a ‘must attend’ event.”

In addition to Andy Byford, leading experts in the NGRS lineup are keynote speaker Tom Prendergast, CEO of Gateway Development Commission; Kris Kolluri, President and CEO of New Jersey Transit; Mario Peloquin, President and CEO of VIA Rail Canada, Dustin K. Lange, P.E., Senior Director of Engineering, Norfolk Southern, Mark Salsberg, Co-Principal of WDG Consulting; Michael Godfrey, Co-Principal and Chief Technology Officer, WGD Consulting; Matthew Kim, Assistant Vice President Enterprise Strategy, Canadian Pacific Kansas City; Wilson Milian, P.E., President and CEO of Milian Consultants, LLC; Pete Tomlin, Independent Consultant, Jonathan Kirby, Senior Director, NJT PTC, New Jersey Transit; Clarelle DeGraffe, General Manager, PATH; Steven Vant, Chief Signal Engineer, Conrail, Mike Palmer, Senior Project Manager, Parsons; Brian Yeager, Director Advanced Technology & Train Reliability, Norfolk Southern; Yousef Kimiagar, Vice President, Institution of Railway Signal Engineers; and Catherine Campbell-Wilson, Principal, StrategyFive.

Register now for Next-Gen Rail Systems, to be held Oct. 30-31, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J.

Railway Age conferences are known for providing valuable opportunities: networking with professionals from around the world; learning about innovative approaches to implementing advanced technologies; discovering new methods for procurement and contracting; providing input on standards development; becoming better-informed about ongoing and planned projects; and discovering what regulations are coming and how they could impact business.

Industry support for Next-Gen Rail Systems is strong, including sponsorships from: 4AI Systems, Alstom, CSA – Critical Systems Analysis, Druid Software, Hitachi Rail, HNTB, KB Signaling, Milian Consultants, LLC., Parsons, Piper, SATS, and Siemens Mobility. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com or (212) 620-7224.

The post Back by Popular Demand at NGRS: ‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford appeared first on Railway Age.

We believe a unified Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern sees potential upside to disclosed revenue synergies as we quantify the watershed opportunity. Our analysis of more than 4,000 watershed O-D (origin-destination) pairs suggests that even ~10% truck conversion exceeds UP’s net synergy target disclosed in a recent S-4 filing. We introduce our UP merger model, and, using a 2029 EV/EBITDA valuation, PT moves up to $258. Reiterate Buy.

Conversion of trucked volumes in the watershed region of the U.S. underpins a part of UP’s $1 billion net revenue synergy estimate in the proposed transcon merger with NS. Watershed freight refers to shorter-haul transport moves occurring around the Mississippi River that are predominantly handled by trucks. Rail penetration of these O-D pairs is historically limited as the move involves two rails (one Western and one Eastern), necessitating revenue sharing and an interchange switch.

Our analysis of more than 4,000 O-D lanes in the watershed region indicates significant upside potential to the $1 billion in net revenue synergies disclosed by UP and NS. We classify lanes by truck dominance and assume rates of rail conversion. We conservatively estimate that ~10% total share gain from the truck mode would correspond to ~$1.35 billion in EBITDA only from watershed capture (see table below for detailed assumptions). Further upside should not be ruled out, given rails’ price advantage over truck. Recall, UP’s $1 billion net synergy estimate also includes volume gains from long-haul and ports. We note our analysis excludes lanes of less than 250miles and ignores the possibility that some rail volumes could be gained from short lines.

The table below depicts EBITDA sensitivities to truck conversion and associated yields. Our simplified analysis shows that every 5 points in watershed share gain from truck corresponds to ~$550 million in EBITDA gains. As such, UP’s $1 billion disclosed synergy estimate implies ~ low-single-digit to mid-single-digit percentage capture from watershed. We believe a transcon faces significant conversion TAM (total addressable market) but outcomes hinge on execution, which will occur over a multi-year period. The former Class I CEO we hosted recently highlighted the opportunity to strike contracts with customers (auto mainly) for ~75%-80% of their volumes. Such outcomes likely represent the upside scenario, given that our 10% capture assumption yields outsized EBITDA gains.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics data for watershed lanes reveals that ~400,000 ton-miles of freight was trucked in the watershed region in 2024, of which more than 200,000 (~50%) was on lanes for which more than9 0% of ton-miles were trucked. For reference, this amounts to ~35% of UP and NS combined RTMs in 2024 (see chart below). ~80% of ton-miles traveled on lanes for which more than 70% was trucked. This validates the rails’ claims of truck dominance in these lanes. For reference, RTMs on truck dominant watershed lanes are compared to UP and NS’s 2024 figures below.

In a 300-plus-page SEC S-4 filing released Sept. 16 (download below), new information regarding the merger, timeline, concessions and financial outlook give us a closer look into financial implications of a combined company.

UP assumes $750 million of concessions, creating a new net synergy number of $2.0 billion (1.75 revenue + 1.0 cost – 0.75 concessions). These concessions were not created after speaking with customers specifically but looking at potential business loss, change in profitability on certain lanes, traffic rights and other marketing access agreements. We will ultimately get a more granular view of concessions when UP files with the STB, but we view the first look at concessions as notable but manageable.

The filing contained the long-term financial outlook for the two separate companies to 2031. For UP, the filing has a net revenue CAGR of 3.7% and an adjusted EBITDA CAGR of 5.75%. UP’s 2026 estimates were slightly below our previous forecast on both the top and bottom line, and we tweak our estimates accordingly. UP models 20bps of annual OR improvement over the long-term, likely below consensus views of margin gains. For NS, CAGRs were largely similar, and the combined EBITDA CAGR was ~5% through 2031, before synergies. We acknowledge conservatism in estimates.

3UP and NS began talking in December 2024, right after the Presidential election. As heard from recent conference appearances and the timeline provided in the filing, both companies acknowledged the ability to do this merger given the [POTUS 47] Administration. The filing does not address any details into shipper remedies though acknowledges the possibility of “substantial concessions or remedies” to meet a merger agreement. Any “overly burdensome” concessions give UP the ability to get out of the deal for a fee if the concessions exceed synergies. In a way, this may try to cap any significant remedies the STB may try to propose for shippers.

We introduce a UP merger model incorporating NS’s operations and roll estimates out to 2029, i.e., Year 3 of the merger (assuming low-single-digit volume and yield growth, and stable EBITDA margins). Given our analysis depicting upside potential to revenue synergies, we take a favorable view of value accretion by the Year 3 time frame. Risks to our call include integration challenges/service disruptions, STB-mandated concessions surprising to the onerous side, though our former Class I panelist sees both as mitigated. Using an 11x EV/ EBITDA multiple (in line with LT FY4 average), our PT moves up to $258. Reiterate Buy.

The post Watershed Moment: Unpacking the Transcon Rail Opportunity appeared first on Railway Age.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Sept. 12 announced that the SIR fleet is now entirely made up of the standard R211 subway cars, “a critical part of the MTA’s ongoing modernization efforts systemwide.”

The cars include pre-installed security cameras in each car and feature 58-inch-wide door openings that are eight inches wider than standard door openings on the existing car fleet, which are designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations, according to the agency. In addition to wider doors, these cars provide additional accessible seating, digital displays that will provide more detailed station-specific information, and brighter lighting and signage, among other features that improve the customer experience.

The R211S cars will replace 52 R44s on the SIR, which joined the railway in1973. In line with best industry practices, R44 cars will be available for a few years as the new fleet is introduced. The new railcar has an average mean distance between failure (MDBF) rate of approximately 125,000-250,000 miles, compared to the R44’s 50,000 miles. The MDBF is a measure of how far the railcar can travel before a mechanical issue occurs and requires unscheduled maintenance. 

Since the new cars were introduced, the SIR says it has seen improved customer satisfaction in waiting times, frequency of delays, cleanliness on board trains, announcements on board trains, service reliability and overall satisfaction on board.

“New rolling stock is a huge part of the MTA’s fully funded Capital Plan, and now Staten Island is the first borough to get a full fleet of R211S train cars” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The new models not only look great, but they’re key to running more reliable service for the borough’s thousands of daily riders.”

BART ridership saw steady growth this summer with August ridership up 10% compared to a year ago, “a reflection of the ongoing success of BART’s efforts to enhance safety, cleanliness, and customer experience, including the new fare payment system Tap and Ride,” according to the agency.

Tuesday, Aug. 26, was BART’s third-highest ridership day since 2020 at the time, with 210,818 exits. This record was soon bested in the first two weeks of September, which experienced BART’s first and second highest ridership days since 2020 (219,918 exits on Sept. 10 and 213,313 exits on Sept. 9).

Weekend ridership, the agency says, continues to trend upward with Saturdays in August seeing an 11% increase over a year ago and Sundays an 8.1% increase. These increases, BART adds, were bolstered by major events, including a three-day Dead & Company residency at Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands, and the Bay FC vs. Washington Spirit match that sold out Oracle Arena. 

A big win for customers was the launch of Tap and Ride on Aug. 20, which gives BART riders the ability to pay adult fares at BART fare gates using contactless-enabled debit or credit cards and mobile payment methods. Tap and Ride trips accounted for 6.5% of total BART trips after the payment system launched in late August. Weekend Tap and Ride usage was higher than weekdays as tourists and infrequent riders took advantage of this new feature. Twenty-four percent of entries at SFO Station were paid for using Tap and Ride after it launched. 

Also in August, San Francisco city workers began returning to their downtown office and local schools returned to session. With the start of the fall semester at UC Berkeley in mid-August, Clipper BayPass ridership more than doubled from the previous August as the all-in-one transit pass rolled out to the entire Cal student body, according to BART. In March, students approved a referendum that increases annual student fees to provide 50,000 undergraduates and graduate students with unlimited travel on Bay Area transit agencies for two years.

DART President & CEO Nadine Lee on Sept. 12 announced that the official grand opening of the Silver Line will be Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. To commemorate the opening, riders, families, and community partners are invited to join in a day of festivities that showcase the future of mobility in North Texas.  

The 26-mile Silver Line links Plano, Richardson, Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, and Grapevine with DFW International Airport, “transforming the way residents travel for work, school, and entertainment,” the agency noted. With state-of-the-art Stadler trains, new stations, and seamless transfers, the Silver Line “delivers convenience and opportunity to one of the fastest growing regions in the nation.”

To mark the milestone, DART is offering free rides across the entire system all day on Saturday, Oct. 25. In addition, the Silver Line will be free to ride from Oct. 25 through Nov. 8, giving everyone the chance to experience the service firsthand.

“The Silver Line opening is a realization of a promise kept to our riders and our region,” said Lee. “This state-of-the-art train will improve connections, create new access to jobs, and drive economic growth across North Texas, with a fitting theme to ‘Discover New Horizons.’ Most importantly, this line shows our riders that we heard them, and we delivered.”

The Silver Line opening date announcement was made at the conclusion of the third annual State of the Agency briefing from Lee on Sept. 12. The briefing included an update on agency priorities and progress from Lee and DART Board of Directors Chair Gary Slagel.

“The Silver Line is a major step forward in building a stronger, more connected region. It is an investment in both today’s riders and future generations. We are proud to open its doors and welcome the community aboard,” added Slagel.

The event also included a panel conversation on how transit ties to “Live, Work, and Play” in the North Texas region. Lee was joined by Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts and Inspire Dallas CEO Carlos F. Aguilar, in conversation with D Magazine Partners President Gillea Allison. 

The Silver Line Grand Opening Celebration on Oct. 25 will feature festivities at select stations, including live music, cultural performances, family programming, and recognition of the sponsors and partners who made the project possible. DART extends its deepest appreciation to its sponsors: Platinum Sponsor Stadler; Gold Sponsors WSP and Ardurra; Bronze Sponsors Cypress Waters – Billingsley and NTX Partners; and General Sponsors AECOM and Archer Western. “Their support reflects a shared commitment to connecting communities and advancing North Texas into the future,” the agency noted.

More information is available here.

The MBTA recently announced that the CapeFLYER train has reached a record number of tickets sold for the Summer 2025 season. More than 10,800 passengers purchased tickets between Boston and Hyannis on summer weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day this year, compared to about 9,700 last year.

The CapeFLYER is a partnership between Keolis, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and the MBTA to improve access to Cape Cod for residents and visitors.

CapeFLYER service has operated since 2013. The train travels between Boston’s South Station, Braintree, Brockton, Lakeville, Wareham, Buzzards Bay, Bourne, and Hyannis. The train includes a bicycle car with racks and tools as well as a café car featuring snacks and beverages.

The trip from South Station to Hyannis takes about two hours and forty minutes.

“The continued rise in CapeFLYER ticket sales shows how vital this service is to residents, visitors, and the communities it serves,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “By providing an affordable and reliable alternative to driving, the Cape Flyer expands access to the Cape, supports local economies, reduces traffic congestion, and delivers a more sustainable way to travel,”

“Massachusetts has so much to offer to residents and visitors. Under the leadership of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, we are privileged to have the ability to provide connected mass transportation services to Cape Cod with our partners at MassDOT, Keolis, and CCRTA. The CapeFLYER finished this year with record ridership and demonstrates how access to mass transportation improves quality of life. To the thousands of passengers that chose the CapeFLYER as their preferred choice of travel, a big thank you for letting us serve you!” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “This is a great reminder that public transit supports all kinds of travels. Not just during the summer, but all seasons, all year long. Take advantage of our $10 Weekend Pass and keep an eye out for robust service to Salem’s Haunted Happenings and so much more.”

The California Legislature passed legislation on Sept. 13 authorizing a ballot measure to create a 14-year, sub-regional sales tax in five Bay Area counties to generate revenue to support Bay Area public transportation systems, Caltrain recently reported. If signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bill, Senate Bill (SB) 63, introduced by State Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguín, will allow voters to decide on the revenue measure on the November 2026 ballot.

If voters qualify a measure for the ballot under SB 63 and a majority approve it, the measure will provide critical operating funding for Caltrain, Muni, BART and AC Transit. It will also support rider improvements, smaller bus and ferry services, and dedicate funds to return-to-source projects identified by individual counties. The regional measure, Caltrain says, “is intended to establish a stable funding source that addresses the fiscal shortfalls many Bay Area transit agencies continue to face after the pandemic.”

The passage of the legislation comes as Bay Area transit agencies face looming fiscal cliffs that threaten service. Caltrain projects an average annual deficit of about $75 million beginning in fiscal year 2027. Without new funding, the agency says it would face difficult decisions, including drastic service reductions, station closures and cuts to service frequency. “These challenges stem largely from shifting travel patterns that have changed how people commute, leaving Caltrain with structural budget shortfalls,” the agency noted.

While Caltrain says it has made “significant strides” to regain ridership, reduce costs and increase non-fare revenue, there remains a structural need for ongoing funding sources. Caltrain would receive an average of about $75 million annually from the measure—a 7% allocation of the total funds generated—resulting in Caltrain’s operating deficit being fully funded and Caltrain maintaining its half-hourly service.

SB 63 would:                                           

• “Authorize a sales tax in five counties in the Bay Area including the three counties that Caltrain operates in: San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara.
• “Dedicate percentages of revenue in each of Caltrain’s counties to cover the railroad’s operations deficit, allowing for the preservation of Caltrain’s service level.
• “Establish accountability measures and efficiency reviews to ensure that transit agencies are acting responsibly and appropriately with the funds they are receiving.
• “Allow voters to decide the future of transit in the Bay Area, if the new district’s legislative body places a measure on the ballot, or if the voters circulate petitions to qualify a measure for the ballot.”

“SB 63 is critical for Caltrain and other Bay Area transit systems. We are grateful to the bill authors Senators Weiner and Arreguin as well as the Caltrain delegation for strengthening and passing this critical legislation,” said Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “Thanks to electrification, we’re seeing our ridership grow faster than ever before because of the faster, more frequent, and more reliable service. Without SB63, we risk having to make service cuts that would put those gains at risk and push more cars back onto already congested roads. SB63 offers a light at the end of the tunnel to keep riders moving, reduce traffic, and build the sustainable transit system our region needs.”

“In May, the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board of Directors (Caltrain) voted to support SB 63 because of its vital ability to provide funding to support our transit operations,” said Caltrain Board Chair Steve Heminger. “Next year, voters will have the choice to establish sustainable funding mechanisms that will ensure Caltrain, and other Bay Area transit systems are able to keep running reliably and safely while supporting our local and surrounding communities.”

Local and state officials and leaders of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority will join LA Metro on Sept. 19 to celebrate the grand opening of the agency’s A Line Extension from Azusa to Pomona, bringing new local rail service to the San Gabriel Valley cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, and Pomona for the first time since 1951 when the Pacific Electric Railway ceased operations.

The ribbon-cutting celebration will be followed at 11:30 a.m. by Rock the Rails, an event that invites the community to visit each new station while enjoying DJs, live local bands and food trucks from the San Gabriel Valley area. Revenue service will begin at noon.

The $1.5 billion light rail project adds another 9.1 miles to the 48.5-mile Metro A Line, already the world’s longest light rail line, expanding access to regional destinations, including 19 nearby colleges and universities, the Pomona Fairplex, regional parks, historic downtowns, museums, hospitals, medical centers, shopping, dining and entertainment venues.

The project is the ninth project to be completed in LA Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ‘28 initiative, “an ambitious, comprehensive plan to enhance the region’s transit infrastructure in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and leave an infrastructure legacy for Angelenos.”

The post Transit Briefs: NYMTA/SIR, BART, DART, MBTA, Bay Area Transit Systems, LA Metro appeared first on Railway Age.

The tentative agreement with the larger SMART-TD group, which includes conductors, is subject to member ratification and 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
• “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.”

“This tentative national agreement with SMART-TD will extend the benefits established by the industrywide pattern—including wage increases and improved benefits—to thousands more freight rail employees,” said Jeff Rodgers, Chairman of the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) and NCCC. “This represents a substantial advancement, and we value SMART-TD’s participation in a productive process that is expected to benefit rail employees, foster high-quality careers, and contribute to the continued success of America’s freight rail sector.” 

The separate agreement with Yardmasters provides four consecutive annual general wage increases:

• July 1, 2025 – 4.0% increase
• July 1, 2026 – 3.75% increase
• July 1, 2027 – 3.5% increase
• July 1, 2028 – 3.25% increase
• July 1, 2029 – 3.00% increase

By the end of the agreement, Yardmasters will see a compounded increase exceeding 18.75%, “strengthening economic security and reflecting the essential work performed every day in yards across the country,” SMART-TD noted.

“Quality of life for our Yardmasters was at the heart of everything we fought for in this Tentative Agreement,” explained SMART-TD’s Alternate Vice President Chris Bartz, who is an active Yardmaster on the CPKC railroad. “Everyone in this union knows that historically, the youngest of our craft have been on call seven days a week, with no rest days at all when assigned to the guaranteed extra board. This provision finally rights decades of wrongs against our Yardmasters.

“By securing guaranteed rest days, we’re giving members the ability to plan for time off without worrying about the Carrier calling. This is something that has been a very long time coming. Just as importantly, we won language that requires the Carriers to come to the table to negotiate sick days on a clear timeline. Our goal is to ensure Yardmasters achieve the same protections as our T&E brothers and sisters,” Batz added.

For the first time, Yardmasters will have guaranteed rest days on the extra board built into their schedules. This, the union says, “ensures members receive predictable time away from work to recharge, spend time with family, and reduce fatigue.”

The tentative agreement also provides a path for the negotiation of paid sick days, “a major step forward in recognizing the need for Yardmasters to recover,” according to the union. This provision of the tentative agreement “creates a structured negotiation between the carriers, and SMART-TD aimed at bringing the same sick day structure our T&E members have to our Yardmasters,” the union said.

Quality of life improvements in the tentative agreement extends into wins on vacation time, as well, with SMART-TD having secured additional vacation time for its Yardmasters, as well as accelerated accrual of vacation time for newer members. 

The tentative SMART-TD and Yardmasters agreements “continue the steady progress of the 2025 bargaining round, mirroring national agreements already ratified by nine other unions,” including IBEW, BMWED, SMART-MD, IAM, IBB, ATDA, NCFO, TCU and BRC, covering the period through Dec. 31, 2029. These national agreements are in addition to dozens of local agreements reached and ratified this round.

Upon ratification of these agreements and a separate tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen (BRS), more than 80% of the union-represented freight rail employees at railroads participating in national handling will be covered by a ratified collective bargaining agreement that follows the industry-wide pattern, SMART-TD said.

More information is available here.

The post NCCC Reaches Tentative Agreements With SMART-TD, Yardmasters appeared first on Railway Age.

Dockworkers and terminal operators processed 901,846 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, a relatively flat decline of 1.3% from the record set in August 2024. Imports were down 3.6% to 440,318 TEUs and exports decreased 8.3% to 95,960 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the Port of Long Beach rose 3.7% to 365,567 TEUs.

The Port has moved 6,592,708 TEUs through the first eight months of 2025, up 8.3% from the same period last year.

“Shifting trade policies continue to create uncertainty for businesses and consumers,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Our Supply Chain Information Highway digital tracker is projecting our peak shipping season to be on pace with last year as retailers start to stock their warehouses in preparation for the winter holidays.”

“I commend our dockworkers for their continued hard work to keep goods moving through the Port during the peak shipping season,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “Our reputation as a primary gateway for trans-Pacific trade relies on our ability to safely ensure the secure and speedy shipment of goods.”

Complete cargo numbers are available here.

The post Port of Long Beach: Second-Busiest August on Record appeared first on Railway Age.

The Morgan Stanley 13th annual Laguna Conference covered Industrials, Machinery, Aerospace & Defense, Airlines, Freight Transportation, Autos & Suppliers, and Materials companies. The conference featured CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs, who with insightful remarks shared information about CSX and the railroad industry in general.

Hinrichs, Railway Age’s 2025 Railroader of the Year, stressed the need for the industry to work cooperatively to grow the pie, serve customers better, and to capture truck conversions if the industry’s fortunes are to improve.

He also touted the benefits of interchange opportunities as a key way for the industry to work cooperatively. He noted that CSX partners with BNSF on an intermodal train that BNSF brings into Birmingham, then CSX crews take the train to Atlanta, with the same BNSF locomotives, and the same thing happens in reverse. Hinrichs said this has worked well for years and doesn’t necessarily see that single-line service along this route would offer any huge advantages.

(CSX also has operating partnerships with CPKC and CN.)

Hinrichs fielded questions related to margin growth, operating ratio, and growing market share. He said “Let’s be honest. The past 10-15 years, the main focus has been on restructuring the business to get a lot more efficient and create better margins, which in itself isn’t a bad thing. But that was the No. 1 focus, and you can see all that activist activity and all of the things that went on to drive that obsession with OR improvement, which again, unto itself, is not bad, but there wasn’t, at the same time, the same drive to grow volume.”

Delving further into the issue, Hinrichs said, “I’m not criticizing it, because look at the efficiencies and the operating margins that we have that we didn’t have 10-15 years ago. But if your only pursuit is every quarter trying to show a little better OR, then intermodal business is not going to be your priority, or other truck-competitive carload business, let’s say, because the pricing dynamics are different. We’ve got to be able to demonstrate you can continue to run a very efficient railroad, optimize your margins, pricing, everything on the carload business, and grow and go after that truck-competitive business, whether it’s carload or intermodal.”

The post Hinrichs at Morgan Stanley Conference: ‘Work Cooperatively’ appeared first on Railway Age.

This year, Railway Age and RT&S are pleased to venture to Pittsburgh on Oct. 1-2 for the much-anticipated 2025 Light Rail Conference, featuring a packed lineup of LRT (light rail transit) professionals who are significantly influencing today’s rail transit industry. Among the reasons to attend is “Greentech in Light Rail Vehicles,” presented by Hans Cruse, Stadler Rail North American Streetcar Market Sales Manager.

“Greentech in light rail vehicles is much more than batteries,” says Cruse. “My presentation will demonstrate how Stadler is working to reduce the environmental impact of its light rail vehicles, reduce life cycle costs for the customer and make light rail more attractive for the passenger.”

This edition of our annual in-person Light Rail Conference will be filled with dynamic panels and the chance to network with a wide-reaching group of like-minded professionals. It offer a comprehensive review of the specialized technical, operational, environmental, and socio-economic issues associated with LRT in an urban environment. All this will take place at the Fairmont Pittsburgh.

Presented Oct. 1-2 at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, the 2025 Railway Age and RT&S Light Rail Conference is a must-attend premier conference on LRT for transportation professionals in planning, operations, civil engineering, signaling and train control, and vehicle engineering. Students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are also welcome.

Key sessions will focus on:

• Strategic insights into major new-builds and expansion projects.
• Engineering sessions illustrating how to best support long-term efficiency and safety.
• Capital program oversight, risk mitigation, and performance tracking.
• Resilience planning, sharing adaptive strategies for extreme weather events.
• Improvements to customer-facing technologies such as fare collection, communications and security.
• The viability and scalability of alternative propulsion technologies.
• Confronting funding challenges.

In addition to Hans Cruse, transit leaders on the program include Andy Lukaszewicz and Justin Selepack of Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), Bryan K. Moore and Casey Blaze of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), Henry Posner, Ida Posner and Nate Asplund of Railroad Development Corporation (RDC), Harry Skoblenick of Alstom, Barbara M. Schroeder of Benesch, Rachel J. Burckardt of WSP USA, and many more.

Industry support for the Railway Age / RT&S 2025 Light Rail Conference is strong, including sponsorships from 4AI Systems, Piper Networks, Benesch, RDC and Stadler. To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathan Chalon at jchalon@sbpub.com or (212) 620-7224.

The post 2025 Light Rail Conference Focus: “Greentech” LRVs appeared first on Railway Age.

The combination of advances in engine management technology, in the design of heat exchange technology and the chemistry of high-temperature ceramic materials and compounds, provide the basis of enhancing the efficiency and market competitiveness of open-cycle and closed-cycle gas turbine engines, including for future railway propulsion.

Traditional open-cycle gas turbine engines flow atmospheric air through a compressor, combustion chamber and power turbine. Peak fuel efficiency only occurs when the engine operates at maximum power output, with the turbine spinning at maximum RPM with maximum turbine inlet temperature. Engine efficiency decreases drastically as power output decreases. In railway operation, Union Pacific at one time had a small fleet of GTELs (gas turbine-electric locomotives) running at maximum output and peak efficiency to pull heavy freight trains up long gradients. Running at reduced output on flat territory resulted in high fuel consumption and high fuel costs compared to diesel-electric locomotives.

Small gas turbine engines were installed into short, higher-speed passenger trains that operated in the Northeastern and Central U.S. and central Canada. They were the Turboliner and United Aircraft Turbo Train. Running the trains at higher speed in limited-stop service allowed the turbine engines to operate near maximum output and near peak engine efficiency. However, both Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada entually replaced the turbine powered passenger trains with diesel-electric locomotive-hauled equipment. Amtrak expanded electric propulsion on the Northeast Corridor from New Haven, Conn. to Boston, with diesel locomotives assigned to passenger trains elsewhere. But now, development of new materials and computer-controlled engine operation allows for development of a new generation of gas turbine engines that would be suitable for railway propulsion.

Engine developers who recognized the fuel efficiency problem of gas turbine engines developed alternative solutions that date back to the 1960s. One concept was externally heated closed-cycle gas turbine engines that continuously recirculate the same gas through compressors and turbine. While such engines can deliver high efficiency at 25% of power output, the materials of which heat exchange units were made at time incurred temperature restrictions that curtailed peak efficiency and peak power output. Lack of development of suitable heat exchange material resulted in stagnation in further development of closed-cycle gas turbine engines.

The complex-cycle gas turbine engine was an open-cycle, triple-shaft engine that combined two compressors with three turbines, two combustion chambers and two heat exchange units. The high-pressure and power turbines spun on separate shafts, with their own combustion chamber. Inability to accurately and continually control air/fuel ratios manually for each combustion chamber resulted in less-than-optimal engine performance. As a result, in real world operation, the complex-cycle gas turbine rarely delivered peak efficiency over a range of power output. Despite having shown great promise, further development of the complex-cycle gas turbine went stagnant.

Modern reciprocating internal combustion engines operate with advanced technology. Mass-flow rate sensors, air/fuel ratio sensors, air temperature sensors and computer managed fuel injection have greatly improved fuel efficiency. There is theoretical potential to adapt such technology to the old classical complex-cycle gas turbine engine, along with the possibility of introducing new-generation heat exchange technology that operates at much higher temperature and higher effectiveness than earlier generation technology. Modern annular counter-flow heat exchange technology developed by Ed Proeschel offers heat transfer effectiveness of more than 90% compared to 80% for earlier-generation counter-flow heat exchange units.

The annular counter-flow heat exchange unit can be adapted for operation in both open-cycle and closed-cycle gas turbine engines. Modern turbine blades are made from ceramic material that retain mechanical properties at 1,400-degrees C (2,550 degrees F), allowing combustion temperatures of 1,200 degrees C without the need to cool turbine blades. While earlier generation heat exchange units were made from stainless steel, there is an evolving possibility of making heat exchange units from materials such as aluminum-nitride and high-purity boron-arsenide that offer higher coefficients of thermal conductivity than that of steel, at much higher temperatures.

An upgraded complex-cycle gas turbine engine would include annular counter-flow heat exchange units installed downstream of both the low-pressure and high-pressure compressors, with computer-controlled fuel injection into combustion chambers placed upstream of both the high-pressure as well as power output turbine. The high-pressure turbine would operate on a computer-controlled ultra-lean-burn air/fuel ratio to assure sufficient oxygen in its exhaust gas to assure additional combustion to sustain operation of the power output turbine. Sensors connected to the computer would continuously monitor properties of gases flowing from the high-pressure turbine, to assure optimal overall engine performance.

The power output of a computer-monitored and -controlled complex-cycle gas turbine could rival that of the latest locomotive diesel engines rated at more than 4,000 hp and near 50% thermal efficiency. While the complex-cycle gas turbine would be quite compact, the heat exchange units that enhance its performance would occupy a considerable volumetric space within the locomotive carbody. With the potential to develop the turbine engine to output levels of 6,000 to 8,000 hp, railway freight operation would require that a slug unit be coupled to each gas turbine powered locomotive.

Externally heated closed-cycle cycle gas turbine engines continuously recirculate the working gas by cooling it after leaving the power turbine. It replaces the combustion chambers of open-cycle engines with high-temperature heat exchange units, with low-pressure and high-pressure compressors and turbines rotating on a common shaft that drives either an electrical generator or reduction gearbox. Closed-cycle engines can be designed to operate with wide variation in the mass of gas that recirculates within the closed system. Such operation maintains high efficiency over a range of power output as turbines spin at maximum design RPM, with gas entering the turbine at maximum temperature.

A closed-cycle engine that delivers 5,000 hp with mean-average internal system pressure at five times atmospheric pressure (5-ATM), would deliver 1,000 hp at comparable thermal efficiency with mean system pressure reduced to 1-ATM. During operation, some exhaust heat will be reintroduced into the engine downstream of the high-pressure compressor. The combination of heat rejected from the low-pressure compressor intercooler and residual exhaust heat would partially sustain the operation of a bottom-cycle steam engine. Future development of high-temperature heat exchange units made from compounds such as highly purified boron-arsenide with high thermal conductivity promise to assure engine efficiency.

While locomotive diesel piston engines require liquid fuel with very specific properties, internal combustion gas turbine engines have a much wider fuel tolerance and can operate on a much wider range of liquid and gaseous fuel, including low-cost fuel with high solvent properties. Externally heated, closed-cycle gas turbine engines can operate on a much wider range of liquid, gaseous and even solid fuels and without incurring any internal damage to the engine. Over the long term, gas turbine engines can incur savings in fuel cost and engine lubricant cost while offering extended service life, compared to diesel engines.

The complex-cycle gas turbine engine has two sources of reject heat to assist in the operation of a steam engine, preheating water flowing from the water pump to the boiler. Reject heat from the inter-cooler for the low-pressure compressor would provide primary preheating while turbine engine exhaust gas would provide a secondary source of heat that would further raise water temperature. Combustion of liquid or gaseous fuel would convert the preheated water to steam to operate a steam turbine engine at the equivalent of an elevated level of efficiency.

If a gas turbine engine of 6,000 hp operates at near 50% thermal efficiency, its intercooler and exhaust would release the equivalent of 6,000 hp of thermal energy to preheat water to operate a bottom-cycle steam engine. A combined-cycle engine could operate at the equivalent of between 55% and 60% overall thermal efficiency on either liquid or gaseous fuel. The open-cycle turbine engine offers greater flexibility than a reciprocating engine, in the variety of competitively priced fuel that could sustain its operation. Higher overall thermal efficiency combined with lower fuel cost enhances the engine’s marketability.

Solid-state technology involving specially chemically treated shapes of silicon that are heated on one side, with coolant applied to an opposite side, can directly convert heat into electric power, at 5% conversion efficiency. Future research into such solid-state conversion of heat into electric power would require involvement of artificial intelligence technology, to raise conversion efficiency when converting rejected engine (exhaust) heat to electric power, to assist in locomotive propulsion. The ideal long-term objective of AI research would involve matching the efficiency of a diesel engine in converting heat into electric power.

A three-shaft open-cycle gas turbine engine using modern electronic engine management technology installed in duplicate or even triplicate would operate efficiently and reliably over a wide range of power output, even for extended duration cycles. Likewise, a single-shaft closed-cycle gas turbine engine using modern and evolving ceramic-based, annular configuration heat-exchange technology could operate at competitive levels of efficiency using a wide range of fuels, including stored thermal energy. The exhaust heat of both types of engines would sustain the operation of a bottom-cycle steam engine, allowing the combined-cycle engine to deliver very competitive levels of thermal efficiency.

While locomotive diesel engines require massive volumes of lubricating oil, turbine engines require a fraction of the amount of lubricant to assure proper operation of engine bearings. Turbine engines also avoid the problem of internal friction and engine wear caused by piston rings sliding on cylinder walls, thereby extending usable service life. While turbine engines are compact, the heat exchange units attached to them will occupy a substantial amount of volume, which would likely be available inside a locomotive carbody. The combination of a gas turbine engine with a steam bottom-cycle engine represents a future propulsion option for railway operation.

Harry Valentine holds a mechanical engineering from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, where he undertook post-graduate research in transportation. He has worked in engineering and research capacities for Cummins Engines Company, Langson Energy (turbine engine builder), Quasiturbine Engines Company of Montreal, and in rail vehicle redesign at a rebuilding shop in Montreal. He is widely published in the energy and transportation industries.

The post Re-evaluating Gas Turbine Engines for Railway Propulsion appeared first on Railway Age.