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The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has filed a notice of intent to participate in the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) review of the forthcoming Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern application seeking authorization to combine their networks under common ownership and form a U.S. transcontinental.

“This proposed major consolidation transaction is of significant interest to short line railroads across the nation,” ASLRRA said in its Nov. 19 filing announcement. “Both individually and collectively with the involvement of the ASLRRA, short lines are actively engaged in ascertaining how the proposed transaction may positively or negatively impact smaller railroads and their customers.”

The Association’s participation, it noted, “will focus on ensuring the transaction, as presented to the STB by the applicants or as may be conditionally approved, adequately addresses any impact on smaller railroads and their customers, and supports” the following measures:

• Short line carload traffic growth and enhanced Class I/short line interchange efficiencies.
• Frequent and reliable railroad service post-transaction.
• Competition across the overall network.

“On behalf of our members, ASLRRA will productively engage in the STB process, seeking to enhance competition, improve customer service, and grow rail volume across the U.S. freight rail network by building on successful win-win partnerships between Class I’s and short lines,” ASLRRA President Chuck Baker said.

UP and NS this summer submitted to the STB a notice of intent to file an application for STB approval of a proposed merger; in their notice, UP and NS stated that they intended to file their application on or before Jan. 29, 2026. The application would be part of STB docket FD 36873.

Shareholders of UP and NS, in special meetings held Nov. 14, approved the merger of the two railroads, with in-favor margins approaching 100%. The transaction, both companies said, is expected to close “by early 2027, subject to Surface Transportation Board review and approval within its statutory timeline and customary closing conditions.”

The post ASLRRA to Participate in STB Review of Proposed UP-NS Merger appeared first on Railway Age.

The Senate Commerce Committee on Nov. 19 recommended Senate reconfirmation of Republican Michelle A. Schutz to a second five-year term on the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Her renomination is now ripe for a Senate floor vote that will seal confirmation—the timing of which is determined by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). Schultz had bipartisan support from Committee Chairperson Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and the committee’s senior Democrat, Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

A Commerce Committee vote on whether to recommend Senate confirmation of the nomination of Republican Richard Kloster to a first STB term remains pending owing to what is described as “slow paperwork.“

A committee hearing into the qualifications of Schultz and Kloster, at which they were questioned by senators, was held earlier in November. 

Kloster’s nomination is to fill a seat on the five-member STB left vacant by the early 2024 retirement of Democrat Martin J. Oberman and expiring Dec. 31, 2028.

A Democratic seat held by Robert E. Primus remains open since Primus’ firing in August by POTUS 47. Primus is contesting the firing as “illegal“ and asked a federal court to reinstate him. 

Other STB members are Republican Chairperson Patrick J. Fuchs, whose second term expires Jan. 14, 2029, and Democrat Karen J. Hedlund, whose first term expires Dec. 31, 2025. If not renominated and confirmed before then, Hedlund may remain on the STB for up to 12 additional months or until a successor is nominated by the President and Senate confirmed.

The post Sens. Cruz, Cantwell Support STB Nominee Schultz appeared first on Railway Age.

CSX and the CREATE program reached a major milestone on October 15, 2025, when the first train crossed the new Forest Hill Flyover. This structure, located southeast of where 74th Street and Western Avenue intersect in Chicago, carries CSX trackage over lines of Belt Railway of Chicago, Metra, and Norfolk Southern. The investment eliminates a long-standing bottleneck where an average of 30 SouthWest Service Metra trains and 35 freight trains intersect daily. As part of CREATE’s $380 million, 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project, the Forest Hill Flyover was funded by federal, state and local governments, along with the involved railroads. The on-time completion of this project during October concluded construction that began in 2022. While the first train ran in October, a ribbon-cutting wasn’t held until November 14. 

The reduction in delays at this former at-grade crossing benefits some of CSX’s most competitive intermodal traffic in the Chicago market, as this former B&O Chicago Terminal, double-track route is used by all trains in and out of the 59th Street intermodal terminal. This includes Trains I135 (Suffolk, Va.-Chicago) and counterpart I136, plus Trains I168 (Chicago-Port Newark, N.J.) and counterpart I169. Also using this route are several run-through trains that operate between the western roads at Chicago and CSX’s Northwest Ohio Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in North Baltimore, Ohio. These include Trains I171/I172 with the BNSF and Trains I191/I192 with Union Pacific. The flyover also handles ethanol, oil, and grain from both UP and BNSF, plus coal trains from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin destined to West Olive, Mich., when they do not use normal routing via the Belt Railway of Chicago.

—Scott Lindsey

The post Chicago Flyover Bridge Opens appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Through NCRR Invests, NCRR said it uses private revenue to support job creation, freight rail use, and long-term economic growth across North Carolina. Its funding for Fit Precast’s rail spur will cover design and construction, including drainage, track, and signal work.

Fit Precast, a National Infrastructure Holdings (NIH) company, is investing $102 million into its 154,000-square-foot facility in Gastonia, N.C., which will manufacture precast concrete and piping products used in stormwater management, transportation, and utility construction projects. Upon completion, the company is expected to receive and/or distribute a minimum of 500 railcars annually, and create 125 full-time jobs with an average annual salary of $102,168.

Other key partners in the Fit Precast project include Norfolk Southern, the Office of Governor Josh Stein, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Gaston College, Duke Energy, Enbridge, Gaston County, Gaston County Economic Development Commission, and the City of Gastonia.

We are not just entering the market, we are redefining it! pic.twitter.com/pmfUvMryoa

“The demand for resilient, American-made infrastructure has never been greater, and North Carolina is the ideal place to meet that challenge,” Fit Precast President Matt Goreski said. “This flagship headquarters and production facility is the most advanced precast concrete manufacturing site in the country, investing in both leading-edge technology and the people of North Carolina with high paying, meaningful careers. The Gaston County EDC and the State of North Carolina consistently went above and beyond to secure this project; we would like to thank them for making this our new home.”

“We’re proud to help strengthen Gaston County’s rail connectivity and support the significant job growth that Fit Precast will bring to the region,” said Carl Warren, President and CEO of NCRR, which manages 317 miles of rail corridor. “NCRR works closely with local partners to ensure communities have the rail infrastructure and strategic support they need to attract and sustain new industry.”

“Fit Precast’s operation in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee,” according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $530 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and $71 million of the company’s investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,303,100, spread over 12 years. State payments occur only following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

“The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 170%, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $2.70 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

“Because Fit Precast chose a site in Gaston County, which is classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 2, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving as much as $255,900 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund–Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities anywhere in the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.”

• NCRR: Helping Businesses ‘Get Back on Track’
• NCRR Awards First Brownfields Site Grants
• NCRR Investing $400K into Rail-Served Facility Expansion Project
• NCRR Options Program Aims to Boost Industrial Site Readiness

The post NCRR Injecting $500K Into Fit Precast’s Rail-Served Facility appeared first on Railway Age.

A thriving rail industry is foundational for the U.S. economy. Since the 1800s, railroads have powered the U.S. by hauling grain, chemicals, vehicles, coal and all kinds of critical supplies that Americans rely on across the country.

After decades of decline due to governmental interference through much of the 20th century, deregulation in 1980 allowed railroads to compete, which led to efficiency gains through investment, innovation and consolidation. This has resulted in the U.S. having the strongest freight rail network in the world.

Union Pacific’s proposed merger with Norfolk Southern marks the long-anticipated arrival of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad, a momentous time for the industry. Even President Abraham Lincoln, more than 150 years ago, envisioned a coast-to-coast railroad that would reduce transportation costs for manufacturers and businesses while streamlining the U.S. supply chain.

Combining Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern two complementary networks that together will stretch from coast to coast across 43 states and more than 50,000 miles—will allow shippers to reduce costs and transit time.

Today, shippers transporting goods by rail often must deal with separate networks that make it impossible to get a single price for coast-to-coast shipping. Interchanges, where two rail networks meet and freight cars must be transferred from one network to another, create delays and headaches for shippers.

With the merger, congestion and handoff delays at rail interchanges such as Chicago, Kansas City and New Orleans would be alleviated.

The merger would also make American rail a more competitive freight option, and providing a one-stop solution for shippers would make procuring rail transportation simpler. As the new, combined company finds ways to make its network more efficient, shippers and consumers will ultimately benefit from those savings. This will help tamp down the inflationary pressures of the past few years and deliver price relief to key sectors such as housing, energy, autos and more, where inputs (such as wood, coal, and steel) typically travel via rail.

Some have questioned whether the Administration and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) should allow further consolidation in an industry already dominated by just a few players. The STB will have to consider two questions as it reviews the deal: Does the merger enhance competition? And is it consistent with the public interest? 

The answer to both is a resounding yes. With Union Pacific operating west of the Mississippi and Norfolk Southern operating east of it, the deal represents an end-to-end merger that unambiguously improves service. In the one area where there is some overlap—Kansas City to St. Louis—there is expected to be expanded rail service as the connection in that area would increase capacity and fluidity for shippers in the region.

A few critics will likely (and mistakenly) argue that consolidation will not enhance competition, but this perspective fails to grasp the state of the broader freight landscape. The proposed merger doesn’t diminish competition; it creates a more competitive and efficient U.S. rail network. The combined company would offer shippers better service, greater leverage in negotiations with trucking companies and access to expanded multimodal connections.

Combining the two networks would result in a freight option that can better compete with trucking and the Canadian transcontinental rail networks. What’s more, the benefits of it would go beyond shippers: The merger would almost inevitably result in fewer trucks on the nation’s highways, thereby reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while improving highway safety, as well as reducing the wear and tear on roads. Plus, fewer vehicles on the roads means increased safety for motorists.

By shifting significant freight volumes from road to rail, the merger would ease road congestion and public infrastructure maintenance costs, saving billions in future maintenance costs. These are savings that flow directly to the taxpayers, who effectively subsidize the trucking industry. The motor vehicle fuels tax, which hasn’t increased in more than 30 years, does not come close to paying for the upkeep and expansion of the nation’s roads, and $275 billion has been transferred from the general tax fund to the highway trust fund since 2008.

Manufacturers and exporters stand to benefit from more reliable and timely freight service. The new network could shave several days off key shipping lanes, which would streamline supply chains and reduce overhead costs. For industries that rely on just-in-time delivery, these efficiencies translate into real savings. Ultimately, consumers would feel the impact, too, through lower prices on everything from groceries to household goods.

Reducing freight costs and improving delivery timelines is a competitive necessity for U.S. manufacturing. This merger will help those who make things in the U.S. remain competitive against international rivals, enabling domestic products to reach markets faster and at lower cost.

Michael F. Gorman, Ph.D., is the Niehaus chair in Operations and Analytics and a professor at the University of Dayton, specializing in freight rail logistics and transportation economics.The opinions expressed here are his own.

The post A Rail Merger to Put America Back on Track appeared first on Railway Age.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has selected Gary Vaughn for the 2026 Schlosser Distinguished Service Award. He will be honored April 14, 2026, at the Association’s annual conference and exhibition in Minneapolis, Minn.

The award, named for former ASLRRA Chair Thomas L. Schlosser, is the highest individual honor bestowed by the Association, recognizing “long-term, significant service to the ASLRRA and the short line industry.”

“In his work with the Association’s Safety and Training (S&T) Committee, Vaughn advised numerous short line railroad employees,” ASLRRA reported Nov. 18. “Vaughn played a major role in developing many of the resources now used by ASLRRA members, including the templates for 49 CFR Part 243: Training, Qualification, and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees and templates for conductor certification and electronic devices.

“Beyond his service to ASLRRA, Vaughn provided the short line perspective on industry committees that were tasked with guiding regulations including the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), many FRA working groups that helped develop new regulatory language, and served as the first ever short line chairman of the General Code of Operating Rules Committee.”

Vaughn’s approach to safety was rooted in his early experience as a railroader and as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, according to ASLRRA. Vaughn followed his father—a WWII veteran and railroader of 32 years—into railroading, and the two men worked together at the same tower in Michigan as operators and telegraphers.

Vaughn began his railroad career working for the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) while attending the University of Michigan. Following graduation and stints at N&W and Norfolk Southern, Vaughn made the move to the short line industry in 1996, first working for RailTex and Rail America in such roles as Operations Manager, Division Superintendent, General Manager, and Regional Safety Manager. In 2003, he joined Watco as Safety Director and began making his mark on the company’s safety performance, according to ASLRRA. During his 15-year-plus tenure, Watco achieved numerous year-over-year improved safety records and supported Vaughn’s work to both restructure the safety department and implement workplace safety education and awareness programs, the Association reported.

Vaughn has also served as an Executive Board Member for Kansas Operation Lifesaver, as Vice Chairman of the Oklahoma Operation Lifesaver Executive Board, and was a Member of the Short Line Safety Institute’s (SLSI) first Board of Directors.

Vaughn retired from railroading in 2019.

“Gary has influenced a whole generation of industry professionals,” ASLRRA President Chuck Baker said. “His unwavering commitment to safety fueled the creation of critical resources for ASLRRA members, a very active Safety & Training Committee that continues to guide the Association’s work in this area, and innumerable contributions to the industry on regulatory issues. Gary’s service to ASLRRA has truly left the Association and the short line railroad industry in a better place.” 

The Schlosser Distinguished Service Award is not Vaugn’s first ASLRRA honor; he also earned the inaugural Safety Professional of the Year Award in 2010.

• 2025: Edwin “Ed” McKechnie
• 2024: James A. Bowers
• 2023: Jack Dale Parliament
• 2022: Richard Timmons
• 2021: Carl Belke
• 2019: Peter Gilbertson
• 2018: Mort Fuller
• 2017: Gary Griswell
• 2016: George Betke
• 2015: Keith Hartwell
• 2014: Judy Petry
• 2013: Mike Ogborn
• 2012: Tom Schlosser

The post Vaughn Earns 2026 Schlosser Distinguished Service Award appeared first on Railway Age.

Micro-Trains Line Company, Inc. announced today that it has been acquired by Atlas Model Railroad Co, which includes substantially all assets of Micro-Trains Line Co., the Talent, Oregon-based manufacturer renowned for its precision N and Z scale model trains and couplers. The transaction marks a significant expansion of Atlas’s manufacturing and product development capabilities within the U.S. hobby industry.

Under the agreement, Atlas will assume ownership of Micro-Trains’ molds, tooling, and associated intellectual property, ensuring continued production of the brand’s hallmark products. Production will transition into Atlas’s global manufacturing and supply network, ensuring continued availability and consistent quality standards worldwide.

Eric D. Smith, President of Micro-Trains Line Co., added: “Our family and team are proud of what Micro-Trains has meant to hobbyists everywhere. Atlas’s commitment to excellence and long-term investment in the model railroad community makes them the right partner to continue our story.”

Both companies emphasized that the integration will focus on preserving the authenticity of Micro-Trains’ designs while leveraging Atlas’s engineering, logistics, production capabilities to broaden innovation and future product offerings.”
Smith also wants to thank our industry counterparts, many of whom we have worked so closely with making this hobby a true enjoyment to be part of. And a very special thank you to the model railroad consumers; your interest and patronage of our model trains is much appreciated.

Micro-Trains in Talent, OR. will continue to accept and process orders until our finished model train single car releases, multi-packs, trucks, couplers tools and accessories are sold out. This includes our December releases.

In closing, we once again extend our sincerest thanks to all, and wish everyone great success in all your future endeavors.

-via press release

The post Atlas Model Railroad Co. acquires assets of Micro-Trains Line appeared first on Model Railroad News.

Review by Jason Quinn/photos by the author

EMD’s GP40 is an exciting new model in Rapido Trains’ catalog of HO-scale offerings. This addition is a natural progression from the hobby manufacturer’s prior GP38 release (see Ryan Crawford’s “Southern Charm” review of Rapido’s Norfolk Southern GP38 in your March 2025 MRN). The two four-axle locomotive prototypes share many characteristics, with the long hood being the location where the two exhibit the most differences. The GP38 model is a non-turbocharged 645 prime mover producing 2,000 hp whereas the GP40 is powered by a 3,000-hp turbocharged 645 prime mover.

General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division first produced its GP40 in November 1965. The new locomotive was the successor to the GP35 model. The GP40 had many upgrades over the similar GP35 model. The GP35 was the last model to use the EMD 567 prime mover. The 40-series units introduced the 645 prime mover; this was the single biggest change from the 35 to 40 series. The GP40 also rode on a longer frame (3 feet longer than the GP35) and had three 48-inch radiator fans, versus the GP35’s two 48-inch and one 36-inch fan arrangement.

ABOVE: MKT 501 at Parsons, Kan., in November 1986. Katy built this slug from from GP40 222 in 1976. The other slug added to the roster at the time was 500, which came from MKT F7A 74A. Both slugs moved to Union Pacific’s roster in 1988 with 501 carrying S300 and later UPY926 numbering. —T.N. Colbert photo, Kevin EuDaly collection 

Production of the GP40 model ended in December 1971. 1,242 were produced, with the majority (1,187) sold to 28 railroads in the U.S. The largest quantity of GP40s was found on Penn Central’s roster with 170 units; these were added to the 105 units New York Central purchased before 1968 and the arrival of Penn Central. The combined fleet clearly put Penn Central/Conrail as the largest operator. Chessie System comes in second place with 161 units from Baltimore & Ohio, 50 from Chesapeake & Ohio, and five from Western Maryland. The smallest order was a single unit sold to Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TP&W); this GP40 was an EMD warranty protection unit that became available and joined the road’s roster around 1970. This unit was later acquired by Santa Fe and was that road’s only GP40 on the roster, but didn’t enjoy a long tenure for the railroad. Santa Fe rebuilt TP&W’s GP40 into a GP35u; however, it was soon wrecked, and later scrapped.

Rapido Trains provided not only a GP40 to review but also a slug unit. Rapido has really been hitting the market with slugs lately. This is an overlooked area in the hobby. I com-mend Rapido Trains for their efforts in expanding this unique and uncommon motive power area in HO. My sample is decorated in the green and yellow colors of Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) or often better know as “the Katy.”

The slug is unique to MKT’s roster (Union Pacific after 1988), while the GP40 tooling has opportunities for releases in several road names. In this run, Rapido Trains produces HO-scale GP40 diesel locomotive models in three Canadian National styles; “Death Star” era Illinois Central; Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac; St. Louis-Southernwestern “Cotton Belt” in as-delivered appearance; mid-1990s Wisconsin Central; Western Pacific silver Zephyr livery with orange band; and 1990s era Union Pacific featuring “We Will Deliver” slogan, offered with and without a slug in this run.

My GP40 and slug sample is two-thirds of MKT’s “three stooges” set. The interesting nickname was given to the trio by Katy employees. GP40 222 was wrecked and built into a slug, which is nothing more than a weighted platform with traction motors. The slug receives power from its two mother units. MKT GP40s 226 and 227 were specially equipped for this service with the addition of power cables required to transmit power to the slug. The slug does have nicely detailed power cables, but the GP40 mother unit seems to lack the proper connections (I could not find any good rear pictures of the GP40 units to confirm this though). This set includes MKT 226 GP40 and 501 slug. Rapido offers MKT GP40s separately in three road numbers: 194, 216, and 227.

The two models come in one large flat box encased in Rapido’s traditional clear plastic clam shell. This sturdy box should keep these finely detailed models safe under all but the harshest traveling conditions. As I unpacked the pair, I found these replicas to be free of any damages or blemishes. My first impression of these models was “Wow!”

The post Escargot in HO and a GP40, too, from Rapido Trains appeared first on Model Railroad News.

Reviews by Clem Harris, Justin Sobeck, and Shane T. Mason/photos by Tony Cook

This all-new N-scale tank car replica was announced in May 2022, with a second production listed in January 2024, and Athearn recently delivered both batches of this absolutely amazing, perhaps the best looking and running 1:160 tank car on the market, during summer 2025. The offerings come fully assembled and packaged in clear jewel cases. Single tank cars and 3-pack sets are included in the production.

For those familiar with the manufacturer’s excellent Genesis 1:87 offerings, this new Union Tank Car 13,000-gallon acid tank car release looks like they shrink-rayed an HO car down to N scale! This small model is a big release for Athearn, marking the company’s first Genesis-branded effort for rolling stock in N scale. Model Railroad News’ regular N-scale modelers will provide their experience with this Athearn release.

Clem Harris
I spent some time reading up on tank cars and the various requirements that they have to safely transport a commodity. For this model and its prototype, my research was all about how tank cars are used to safely transport sulfuric acid.

ABOVE: This new Athearn Genesis N-scale acid tank car model includes see-through etched metal end platforms, body-mounted Type F double-shelf knuckle couplers, and 36-inch metal wheels.

The various standards for tank cars have gotten public attention in the last few years due to prolific derailments. Acid tank cars fall under the older DOT 111 standard that encompasses a minimum plate thickness of 7/16 inches, and can be made of various materials like aluminum or steel alloys, but carbon steel is most common. DOT 111 rated cars do not generally have shielding around the top or ends of the tank, thermal protection, and special fittings that have become standard on newer DOT 117 and DOT 117R cars. DOT 111 cars may or may not have a layer of insulation around them, and will slowly be phased out or upgraded to meet the new DOT 117R standard that took effect May 1, 2025.

Sulfuric acid has many uses, from drain cleaners in your home, to indus-trial cleaning agents in the manufactur-ing of steel, fertilizers, petroleum catalysts, the production of paper, and much more. The number that appears on the placard indicates the percentage of the sulfuric acid being transported, so first responders may deal with a spill or derailment accordingly (more about this on the model).

Athearn executed the reproduction of the various details of these cars correctly for the timeframes they represent. For me, the little details really make an N-scale product stand out. The printing on the car was crisp and clearly readable. One of the things that immediately caught my attention was the rectangular yellow notice showing Chemtrec’s phone numbers. The Procor car shows the era appropriate U.S. 1-800 number along with the separate phone number for reporting leaks and spills in Canada and Mexico found on older tank cars. Chemtrec’s reporting number meets the federal requirement to have an emergency response telephone number that is monitored 24/7 while hazardous commodities like sulfuric acid are being transported.

ABOVE: There is variety in the details across the road names included in Athearn’s first Genesis series N-scale freight car release. This fully assembled tank car replica is a fine addition to the 1:160 hobby market.

The models have diamond-shaped placards indicating the UN number (this is a unique four-digit code as-signed by the United Nations to iden-tify hazardous chemicals, materials, and articles for international transport and commerce. These numbers range from 0001 to 3500 and are crucial for proper handling, packaging, labeling, and emergency response for dangerous goods). This is a neat touch! The UN number for sulphuric acid that has a concentration of greater than 51 percent is 1830, which is denoted on the placards for both cars.

Additionally, the models incorporate vertical restraint-type couplers, more commonly known as shelf-style cou-plers. On the prototype, this prevents couplers from bypassing in derailments and potentially puncturing the ends of adjacent tank cars. This inclusion of the proper coupler demonstrates Athearn was paying close attention to the prototype. N-scale couplers are a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but these couplers were a positive experience, and worked well with other brands of couplers without being finicky or troublesome.

The details on these cars are absolutely amazing. See-through end walkways and manways on top of the cars further highlight the attention to detail these 1:160 reproductions were given. The trainline hoses on the ends of the cars cleared an appropriate height off the rail and did not cause any issues even on less than ideal trackwork.

The biggest question I have when I try out a new release like this, after examining the car for how well it matches with a known prototype, is how well the model performs. In a word, Athearn’s new acid tank car operated outstandingly. I’m not necessarily a “check the weight” kind of guy because on cars like this, there is nowhere to add additional weight if they are too light. With this in mind, I pushed and pulled these cars around the New Mexico Rail Runners N-scale layout for a couple of hours with no derailments or issues to report while operating them in a 22-car train. I placed the tank cars at various places in the consist to see if that would change this solid performing outcome, and Athearn’s Genesis acid tank car ran well no matter where it was placed in the train. Out of the box, the metal wheels were in gauge and the trucks rotated freely on their bolster.

I’m absolutely impressed with these models! With some light weathering, they’ll be right at home on your layout to serve your industries that may have a need for sulfuric acid…

The post N Scale Genesis Tank Car Arrives from Athearn appeared first on Model Railroad News.

Total U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 15, 2025, came in at 493,880 carloads and intermodal units, dipping 4.5% from the prior-year period, according to the AAR. Total carloads were 223,101, down 0.2%, while intermodal volume was 270,779 containers and trailers, down 7.7% from last year. This is the sixth consecutive week that U.S. rail traffic has fallen in comparison to the same weeks in 2024.

For the week ending Nov. 15, 2025, four of the 10 carload commodity groups logged an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They included nonmetallic minerals, up 3,013 carloads, to 32,472; grain, up 1,998 carloads, to 25,612; and miscellaneous carloads, up 1,197 carloads, to 9,041. Commodity groups that posted declines included motor vehicles and parts, down 2,196 carloads, to 13,509; coal, down 1,453 carloads, to 56,247; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,317 carloads, to 10,309.

For the first 46 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 10,227,762 carloads, a 1.8% increase from the same point last year; and 12,482,057 intermodal units, a 2.2% gain over last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 46 weeks of this year came in at 22,709,819 carloads and intermodal units, rising 2.0% from 2024. Results were similar through the first 45 weeks of 2025 (ending Nov. 8, 2025).

North American rail volume for the week ending Nov. 15, 2025, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 328,748 carloads, down 0.9% from the same week last year, and 354,081 intermodal units, up 2.1% from last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America came in at 682,829 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.6%. North American rail volume for the first 46 weeks of this year was 31,247,058 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.8% increase from 2024.

For the week ending Nov. 15, 2025, Canadian railroads reported 92,178 carloads, a 3.0% drop-off, and 67,613 intermodal units, a 65.6% gain over the same week last. year. For the first 46 weeks of 2025, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 7,452,843 carloads, containers, and trailers, up 2.3%.

Mexican railroads for the week ending Nov. 15, 2025, reported 13,469 carloads, rising 4.0% from the same week last year, and 15,689 intermodal units, increasing 22.3%. Their cumulative volume for the first 46 weeks this year was 1,084,396 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, a fall-off of 5.8% from the same week in 2024.

The post AAR: Mixed Results for U.S. Rail Traffic appeared first on Railway Age.

System-wide SEPTA ridership for October 2025 decreased 3% or 21,911 unlinked trips per weekday from October 2024. Ridership is down by approximately 1,748 trips on Metro and 6,395 trips on Regional Rail.

Average daily ridership was 779,701 unlinked passenger trips across all modes. Up 2% from 761,879 trips in September 2025.

Bus ridership declined 3% or approximately 13,686 unlinked trips relative to this time last year. Weekend and weekday ridership declined at the same rate.

Ridership on the L, B, and M declined by approximately 1% which is a decrease of 1,684 average weekday trips despite the fare increase implemented on September 14, 2025. Ridership on the T, G, and D has remained the same compared to October 2024. T, G, and D ridership increased 5% on Saturdays and 6% on Sundays with the G experiencing the most growth. The D and T experienced some service disruptions which impacted overall ridership.

Regional Rail ridership is down 7% or approximately 6,395 passenger trips relative to this time last year. Much of the ridership loss, the agency says, can be attributed to the SLIV FRA safety inspection mandate.

The Red Line, a $2.9 billion plan to build a 14-mile light rail line crossing Baltimore City’s east-west axis became a transportation priority for Governor Wes Moore but “progress has been slow,” according to a Bloomberg report.

Designed to connect economically hard-hit areas of the city with downtown and suburban job centers, the Red Line had been approved for $900 million in federal funding. But, according to the report, in 2025, then-Governor Larry Hogan, “declared the project a boondoggle and returned the federal money. The state funds were diverted to road projects far from Baltimore.”

“After winning the gubernatorial race, Moore promised to resurrect the transit line, in some form, during his administration. But as he gears up for reelection, the long-sought rail link remains little more than a distant hope,” Bloomberg reported.

According to the report, state and federal agencies overseeing the development of the project paused the permit review process in June, “casting further doubts on the future of the project. Restarting a major transit project that’s been dead for a decade is no simple matter: This version of the Red Line could cost $8 billion or more.”

Technical work and community hearings continue to go forward, according to the Bloomberg report. But Red Line spokesman Ken Melton said in an email that the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) “mutually agreed to the break.”

“This pause does not delay any ongoing technical work,” Melton wrote. “It will allow time to revise the project schedule and determine the most effective path forward, rather than continuing to extend deadlines.”

The Moore administration’s current six-year blueprint for transportation funding in the state includes $128 million for Red Line planning and design work but nothing for construction, according to the report.

State delegate Regina T. Boyce, a Baltimore Democrat who is the vice chair of the chamber’s Environment and Transportation Committee, said that “federal layoffs and the prolonged federal government shutdown have had a profound impact on Maryland residents, and dealing with that has become a larger concern for state officials than transit improvements.”

Still, Boyce said that state transportation officials need to find ways to “inch forward” on the Red Line, according to the Bloomberg report. “In September, she was one of several state lawmakers and city councilmembers who urged the state to find funding to speed up the development of the Red Line as well as a planned overhaul of the city’s bus system.”

According to the report, “the rebooted Red Line boasts a new website, logo and project renderings, but other details—including alignment, station locations and whether sections would run in an underground tunnel—remain to be worked out. The original project faced resistance from some neighborhoods along the corridor, and development since has brought significant changes. But the biggest open question is cost.”

At the September hearing, a range of local lawmakers “mulled their options for moving ahead without federal support,” according to the report. “Even if we don’t have the partnership of the federal government, there is a version of the Red Line that we can do as a state, so do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” said Delegate Stephanie Smith, a Baltimore Democrat.

“What Baltimore really needs is a regional transit agency that focuses just on the metropolitan area, with a dedicated funding source, so planners can line up projects for delivery regardless of the changes in the political climate, argued Jet Weeks, the Executive Director and Policy Director for Bikemore, a Baltimore-based group that promotes cycling, noting how cities like Indianapolis had pushed bus rapid transit projects through state-level political opposition.”

“If you go to the Sun Belt or the Midwest and just see what they’re achieving, it’s pretty wild how far behind we are,” Weeks said. “The Red Line should be open now. If we had followed the 2002 regional rail plan, we’d have three or four lines open by now, and we haven’t built a single one.”

Mount Dennis Station, the first station that will serve riders on the Eglinton Crosstown has opened, “though the opening date for the long-delayed rapid transit line remains unclear,” according to a CP24 report.

The new transit hub, near Eglinton Avenue and Black Creek Drive, will connect riders with the Kitchener GO, the Union-Pearson Express, and later the Eglinton Crosstown lines.

Mount Dennis is the first station to connect all three transit lines, according to a press release from Metrolinx.

“Customers can travel to Union Station in 16 minutes from Mount Dennis‚” Metrolinx said, adding that it’ll take 16 minutes to get to Pearson Airport as well.

The opening of the building, CP24 reports, comes as the final testing phase on the Eglinton Crosstown continues.

During a news conference on Monday, Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay said there is “absolutely a chance” the line opens by the end of 2025, though he refused to commit to any timeline, according to the report.

Premier Doug Ford said back in June that he was “hearing” the line would open by this past September.

“We are applying the most rigorous tests that have ever been applied to LRTs anywhere, we are doing that precisely because of the experience of the Ottawa LRT. All is subject to the system continuing to perform but the system is showing great stability even in the Canadian winter so there is a lot of promise,” Lindsay said on Monday.

DART on Nov. 18 announced that it is launching a new touchscreen Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) systemwide, making fare purchases faster and easier for riders.

With these upgraded machines, riders can:

• Access 11 languages.
• Purchase a Day Pass or 3 Hour Pass.
• Purchase and Reload their GoPass® app using cash.
• Check their GoPass® account balance and transaction history.
• Riders can pay with cash (coins and $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills), credit or debit cards, or mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet. If a machine cannot provide change for a cash transaction, it will issue a voucher with a QR code, which can be redeemed at any TVM.

The new TVMs will replace older machines through mid-2026, streamlining fare purchases, card reloads, and account monitoring, the agency noted. “DART is enhancing the rider experience, boosting efficiency, and moving toward more mobile, less cash-dependent payments.” During installation, customers can use another TVM or the GoPass® app if needed.

“DART’s new ticket vending machines make it easier for customers to pay—they’re designed to support multiple payment methods, connect to the GoPass app, dispense Tap cards, and operate in 11 different languages,” said Jamie Adelman, EVP and Chief Financial Officer. “These machines will visibly improve the rider experience and reduce fare evasion, all as part of a larger effort to modernize our fare collection system.”

The post Transit Briefs: SEPTA, Baltimore Red Line, Metrolinx, DART appeared first on Railway Age.

Over the last several years, NS says it has made “major strides in helping to boost passenger rail options while preserving freight rail connections critical to the economy.” Thanks to strong collaboration with state partners, NS has supported the launch of 11 new roundtrip Amtrak train starts—or 22 trains per day—in the last 15 years. “That’s more than any other Class I railroad and reflects a deliberate approach to passenger rail growth that complements our freight operations,” NS said.

“Rail works best when freight and passenger services work together,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy & Planning Jennifer Mitchell. “Amtrak values Norfolk Southern’s partnership and shared commitment to performance, safety and reliability. By working together, we’re not only improving the experience for passengers and freight customers—we’re also strengthening the rail network and delivering meaningful benefits to the communities we all serve.”

In addition to launching more service, NS’ performance as a host railroad for passenger trains has also outperformed the industry, the Class I noted. “Thanks to regular reviews of dispatcher training and continuous evaluation of delays, combined with a relentless focus on network fluidity, Amtrak host delays across NS improved 26% YoY. Over the last 12 months through August 2025, only one Class I railroad scored better than NS on Amtrak’s Host Railroad Report, and NS continues to perform strongly as a host railroad, maintaining the lowest host-responsible delay (HRD) rates of any Class I for the past five months. These results reflect our commitment to operational excellence and balanced network performance,” NS said.

“We’re leading to ongoing improvements in train reliability, schedule iterations and improved network standards and efficiencies,” NS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Orr said in an interview with Railway Age. “We’ve improved safety and service and our financial performance. Amtrak is a great example of how all of those come together in our PSR 2.0 transformation, and they extract value from our overall network capability.”

In late 2024, “building on the success of a longstanding partnership,” NS reached a deal with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) to expand passenger service in the Commonwealth. The agreement included the sale of the Manassas Line, which will aid in expanding Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service with evening and weekend frequencies, and granted VPRA access to NS’s mainline in order to extend service from the Northeast to the New River Valley at Christiansburg with state-supported Amtrak Virginia service much sooner than previously planned and at a lower cost. The agreement, the Class I says, “reflects NS’s collaborative posture toward exploring solutions that meet state goals while preserving freight fluidity and long-term freight rail network integrity.”

“Together with Norfolk Southern, we have worked hard to put together an agreement that brings more service to Northern Virginia, new service to the New River Valley, and makes rail a strong part of Virginia’s future transportation mix,” said DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of VPRA, in the announcement of the agreement. “We look forward to furthering our partnership with them to develop passenger rail service that travels where Virginians want to go when they want to go.”

In September 2023, NS and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) built upon their existing partnership to double service on Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian route, which travels round trip between New York City and Pittsburgh via Harrisburg, running over NS tracks between the latter two cities in Pennsylvania. Under the agreement, the round-trip Amtrak service would run twice daily, and NS and PennDOT would partner to make and maintain critical infrastructure upgrades needed to ensure the lines could support demand. Infrastructure improvements under this agreement are designed to accommodate increased passenger demand while maintaining critical freight throughput.

“This agreement lays the groundwork for expanded passenger rail service in Western Pennsylvania while simultaneously preserving a critical freight rail corridor,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll at the time. “Ensuring more Pennsylvanians have access to safe and reliable transportation to Western PA will reduce commute times, help connect hundreds of thousands of residents, and boost local economies. This expansion of service on the Pennsylvanian will provide key mobility and economic benefits.”

In September 2024, NS sold 22 miles of its O-Line corridor to the City of Charlotte while maintaining an exclusive freight easement, which plans to incorporate the track into plans for a future Red Line commuter rail project aimed at providing a regional connection between Uptown Charlotte and northern towns in Mecklenburg County. The transaction, the Class I says, provides a link critical to enabling the city to bring its future transportation plans to life. “NS remains focused on ensuring that any passenger-related transactions support long-term freight viability and regional economic goals,” the Class I noted.

“I greatly appreciate everyone who worked on making this a reality, including city council, city staff, and the leadership of Norfolk Southern,” said Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones. “Completing this transaction is an important step for our regional mobility aspirations and I am excited that Charlotte was able to deliver this to our community and our region. I look forward to the next steps and what we can accomplish together.”

More information is available here.

The post NS Partners to Support Passenger Rail appeared first on Railway Age.

Canada’s Alto and its private-developer partner Cadence will soon begin outreach to the steel industry in support of the Toronto-Quebec City HSR (high-speed rail) project. The goal “is to shape a procurement approach that prioritizes Canadian suppliers,” the Crown Corporation reported Nov. 18.

Guided by the government’s intent to Buy Canadian, the partners said that key components of the future rail network—including “several hundred thousand tons of steel for high-speed [track], structures, facilities and electric infrastructure”—will be sourced from Canadian suppliers “to the greatest extent possible.”

Alto and Cadence, the consortium of Quebec pension fund’s CDPQ Infra, AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC Lavalin), Keolis, SYSTRA Canada, Air Canada, and SNCF Voyageurs, are expected to meet “in the coming weeks” with leaders across the Canadian steel industry “to better understand current production capabilities, scaling potential, and opportunities for modernization.”

“Building Canada’s first high-speed rail network will require more than 4,000 kilometers [2,485 miles] of steel rails in addition to massive quantities of structural beams, catenaries, and other core materials,” the partners reported. “Few infrastructure projects in modern Canadian history have generated an industrial demand of this magnitude. This scale of procurement presents a rare opportunity for Canada’s steel and manufacturing sectors to expand capacity, accelerate investment, and innovate to position themselves for the opportunities ahead. By sourcing locally where possible, Alto aims to strengthen domestic supply chains, support Canadian jobs, and ensure that the economic ripple effects of this nation-building project are felt across the country.”

Alto’s project is a roughly 621-mile (1,000-kilometer)-long HSR network between Québec City and Toronto, with stops in Trois-Rivières, Laval, Montréal, Ottawa, and Peterborough (see map above). Alto and Cadence in March 2025 signed a development agreement that will include confirming the route, detailed design work, land acquisition, environmental assessments, and consultations with nearby residents, including Indigenous communities.

Instead of VIA Rail Canada’s HFR (High-Frequency Rail) service revealed first by Railway Age Canadian Contributing Editor David Thomas in 2016, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this year said the new line, dubbed “Alto,” would be dedicated electrified HSR, with trains running up to 186 mph (300 kph), and would be implemented as a DBFOM (design-build-finance-operate-maintain) project.

It is slated to create more than 50,000 jobs during construction, “generate productivity gains that could reach up to C$35 billion annually,” and contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, according to Alto and Cadence. They reported that the government of Canada has identified the project as “a transformative strategy for the country” that will receive support from the Major Projects Office, enabling the start of construction in four years; pre-procurement activities for project components will commence in 2026.

“This initiative is one of Canada’s largest infrastructure investments in decades,” said Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. “It is about strengthening our country by building more here at home. This new High-Speed Rail Network will be transformational. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to connect Canadians in new ways while creating a new industry and high-quality jobs.”  

“Alto is a nation-building project that will create major opportunities for Canadian businesses,” Alto President and CEO Martin Imbleau added. “We’re inviting the industry to engage early, to prepare, to build capacity, and to modernize to meet the scale of this project, one of the most complex infrastructure builds in Canadian history. The time to get ready is now.”

“Canada hasn’t seen an infrastructure project of this magnitude in decades,” Cadence General Manager Daniel Farina said. “We will need huge quantities of steel, and we want Canadian steelmakers to be ready to respond to request for proposals, because they are coming fast! This is a massive opportunity for Canadian suppliers, and we want to make sure they can seize it.”

• Canada Dumps VIA Rail Brand for Private ‘Alto’ HSR
• VIA HFR: How Viable? How Close?
• Red-Over-Green for VIA Rail’s High-Frequency Corridor
• Canadian HFR: From Proposal to Project

The post Alto HSR Project Advances appeared first on Railway Age.

Adirondack Railway Preservation Society has acquired another historic locomotive for the growing fleet of Alco diesels operated by New York’s Adirondack Railroad. Former Louisville & Nashville FA-2 No. 309 will soon depart SMS Rail Services in New Jersey for its new home in Utica, N.Y., where it will join the railroad’s seasonal passenger excursions over the former New York Central Adirondack Division to Old Forge and Tupper Lake — one of the longest tourist railroad routes in the country at 108 miles.

Although the locomotive is not original to NYC, it spent decades in commuter service on Long Island (as LIRR 602) as a cab-control car and HEP generator before being sold to a private owner and moved to New Jersey. There, SMS, ALDAC Controls, and numerous volunteers completed extensive work to return its Alco 244 prime mover to operation. Adirondack Railroad expects to finish the remaining work and place the locomotive in service by late 2026, wearing a fresh rendition of the railroad’s gray-and-green paint scheme. “ARPS thanks previous owner Bobb Losse for this tremendous opportunity to preserve this historic locomotive and return it to regular service,” said Adirondack Railway Preservation Society President Luke Irvine.

The Adirondack Railroad roster already includes an impressive collection of Alco and Montreal Locomotive Works power, including C-424s, two former New York Central RS-3s, RS-18us, and three former New York Central C-430s.

—Otto M. Vondrak

The post Adirondack Railroad adds Alco FA-2 to Fleet appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics company Lineage Inc. has broken ground on its 19th Texas-based facility. Slated to begin operations in late 2027, it will be part of the Prime Pointe Park, a Union Pacific (UP) Focus Site adjacent to the Class I railroad’s Dallas Intermodal Terminal.

The new cold storage facility in Hutchins will support the needs of food and beverage producers, retailers, and distributors, and feature advanced automation, including Lineage’s proprietary LinOS warehouse execution system, the Novi, Mich.-based company reported Nov. 18.

“Dallas has long been a key market for Lineage, serving as a critical connecting point between food producers and the global food supply chain,” Lineage Chief Commercial Officer Tim Smith said. “The groundbreaking of our newest automated facility underscores our commitment to improving and expanding capabilities for our customers, utilizing advanced technologies to reimagine how the cold chain operates and feeds the world.”

The recent groundbreaking was celebrated alongside officials from the City of Hutchins and representatives from Prime Pointe Park and UP.

“The groundbreaking for this new cold storage facility marks an exciting day for our community,” Hutchins Mayor Mario Vasquez said. “It demonstrates that we are committed to attracting top-tier businesses and supporting supply chains that enhance our regional economy.”

“We’re excited to welcome Lineage, a long-time partner of UP, to Prime Pointe, one of our premier Focus Sites,” said Kenny Rocker, Executive Vice President–Marketing and Sales for UP. “Focus Sites like this make it easier and faster for businesses to connect to our 23-state network and tap into the efficiencies of rail.” The railroad has 42 such “shovel ready” sites.

“Lineage’s expansive network of rail-served cold storage facilities enables us to deliver dependable, scalable solutions for transporting perishable goods,” added Trent Vencil, Manager–Sales for UP. “By leveraging our existing fleets of refrigerated boxcars, we provide customers with a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to traditional freight—reducing emissions and preserving product quality from origin to destination.”

Lineage’s cold-storage footprint with UP includes more than 40 rail-served sites across the Heartland, Texas, California, and the Pacific Northwest, according to the railroad, which noted that its boxcars and “GPS-monitored and temperature-controlled reefer fleet“ is complemented by Lineage’s private fleet of more than 2,800 refrigerated and insulated boxcars.

• Lineage Expands Services at Port NOLA
• Lineage Logistics Moves Into Refrigerated Railcar Market
• OmniTRAX-Served Cold Storage Facility to Open in Colorado
• Hershey Rail Park Project Advances

The post Lineage Holds Groundbreaking for UP-Served Texas Facility appeared first on Railway Age.

“With six weeks to go, we are within reach of the 10 million container unit-mark for the year,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said at a media briefing (see video below). “If we reach that milestone, it would be the third time in our history and something no other Western Hemisphere port has achieved even once. That kind of performance is powered by the skill and dedication of our waterfront workforce along with the terminal operators who keep this port running safely and efficiently every day.

Seroka says he expects cargo to “soften in November and December compared to last year, when shippers were already bringing in cargo ahead of schedule as a hedge against tariffs. Today, retail and manufacturing inventories are well-stocked, so there’s less need for replenishment.”

Joining Seroka for the briefing was Jennifer Barrera, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. Barrera discussed the impact of tariffs, the state’s business climate and regulatory reform efforts.

October 2025 loaded imports at the Port came in at 429,283 TEUs, 7% less than last year. Loaded exports landed at 123,768 TEUs, 1% more than 2024. The Port handled 295,380 empty container units, 8% less than last year.

Current and historical cargo data, including fiscal year-end totals, are available here.

The post Port of Los Angeles: ‘Solid’ October Volume appeared first on Railway Age.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Nov. 18 said that a single loose wire on the 984-foot-long containership Dali caused an electrical blackout that led to the giant vessel veering and contacting the nearby Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which then collapsed, killing six highway workers.

At the Nov. 18 public meeting at NTSB headquarters, investigators said the loose wire in the ship’s electrical system caused a breaker to unexpectedly open—beginning a sequence of events that led to two vessel blackouts and a loss of both propulsion and steering near the 2.37-mile-long Key Bridge on March 26, 2024.

Investigators found that wire-label banding prevented the wire from being fully inserted into a terminal block spring-clamp gate, causing an inadequate connection.

After the initial blackout, the Dali’s heading began swinging to starboard toward Pier 17 of the Key Bridge. Investigators found that the pilots and the bridge team attempted to change the vessel’s trajectory, but the vessel’s loss of propulsion so close to the bridge rendered their actions ineffective. A substantial portion of the bridge subsequently collapsed into the river, and portions of the pier, deck and truss spans collapsed onto the vessel’s bow and forward-most container bays.

A seven-person road maintenance crew and one inspector were on the bridge when the vessel struck. Six of the highway workers died. The NTSB found that the quick actions of the Dali pilots, shoreside dispatchers and the Maryland Transportation Authority to stop bridge traffic prevented greater loss of life.

“Our investigators routinely accomplish the impossible, and this investigation is no different,” NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said. “The Dali, at almost 1,000 feet, is as long as the Eiffel Tower is high, with miles of wiring and thousands of electrical connections. Finding this single wire was like hunting for a loose rivet on the Eiffel Tower.”

“But like all of the accidents we investigate, this was preventable,” Homendy said. “Implementing NTSB recommendations in this investigation will prevent similar tragedies in the future.”

Contributing to the collapse of the Key Bridge and the loss of life was the lack of countermeasures to reduce the bridge’s vulnerability to collapse due to impact by ocean-going vessels, which have only grown larger since the Key Bridge’s opening in 1977.

When the Japan-flagged containership Blue Nagoya contacted the Key Bridge after losing propulsion in 1980, the 390-foot-long vessel caused only minor damage. The Dali, however, is ten times the size of the Blue Nagoya.

As part of the investigation, the NTSB in March released an initial report on the vulnerability of bridges nationwide to large vessel strikes. The report found that the Maryland Transportation Authority—and many other owners of bridges spanning navigable waterways used by ocean-going vessels—were likely unaware of the potential risk that a vessel collision could pose to their structures. This was despite longstanding guidance from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recommending that bridge owners perform these assessments.

The NTSB sent letters to 30 bridge owners identified in the report, urging them to evaluate their bridges and, if needed, develop plans to reduce risks. All recipients have since responded, and the status of each recommendation is available on the NTSB’s website.

As a result of the investigation, the NTSB issued new safety recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard; U.S/Federal Highway Administration; the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; ClassNK; the American National Standards Institute; the American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Committee on Safety in Construction and Demolitions Operations A10; HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd; and WAGO Corporation, the electrical component manufacturer; and multiple bridge owners across the U.S.

The post NTSB: Single Loose Wire Caused Dali Blackouts That Led to Key Bridge Disaster appeared first on Railway Age.

Formed with these initiatives in mind, RSI’s Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) is a collaborative of quality leaders representing car owners, fleet managers, repair and reconditioning facilities, and car and component manufacturers.

Recently elected, QAC Chair Sanjay Varma (Progress Rail Freight Car Services VP of Quality) and QAC Vice Chair Gary Alderson (AllTranstek, LLC, Manager of Quality Processes) aim to revitalize the committee and make an active impact towards the industry’s quality standards.

Gearing up for the 38th Annual Association of American Railroads (AAR) Quality Assurance Industry Conference, taking place February 17-19, 2026, in St. Petersburg, FL, we sat down with the chair and vice chair to talk about their initiatives going into 2026 and what they have in store for the conference.

What does it mean to each of you to step into leadership roles within the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC)?

Sanjay Varma (SV): Over the past few months, the RSI QAC has seen limited activity. With support from RSI Senior Director, Regulatory & Industry Affairs, Carrie Wall; Gary Alderson; and a team of committed members, I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to revitalize the team and help us actively contribute to driving industry quality standards, particularly through the AAR regulatory bodies. My involvement with the AAR QAC spans many years, during which I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some very committed RSI QAC members. Their depth of knowledge and industry experience has always impressed me, and I’ve always valued the perspectives they bring. It’s truly an honor to be leading the RSI QAC, and I look forward to collaborating with the team as we strengthen our impact on quality standards across the industry.

Gary Alderson (GA): I’ve been involved with the QAC since 2017, and I have seen growth through volunteerism from people of different backgrounds who lend their knowledge to provide improvement. This helps me realize that I need to stay involved and be inspired by others to grow the QAC.

How do you plan to support and collaborate with the Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) to ensure continuity and progress in areas like AAR M-1003, education, and the QAC Newsletter?

SV: As you already know, the RSI QAC actively collaborates with the AAR QAC during the periodic updates to the M-1003 standard providing valuable input and feedback. Looking ahead, I am committed to continuing this tradition and further strengthening our contributions. Additionally, if we can secure the necessary budget and training resources, we could explore enhancing the Education TAG’s industry outreach through offering educational classes, particularly on risk-based quality management tools, expanding opportunities for learning and professional development within our industry.

GA: I hope to continue the QAC Newsletter by staying involved as the Chair, along with the Co-chair, Alfredo Ricardo, and the folks who have provided their help over the last eight years. We will miss Donna Jacobi and Bob Wolbert who have donated their time to provide articles and editing of the newsletter. I have helped with the Education TAG in the past and plan to continue, and I’ll help Sanjay Varma provide his support of the TAG’s by providing him with input and feedback.

The QAC plays a vital role in developing best practices and educating the industry. What new initiatives or improvements are you hoping to introduce in 2026 to further this mission?

GA: Change Management is one area I hope we can provide education for, which would help the RSI members reach the goal of meeting the M-1003 requirement in their QA programs. In addition, education needs to improve when new areas such as Change Management are introduced, and I am hopeful Sanjay and I can guide the QAC to provide education and training to the RSI members. I am also a proponent of eliminating prescriptive procedures and allowing for performance-based procedures and processes.

How do you envision the QAC’s role at the upcoming AAR QAC Conference, and what message do you hope to convey to attendees about the committee’s direction?

SV: Over the years, our Education TAG has closely collaborated with the AAR QAC, presenting quality-related educational topics and workshops at the Annual AAR Quality Assurance Industry Conference. These sessions are consistently well-received and highly regarded by conference attendees. For the upcoming conference in February, our Education TAG will be presenting two workshops. It would be great to have many RSI members in attendance in St. Petersburg, FL. Besides being an opportunity for learning, this conference is also a great avenue for professional development through networking with our industry quality professionals.

GA: The RSI QAC always strives to collaborate with the AAR QAC, especially during the AAR Quality Assurance Industry Conference. Each year our dedicated members provide presentations and workshops that are educational and hands-on. The workshops started several years ago when I asked Don Guillen if the RSI could provide them in addition to the presentations. The first workshop was on how to write your QA manual, which I presented, and it lasted about two hours. The workshops have since expanded to one day (Thursday), and the AAR Auditors have the opportunity to attend the workshops.

What would you say to RSI members and industry stakeholders who may be uncertain about the committee’s future, and how can they get involved to help shape it?

SV: The members of the RSI committees provide invaluable front-line insights and candid feedback on driving industry standards. We have many dedicated members committed to sharing ideas, mentoring others, and helping ensure quality remains central to our industry. Volunteering on one of our committees or technical advisory groups would offer professional development and learning opportunities to newer professionals, while actively contributing to future initiatives and supporting RSI’s continued success.

GA: The RSI QAC is only as good as the people who volunteer for it. Everyone is busy, and everyone has plenty of work to do for their regular job, but we need your help so we can have a voice and work as the liaison between the AAR committees and the industry.

Interested in joining the QAC’s mission? Contact Carrie Wall (cwall@rsiweb.org) for more information.

The post Ensuring Quality Across the Industry: An Interview with the QAC Chair and Vice Chair appeared first on Railway Age.

Union Pacific Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Rahul Jalali told reporters on a media day business train that UP-NS computer systems integration will go smoothly if the merger is approved.

One of the key topics around the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, should the transaction be approved, is the possibility of outages and hiccups when the computer systems of the two railroads are integrated. Observers point to the major merger-related service meltdowns in the 1990s and the recent challenges on CPKC when the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern computer systems were integrated.

Union Pacific CIO Rahul Jalali said that the main challenges around systems integration include the training of end-users and change management procedures. “It’s not the technology itself that is the tough part,” he said during a briefing aboard the Union Pacific business train. “We’ve really developed a playbook around this precision implementation, as well as a very good model of change management, what’s required, how do you train the people, how do technology and business work hand in glove together, both in the field and at the home office level.”

Successful systems implementation and integration are careful marriages of workflow and technology. The design and implementation plans must include strong training and change management. “I know a thing or two about integrations and the mistakes that are made in integrations,” Jalali said. “Change management is probably the No. 1 reason why companies or processes get in trouble.”

Jalali has the experience to back up his claim. During his career, which included 23 years involved in technology implementation at Walmart International, with his last position as corporate vice president in the technology division, and five years at UP, he has been involved in 14 systems integration cutovers. Jalali said that he and his team have already been meeting with Norfolk Southern to evaluate its systems, and have had meetings with customers to understand how they use their own systems to meet their requirements for a UP+NS integrated system.

Jalali also pointed to the successful implementation of a new system on UP called NetControl, which runs on the Cloud, and supports multiple functions on the railroad. UP CEO Jim Vena echoed Jalali’s remarks, saying, “We have a big job to do. It’s not the first job to do the tech cutover because it’s more important to do the base fundamental operating plan first, because that’s where the benefit is for the customers. And that’s how we can grow the business faster.”

The post UP’s Jalali: No Hiccups With NS IT Integration appeared first on Railway Age.