Freight Rail
Opinion: Prioritize Amtrak, but Don’t Demonize Freight
A proposed bill would tighten enforcement of a 1973 law that gives passenger trains priority over freight shipments.
Port of Long Beach Begins Massive Rail Yard Expansion
The project, which will break ground this summer, is expected to dramatically curb emissions from trucking.
Revitalizing Texas: Sustainable Rail Solutions
An argument for why investing in trains is the key to sustainable growth and economic success in the Lone Star State.
Utah Oil Shale Extraction Dealt Major Setback
The Surface Transportation Board's approval in 2021 of a proposed 85-mile Uinta Basin Railway in Utah that would have enabled increased extraction of the world's largest source of oil shale was partially vacated by a federal appeals court last month.
Trails and Rails Battle in San Francisco Bay Shoreline Park
Can freight trains and a scenic shoreline park along San Francisco Bay coexist, or are they incompatible uses? The East Bay Regional Park District voted to remove old rail tracks that BNSF Railway wants to reactivate. A local court may decide.
New York City to Reduce Truck Emissions by Investing in Freight Rail Infrastructure
The Big Apple may claim the nation's highest public transit ridership, but it ranks well below average in its use of freight rail. Two small short line railroads are at the center of a $100 million investment to reduce truck reliance.
Walmart Getting Into the Freight Rail Business
Walmart will soon be seen side by side with CSX and BNSF.
A Proposal to Extend Rail Service to a Town in Pennsylvania Is Ambitious. Proponents Are Undeterred
A plan to get a SEPTA Regional Rail link to Phoenixville in record time has its skeptics, but advocates are convinced they can make it happen.
Senate Bans Procurements of Chinese Transit Vehicles
The temporary ban applies to bus and rail projects seeking funding from a number of FTA programs.
With No Plan for Brexit in Place, the Channel Tunnel Hangs in the Balance
About 20 million tons of freight moves through the Channel Tunnel between England and France every year. The process for moving that freight could vary depending on how Brexit goes down.
Port Industry Stresses Need for Rail Access
A new report by the American Association of Port Authorities makes the case for more funding toward port access infrastructure projects.
Air Quality and Environmental Justice Lead to Push for Zero-Emission Locomotives
The California Air Resources Board has petitioned the U.S. EPA to adopt more stringent emissions standards for locomotives in order to improve air quality at rail yards, many of which are located adjacent to disadvantaged communities.
Trains Now Connect the U.K. to China
China's "One Belt, One Road" program to create a network of trade routes across Eurasia took a major step forward this week when a freight train bearing export goods disembarked from the United Kingdom bound for China's Zhejiang province.
Civil Engineers Release U.S. Infrastructure Scorecard: D+
Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a report on the state of America's infrastructure, extensively cited by the media. This year's report, released March 9, shows no improvement over 2013's, but do check the subcategories
$8 Billion 'Chicago Bypass' Freight Line Proposed
A private developer is pursuing a proposal that would invest $8 billion in a freight line in the Midwest.
First Rail Link in a Over a Century Now Connects U.S., Mexico
Instead of building a wall separating the United States and Mexico, officials from both countries celebrated the opening on Tuesday of the West Rail Bypass International Bridge.
The Exorbitant External Costs Caused by the Trucking Industry
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office places the spotlight on the trucking industry in terms of the social, health ,and environmental costs it imposes on society but does not pay for, i.e., externalities.
Why Is American Passenger Rail So Far Behind?
In a segment for WNYC, journalist Simon van Zuylen-Wood discusses Amtrak's current status as a "national embarrassment." Decades of lackluster investment, he argues, make it difficult to prove demand in the first place.
Report Recommends Trains for the Postal Service
The Post Office once used trains but no more, unlike the United Parcel Service (UPS). A new reports recommends that the Post Office return to their past, though not necessarily sorting the mail on the train like you might see in a rail museum.
Freight Rail Conundrum: Speed vs. Safety
Safety would win hands down for passenger rail, but for-profit railroads have a bottom line to consider. Regulators have proposed reduced train speeds, opposed by railroads, to prevent fiery derailments that have resulted from shipping shale oil.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
