• Deputy Transportation Secretary Steven Bradbury has emailed employees that an update to DOT’s strategic plan is on its way.

  Bradbury said DOT’s management priorities and other organizational planning documents will be updated, too, and that under OPM guidance the department’s “future performance appraisal plans” should also be tweaked to lay out clear expectations that “align individual employee efforts” with broader goals, such as President Donald Trump’s policy focuses.

  The White House’s laundry list of management aspirations includes: eliminating “non-essential” jobs and removing “poor performers;” offloading real estate; defunding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; putting political appointees in charge of grants; consolidating computer systems; reducing the number of government websites; and using artificial intelligence. (Politico)

  DOT’s cost cuttings this year range from lease terminations to the so-called deferred resignation program, into which more than 4,000 employees opted.

• The Trump administration has canceled $109M in environmentally focused transportation grants for Colorado. Funds included $11.7 million that was going to the Colorado State University Pueblo to study how to power rail vehicles with hydrogen and natural gas, and $66.4 million to the Colorado Department of Transportation that was going to pay for rail improvements in northern Colorado, including the installation of positive train control. (Colorado Sun)

OPPORTUNITY AHEAD:
THE IMPACT OF PTC

TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program has released a list of anticipated 2026 projects, which includes J11/55: The Impact of Positive Train Control. Per a TCRP statement, “Now that the initial implementation has been completed and agencies have been operating with PTC for a significant amount of time, there is a need to better understand the safety benefits of PTC and additional ways PTC infrastructure and staff can be leveraged to improve safety and efficiency.”

Project objectives include:

• Examine the impact of PTC on operations and safety.

• Determine to what extent safety has been improved on systems that are required by Federal law to have PTC installed, before and after installation.

• Quantify the safety benefits of PTC systems.

• Identify other uses for PTC infrastructure and staff that improve safety and operating efficiency.

• Examine if PTC operational costs can be capitalized.

For more information on the project and to apply to serve on the panel, please visit this link.

EXCESS LIABILITY SUMMIT

The Passenger Rail Excess Liability Summit took place on December 11 at Washington Union Station. Convened by the Commuter Rail Coalition, with the support of AIPRO, the event brought together stakeholders to address the challenges posed by the liability cap. The upcoming deadline requires commuter railroads to secure additional insurance coverage, as mandated by their operating contracts.

An important topic discussed at the summit was the anticipated increase in the federal liability cap, which is expected to rise by approximately $70 million in early 2026. Railroads will face a tight window of only 30 days to implement the necessary insurance adjustments to remain in compliance with their contractual obligations.

To address the implementation challenge, House bill H.R. 5697 was introduced in October by Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX). This legislation would extend the deadline for railroads to secure the required additional insurance coverage from 30 days to 90 days after the announcement of the new cap, providing commuter railroads with more time to fulfill their obligations in 2026.

Also addressed were alternatives to the industry’s dependence on foreign markets to complete insurance towers; strategies for communicating with brokers and underwriters so that safety improvements deliver ROI in insurance premiums; and the irrational failure to link the insurance cap to a railroad’s safety profile.

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), which operates the Altamont Corridor Express commuter train, has appointed Chris Orlando as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Orlando’s leadership roles include his most recent position as Deputy Managing Director for the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN), which oversees the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, an intercity rail service. He also oversaw rail and bus operations, strategic planning, government affairs, and capital funding and grant programs at the North County Transit District (NCTD).

In addition to his role with SJRRC, Orlando will also serve as CEO of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, which is administered by SJRRC and provides management support, staffing, and strategic oversight to ensure aligned planning and coordinated delivery of passenger rail and bus services. Under this structure, SJRRC oversees the ACE commuter rail service, while SJJPA is responsible for the Gold Runner intercity service.

Orlando replaces Stacey Mortensen, who retired in August after 27 years serving passenger rail in Northern California.

RAILWAY WORKER PROTECTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS

The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Legislature have enacted expanded protections for public transit workers, including Commuter Rail frontline workers. Per a statement from Keolis Commuter Services, “Every employee deserves a safe workplace, and with this bill, anyone delivering critical public transportation services, whether a public employee or a contracted public transit worker, will be protected under the law.”

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Commuter Rail Leaders See Progress and Potential in Creative Resourcing (Railway Age)

• Pritzker Signs $1.5B Plan to Overhaul Public Transportation, Avoid Service Cuts (WTTW)

• UP asks regulators to deny Metra request to set terms for use of commuter lines (TrainsPro)

• State Grant Will Pay for Better Diesel Trains, Not Zero-Emission Trains, for Metrolink (StreetsBlog Cal)

• U.S. Department of Transportation to award $1.5 billion in BUILD grants in 2026 (Mass Transit)

• MA: MBTA boss Phil Eng walks into a London tie shop, and a work of public transit art is born (Mass Transit)

• California’s Caltrain Electrification Sparks New Wave of Rail Tourism (TTW)

• Upgraded LIRR and Metro-North Ticket Vending Machines Create a Better Customer Experience (MTA)

• FRA issues safety advisory for rail workers at passive grade crossings (Progressive Railroading)

• Senate bill seeks to increase funding for transit (TrainsPro)

• Where Is Traveling by Train a Good Option in the US? (Bloomberg)

• View Grant Opportunity: FY 2026 National Infrastructure Investments (Grants.gov)