NEWS & EVENTS FROM THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 27, 2026
After a protracted stand-off that included multiple lawsuits, the GatewayDevelopment Commission has finally received funds that had been withheld by the Trump administration, allowing work to resume on the new Gateway Tunnel.
Hoping for the same success, the NY MTA is now threatening legal action to collect federal funds that it, too, has been owed since October 2025.
USDOT opened nominations this week for FRA’s reconstituted Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC). The RSAC is one of many federal advisory committees that were dissolved by the Trump administration last year. When the RSAC’s charter was renewed in January, membership in the group was reduced. The Commuter Rail Coalition will be one of 25 member organizations represented on the new RSAC.
On the final business day of February there are no signs of the USDOT’s highly anticipated announcement of the five-year recalculation of the excess liability cap. The announcement has historically been posted to the Federal Register in February, triggering the start of a 30-day implementation window.
Railway safety legislation was reintroduced in both the House and Senate this week. In the Senate, Commerce Committee Ranking Member Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined Ohio Senator Jon Husted (R) in reintroducing the Railway Safety Act, a bill that emerged immediately following the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in E. Palestine, OH. When the original legislation was introduced, CRC objected to language that would mandate commuter railroads install and maintain antiquated hot box detectors to the benefit of freight operations.
And in the House, Congressmen Troy E. Nehls (R-TX)and Seth Moulton reintroduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act. In a 2024 press release reacting to the House legislation, the CRC sought “to ensure that commuter rail agencies — as providers of public services funded through tax dollars — are not left responsible to pay for equipment or infrastructure improvements that only benefit freight rail operations. Where there is a clear safety benefit to commuter rail operations, we are supportive of paying our fair share of installing and maintaining such equipment.”
Find the latest Senate bill here, and House bill here.
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety bulletin following an Amtrak roadway worker fatality in Lancaster, PA. At the time of the accident the fatally injured employee was using a backpack blower to clear snow from a switch. The employee was part of a maintenance-of-way work group using train approach warning (TAW) as their method of on-track safety. The fatally injured employee was struck by a train traversing main track.
While the accident investigation is ongoing, FRA issued the bulletin to remind railroads, employees, and contractors of the importance of complying with all Federal rail safety requirements and railroad operating rules when using TAW in the foul of the track.
THE RESILIENCE OF UKRAINE’S RAILWAYS
FEATURE:
WHAT WE’RE READING
California lends $590M to keep Bay Area transit running (Smart Cities Dive)
