Attendees at last month’s Commuter Rail Summit had the rare opportunity to explore one of Rolling Stock Solution’s (RSS) completely remanufactured locomotives, which was parked on site at Boston’s South Station in anticipation of delivery into MBTA service.

The F40 PH, Buy America-compliant locomotive is the first of ten to be completely remanufactured from the frame up with a new 20-year life cycle. RSS re-built locomotives include new Tier 4 independent HEP, crash worthy cab, increased fuel efficiency and significant improvements to air and noise emissions.

RSS was purpose-built to help commuter rail agencies meet a growing demand for locomotive power. The US fleet is aged; procurements average approximately 10 years; and new locomotives are increasingly expensive to purchase and maintain. Importantly, lease payments are eligible expenses for FTA capital funds.

CRC’s next quarterly New Member Orientation has been scheduled for Monday, December 2 at 2 p.m. eastern. Reach out here if you would like
a link and join us for a 60-minute refresher with chair Mike Noland (NICTD/South Shore Line), CEO KellyAnne Gallagher, and director
of government affairs John Cline.

The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed re-establishing the Remote Control Locomotive Operations Working Group to review RSAC Task #2014-03 to determine if additional efforts are needed to improve safety in this area. FRA OP Staff Director Chris Holt will lead the
working group.

If you have an interest in representing CRC on this working group, please reach out. FRA anticipates scheduling a kickoff meeting (via MS Teams) early in 2025.

GAO TELLS DOT: “SHOW YOUR WORK”

According to Politico, a GAO report published Wednesday on US DOT’s fiscal year 2022 “Mega” grant program found that the agency didn’t clearly explain why it chose some applicants to receive a total of $1.12 billion over others who sought funds. DOT selected nine of the 259 applicants for the program, which is designed to support large, complex infrastructure projects. Although GAO concluded that the selection process generally followed federal guidelines, it suggested that DOT provide more documentation on how it determined which projects were “exemplary” applicants. The report stated that GAO will continue to monitor DOT’s progress on the issue. DOT didn’t immediately respond to Politico’s request for comment.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Under Trump, Prepare for New US Transportation Priorities (Bloomberg)

• Transportation at the Ballot Box 2024: Election Results (ENO Center for Transportation)

• Metra Unveils Special Locomotive to Honor Veterans (Metra)

• How State DOTs Keep the Public In the Dark About How They Spend Our Transportation Dollars (streetsblog)

• US Driving and Congestion Rates Are Higher Than Ever (Bloomberg)

• Metra warns financial woes could lead to 40% reduction in service (CBS News)