• (Per Politico) NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a press briefing this week that the Federal Railroad Administration has not implemented 95 of the board's safety recommendations. Homendy said that 40% of those recommendations were designated as “unacceptable,” meaning an agency disagreed with, did not respond to, or responded with an alternative recommendation.

  Homendy noted East Palestine, Ohio, as an example, where she said 16 of the safety recommendations the board issued after the 2023 derailment have not been implemented. Homendy said the lack of implementation was "devastating" for the community and urged the FRA to take action.

• (Per New Jersey Monitor) The Trump administration has dropped its appeal of a ruling forcing it to disburse funds to the Gateway Project, surrendering its fight to put a stop to tunnel construction that would connect commuter railroads from Penn Station to Newark, NJ.

  The withdrawal represents an reversal of previous pledges by the Trump Administration to continue the appeal. A separate legal fight initiated by the federal government over the project’s diversity contracting rules remains ongoing.

• The Surface Transportation Board last week rejected several motions that sought denial of the revised NS/UP merger application. The decision was unanimous.

• (Per BGov Transportation via Zach Williams) Class I railroads are blacking out dates of track inspections and withholding other details about track conditions, say Reps. Rick Larsen, ranking member of the House Transportation Committee, and Dina Titus, the top Democrat on the T&I’s rail subcommittee. “We are concerned that the FRA is not consistently applying its own safety waiver conditions,” the two wrote in a letter to FRA Administrator David Fink. 

The National Transportation Safety Board’s Strengthening Rail Safety campaign is a national effort aimed at reducing rail-related deaths and serious injuries across the entire industry by focusing on:

• Protecting rail workers

• Protecting passengers

• Protecting communities

• Protecting road users

The campaign emphasizes that safer rail transportation requires action from everyone involved in the rail system. NTSB says its recommendations are informed by investigations, safety reports, and research, with the stated goal of achieving zero deaths and serious injuries in the nation's rail transportation system.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy and Board Member Tom Chapman held a press briefing at Chicago Union Station on September 21, 2026, concerning actions they say are needed to improve rail safety nationwide. See it HERE.

Accelerate, SEPTA’s vision for safe, clean, reliable and accessible transit across Southeastern Pennsylvania, represents a generational transformation of the state’s largest transit system. Accelerate is our plan for “where SEPTA is going” over the coming years, the improvements our riders will see and feel and the projects and initiatives required to get there.

Our region deserves and demands a transit system that works better for more people. We are ready to create that system, together.

• Safer transit where every rider feels secure and confident throughout their journey.

• Reliable service you can plan your life around, and use to arrive on time for job interviews, childcare and medical appointments.

• Fully accessible modern connections that reach every neighborhood, serve every mobility need and work for everyone.

We can’t do it alone — we need everyone’s help. This vision supports our partners, riders and neighbors.

See what Accelerate means for riders and the communities we serve.

If top notch networking and executive-level connections aren’t enough, here’s what else you can expect from the 2026 Commuter Rail Summit

• Special guest FRA Administrator David Fink in conversation with CRC’s 2026 Champion of Commuter Rail Ron Batory, and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker

Hear from agency professionals from across the country, who will be sharing best practices and lessons learned, as well as new collaborations. Session topics include:

• If You Build It, Will They Come?

• World Cup Lessons for “Ordinary” Service

• Wielding a Coalition to Advance Industry Goals

• Regional Cooperation: How Trinity Metro, DART and DCTA are – Together – Meeting the Moment

• A Partnership on Track: Higher Education and Commuter Rail in North Texas

• and more

Plus some genuine Texas hospitality at the Welcome Reception Rodeo and the annual Champions of Commuter Rail Awards Dinner.

Dates to know:

On October 15 CRC’s hotel block closes and room rates are no longer guaranteed.

And October 30 is the final day to register for the 2026 Summit. We cannot accommodate walk-in registrations.

Sponsorships opportunities are still available.  For exposure that’s reserved only for CRC members, consider becoming a Summit Sponsor. Key opportunities remain, including for the Welcome Reception Rodeo.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Stadler, Metra to Unveil Zero-Emission BE Trainset (Railway Age)

• Brightline Preparing for Bankruptcy Filing as Soon as This Week (Bloomberg)

• FRA Issues Research Report on AI-Driven Grade Crossing Monitoring System (RT&S)

• NTSB Calls for Better Protection of Rail Workers During Shoving Movements (NTSB)

• RTD brings rail safety education to six stations during See Tracks? Think Train® Week (RTD)

• Unless DOT Brings Rail To Waterfront, Navy Buildup Will Not Happen (Forbes)

• Freight railroad mega-merger draws scrutiny from NJ Transit, commuter agencies (NJ.com)

• MBTA Continues Modernizing and Investing to Improve Reliability, Accessibility, and More as Major Construction Advances (EIN Presswire)

• MBTA to conduct systemwide infrastructure work to enhance subway, Commuter Rail system (Mass Transit)

• Tri-Rail fares set to increase 10% on Oct. 1 (Fox 29 WFLX)

• Tri-Rail 10% fare increase will start next week (Sun Sentinel)

• MassDOT Board Approves $600 Million for Commuter Rail, Housing, Roads, Bridges and Parkways (Mass.gov)