highway rail grade crossings

States press Supreme Court to address blocked railroad crossings

Nineteen states plus the District of Columbia have filed a legal briefing in support of Ohio’s request that the Supreme Court hear a case on whether states can have the authority to regulate railroad traffic at grade crossings.

Ohio is asking the Supreme Court to appeal a lower court ruling that determined that the Surface Transportation Board is the sole authority to regulate railroad activities. Ohio had argued that long trains operated by CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) were frequently blocking grade...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/states-press-supreme-court-to-address-blocked-railroad-crossings

Rail Roundup: Congressmen press STB to address rail service

A train hauling tank cars passes through a railroad crossing.Congressional leaders support shippers’ calls to improve freight rail service

A bipartisan group of members of Congress are concerned about how subpar freight rail service is affecting the fertilizer industry and the greater agricultural sector’s ability to compete in global markets.

In a Wednesday letter to the Surface Transportation Board, 51 congressional members representing states across the U.S. urged the board to address short-term challenges and utilize “practical updates and changes” to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-roundup-congressmen-press-stb-to-address-rail-service

BNSF wins over Oklahoma’s blocked crossing mandate

A federal appeals court has sided with BNSF, agreeing that a local mandate by two Oklahoma cities penalizing freight railroads for blocking a highway rail grade crossing for more than 10 minutes goes against the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver, Colorado, determined that the blocked crossing statute, mandated by the cities of Davis and Edmond and supported by officials with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and Oklahoma...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bnsf-wins-over-oklahomas-blocked-crossing-mandate

Rail Roundup: UP’s grain transload project, senators’ grade crossing bill

A Union Pacific train hauling rail cars.Union Pacific constructing Chicago-agrea transload facility for agricultural producers

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) is constructing a grain transload facility near Chicago to benefit Midwest agricultural producers and processors and reduce their supply chain costs.

The company is building the facility within its Global IV intermodal terminal in Joliet, Illinois. The Union Pacific Global IV Transload Facility will be managed by JCT, a 50-50 joint venture between Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-roundup-ups-grain-transload-project-senators-grade-crossing-bill

New federal rule: All states must develop grade crossing safety plans

A photograph of a truck at a rail crossing waiting for a passenger train to go by.

Every state plus the District of Columbia must now develop and implement action plans on how they can help make highway-rail grade crossings safer, according to new federal regulation.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Tuesday published a final rule that required 40 states and Washington to develop and implement highway-rail grade crossing action plans to help improve public safety. An additional 10 states that had already submitted plans to FRA must update their plans and report on...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/new-federal-rule-all-states-must-develop-grade-crossing-safety-plans

Nebraska officials want answers on blocked rail crossings

A photograph of a train at a railroad crossing.

Nebraska officials are preparing to ask BNSF (NYSE: BRK), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and the Nebraska Central Railroad to take more action against blocked highway-rail grade crossings in Grand Island in Hall County.

The transportation department within the Nebraska Public Service Commission plans to file a formal complaint against the three railroads for violating Commission Rule 002.09D. State officials will give the railroads 20 days to respond before taking any additional action.

The filing...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/nebraska-officials-want-answers-on-blocked-rail-crossings

Highway-rail grade crossings get attention in infrastructure bill

A photograph of a highway-rail grade crossing. There is a train with boxcars and tank cars crossing the intersection.

The latest iteration of the surface transportation and infrastructure bill has additional provisions for highway-rail grade crossings amid constituent and emergency responders’ concerns about long wait times at blocked crossings.

The new provisions spelled out in the INVEST in America Act include a comprehensive review of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) national highway-rail crossing inventory, which would verify inventory data using mapping technologies and other means. 

Another...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/highway-rail-grade-crossings-get-attention-in-infrastructure-bill