The rail industry has become a hot topic over the last few months, and there are many important discussions regarding the United States and the world right now in the industry. From the frequent crimes to relocations of rail lines, here are a few things that are happening that you should know about if you don’t already.
Crime and Theft
We have seen an increase in theft as a whole in 2022, and we have seen it happening time and time again in the rail industry this year, as well. The main theft incident as of late was the incident regarding Ocean Network Express and Union Pacific. Union Pacific was contracted to deliver solar panels and L-arginine from China to Salt Lake City, but the doors of the container were opened and the goods had been stolen. This led to Ocean Network Express suing Union Pacific. All in all, these two rail experts have gotten into some hot water due to the increased theft within the rail system through Union Pacific.
Strikes
Coordinated rail strikes have become more popular across the pond in the UK over the last few weeks. The goals of these strikes are that rail becomes more appreciated, jobs stop being cut, they begin to be paid appropriately, and their conditions get better. The strikes that took place recently were the most significant we have seen in around thirty years.
California Dreaming
A $300 million plan to relocate the train tracks on the Del Mar bluffs in California has been agreed to. The bluffs have begun crumbling and eroding, which means many safety hazards are at play. Although Transit officials have stated that it is safe, the condition of the bluffs has made the track more prone to future disasters. Along with these issues, this has been something that has halted operations of transit for hours or even days on the rail system.
California also recently announced a plan to create a 171-mile, high-speed line system that will be traveling from Merced, California to Bakersfield, California. This is a huge step forward in terms of high-speed trains in the US.
From crime to new talks of relocation and huge leaps for high-speed trains in the US, rail is becoming a hot topic! This often-overlooked industry is only continuing to grow. Rail has come a long way and will continue to do so. If one thing is certain, it’s that as rail evolves, so will we.