THE global railway track system market remains on course for steady growth despite the budget crisis in the Euro zone and the slowdown in upgrades in China, according to the latest market study by German consultancy group, SCI Verkehr.

FREIGHT and passenger operators across the northeast of the United States are endeavouring to assess damage left by Hurricane Sandy and restore train services where possible.

IN preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy in Atlantic City this evening, rail services have been suspended along the eastern seaboard of the United States from Washington DC through Philadelphia and New York to the south of Boston.

IN a split 3-2 vote, the city council of Anaheim, California, has approved a proposal for the construction of a 5.1km starter light rail line serving, among other points, the original Disneyland.

MARYLAND Board of Public Works has awarded Bombardier Transportation a $US 205m service contract to operate Maryland Area Regional Commuter (Marc) commuter rail services on the Camden (Baltimore Camden - Washington DC) and Brunswick (Martinsburg - Washington DC) lines from June 2013.

THE United States' national passenger operator Amtrak carried more than 31.2 million passengers in the financial year ending September 30, the highest annual ridership total in its 41-year history and the ninth ridership record in 10 years.

UNION Pacific (UP) has taken complete ownership of an important north-south railway though Oklahoma, three decades after state officials saved it from closure.

CALIFORNIA Department of Transportation (Caltrans), acting on behalf of its counterparts in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri, has issued a notice of intent to award a contract to Sumitomo for the supply of 130 double-deck coaches for use on regional and long-distance services in California and the Midwest United States.

DESPITE the United States' sluggish economic recovery, Amtrak ridership is surging this year with 11 consecutive monthly ridership records, according to the latest figures released by the national passenger operator.

CANADIAN National says it will add more than 2200 new wagons to its fleet this year, as well as 1300 new containers, as part of a drive to support traffic growth.