Coast Guard, STB Move on Railroad Bridge Remote Ops and California Rail Operator Switch

Lehigh Valley Drawbridge: Remote Operation Authorized

The Coast Guard is issuing a final rule modifying the operating regulation that governs the Lehigh Valley Drawbridge across Newark Bay, at mile 4.6, between the City of Newark and the City of Bayonne, NJ. The rule, effective August 19, 2026, will allow the bridge — owned and operated by Conrail — to be remotely operated from the Conrail North Jersey Dispatch Center in Mount Laurel, NJ. The change amends 33 CFR 117 but does not alter the bridge's existing operating schedule, which remains published at 33 CFR 117.735.

The document explains the rationale for the change: under current operations, the on-site bridge operator must consult with the Conrail train dispatcher in Mount Laurel, NJ, to obtain authorization to open the bridge. The rule states that this process causes delays in authorizing bridge openings, which the Coast Guard identifies as a major causative factor in complaints it receives from mariners. Remote operations, the agency explains, will facilitate direct communication between the mariner and the Conrail train dispatcher, who has much better situational awareness of the multimodal transportation picture.

The bridge has a vertical clearance of 35 feet above mean high water when closed and 135 feet above mean high water when open. It is normally maintained in the closed position due to the average daily number of trains crossing the bridge — the document notes there are 28 daily train transits and a daily average of four bridge openings for vessel transits. Newark Bay is described in the rule as a major commercial waterway, though it notes that most waterfront facilities are well south, or downstream, of the Lehigh Valley Lift Bridge.

The rule also extends remote operability to two additional structures: the Arthur Kill Railroad Bridge and the Hack Freight Railroad Bridge, both of which will now be remotely operated from the Conrail North Jersey Dispatch Center in Mount Laurel, NJ, rather than by the bridge tender at the Lehigh Valley Drawbridge. The document notes that regulations at 33 CFR 117.702 and 33 CFR 117.723 already authorize remote operation for those two bridges, and their schedules will not change as a result.

The rulemaking drew five comments in total. A Test Deviation was published November 18, 2025 (90 FR 51508), and received three comments. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was also published November 18, 2025, with a comment period that ended April 16, 2026, during which two additional comments were received. The American Waterways Operators submitted a letter raising five specific concerns, including requests for public review of remote operations and contingency plans, and for transparency regarding incidents, near-misses, and operational delays associated with remote bridge operations. The Coast Guard responded that it incorporated applicable information from its Bridge Remote/Automated Operation Request Guide — particularly regarding operations and contingency plans — into the NPRM, and stated it will seek to incorporate these best practices for future bridge remote operations rulemaking actions.

STB: California Short-Line Operator Change

The Surface Transportation Board has received a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.41 from Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, LLC (Rock Island), seeking to replace St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company, LLC (SPPR) as the common carrier operator over an approximately 2.567-mile rail line in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California. The line is owned by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) and extends from milepost 0.433 at Watsonville Junction, Monterey County, to a point west of Watsonville Junction at milepost 3.00 in Santa Cruz County.

According to the verified notice, Rock Island recently entered into an agreement with RTC pursuant to which RTC will arrange for the voluntary transfer of the line from SPPR to Rock Island, giving Rock Island the right to provide common carrier service on the line on or after the effective date of the exemption. SPPR filed a letter on July 8, 2026, consenting to being replaced as operator, which the Board considers the filing date of the verified notice. The transaction may be consummated on or after August 7, 2026 — the effective date of the exemption, which falls 30 days after the verified notice was filed.

Rock Island certifies that its projected annual revenues as a result of the transaction will not result in the creation of a Class II or Class I rail carrier and will not exceed $5 million. Rock Island also certifies that the transaction does not involve any provision or agreement that may limit future interchange of traffic with a third-party connecting carrier. Under 49 CFR 1150.42(b), Rock Island states it has provided notice to all shippers on the line. The action is categorically excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic preservation reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.8(b).

What to Watch

• July 31, 2026: Deadline for petitions to stay the Rock Island operator change exemption (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
• August 7, 2026: Effective date of the Rock Island change-of-operator exemption; transaction may be consummated on or after this date.
• August 19, 2026: Effective date of the Coast Guard final rule authorizing remote operation of the Lehigh Valley Drawbridge.

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