Late Breaking Rail Industry News May 15, 2008 NS, Pan Am Railways create expand New York/New England capacity Pan Am Railways and Norfolk Southern have agreed to create an improved rail route between Albany, N.Y., and the greater Boston, Mass., area called the Patriot Corridor. Investments in the Patriot Corridor are expected to improve track quality and customer service, boost train speed and reliability and increase capacity on the route. PAR and NS each will have a 50 percent interest in the newly formed railroad company, called Pan Am Southern. PAR has agreed to transfer to the joint venture its 155-mile main line track that runs between Mechanicville (Albany), N.Y., and Ayer, Mass., along with 281 miles of secondary and branch lines, including trackage rights, in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. NS has agreed to transfer to the joint venture cash and other property valued at $140 million to the joint venture, $87.5 million of which is expected to be invested within a three-year period in capital improvements on the Patriot Corridor, such as terminal expansions and track and signal upgrades. The companies also anticipate the construction of new intermodal and automotive terminals in the Albany area. PAR’s Springfield Terminal Railway subsidiary has agreed to provide all railroad services for the joint venture. The parties will seek approval for the transaction with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. Additional materials describing the transaction will be posted on Norfolk Southern’s Web site, www.nscorp.com, and will be furnished to the SEC as part of a Current Report on Form 8-K. Norfolk Southern is currently improving the Heartland Corridor, a high-capacity rail route linking the Port of Virginia (Norfolk), Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago, and has announced the Crescent Corridor, an initiative to divert freight traffic from highways to rail between New Orleans, Memphis, and the Northeast. Pan Am Railways is the Northeast’s largest regional railroad. It operates over 2,000 route miles in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New York and Atlantic Canada. Pan Am Railways interchanges traffic with fifteen railroads throughout its network. May 15, 2008 HNTB team wins Miami's Orange Line Phase One Project The Miami-Dade Transit Authority has awarded the team of Pistorino & Alam Consulting Engineers Inc. and HNTB Corporation the construction engineering, inspection and administration contract for Orange Line Phase One of the Miami Intermodal Center - Earlington Heights Connector Metro Extension. The $300-million project, which features the first transit line to be built in the county in 20 years, will provide a direct connection from downtown Miami to the Miami International Airport. "This signature project will have a lasting impact on Miami-area residents," said Albert Sosa, HNTB regional construction services leader. "With Miami's congestion, the transit line will shave anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours off airport commutes." Funded by a half-cent sales tax approved by Miami-Dade voters in 2002, the Earlington Heights Connector Metro Extension is the county's largest capital improvement to date as a result of the tax. Phase one of the extension's Orange Line is a 2.4-mile, elevated, double-track heavy rail extension of the existing Miami-Dade Metrorail system. It will connect the MIC to the existing elevated guideway just west of the Earlington Heights station. The project includes a signature station at the MIC, which will offer access to Miami's Tri-Rail train, the Metrobus system, tour buses, taxi cabs, a future Amtrak station, an automated people mover to the airport and the airport's rental car facility. Phase one of the Orange Line includes significant segmental construction with long spans, S-curves, superelevation, major highway crossings and a Miami River crossing. The Pistorino & Alam/HNTB team competed against three other firms to secure the contract, which currently is the largest construction engineering and inspection contract in south Florida. Design for the Earlington Heights extension was completed in January. Right-of-way is being secured and utility relocation is under way. Work will begin on phase one of the Orange Line in December. It is expected to open in late 2011. May 15, 2008 Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board awards design contract The Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors unanimously approved a professional services agreement with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects to design the new landmark Transbay Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. The TJPA Board unanimously voted in September to enter into exclusive negotiations with the Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and developer Hines team following the TJPA's eight-month-long international Design and Development Competition to select the lead architect for the Transit Center and Tower and developer for the Tower. PCPA's "City Park" design was unanimously recommended by the Design and Development Jury, an expert panel of design, planning, engineering, transit and real estate development professionals. The contract's scope includes the complete design of the Transit Center building and bus ramps connecting to the Bay Bridge, which will be constructed in two phases. The first phase includes the new Transit Center, the bus ramps connecting the building to the west approach of the Bay Bridge and bus storage facilities. The second phase of the project includes the construction of the below-grade train platform and mezzanine levels of the new Transit Center. The contract value is $105 million. At the heart of PCPA's "City Park" is a 5.4-acre public park that will sit atop the new Transit Center. The design proposal also includes "Mission Square," a grand public plaza covered by a billowing glass-and-steel canopy and public art space. The new Transbay Transit Center at First and Mission streets will serve as a Grand Central of the West and centralize the region's transportation network by accommodating nine transportation systems under one roof, including: AC Transit, Caltrain, MUNI, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, Greyhound, BART, WestCAT and future California High-Speed Rail. The area surrounding the Transit Center will be redeveloped to include housing, retail and an adjacent tower poised to redefine the City's skyline. Groundbreaking on the Temporary Terminal will begin in November 2008. Construction of the new Transit Center will begin in 2010 and be completed in 2014. May 15, 2008 NJ Transit bridge to receive $5 million worth of repairs The long steel bridge that carries NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line trains over the Navesink River is getting $5 million worth of repairs, local newspapers report. NJ Transit's board of directors approved a $5.191-million contract with Midlantic Construction LLC of Manasquan, N.J., to rehabilitate the bridge between Red Bank and Middletown. The bridge carries 97 trains a day on weekdays, said Richard Sarles, NJ Transit's executive director. The work is not expected to affect riders, he said. The bridge was built in 1913 by the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the work calls for rehabilitating the bridge foundations by repairing or replacing deteriorated concrete pier pedestals in the river that support the steel girders of the bridge. The project also will replace rusted steel parts, such as base plates, masonry plates on the concrete piers and anchor bolts. Work is estimated to be completed in mid-February. The board also approved contracts totaling $1.87 million with three companies to do in-depth inspections and load analysis of 110 of the 658 bridges owned by NJ Transit. The results will be used by NJ Transit to develop its capital repair and replacement program. May 15, 2008 RTD honored with Phoenix Award™ for the Elati Light Rail Facility Denver’s Regional Transportation District staff attended the EPA’s National Brownfield’s Conference to accept the Phoenix Award™ for the Elati Light Rail Facility project. This facility, opened in January of 2005 to serve as the main operations and maintenance center for the RTD light rail system, was cited as an excellent example of remediation and revitalization of a blighted area. One Phoenix Award™ winner was selected from each of the EPA’s 10 regions. The Elati Light Rail Facility was constructed on the former General Iron Works plant site, which operated from 1921 to 1986. For more than 15-years the property was vastly underutilized from a brownfields perspective. In 2000, the site was selected in the Southeast Corridor Light Rail expansion project EIS as the preferred location for a new light rail maintenance facility. Through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s voluntary clean-up program RTD acquired the old industrial site and revitalized the site into RTD’s new Elati Light Rail Maintenance Facility. “The construction of the Elati Light Rail Facility was a great opportunity for us to take a contaminated piece of property and create a state-of-the-art, functional facility that has been welcomed by the surrounding community. We are honored to be chosen as a recipient of the Phoenix Award™,” said Cal Marsella, general manager of RTD. The award, created in 1997, honors individuals and groups who are working to solve the critical environmental challenge of transforming blighted and contaminated areas into productive new uses. The Phoenix Awards™ are widely recognized as the outstanding award for achievement of excellence in Brownfield redevelopment, and have been called “the Brownfields equivalent of Hollywood’s Oscar.” May 15, 2008 Casa Grande, Ariz., to get depot as part of UP double-track deal Casa Grande, Ariz., has approved its part of a $35-million, four-government agreement that provides help from Union Pacific with new crossings needed for double-tracking between Yuma and Tucson, according to local newspapers. In return for not opposing the railroad's double tracking during hearings by the Arizona Corporation Commission, Casa Grande will receive money toward improvements, including encasing its water pipes near Anderson Road, and will be given the old railroad depot building on Main Street. No money comes with the historic depot, long eyed for preservation. The agreement says the city and railroad "shall negotiate in good faith" for removing the depot from UP's right of way within a reasonable time, at city expense. It adds that "from and after donation to the city, the city shall fence off the depot as reasonably requested by UP and shall be solely responsible for all future maintenance and upkeep of the depot and fencing." Out of the $35 million, Casa Grande and the city of Maricopa will be given $1.5 million each for initial design and engineering for the first two overpasses to cross the double-tracking out of the four eventual crossings required in the agreement. The deal requires Casa Grande to begin that design and engineering within one year and start building it within 10 years, closing that street-level crossing or one in another location. The railroad and its predecessor company for years have urged closing of the Sacaton Street crossing downtown, but Casa Grande has not said which crossing might be chosen. The remaining $32 million, the agreement says, will be split among Casa Grande, Eloy, Maricopa and Pinal County for other crossing work, with provisions for added payment to Casa Grande if it annexes crossing areas now in the county. The agreement lists 27 crossings that will need work, or roughly $1.185 million each. Not all of them would include overpasses. May 15, 2008 Michigan rail project seeking public opinion Engineers, politicians and citizens converged for a public hearing concerning an upcoming construction project in Port Huron Township, Mich., local newspapers report. Representatives from the St. Clair County Road Commission, Canadian National Railway, the Michigan Department of Transportation and Port Huron Township were in attendance to review how the $15-million project will change the shape of three area roads. In an effort to separate train traffic from auto traffic, roads will be moved to lessen the number of rail crossings and, in two locations, bridges will route traffic over the rails. Five rail crossings will be reduced to one. If things go as planned, construction could begin next spring and Griswold, Range and Michigan roads would see major changes by the end of 2010. Before then, a fair amount of work has to be accomplished. First, President Bush has to approve the funding, which has been passed by both the U.S. Senate and House. Once that's done, the project has to be engineered. Currently, it is still in the conceptual stage. Also, land must be acquired, which can't happen until the funding is secured. The environmental assessment is available from the road commission, which is also taking public comments. May 14, 2008 DOT plan contributes to nearly 25 percent decrease in train accidents The number of train accidents has decreased by 23.3 percent in the past three years in part because the Department has completed an ambitious plan designed to improve safety on the nation’s railroads, said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters. “We’ve seen how much can be done when you combine good data analysis, sound strategies and focused decisions to tackle persistent safety problems,” said Peters. She stressed the achievements resulted from the Department’s National Rail Safety Action Plan, the Federal Railroad Administration’s comprehensive freight and passenger rail safety programs and the work of railroads, rail employees, and others. Peters said that from 2004 to 2007 the improvements in rail safety were both deep and wide. For example, there was an across the board decline in every cause category of train accidents including the two largest causes--human factors and track flaws--that fell 27.2 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively. In addition, there were 10.9 percent fewer grade crossing collisions and an 8.9 percent decrease in grade crossing fatalities. And, the train accident rate decreased 25 percent reaching a 10-year low in 2007 at 3.3 accidents per million train miles. “Our focus will now turn to developing a risk-reduction strategy to further drive down the number of train accidents,” said FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman, noting the new safety approach supplements existing methods of federal safety oversight and compliance enforcement. Boardman stated the risk-reduction approach helps railroads and FRA identify, analyze and correct safety issues before they result in a train accident or employee injury. The ongoing FRA Confidential Close Call Reporting System demonstration project is just one example of the risk-reduction strategy at work, he said. Peters explained the Action Plan was launched in May 2005 and focused on: reducing the most frequent and highest-risk causes of train accidents; accelerating research to strengthen rail tank cars carrying the most dangerous hazardous materials; addressing the effects of fatigue on train crews; enhancing highway-rail grade crossing safety; and using data in a new way to better direct federal inspection resources to where they are needed most. May 14, 2008 Twelve railroads honored for safety record with Harriman Awards Last year was another strong year for safety on the nation's railroads, with records being set in two key safety measurements while a third fell just shy of setting a record. "Over the years, the railroad industry has developed a strong safety culture," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads at the annual E.H. Harriman Awards luncheon that honors railroads with the best employee safety records for the previous year. "Last year the train accident rate was the lowest in history. So was the grade crossing accident rate. The total number of fatalities from all rail-related incidents was also the lowest in history. And the employee injury rate was the second lowest in history, missing the record set in 2006 by less than one percent." Norfolk Southern was awarded top, gold honors for the 19th year in a row in Group A, which is comprised of line-haul railroads whose employees worked 15 million employee-hours or more during 2007. Other Group A recipients included CSX Transportation (silver) and Union Pacific (bronze). In Group B (line-haul railroads whose employees worked four to 15 million employee-hours in 2007), for the second year in a row, the gold award went to Kansas City Southern Railway. Silver went to Metra, the Chicago commuter railroad, and bronze went to Canadian Pacific Railway (U.S. operations). Group C includes railroads whose employees worked less than four million employee-hours during the award period. Awards were given to Iowa Interstate Railroad (gold), Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (silver) and Florida East Coast Railway (bronze). Group S&T is for switching and terminal companies and the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis took the gold. The silver award went to Union Railroad of Pittsburgh, while the Birmingham Southern Railroad received the bronze. Certificates of Commendation were awarded recognizing four railroads with continuous gains in employee safety improvements over a three-year period and showing the most improvement between 2005 and 2007. Certificates went to Amtrak for Group A, the Long Island Rail Road (Group B), Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (Group C) and Union Railroad for Group S&T. May 14, 2008 CTA accelerating three-track work to finish six months early According to Chicago Transit Authority officials, the construction work to realign the tracks at the Belmont and Fullerton Brown Line stations will be accelerated, allowing the agency to restore the southbound track to service by the end of 2008, six months earlier than previously scheduled. Southbound Brown, Red and Purple Express trains have been limited to one southbound track at Belmont and Fullerton since March 30 while the platforms are being rebuilt and tracks reconfigured to allow room for the installation of elevators at both stations. Although the acceleration will cost $1.6 million, it will be offset by projected ridership gains valued at $1 million and by operational savings of $800,000. In addition, the CTA will add escalators to the Belmont and Fullerton stations. The original plans provided space for future installation of escalators but, because the project remains within its budget and on schedule, the CTA has determined that there are sufficient funds to install two escalators at each station. The escalator installation is scheduled to be completed by December 2009. The CTA Board also approved a contract for upgrades to the public address. The CTA currently has PA equipment from three different manufacturers and three different time periods. The most recent equipment is about three years old but more than half of the equipment is 15 - 25 years old. The remote equipment at each station is managed through a head end unit at the CTA’s control center that enables managers to make announcements and send messages. The original manufacturer of the unit is no longer in business and it is becoming increasingly difficult to service and maintain the unit. The contract for $2.4 million to Innovative Electronic Designs, Inc. allows for replacing the head end unit with more modern technology. Upon installation of the IED PA head end system, the 58 rail stations that already have IED equipment installed will be fully and immediately compatible with the advanced features of the new PA head end system. The Control Center will be able to send audio messages and text messages. The new head end system will also have the capability to create automated messages and will have diagnostic capabilities to alert the CTA if parts are not working. In addition, the IED PA head end system will be able to control the remaining 86 stations, and as funding permits upgrades will be made to make them fully compatible in the future. May 14, 2008 CN seeks STB decision by December for EJ&E sale Officials with Canadian National Railway filed a 54-page request with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board seeking a timeline, including a Dec. 1 deadline for a final decision on its proposed purchase of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway. The company is concerned that a dragged-out process will hinder the purchase of the EJ&E line. "The significant public benefits of the transaction have been put at risk by the lack of certainty regarding the likely date for concluding the review process and this proceeding," CN states in the document. "The board is required, upon request, to impose time limits, and the time limits suggested by CN here are reasonable given the circumstances of this case." CN's proposed timeline calls for a draft of the Environmental Impact Statement to be served by July 15, and the final EIS by Nov. 3. The company is seeking a final decision on the purchase by December. Since the purchase was announced, area residents and governmental leaders have voiced their opposition to the plan, citing concerns about increased traffic, rail crossing safety and pollution. "Opponents of the transaction have made it clear that they hope to use the environmental process not only as a means to facilitate a hard environmental look, but also as a means to stall the transaction until it dies or to impose onerous mitigation that would make the transaction economically infeasible," CN stated in the filing. "... The board should not allow the mere fact of vocal opposition that presents no novel or intractable analyses to frustrate a transaction that would provide significant and national public benefits." May 14, 2008 NJ TRANSIT to improve Rutherford, Paterson stations The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today authorized work that will allow for the exterior restoration of the historic Rutherford Station on the Bergen County Line, kicking off the first phase of a two-phase project. Also, the Board approved a contract to install new customer communication systems at Paterson Station in what will be the final phase of an extensive rehabilitation of the historic facility. The Board awarded a $1.4-million contract to DMR Construction Services Inc., of Waldwick, NJ to restore the original exterior condition of the historic station structure. Listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, Rutherford Station was constructed in 1898 and serves approximately 940 customers on a typical weekday. The project will include design and restoration of masonry; thorough cleaning of brick, sandstone, limestone and bluestone; restoration of the copper-clad window enclosure; and repair and replacement of window sills, doors, exterior columns and soffits. Construction on the project will begin this summer, with completion expected in 2009. A second phase of the project funded entirely with a $1.9-million federal earmark will allow for the restoration of the station’s interior in accordance with historical guidelines. Under the Paterson contract, the station public address system will be improved and new LED and LCD customer information signs, with the capability to display up-to-the-minute service messages, will be installed at platform and street level for bus and rail customers. In addition, CCTV cameras will be upgraded and a new remote elevator monitoring and control system will be installed to enhance reliability. A $1.4-million contract was awarded to Daidone Electric Inc. of Newark through a competitive bid process. Work is expected to begin in July and be completed in early 2009. The same federal grant that paid for the earlier phases of the station rehabilitation is funding the current project. May 14, 2008 Donner Summit project to improve tunnels, tracks As fuel prices continue to soar and United States ports become increasingly congested by global trade, transportation officials say the freight railway industry will see a powerful resurgence in the near future. However, before the country’s antiquated shipping mode can consider the coming boost in train traffic, changes must be made to the outdated tracks and tunnels, including the Union Pacific rail line over Donner Summit, local newspapers report. The California Transportation Commission is currently working with the Union Pacific on the Donner Project, a plan to construct 9.3 miles of second main track and to increase tunnel clearances for double-stacked freight trains, said Zoe Richmond, public relations director for Union Pacific. Raising the height of the tunnels would allow the double-stacked cargo containers to travel over Donner Pass rather than the current route through the Feather River Canyon, a shift that would reduce travel time by 75 miles, Richmond said. However, the impact from more frequent freight traffic on Truckee is uncertain, Richmond said. In 1996, when Union Pacific bought out Southern Pacific, one expectation of the merger was that train trips would triple over the Donner route. In response, the town constructed the McIver Crossing to regulate traffic in the downtown area. However, the town has yet to see a change in train traffic. In addition, the town has explored constructing an under-crossing that would connect East River Street to Donner Pass Road, but the project remains on the back burner until future traffic issues arise. If approved, preliminary engineering and design work for the Donner Summit track improvements and clearance project could be completed in 2009, with construction starting in the spring, Richmond said. The project would cost an estimated $86.8 million, and would be split between Union Pacific and the California Transportation Commission, she said. May 14, 2008 Company will seek to reopen 20-mile rail line in Pennsylvania A Kentucky-based railroad company wants to reactivate 20 miles of rail line that could serve the landfill and industrial park another company wants to build in Rush Township, Pa., local newspapers report. Noel Rush, vice president for strategic planning and development at R.J. Corman Railroad, of Nicholasville, Ken., said the company plans to file the request with the federal Surface Transportation Board in the next few weeks. The proposed rail line would cover about 20 miles from Wallaceton in Clearfield County through Rush Township to the Gorton area in Snow Shoe Township. Rush said Resource Recovery, the Lancaster County-based company that wants to build a municipal waste landfill and industrial park in the northern corner of Rush Township, is the prospective shipper that could use the rail line. Resource Recovery has faced strong community opposition to its proposal, which includes building an Interstate 80 interchange to provide direct access to the site. Although the state Department of Environmental Protection’s review of the project is on hold, the company recently bought the 5,800-acre site for the landfill and industrial park. According to papers filed with Centre County, Resource Recovery bought the land for $3.4 million on April 25. Company President Ed Abel could not be reached for comment. Rush said if the rail line project is a success, R.J. Corman expects to have one inbound and one outbound train a day, with 10 to 20 cars initially. He said the trains could be used to haul commodities such as “cubed” or compacted garbage to the landfill and sand and gravel from the industrial park. Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. has said it wants to build a sandstone quarry in the park. About half of the proposed rail line is part of the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails’ recreational route. Larry Mayes, the group’s secretary, said if the rail line is rebuilt the group will lose two historic structures: the Peale Tunnel and the Viaduct Bridge. The tunnel was built in 1883 and recently underwent a major restoration with a state grant. May 13, 2008 Wi-Tronix, Railhead provide Rail Runner video, event recorder Railhead Vision Systems® and Wi-Tronix®, LLC, have teamed to provide a combined video and event recorder monitoring system to the New Mexico Rail Runner Express. The jointly developed system generates a single downloadable file containing both video and data extracted from an applied event recorder. The system also enables real-time, wireless access to download video and event recorder information. The system is comprised of two components: Wireless Processing Units from Wi-Tronix and Digital Video Recorders from Railhead Vision Systems. The companies have integrated the two technologies to generate a single synchronized video file that also contains event recorder data. Wi-Tronix Universal Event Recorder Interface enables the system to work with any model of installed event recorder. With real-time data download, managers can have instantaneous remote access to critical information. So if an emergency brake application occurs, authorized individuals would immediately receive wireless notification and can remotely download video and event recorder data. On-board operator actions will be seamlessly viewable with video looking out the front of the locomotive or cab car. Real-time access to information enables management to respond appropriately to the situation and maintain the safety and service for their customers. "This system will help us in our day to day operations", says Lawrence Rael, Executive Director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments, the agency that operates the Rail Runner. "We will be able to look at potential problem areas on the train that might need to be addressed. Just having real-time information as it relates to the operations of the Rail Runner will provide added safety in the corridor." The systems will be deployed on the entire Rail Runner fleet this month. May 13, 2008 Illinois transit executive chastises state leaders The chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority lashed out at state politicians for failing to work aggressively toward completing a capital spending plan for mass transit and repairing deteriorating roads, the Chicago Tribune reports. "The state is in a very tough fiscal situation, and at some point somebody has to have the guts to fix it. And it hasn't happened yet," RTA Chairman Jim Reilly told the City Club of Chicago. Reilly said he was not optimistic about approval of a new capital bill in the remaining weeks of the current legislative session or in the foreseeable future. The governor and state lawmakers have so far been unable to come to terms on the capital-spending plan. "As a citizen and as someone who has been involved in some of the largest public works projects in recent history in this area, I am really disturbed about the timid nature of the current debate about capital," Reilly said. "We say we're a world-class city, yet we in transit will be very lucky if we get enough money just to maintain what is basically a late 19th Century and early 20th Century system." Reilly singled out Mayor Richard Daley as the only politician who has a vision for the future of transit. The Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace say they need at least $10 billion over the next five years to restore the existing transit system to a state of good repair and to begin modernization and expansion projects, such as the CTA's proposed Circle Line and Metra's STAR line. The $10 billion figure represents only seed money for capacity-expansion projects, but it far exceeds what Gov. Rod Blagojevich and legislative leaders have talked about in their transit proposals, Reilly told the City Club audience downtown. The last capital funding legislation that the General Assembly approved was Illinois FIRST in 1999, which paid for the repair of roads and other infrastructure. Funding provided by the plan ended in 2004, and Illinois is in jeopardy of losing $10 billion in federal highway funds for roads and transit unless new state funding is approved by next year to provide the required local match. Illinois needs to invest at least $5 billion a year in additional funding just to maintain its roads, bridges, transit systems and airports, according to the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, a non-profit group working to influence public policy. May 13, 2008 CN spokesman points out government’s role in causing rail congestion Canadian National Railway is getting a bum rap over its plan to acquire the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway, CN spokesmen told the Elgin, Ill., Herald News. Opponents of the sale should look to government officials—not CN—to find blame, CN representatives said during a Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce luncheon. "The real problem here is not the action of Canadian National but rather the continuing inaction of our public agencies and elected officials in solving these serious regional congestion problems," said Jim Giblin, senior associate for Railroad Industries Inc., who spoke on CN's behalf. CN is trying to relieve train traffic congestion in and around Chicago, something the government has failed to do, he said. The federal government has allotted $1 billion for rail improvements nationwide, but very little has come to Illinois, and the state's elected officials are to blame, Giblin added. In 1999, the Illinois Commerce Commission called for a new program to fund such projects. CN spokesman Jim Kvedaras and Giblin attended the chamber meeting to offset some misconceptions about the company and its acquisition proposal. They said: • By bypassing Chicago, CN would reduce train traffic in 88 heavily populated Chicago-area communities. The EJ&E lines go through 33 less-populated municipalities. • Only 130 jobs would be lost, mostly through attrition. • The acquisition would not negatively affect Amtrak's access to Union Station or Metra's STAR Line, a proposed passenger line that would parallel the EJ&E tracks. CN has said Metra can build its own adjacent STAR line tracks. But it's possible the passenger line could share a track, too, Kvedaras said. Stiff opposition has surfaced in towns along the route because of the projected increase in train traffic. Due to the outcry, the STB decided to do a full-blown environmental study of the sale, which will take much longer. Monday's Southland crowd was mostly friendly to the CN group. "Obviously we're a business organization, so we're going to come right out of the gate in support of this," said chamber board Chairman Larry Lymon. "We at this point see the benefits of it." May 13, 2008 RailAmerica seeking to abandon Coos Bay line in Oregon RailAmerica said in a response posted on the Surface Transportation Board Web site that it will seek to abandon its Coos Bay Line between Coquille and Eugene, Oregon, local newspapers report. The Florida-based parent of the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad said responses from Gov. Ted Kulongoski, private shippers and Union Pacific left it little choice but to abandon the line. “Upon assessing these reactions to our efforts to build a coalition to address the long-term viability of the Coos Bay Line—and, in particular, after seeing both the State of Oregon and (Union Pacific) unequivocally reject our proposals—CORP made a decision following hearings to seek to abandon the Coos Bay Line,’ RailAmerica said. “....We have instructed our counsel to file the required notice of abandonment and a formal application seeking authority to abandon the Coos Bay Line at the earliest time permitted under the (Surface Transportation) Board's regulations. "While CORP remains willing to work with interested stakeholders to discuss solutions that would permit continued operation of the Coos Bay Line, we simply cannot justify investing many millions of dollars to rehabilitate a line that shows little if any prospect for returning to profitability." RailAmerica said it was losing $1 million annually on the line. May 13, 2008 Amtrak to build station in New Buffalo, Mich. Soon travel to the other side of Lake Michigan will be available in, perhaps, less than one hour from New Buffalo, Mich., according to local newspapers. An agreement has been reached to build an Amtrak passenger station beside the railroad's high-speed line at the lakefront in New Buffalo. There will be four daily non-stop trips to and from the Amtrak station in Chicago's loop. "We hope it can be completed this summer's construction season," said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. With trains reaching speeds of up to 95 miles per hour, Amtrak hopes to add passengers looking for a timely, less stressful commute and save on still rising gasoline costs. Local officials want to bring more people to what's already a popular second home and resort area. Attracting more visitors could go a long way toward selling a wealth of million dollar condominiums and other expensive homes built here in recent years that are still empty. The passenger station will be a short walk from many of the new homes still going up despite a soft market. Currently, Amtrak stops twice each day in New Buffalo about a mile south of the lakefront on tracks owned by CSX. One-way trips to Chicago now take roughly 75 minutes on the slower line and there is no passenger station there. Riders step down onto a small gravel parking lot. The new passenger station at Whittaker and Merchant streets will include a lighted parking lot with a capacity for 25 vehicles. May 13, 2008 BNSF finalizes deal to sell Snohomish rail line near Seattle The Port of Seattle signed an agreement with BNSF to buy a 42-mile rail corridor from Snohomish to Renton, Wash., according to local newspapers. The port is buying the corridor for $107 million. King County is contributing $2 million toward the purchase and is granted the right for a future trail on the southern 32 miles of the corridor. The corridor from Snohomish to Woodinville is intended to be used for rail freight service, although Snohomish County is considering trying to establish commuter rail service on the line. Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani and King County Executive Ron Sims signed the agreement in Bellevue near the Wilburton trestle. With an agreement in place, the federal Surface Transportation Board will consider the port and King County's application for future use of the corridor. The Port of Seattle plans a public process to hear input on how King County residents would like to see the rail corridor used. May 12, 2008 Portland Mall light rail reaches milestone Completing a major milestone, all light rail track now is installed on the Portland, Ore., Mall. The last track piece will be welded next week. Concrete will then be poured later to complete the installation. Also, new sidewalks are open to pedestrians on 5th Avenue between Burnside and Oak streets at the U.S. Bancorp Tower and on the west side of 6th Avenue between Madison and Jefferson streets. On the morning of Sunday, May 18, crews will work on overhead wires at SE Morrison and Yamhill streets from approximately 2-10 a.m., which will interrupt MAX service in downtown Portland. Shuttle buses will be provided. From early June through August, the Steel Bridge will close to buses and motorists while crews connect the new MAX tracks on 5th and 6th avenues with the existing MAX system on the bridge. May 12, 2008 LADOT reconstructing Metrolink parking lot Los Angeles Department of Transportation will be reconstructing the southern half of the Northridge Metrolink Station Parking Lot beginning May 19 and building a new sidewalk from the station to Parthenia Street. The construction work is expected to take about one year to complete. During construction, the southern half of the parking lot will be closed. However, there will be 120 spaces in the north parking lot for use. Also, Metrolink Pacoima Van Nuys Blvd. & San Fernando Road street improvements construction will continue through May 16. The road work in the City of Pacoima at the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road will improve the roadway approaching the railroad crossing at that intersection. The work will include grinding the existing road surface and overlaying it with new asphalt to bring it up to the height of the new curb and gutters already installed at the intersection. The work will be performed at night to eliminate any road closures and lessen interference with traffic. May 12, 2008 CSXT to revamp tracks in Rocky Mount, N.C. CSX Transportation will be performing maintenance on a number of railroad crossings throughout Rocky Mount, N.C., local newspapers report. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, CSXT is scheduled to perform track maintenance beginning June 16 and ending July 3. The work will include surfacing of the track. The maintenance will affect the railroad line that runs between Weldon, Rocky Mount and Benson. Tracks that run on College Road, Training School Road, Grand Avenue, Goldleaf Street, Thomas Street, Sunset Avenue, Western Avenue and Nash Street in Rocky Mount are all scheduled for work. May 12, 2008 WMATA looks to defer some projects to pay for critical repairs More than $100 million in planned upgrades would be delayed to help pay for more critical repairs, Washington, D.C., Metro General Manager John Catoe told the transit agency’s board. Catoe detailed the agency’s plan to begin to pay for $489 million that officials announced in March is needed for critical repairs to maintain a safe and reliable rail, bus and paratransit system. “We have reprioritized our capital projects and shifted funds to more pressing projects over the next two years,” Catoe said. “This will allow us to make immediate repairs on important projects, such as deteriorating platforms, worn out track fasteners to help prevent fires and water-damaged cables to help move trains,” Catoe said. Much of the $109 million would come from reprioritizing rehabilitation projects, including elevators, escalators, parking lots, tracks, stations, tunnels and bridges. “The work will still go on,” Catoe said. “But from a planning standpoint, some programs are slowing down to pay for others.” Agency officials also plan to ask the board for approval to borrow up to $48 million to help pay for the most critical projects. The $157 million generated from deferring projects and borrowing would keep the transit system in a state of good repair. Monies also would be spent on safety enhancements, upgrades to run more eight-car trains, MetroAccess vehicles and rail and information technology equipment. More than $12 million would be spent to comply with recommendations from safety oversight agencies for emergency door releases on the outside of railcars and equipment to automatically grease rail car wheels to prevent derailments. “We still need $332 million over the next six years to pay for urgent capital needs, such as continued work on track and power upgrades needed for rail reliability, rehabilitating vaulted ceilings in stations and repaving several parking lots,” Catoe said. “In addition to that, we are identifying more needs that will be part of our 10 year capital improvement plan, which begins in 2010.” May 9, 2008 Grant earmarks cash for South Shore stop near Gary airport Improvements could be coming soon to the South Shore Railroad's stop near Gary/Chicago International Airport in Indiana, local newspapers report. The airport received a $1.7-million federal grant in 2006, which requires a 20 percent local match of $425,000, to improve the South Shore's Clark Street stop. Airport board members recently approved an agreement with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District to administer the $2.1-million grant. Airport director Chris Curry said he expects to make a joint application with NICTD to the Regional Development Authority for the local match money. Up to $400,000 of the money can be spent on studying ways to improve connectivity between the airport and the train line. Curry said he anticipates looking at things like adding an area to make it easier for buses to turn around. During Skybus Airlines' three-week stay in Gary, the airport provided passengers with private bus service to the Clark Street station, which proved a successful venture. Other possible improvements could include an increase in parking or new sidewalks. The money would not be enough to build a spur line connecting the railroad directly to the airport, as Gary Mayor Rudy Clay had pushed in the legislature earlier this year. May 9, 2008 New York Ground Zero's train in a box The people don't always ride in a hole in the ground. Those aboard the No. 1 train in Lower Manhattan are now riding part of the way through the air, according to the New York Times. There is no view to admire. The trains are still well below street level, on tracks running within a box-shaped concrete tunnel that bisects the World Trade Center site. But instead of soil, the south half of that 975-foot stretch of subway rests on a newly built network of brawny steel beams atop a forest of minipiles reaching down to bedrock. And in recent weeks, workers have dug out so much soil from around those minipiles that they have created an underpass beneath the subway large enough for construction machinery to pass through. In the reconstruction of the trade center, it is a significant milestone of east meeting west. Gradually, the entire volume under the subway box will be cleared of soil, until the section from Liberty to Vesey Streets is structurally more like a viaduct than a tunnel. That will open up nearly 40 feet of vertical space under the tracks. And given how many purposes the site must serve, every cubic inch is precious. The subway box will eventually be an integral part of the larger, multilevel subterranean structure at the trade center site. Meanwhile, it must be supported on a sturdy but temporary structure while everything is built around it. The spectacle of a supposedly subterranean railroad held up in midair and exposed to daylight will resonate with older New Yorkers who remember that the PATH tubes were disinterred and suspended during the construction of the trade center 40 years ago. In contrast to the cylindrical PATH tunnel, the subway has a rectangular framework. The original tunnel and the Cortlandt Street subway station were destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, as was the PATH terminal at the trade center. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority rebuilt the subway tunnel within a year, inside a concrete box. It was the first big reconstruction project completed at ground zero. A temporary PATH terminal opened in 2003, but the subway station has yet to be replaced. It is the No. 1 subway box, running along the north-south route of Greenwich Street, that is gradually being exposed on all four sides. "We are pleased with the quality of the Port Authority's work and -- most importantly -- we do not expect our customers to notice any changes in service on the No. 1 line," said Aaron Donovan, deputy press secretary of the transportation authority. He said vibrations were monitored constantly and that the two agencies were "working cooperatively to ensure that the stability of our right-of-way is not impacted by the rebuilding project." Undergirding the box are 450 steel minipiles -- so called because they are 10 3/4 inches in diameter -- that have been drilled through the soil into the bedrock about 40 feet below the subway. The minipiles are arrayed either three or five across, every 10 feet. Work began 18 months ago. All but 10 minipiles are now drilled. By the end of May, the entire subway box will be supported on the minipiles, said Raymond E. Sandiford, chief geotechnical engineer at the Port Authority. That will permit a full excavation down to bedrock, which he said should be completed by the end of summer at the south half of the site and by the end of the year at the north side. Within the space beneath the tracks that has been opened up by the excavation, the Port Authority plans to build portions of the PATH terminal, vehicle ramps, parking areas and even stores. May 9, 2008 Minnesota’s Northstar receiving $53.9 million in federal funding U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said the U.S. Department of Transportation has released $53.9 million in federal funding for the Northstar commuter rail line from Big Lake to Minneapolis. Klobuchar, who serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and Environment and Public Works Committee, was instrumental in securing DOT support for the project and making sure that Northstar was included in the 2007 DOT funding bill. “A growing metro area needs a forward-looking transportation policy – one that gives people choices, gets them out of rush-hour traffic and reduces congestion on our roads," Klobuchar said. “North Star is also an important step toward a broader transportation and energy strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign fuels and reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases.” Running from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis, with stops in Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley, the Northstar line is expected to carry two million riders per year. Officials say the trip from Coon Rapids to Minneapolis would take 20 minutes, compared to 45 minutes by car. In downtown Minneapolis, the Northstar line will connect to the Hiawatha light-rail line. Last December DOT officials gave their blessing to the North Star project and committed the federal government to pay approximately half of the $320 million cost. The line is scheduled to open in November 2009. May 9, 2008 Seattle Link light rail high power lines turned on this weekend As part of the preparations for Seattle-area Link light rail train testing this summer and passenger service in 2009, Sound Transit contractors will energize the new overhead electrical lines that power the trains in the Rainier Valley beginning May 9. Link light rail construction began in late 2003 and is about 90 percent complete. The 13.9-mile rail line from Westlake Station to Tukwila/International Blvd Station opens in summer 2009, with a 1.7-mile extension to Sea-Tac Airport opening by the end of 2009. Light rail trains are currently making test runs between Sound Transit’s Operations and Maintenance Facility in SODO and the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. Light rail trains are scheduled to make test runs through the Rainier Valley to Tukwila by the end of this summer. May 8, 2008 UP increasing train speed between Necedah and Wyeville, Wis. Union Pacific will increase the speed of its trains to 49 mph on nearly 16 miles of its rail line between Necedah and Wyeville, Wis. Train speeds will be increased 10 miles per hour on May 23, 2008, and nine miles per hour on May 30, 2008, when the new maximum speed limit is reached. Trains currently operate through the area at 30 mph because of track and operating constraints. Recent track improvements are permitting the higher speeds. Union Pacific invested $4.7 million this year on track improvements between Necedah and Wyeville. Crews replaced the rail, installed seven switches and replaced the road surfaces at 16 crossings. Work was completed in mid-April. May 8, 2008 Union Pacific to pay for new crossings in Arizona county Union Pacific, trying to clear the way for double-tracking its main line across southern Arizona, has agreed to provide $35 million over the next 25 years to help build grade-separated road and rail crossings in growing Pinal County, local newspapers report. The agreement, according to the railroad, county officials and mayors of Eloy, Maricopa and Casa Grande, will have Union Pacific pay major shares of the costs of designing of three or possibly four underpasses or overpasses. That represents a change of approach for UP, which previously tried to dampen suggestions that it pay for building grade-separated crossings. A UP official said in 2007 that underpasses and overpasses can cost $10 million to $30 million apiece. "It's a progression. We were able to sit down" with the local officials to discuss their concerns, said Luis Heredia, a UP community affairs director. The agreement calls for the local governments involved to identify which crossings will get bridges or underpasses and to support UP's double-tracking when the Arizona Corporation Commission considers UP's applications for changes to existing grade-crossings. Pinal County is located in south-central Arizona between Phoenix and Tucson. The county has seen extensive population growth as well as increased traffic on local roadways in recent years, raising concerns about the railroad's track expansion project. The agreement also calls for UP to take other steps, including donating a former depot in Casa Grande to the city and helping relocate the Amtrak passenger station in Maricopa. May 8, 2008 ICC approves Union Pacific rail safety project near Royal, Ill. The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved plans for the installation of automatic flashing light signals equipped with light emitting diode lights and gates controlled by constant warning circuitry at the 1200N (TR 229) and 1900N (TR 155) highway-rail grade crossings of the Union Pacific’s track near Royal, Ill., in Champaign County. The total estimated cost for the safety improvements is $388,213. The Grade Crossing Protection Fund will pay 30 percent of the installation costs for the improvements at the crossings, not to exceed $116,464. The Illinois Department of Transportation, utilizing federal funds, will pay 70 percent of the installation costs, not to exceed $271,749. Union Pacific will pay all remaining installation costs, as well as all future maintenance costs. All work is to be completed by May 7, 2009. May 8, 2008 SEPTA track work necessitates schedule changes A select number of SEPTA regional rail routes in the Philadelphia area will operate with new schedules effective Sunday, May 11, to accommodate a railroad modernization project. The project will install new track, catenary and a modern signal system in an area, known as “K” interlocking, critical to operations for several SEPTA regional rail routes. At the completion of all work, SEPTA passengers will enjoy a quieter, smoother and more comfortable ride as a result of the new crossties and continuous welded rail installation. SEPTA customers will also experience increased travel speeds, reduced travel times and enhanced service reliability. May 8, 2008 Nye County, Nev., pushes for rail Nye County agrees with the U.S. Department of Energy's application for a rail route to Yucca Mountain as the safest way to transport nuclear waste but the county told the department it should be a through route rather than a dead-end line, local newspapers report. DOE is taking comments on its application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to the Surface Transportation Board to build a 319-mile railway from Caliente to Yucca Mountain as the preferred route, skirting around the Nellis Air Force Training Range. The Mina route is also still listed as under study, a 240- to 254-mile route beginning just south of Hawthorne. The county's letter, signed by Nye County Commission Chairwoman Joni Eastley, says DOE made little or no effort to deal with the socioeconomic issues associated with the rail route, specifically a through railroad. Nye County in the past has talked about the economic benefits of dual use of the railroad and connecting it through to Union Pacific lines from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City in Jean. "Specifically it makes little sense to spend over $2 billion on a rail spur that does relatively little to contribute to rail infrastructure and economic development in western Nevada and the Southwestern United States when other identified routes with greater economic development potential and more positive socio-economic impacts that appear less difficult and less expensive to construct exist," the county wrote. Eastley's letter says in spite of the state's longstanding opposition to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, there has been no public policy debate on the issue of optimizing the rail route. The November 2007 study by Wilbur Smith Associates and URS Corp. for the Nye County Nuclear Waste Project Office obtained a list of 30 possible shippers in Nye and Lincoln counties from the Nevada Commission on Economic Development who could use the Mina and Caliente corridors under a dual use arrangement for the rail line. May 7, 2008 ARINC wins NEC centralized electrification and traffic control contract ARINC Incorporated won a contract to design and deliver a Centralized Electrification and Traffic Control System for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Northeast Corridor Operations. The project is part of a major Amtrak infrastructure improvement program for the Northeast Corridor. The new system will provide Amtrak with a capability to improve the efficiency of their train operations and energy management on the Corridor. The new CETC system will be based on ARINC's Advanced Information Management AIM® software platform, with a fully redundant architecture supporting multiple control centers and their associated emergency back-up centers. It will have the capability to operate the entire Northeast Corridor from any of several centers located throughout the Northeast, and will support train dispatching from Washington D.C. to Boston. In addition to Amtrak trains, the system will be used to dispatch freight traffic from Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation and commuter trains from Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC), New Jersey Transit and Virginia Railway Express (VRE). ARINC has designed and built rail operations centers and SCADA systems on the corridor for the MBTA, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Railroad, New York City Transit, New Jersey Transit, CONRAIL, SEPTA, Maryland MTA, and WMATA. May 7, 2008 Northstar Commuter Rail Project breaks ground for Big Lake Station Public officials and supporters of Northstar Commuter Rail in the Twin Cities gathered today to break ground for the Big Lake Station, which will be located south of Highway 10 and the BNSF tracks and along County Road 43. The ceremony was the second of four planned for Northstar’s suburban stations. The Northstar Project construction season kicked off on April 29 at the Coon Rapids Station site. A ceremony in Anoka is scheduled for 5 p.m. on May 19, followed by an Elk River event later this summer. Work on the Minneapolis station and the extension of the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit Line to meet up with Northstar in downtown Minneapolis began last summer and continues to make steady progress. Visible progress also has been made at the station site. Knutson Construction of Minneapolis has installed fencing and is continuing grading work for the station platform and parking area. The site is located south of the train tracks and across County Road 43 from the current transit park-and-ride lot. The station will be complete in time for the beginning of Northstar service in late 2009 and will feature: a surface parking lot with space for 518 vehicles; automated ticket and Metro Transit Go-To card kiosks; on-demand heating in covered and enclosed platform shelters; bicycle lockers; fully ADA-compliant platforms and trains; security cameras on the platforms, and well-lit parking and station facilities Northstar Commuter Rail will provide service starting in late 2009 on the 40-mile segment of existing track along Highways 10 and 47 from Big Lake to Minneapolis. Northstar trains will offer commuter service during prime morning and evening week day rush hours, as well as regular weekend service and some special event service. May 7, 2008 Indianapolis commuter rail could come sooner than expected The rail line that carries the WFMS FairTrain from Fishers, Ind., to Indianapolis each August could become a commuter rail line within two to four years, according to local newspaper. That's six-to-eight years ahead of previously announced schedules. "We're years and years ahead because, instead of starting with the Cadillac system, we're going with the Chevy," said Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman. At startup, the nearly 20-mile commuter route would run during rush hours, 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., and be coordinated with IndyGo buses to pick up commuters from Indianapolis' Union Station (or other stops to be determined), according to a regional transit plan to be unveiled to the Hamilton County Council. The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority will make the presentation. The Fishers route and another in Carmel are funded by a federal grant set to expire in 2009 or 2010, although it could be renewed, said Altman, a member of the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council. Last week, the council came to a consensus to choose the route using the existing rail line over three alternatives, along Binford Boulevard, Keystone Avenue and Allisonville Road. Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, a group of Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County governments, owns the 38 miles of rail line from Downtown Indianapolis through Fishers and Noblesville to Tipton. A phased rail project, which would be completely built by 2035, would cost up to $690 million, but the plan to bring commuter rail sooner will be cheaper, said Altman. The proposal calls for a DMU train. The Noblesville-based Indiana Transportation Museum would run the pilot program under the proposal. The route itself isn't without drawbacks: The bridge is out at 10th Street, but Transportation Museum members have leads on three bridges that could span the gap. Track needs to be replaced from 21st Street to Union Station. Decisions loom as to where commuter stations -- where buses could meet trains -- and crossing arms would be built. May 7, 2008 MTA plans closure of east entrance to Lexington Market Metro Station On May 12, Maryland Transit Administration will close the east entrance of the Lexington Market Metro Station at Lexington Street to begin construction of important customer safety improvements and exterior and interior alterations. The project is scheduled to last about a year. The exterior improvements will include a new canopy over the escalators and bus stop that will provide customers with better weather protection. Inside, MTA will enhance the appearance of the station area with a thorough cleaning, and change the illumination to more energy-efficient lighting. “These enhancements are part of our ongoing commitment to improve bus and rail service and facilities in Maryland,” said MTA Administrator Paul J. Wiedefeld. “The Lexington Market Station upgrades are part of a larger project that includes the refurbishment and improvement of all 14 Metro Subway stations.” May 6, 2008 Work begins to replace CTA Loop train control system Crews will begin work this week to replace the signal and train control systems and replace deteriorated rail ties and track in an effort to prevent slow zones along the Chicago Loop elevated tracks. The new train control system will enhance Chicasgo Transit Authority’s ability to operate trains through two junctions where Brown, Orange, Green, Purple and Pink Line trains enter and exit the Loop. The new system will replace the current system that has been in operation for more than three decades. In addition, approximately 10,000 feet of track will be renewed along with the replacement of rail ties that will eliminate nearly 600 feet of existing slow zones and help to prevent future slow zones. The track work will require trains to be rerouted periodically from the Lake and Wabash stretches of elevated track to the Wells and Van Buren elevated tracks. Customers can expect these types of reroutes through Thanksgiving 2008. As weather permits in early 2009, crews will begin work on the Wells and Van Buren elevated tracks, requiring trains to be rerouted to the completed Lake and Wabash tracks. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2009. A new signal and train control system will be installed at the Loop junctions of Van Buren/Wabash and Lake/Wells. These are two of the busiest junctions on CTA’s rail system. Approximately 115,000 customers travel through the junction at Lake/Wells on a typical weekday and 79,000 through the junction at Van Buren/Wabash. The new systems will help to improve the reliability of service by regulating train movement, speed and intervals at those junctions. As part of the Loop project, the current signal system will be replaced with a modern automatic train control signal system. A portion of the bridge control system that operates the Lake and Wells Street bridges also will be upgraded. May 6, 2008 CSXT track work set on MARC Brunswick Line May 26 through June 5 In order to give riders more time to prepare, CSX Transportation will be performing routine track work later, beginning May 26 and finishing June 5. CSXT does this every spring. As a result, MARC Train P871 (departing Union Station at 1:45 p.m.) will be cancelled from Monday through Thursday both weeks. Train P871 will operate on Fridays of those weeks. No alternate rail transportation will be provided. CSXT will be replacing rail ties and doing additional work on the track bed in the area just west of Union Station from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. each day. They will also be working all day on Sundays to complete the work with the least possible disruption to MARC service. Riders can expect some delays to MARC’s other trains in this area during this period due to congestion and reduced speed orders, but CSXT hopes to keep delays at a minimum. May 6, 2008 UP back on track after major Oregon mudslide After 105 days and 19 million cubic feet of mud, Union Pacific has completed the Herculean task of restoring all rail service through the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. The mudslide occurred on Jan. 19, 2008, eight miles southeast of Oakridge, Ore., and wiped out 3,000 feet of track in three different areas. Union Pacific employees and contractors worked around the clock to remove logs and unsuitable material from the site, and bring in rock to rebuild the mountain. "Our folks did an incredible job. They rolled up their sleeves and made the impossible, possible," said Bill Van Trump, assistant vice president of engineering and maintenance for UP, who led the efforts at the site. "This was an extraordinary event which required an extraordinary effort. Not only did we put a mountain back together, we were also able to do it safely, without any injuries." Crews will be working on clean-up efforts for the next month. A slide fence, which activates a warning if there is a subsequent slide, will also be constructed on the mountain. Until the fence is complete in early June, the area will be continuously monitored to ensure the tracks are safe for rail traffic. By the Numbers 200: Number of workers at the site during the peak of construction. 150: Number of pieces of construction equipment at the site. 660,000: Total number of board feet of timber that was salvaged from the site, which is the property of the national Forestry Department. This is enough timber to build approximately 66 three-bedroom houses. 700,000 tons: Amount of rock it took to restabilize the mountain. 1 million tons: Amount of unsuitable material that was removed from the site, about the weight of 25 super carrier naval ships. Most of the slide was very fine silt that could not be used in rebuilding the mountain. 42 -76 hours: The typical delay to customers due to the mudslide. 15: Number of daily trains that had to be rerouted via Bend, Ore., and Salt Lake City. 30: Daily average of the number of Union Pacific work train round trips that helped haul material in and out of the site. 1: Helicopter used to remove timber. 0: Number of available hotel rooms in Oakridge, Ore., during the construction. May 6, 2008 Vermont Railway reopens Hoosick Falls connection The Vermont rail system is again connecting with Pan Am Railways trains in Hoosick Falls, increasing train traffic to North Bennington, Vt., and Rutland, Vt., and then into New York, according to local newspapers. The switch is intended to loosen congestion at freight yards and could help local businesses, officials said. David Wulfson, president of Vermont Railway, said that workers recently finished repairing the tracks leading to the Hoosick gateway, and trains can now be diverted that way. The freight trains can still connect with the Pan Am lines in Bellows Falls, but sending some traffic through Hoosick will increase speed overall. "Some of the yards in different locations were getting congested and this just cuts down on handling and switching time," Wulfson said. "We decided to start using that gateway again." The trains began going through Hoosick as of last Monday and will be more efficient and save on fuel costs, according to Wulfson. May 6, 2008 BNSF grade crossing safety results continue to improve For the past 12 months, BNSF has continued to improve its grade crossing safety results. In fact, BNSF continues to have one of the lowest highway-railroad grade crossing collision rates in the rail industry. For the first quarter of 2008, collisions per million train miles are down to 1.50 collisions per million train miles as compared to 1.76 in March 2007. BNSF is committed to helping local and state law enforcement work with drivers to change unsafe behavior at grade crossings. Some of these programs include: • Operation Lifesaver - safety educational courses targeted for high-risk" populations, including industrial truck drivers, school bus drivers and new drivers • Officer on a Train - law enforcement professionals observe motorists’ and pedestrians’ behavior at railroad crossings, either watching from a locomotive cab or from the ground at the crossing • Roll Call - a law enforcement program that reinforces prior training and the importance of enforcing grade crossing safety laws Across its 32,000-route-mile network, BNSF has more than 26,000 highway-railroad at-grade crossings. "One way to address grade crossing safety is to reduce the number of at-grade crossings," says Lyn Hartley, director of public projects, Engineering. "So far this year, BNSF has worked closely with communities and private land owners to close more than 154 grade crossings. We’re ahead of plan, with a goal of 450 closures by the end of this year." "The most important reason focus on grade crossing safety is to save lives," said Rick Flink, regional manager, Field Safety Support. "Although pedestrian and trespasser casualties were reduced to 29 so far this year from 32 in 2007, we will continue to focus on keeping people off of the right-of-way. Education and enforcement programs have led to the decrease we’ve seen so far, but we need to get these down to the lowest levels possible." May 6, 2008 Synopsys invests in Prover Technology Synopsys, Inc., a leader in software and IP for semiconductor design and manufacturing, has invested in Prover Technology AB, which supplies signaling design automation solutions for engineering the safety critical systems that control trains, switches and signals. The funds will enable Prover to accelerate its research and development efforts and expand its operations in Europe, North America and Asia. A key part of a modern railway engineering process is signaling design automation, which uses formal verification, a safety analysis method based on mathematical proof. Formal verification is strongly recommended by safety standards organizations such as CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization), and several leading operators demand it from their suppliers. The reason: formal verification increases safety and quality, and provides more efficient processes for otherwise costly and time- consuming safety testing. It has proven to be a valuable solution for the operator of the Paris metro, which has one of the most complex railway networks in the world. "RATP (Regie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) and Prover have been working closely together since 2004," said Pierre Chartier, safety director for RATP. "The collaboration has been focused on formal verification of interlocking and CBTC (communication-based train control) systems. By using formal techniques, we hope to reduce costs while maintaining the highest possible level of quality. Prover's experience in the field has made them a valuable partner." "The growth of signaling design automation in railway systems plays a critical role in enhancing safety and increasing efficiencies in train throughput and cost reduction," said Randy Tinsley, vice president, Strategy & Corporate Development at Synopsys. "Our investment in Prover allows Synopsys to promote the application of technologies traditionally used for designing integrated circuits in different industries." May 6, 2008 WMATA sets weekend track work at Mt. Vernon Square Metrorail riders in the Washington, D.C., area should add 30 to 45 minutes of travel time into their schedules while riding the Green and Yellow lines during four weekends as Metro conducts a vital track rehabilitation project at the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station. The weekend work will be done starting Friday evenings May 9, 16, 30 and June 6 During these four weekends, Metro will replace the switch at the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended the track be replaced after last year’s derailment of a Green Line train at the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station. May 5, 2008 Union Pacific upgrading lines in Illinois, Kansas Union Pacific is investing $8.1 million this year on track improvements between the east approach to the McArthur Bridge and Fults, Ill. In addition, UP is investing $7.9 million this year on track improvements between Kansas City, Kan., and Topeka, Kan. When the Illinois project is complete, crews will have removed and installed 53,000 ties, spread 34,400 tons of rock ballast and replaced the road surfaces at 114 crossings. Work began May 1 and is scheduled to be completed by mid June. In Kansas, crews are removing and installing 44,700 ties, spreading 38,600 tons of rock ballast and replacing the road surfaces at 111 crossings. Work began May 1 and is scheduled to be completed by mid June. These improvements are part of the $1.6 billion Union Pacific plans to invest in 2008 to maintain track across its more than 32,300-mile system. May 5, 2008 CPR signs contract for ENSCO’s DGRMS ENSCO has won a commercial contract for its patented Deployable Gage Restraint Measurement System from Canadian Pacific Railway. CPR awarded ENSCO the contract based on ENSCO’s patented and proven technology for testing track strength, a technology that locates bad ties and fasteners in the track. ENSCO and Plasser and Theurer of Linz, Austria, jointly developed the unique suspension that makes deployable GRMS possible in a railbound high-speed test car. “Winning this contract shows the value that commercial railroad companies place on using advanced technology to improve safety and their operational efficiency. It also fulfills ENSCO’s goal to commercialize the deployable GRMS technology that was developed for the FRA DOTX 18 self-propelled inspection car,” said Project Manager Jeffrey Bloom. May 5, 2008 LIUNA launches campaign to ‘Build America So America Works LIUNA, which represents the employees of many NRC-member contractors, launched what the union said will be the most intensive and sustained effort ever to redirect the nation’s resources to taking care of America’s basics – its roadways, bridges, dams, railways, schoolhouses and other fundamentals the country depends on every day, but which have fallen into decay, lowering quality of life and weakening our economy. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the basic infrastructure of the United States merits a near-failing grade due to years of neglect. Working people find it harder and harder to get to work or home to their families on time and spend an average of $333 each in wasted gas and auto repairs due to an under-capacity and failing highway system. LIUNA’s effort, under the banner of “Build America So America Works,” will include: • Advertising outreach including print and online ads, as well as bus wraps, mobile billboards and radio and TV ads. The ad effort begins today in metro Washington, D.C., to reach national elected officials and opinion-leaders. It will expand to Denver during the Democratic National Convention and then to other communities in the U.S. Provocative ads will highlight both America’s possibilities and the real-life impact of its shortcomings. • “Make a Call to Build America,” a massive member-to-member voter registration effort. The effort will include several national, union-wide virtual phone-banks with a goal of increasing the union’s number of registered voters by 10 percent before Election Day and helping to inform members about redirecting the nation’s resources to take care of priorities and create good jobs. The first Make a Call to Build America will be May 29. • The launching today of www.LiunaBuildsAmerica.org , a new website that the union will strive to make the most important and comprehensive source of information about building America and the people who build America. • In-depth information for members and others which shows that working people rely most on the basic infrastructure of America, suffer the most from its decay, and will broadly benefit from rebuilding and renewing it. • The launching of The Petition to Build America, with a goal of one million voices telling Congress and the country’s next president to “build America so America works.” Supporters will be able to sign The Petition to Build America on paper, through websites online, by text-messaging and through a toll-free number. •Joining with allies in government and community organizations to strengthen the movement to build America, and using broad news media outreach, including editorial boards and op-eds to put front and center the voices, hopes and aspirations of those who build, and want to build, America. May 5, 2008 CSX regrets failure of Central Florida commuter rail in state legislature CSX Transportation issued the following statement on the failure of the Central Florida commuter rail project in the Florida legislature: “CSX is disappointed that the Legislature has failed to endorse this important investment in Florida's future. This legislative action means that the company's transaction with the state will not go forward this year, and regrettably, it does not appear that commuter rail will be available in Central Florida. CSX is reviewing its timeline for rail infrastructure modifications in Florida and studying other implications of today's activity. “CSX commends the leadership and vision of officials, including Congressman John Mica, Congresswoman Corrine Brown, U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, former Governor Jeb Bush, Governor Charlie Crist, FDOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, state Rep. Dean Cannon and state Sen. Daniel Webster. Since the August 2006 announcement of the agreement in principle with the state, CSX has focused on delivering the economic and environmental benefits promised in this far-reaching restructuring of Florida’s transportation network. Despite this setback, the company, with 1,650 miles of track and 6,500 employees in its headquarters state, looks forward to continued and significant contributions to Florida's progress.” May 5, 2008 FRA awards two grants to Washington State DOT The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded two grants to the Washington State Department of Transportation to improve rail safety and upgrade infrastructure. A $1,485,000-grant for the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division will be used to upgrade four bridges and repair rail, crossties and equipment on several highway/rail grade crossings between Tacoma and Morton. These safety improvements will benefit freight as well as passenger excursion operations to Mt. Rainier National Park. In addition, $360,943 has been granted for the Olympia Infrastructure Enhancement Project to improve safety at the Market Street highway/rail grade crossing adjacent to the Port of Olympia Marine Terminal. The funds will be used for the installation of safety gates and cantilevered warning lights and the replacement of crossties and rail. Washington DOT will provide an additional $90,236 for the Market Street grade crossing improvements. May 5, 2008 Officials hope rail improvements pave way for scenic trains, tourism Work is expected to start this summer on improvements to the railroad tracks between Saratoga Springs and Corinth, N.Y., so that trains can travel a little faster, according to local newspapers. At present, trains using the former Delaware & Hudson tracks through Greenfield to Corinth can only travel 10 miles per hour, said Corinth Supervisor Richard Lucia. Using a $1-million grant from the state Department of Transportation to the town of Corinth, the tracks will be upgraded to a Class II level, which allows for speeds of between 35 and 40 miles per hour, Lucia said. Lucia said those working on a new comprehensive plan for Corinth’s future see great potential for using the rail line for scenic trains and associated tourism in northern Saratoga County, as well as freight train opportunities serving the former International Paper Company mill in Corinth. The mill remains vacant, but talks continue on bringing a plastic plate and container manufacturing plant to the site. Jon “Jack” Kelley, a Saratoga County resident who has helped to coordinate the rail improvements for the past decade, said the new state money will allow contractors to replace railroad ties, upgrade railroad crossings and improve ballast on the tracks running from Saratoga Springs to Corinth. The town of Corinth had to use $1 million of a $2.2-million federal track upgrade grant it received three years ago to fix a major washout on the railroad tracks that happened in 2006 above Daniels Road in the town of Greenfield. Work on this repair was completed last fall. Work is also expected to be done later this spring or early summer at the Atone Mountain Road crossing in northern Corinth so that scenic trains can run from North Creek in Warren County to Corinth this tourism season. A not-for-profit organization called the Kayaderosseras & Hudson Railway Corp. has been created to coordinate railroad work on the tracks between Saratoga and Warren counties, Kelley said. May 5, 2008 Los Angeles Metro narrowing possible subway route choices Plans to build a subway below Westside streets in the Los Angeles area to link the traffic-choked region to Eastside rail lines have been narrowed to four possible routes estimated to cost up to $6.5 billion, local newspapers report. And even with no available funding source, Metro is forging ahead and preparing what it hopes will eventually be an attractive package to federal officials. Metro started with 17 proposals in February and narrowed them to four after nearly 800 residents attended a series of community meetings to voice their preferences. A fifth option of building a busway is also on the table. After the next two weeks of meetings, Metro will further narrow plans for a Westside extension and should present its findings to its board by the fall. The 12-14-mile line would link with existing transit routes to bring commuters underground from downtown to Santa Monica. For San Fernando Valley commuters, a trip from the existing North Hollywood subway station to Century City would take about 28 minutes. One proposal would put a subway almost entirely under Wilshire Boulevard from the Purple Line at Wilshire and Western Avenue to the Pacific Ocean. It would swing around Century City, where thousands of daily passenger boardings could rival Union Station, said Jody Litvak, Metro's regional community-relations manager. Another plan also would pick up from the Purple Line and travel under Wilshire Boulevard. But then it would head north on Fairfax Avenue and west Beverly Drive to serve the Grove, Beverly Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. After leaving the hospital, it would return to Wilshire Boulevard, hit Century City and head to the coast. Two more subway plans include variations of the Wilshire Boulevard routes but also would involve a second train coming from the Red Line at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue and zipping below Santa Monica Boulevard to serve West Hollywood. The lines would converge on Wilshire Boulevard and head to the sea. Although the largest portion of Metro's $3 billion budget—about $1.8 billion—comes from a one-cent sales tax, that money cannot be contributed toward tunneling for any subway because of a 1998 ban that was passed by 70 percent of voters. Even if that prohibition were repealed, money from the sales tax is already committed to other projects on Metro's long-range transit plans through 2030, Litvak said. May 5, 2008 New timetables coming for Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines Spring track work on the Northeast Corridor will require numerous timetable adjustments to Port Jervis and Pascack Valley line schedules. To allow Amtrak forces to replace concrete ties, departure and connection times are changing for Amtrak, NJTransit and for New York State customers on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. May 5, 2008 Sandusky, Ohio, area bridges falling down, falling down The Sandusky County–Seneca County–City of Tiffin Port Authority is considering a plan to remove railroad overpass bridges over Riverside Drive and Water Street in Tiffin, according to local newspapers. Port authority members discussed the need for the bridge removal with Billie Johnson and Tony Simoes of the Northern Ohio and Western. The railroad, part of OmniTRAX, operates about 21 miles of rail in northwest Ohio. The two bridge overpasses are across the Sandusky River from each other and are connected by a bridge span over the river. The bridge span over the river would remain in place. Port Authority Chairman James Supance said removal of the bridge span over the river could be a future project. The bridges to be removed stand side-by-side with railway bridges that serve Norfolk Southern that are in use and would remain in place. Johnson said the total cost for removing the Riverside Drive overpass bridge and the Water Street overpass bridge was estimated to be $102,420. Concrete piers in the middle of the road at the Riverside Drive location would remain. Simoes said concrete periodically falls from the Riverside Drive rail overpass bridge. He said, at the very least, concrete should be chipped out of the bridge to prevent more falling concrete. Simoes was asked to prepare bid specifications for various parts of the project. Port Authority members may move to seek bids after their next meeting, to be held June 26. The Port Authority has removed four other unneeded railway bridge overpasses since taking ownership of the rail line in 1991. The bridge overpasses at Riverside Drive and Water Street are the last two needing removal. The Port authority also approved a plan to complete repairs to the railway at Maple Grove. May 2, 2008 Los Angeles Metrolink receives $9-million state Homeland Security grant California Homeland Security Director Matthew Bettenhausen handed over a $9-million dollar check to Metrolink at the Glendale Metrolink Station for the purpose of enhancing safety and security. The funds came from voter-approved Prop 1B, a measure that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger strongly advocated to improve infrastructure, security and public safety. “Four different security projects are now online at Metrolink as a result of this grant,” stated Metrolink Board Member and Glendale City Councilmember, Ara Najarian. “We thank the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security for recognizing the essential role that rail plays in our region and for helping us to safeguard this incredible asset for future generations of Californians.” Under the 2007/2008 current year budget, Proposition 1B allocates a total of $15 million dollars to the four intrastat rail systems in California, including: • Caltrans Div. San Joaquin Corridor, $2,263,930. • Caltrans Pacific Surfliner Corridor, $1,800,000. • Capitol Corridor JPA, $1,900,000. • Metrolink, $9,036,070. Metrolink, Southern California’s regional commuter rail service, is in its 14th year of operating over seven routes through a six-county, 512-route-mile network. May 2, 2008 CSX National Gateway to improve flow of freight CSX Corporation today launched the National Gateway, a $700-million public-private infrastructure initiative to create a highly efficient freight transportation link between the Mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest. When completed, the National Gateway would provide greater capacity for product shipments in and out of the Midwest, reduce truck traffic on already crowded highways and create thousands of jobs that directly or indirectly support the National Gateway. CSX has already committed $300 million to the National Gateway, and will work with several states and the federal government to secure additional funding. The National Gateway incorporates two primary parts. First, CSX would build or expand several high-capacity intermodal terminals. At the same time, CSX would work together with state and federal government agencies to create double-stack clearances beneath public overpasses along the railroad. Currently many overpasses only accommodate single-stack trains. The National Gateway was launched at the offices of Pacer International, a CSX customer, in Dublin, Ohio, with Governor Ted Strickland. The governor has pledged to work with state and federal officials to support the initiative, which calls for two new intermodal terminals in Wood County and Columbus at a cost of $130 million to CSX. The terminals will ultimately spur the development of related businesses and thousands of jobs to support them. The National Gateway will enhance three existing rail corridors that run through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Those corridors include: --The I-70/I-76 Corridor between Washington, D.C. and northwest Ohio via Pittsburgh; --The I-95 Corridor between North Carolina and Baltimore via Washington, D.C.; and --The Carolina Corridor between Wilmington and Charlotte, North Carolina. May 1, 2008 FTA approves Metrorail extension to Dulles, but hurdles lie ahead On April 30, the Federal Transit Administration announced that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has substantially improved its proposal to extend Metrorail in response to technical, financial and institutional concerns raised by the Department of Transportation in January. “Consequently, we have sent the required 10-day notification to Congress that we intend to move the project into the Final Design stage of FTA’s New Starts Process,” said Federal Transit Administrator James S. Simpson. “FTA will commit $158.7 million to use toward completion of a financial plan, construction plans, detailed engineering specifications and cost estimates and other technical requirements. “However, there are still hurdles facing this project and we will not commit any federal funds for construction until a number of outstanding issues are resolved,” Simpson said. “These issues include MWAA’s ability to ensure that sufficient funds are available to cover risks; demonstrate that the project can proceed on schedule and on budget; and properly oversee the single largest design-build contract in the history of the New Starts program. In addition, we must be assured that state-of-good-repair needs for the entire Metro system will be addressed. “Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and I have been personally involved in the discussions leading up to this decision, and we appreciate the cooperation and commitment of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, MWAA and WMATA to assure FTA and the public that this project can be responsibly managed and meet statutorily-required thresholds for cost, risk and other factors under the New Starts process,” Simpson added. “It is our hope that the project will continue down this path toward success and deliver a vital and new rail capacity for the region.” May 1, 2008 Legislation would limit rail industry's ability to invest and expand Legislation passed by the House Judiciary Committee April 30 would create a dual regulatory system for our nation's rail industry and retroactively undo agreements, decisions, and rulings currently in effect, according to the Association of American Railroads. The committee approved a bill by Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., that would eliminate limited antitrust exemptions for collective ratemaking agreements among freight railroads. A similar bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., is being considered. “This legislation will severely hamper the ability of the nation's railroad industry to expand, and to deliver the goods and products our economy depends on,” said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the AAR. “It will force more freight off the railroad and onto the highway, dramatically increasing pollution and traffic congestion.” The legislation's retroactive nature would create tremendous economic uncertainty for the industry, causing the railroads to curtail robust expansion plans currently underway, AAR pointed out. This would result in tighter rail capacity and shift more freight to our nation's already overcrowded highways. In addition, provisions that allow dual and potentially conflicting regulatory oversight could cause a “domino effect” of operational problems for freight and commuter railroads across the country, AAR noted. The Transportation Communications International Union, which represents approximately 46,000 railroad workers, said the legislation calls for “dual and possibly conflicting oversight of the railroads by the STB and the courts. “This could cause unwanted problems for the employees of the railroads including the members the TCU represents,” wrote the union in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers. May 1, 2008 Houston METRO selects new partner for METRO Solutions Phase 2 Project In its timeline for the METRO Solutions Phase 2 build out, METRO included “off ramps” that would allow it flexibility to negotiate fair prices for each stage of engineering, construction, and operations, while adhering to the project's schedule. METRO has reached a ramp, reassessed its options and decided not to proceed with its current partner, Washington Group International. METRO has now engaged Parsons Transportation Group to advance the program. The decision is neither a setback nor a surprise to METRO, said METRO's President & CEO Frank Wilson. “All the development work done by WGI remains METRO's product and we're maintaining the current schedule,” Wilson said. "As planned, we're going to begin construction on the East End line in June.” Wilson said he has directed WGI to keep all current subcontractors in place. Wilson added that METRO's decision not to proceed with WGI was based on a number of factors, including its failure to deliver an acceptable and reasonable price for the next phase of construction and its failure to deliver on promises made in its original proposal. Parsons was one of the three initial pre-qualified bidders for the first phase of the METRO Solutions development work and has a resume of transportation work that includes light-rail projects across the country. May 1, 2008 New Des Plaines, Ill., station platform will ease automobile traffic Metra and Union Pacific plan to start a project next week to rebuild part of the Des Plaines, Ill., station platform and add about 600 feet of new platform, according to local newspapers. When work is completed by late summer, trains will stop at a different point, so road traffic should move better along Pearson Street and Graceland Avenue. This round of work will extend a new center platform west of Lee Street to Graceland. Outbound trains from Chicago will stop west of Pearson so Pearson traffic can move. Likewise, inbound trains headed to Chicago will keep Graceland clear to keep traffic moving, explained Tim Oakley, Des Plaines engineering director. Union Pacific is handling the construction, while Metra will pay for it. There will be a few headaches once work begins. At times, Graceland and Lee will have to be closed to traffic to allow for work to shift the railroad tracks. The existing southern tracks will be moved 10 feet south to allow for new platform construction. May 1, 2008 Proposed commuter rail route would connect Chicago, Rockford, Ill. Members of the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative want to restore Stateline rail by connecting Rockford to the Metra Elgin/Big Timber station, with stops in Huntley, Marengo and Belvidere, local media report. That doesn't include the Rockford Airport. "If we make the commitment to go forward how we might be able to partner with other folks between here and Chicago to support not only Winnebago and Boone but McHenry and other counties that might be able to support our efforts," says Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey. The plan is very similar to the Amtrak proposal approved a few months ago. That train would go from Chicago to Rockford, Galena and Dubuque. Money is the biggest issue, since the predicted ridership is not enough for the federal government to chip in. Some think freight would generate revenue, others are counting on a long-awaited Capitol Plan to prevent asking taxpayers to foot the bill. If a capitol plan is approved, rail construction wouldn't be complete for at least five-to-seven years. Members of NICTI will be meeting with state and federal representatives to discuss other funding opportunities. News managed by NewsPro. For older news visit the Breaking News Archive More Rail Industry News at Railway Age Magazine and International Railway Journal
	Editors | Advertising | Subscribe | Links | Classifieds Visit these Simmons Boardman Rail Group Publication Web Sites Railway Age Magazine | International Railway Journal | Simmons-Boardman Books Copyright © 2000. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp.