Late Breaking Rail Industry News July 2, 2009 UP investing $28 Million in Denver-to-Salt Lake City Line Trains will operate more efficiently as a result of more than $28 million in track improvements made by Union Pacific to its line between Gore, Colo., and Bond, Colo. When the project is complete, crews will have removed and installed nearly 80,000 concrete ties and about 24 miles of rail, spread 77,800 tons of rock ballast and replaced four switches. The project began July 1 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of September. Crews will complete this track improvement project using Union Pacific's modern track renewal train, the TRT 909. The TRT 909 from Harsco Track Technologies will install rail and concrete ties in one pass, and can install up to 5,000 ties in a 12-hour day. About 30 cars – each carrying 210 concrete ties – are part of the TRT. Three sets of gantry cranes move the concrete ties forward for the TRT to drop into place and the machine then threads the new rail onto the ties. The old wooden ties are picked up and the discarded rail threaded out as the machine works its way down the track. A conveyor moves the removed ties into position for the gantry cranes to load them onto the cars for movement to a facility for sorting. The TRT 909 can install concrete, composite or wooden ties. Union Pacific invested nearly $43 million for capital projects in Colorado in 2008. July 2, 2009 Agency plans funds for Orlando’s SunRail SunRail supporters are heralding a $40 million promise from the federal government as an indication that the controversial Orlando, Fla., commuter rail line will be built, the Lakeland Ledger reports. But opponents say the money is no guarantee future funding hopes will be met. "I think this is just a way of trying to breathe life back into this," said Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, who has led the opposition to the plan and successfully thwarted legislative approval the past two years. In a letter sent Monday to U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, the administrator of the Federal Transit Administration said the agency "continues to be supportive of the project and has demonstrated that support by recommending it for $40 million in funding in the Administration's Fiscal Year 2010 budget request." The administrator, Peter M. Rogoff, said the state Legislature's failure to approve a legal liability agreement with freight giant CSX Transportation does not dim the agency's "hope that the Florida (congressional) delegation, working with the state Legislature, can get this project back on track." CSX, which would sell a 61.5-mile line to the state for the proposed SunRail commuter system between DeLand and Poinciana, has demanded that it not be held liable for any accidents on the line involving commuter trains even if the company were at fault. Lawmakers have not supported that demand, saying the state should not be on the hook if CSXT negligence kills people in an accident. Fred Leonhardt, one of the chief lobbyists for the SunRail effort, said Wednesday that the $40 million is a "significant" sign that the federal government is behind the plan. "This is going to get built," he said. "We're going to get this deal done." But Dockery has letters from the FTA earlier this year saying there was no guarantee that federal funding, estimated to be $300 million or more for the entire deal, would be appropriated. She said the competition for the so-called "New Starts" funding from the FTA is fierce among all of the states and that the SunRail project is down the list of priorities for the agency. "I don't think this letter is good news" for supporters, she said. "I think they asked (the agency) to put something in writing to make it look like there's some money coming this way." Rogoff met with Mica, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and other SunRail supporters last week. For each of the past two years, supporters of the commuter rail line have threatened that failure to pass the liability promise for CSXT would result in a loss of federal funds. Those threats seem empty given the FTA letter and renewed optimism from supporters. But the SunRail effort has clearly picked up momentum in recent days with CSXT's extending a deadline to negotiate the sale and promises of revisiting the details of the liability clause that has doomed the deal for two years. Dockery said that until SunRail supporters sit down with those concerned about the hundreds of millions in taxpayer money for the project as well as increased freight traffic in Lakeland, Ocala and other cities, the plan would not be approved by the Legislature. "I hope they make a good faith effort" to find support for a ‘win-win’ deal, Dockery said. "If all they're trying to do is use different words to push through the same project, I think it will meet the same fate." July 2, 2009 Iowa shortline railroad back from the brink Dan Sabin stands atop a levee next to the Cedar River and recalls the dark days a year ago when it looked like his Iowa Northern Railway was losing a fight for its very existence against a ferocious flood, the Journal of Commerce reports. The flood, he said, “just cut the railroad in half.” The river runs lower today, perhaps 30 feet below the walkway on the flood control earthwork. But in June 2008, days of rain pummeled the state, pushing the waters to rise quickly and causing more damage than the Great Midwest Flood of 1993. The river’s waters lapped at and sometimes over the top of the Waterloo dike and put a critical section of the INR’s 163 track miles under water. The swift current cut into a bridge support pier near the middle of the Cedar River, and then tore away a large section of the Union Pacific Railroad bridge that INR depends on. That severed the short line railroad at that point, adding millions of dollars in extra repairs besides the costs it already faced to fix miles of washed-out tracks. Before those storms struck, Iowa Northern was growing fast, he said, with hauls of corn, ethanol, distillers dried grain, farm machinery, and a boom in wind turbine parts. When the floodwaters rose, he warned others, “Losing the Waterloo bridge would be the worst that could happen” to Iowa Northern. The worst happened, and there was a risk the INR might not survive. The railroad has survived, but its recovery from the damage a year ago remains a striking example of the exposure key transportation networks face in the U.S. Midwest, where heavy rains and storms have exacted a heavy toll on the tracks that carry much of the country’s goods across the heartland. It’s also an example of the major funding questions, states, the federal government and railroads face as the rail carriers look at adding track capacity across the middle of the continent even as the existing track demands millions and even billions of dollars in repairs and maintenance. The Union Pacific bridge was still cut in two as Iowa observed the June 15 anniversary of the flood this year. But the city recently approved an agreement to reopen the bridge and rail line through a flood control gate, while new federal and state funding means the long-delayed bridge repairs can get under way. Within months, the lost span will be replaced, Iowa Northern’s rail map will be stitched back together, and its trains can end their long detours that have weighed heavily in extra costs or lost revenue. Numerous railroads, including most of the majors and a host of small carriers, suffered in the June 2008 storms across the Great Plains. Barging and trucks’ use of highways was also disrupted. But the worst of it, by far, was in Iowa. Iowa’s Department of Transportation said the state’s rail infrastructure was “decimated.” IDOT listed 17 rail bridges wiped out or heavily damaged, the most costly type of repair for short lines. Many other facilities in Iowa were also destroyed, including roads and highway bridges. Cedar Rapids, about 50 miles below Waterloo, flooded heavily, and Coralville and Iowa City, another 30 miles downriver, saw many parts of town go under water. A year later, some of their buildings are still unusable; the University of Iowa in Iowa City tallied nearly $750 million in damages just for its facilities. The UP and BNSF deployed work crews to knit their systems back together in the flood zone, while detouring cross-country trains around the area. Some later report weakened earnings for the quarter because of extra costs they suddenly had to absorb. Short lines, however, thrive on local business and can’t simply route their trains around damaged tracks. The small carrier known as CRANDIC (Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad) had an entire bridge torn out at Cedar Rapids, despite rock-laden railcars stationed on its track to help stabilize the structure. Some CRANDIC power plant customers did not return to service for months, cutting deeply into that carrier’s coal revenue. Iowa Northern saw its once-strong corn loadings shrink by two-thirds; its long detours pushed up freight rates on corn to some ethanol plants, and trucks outbid the trains. IDOT estimated Iowa short line damages at perhaps $20 million, and put up $4 million in no-interest loans for their track and signal repairs. Congress last September approved $20 million in grants to short lines caught by 2008 weather emergencies. It took the Federal Railroad Administration until May 27 to release $15 million of that across several states. Iowa lines took the largest share. CRANDIC is receiving more than $6.9 million for work on the Cedar Rapids bridge, which was already under way. The new bridge may open at the end of this month. Iowa Northern gets nearly $2.2 million from the FRA grants. Sabin said that, plus another $1 million just awarded by the state, will cover INR’s portion of the $6.5 million bridge repair, while UP pays the rest. July 2, 2009 Reno County, Kan., bridge's fate remains up in the air Either replace it or close it, was Reno County Public Works Director Dave McComb's recommendation for a bridge east of K-61 on East 43rd Avenue, according to The Hutchinson News. The county temporarily closed the bridge "due to large holes in the deck" that required patching, McComb pointed out to the Reno County Commission. The bridge reopened, but its long-term fate remains undecided. Commissioners are expected to discuss the bridge and its future later this month. The old wooden bridge was built by the railroad and carries traffic over BNSF tracks. The bridge became a county bridge more than 20 years ago. Today, the wooden stringers are rotting; the corrugated metal under the asphalt is rusting; and asphalt is falling through the deck. Because the bridge crosses railroad right-of-way, the county must have an agreement with the railroad if the bridge is replaced. That opens the door for the railroad to influence the design of a future bridge, and a potentially higher, longer bridge could cost almost $2 million. The bridge could be almost impossible to replace, both physically and fiscally, according to McComb. Even removing the bridge will be very expensive, McComb noted. Just the insurance premium for a contractor to take the bridge down could be $30,000, he said. County Commissioner Brad Dillon wants a game plan that prioritizes bridge replacement projects before any bridge improvements are authorized. McComb will look at other counties' prioritization systems before developing one for Reno County. In other county matters this week, commissioners signed an agreement to allow the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad to install safety upgrades at the crossing on Haven Road, between K-96 and Arlington Road. July 2, 2009 TriMet has reopened about two miles of the I-205 Multi-Use Path The section between SE Caruthers St and SE Harold St adjacent to the MAX Green Line was opened June 30, now that light rail construction through the area is complete and the path has been reconstructed and repaved. The portion of the path between Harold and Clackamas Town Center is under construction using stimulus funds to add lighting to the path. The goal is to have that section opened to coincide with the September 12 MAX Green Line opening. The path further south to Gladstone that will also use stimulus funds to add lighting, will begin construction later this summer. July 2, 2009 DPW to repair train tracks It looks like Warren County, N.Y., is getting into the railroad repair business, at least temporarily, the Post Star reports. County officials decided to authorize the county Department of Public Works to repair a section of Upper Hudson River Railroad track that was washed out when a beaver dam burst near the hamlet of Riparius. County officials initially believed it would cost $60,000 to $90,000 to fix the washout. But in light of serious budgetary problems, some supervisors had questioned whether to spend the money for the seldom-used tourist railway. But Warren County Public Works Superintendent William Lamy told members of the Board of Supervisors’ public works committee that his staff determined they could make the repairs themselves using county equipment. He said further analysis found the initial cost estimate was "excessive." Public works employees should be able to recover much of the track bed that washed out, he said. They’ve already rerouted the stream through the culvert, according to Lamy. Grant money the county has gotten for the railroad project could fund their efforts, Lamy said. Lamy also warned the supervisors that the railroad track between Hadley and North Creek has 12 bridges, and a beaver dam that was potentially threatening one of the culverts was recently spotted and addressed. "I’m going to make a prediction now that this isn’t our last washout," Lamy said. County officials will have to do a better job monitoring the track to head off these types of problems, he said. July 1, 2009 Central California Traction, Farmrail choose e-RAILSAFE Shortline Central California Traction Co. and Oklahoma-based Farmrail System Inc. are the latest railroads to join e-VERIFILE. COM's new service, e-RAILSAFE Shortline (ERS-Shortline). CCT and Farmrail System Inc. are the sixth and seventh railroads to join the web-based service, which facilitates railroad workforce, contractor and safety/security management. Based in Stockton California, CCT is expected to utilize ERS- Shortline for its operations, which extend from Port of Stockton to Lodi, Calif. The shortline railroad is jointly owned by Union Pacific and BNSF, which are both longstanding participants of the successful Class 1 railroad service, e-RAILSAFE. Headquartered in Clinton, Okla., Farmrail System Inc. will use ERS-Shortline across its service area located in Western Oklahoma. Farmrail System, Inc. is a holding company for Farmrail Corp and Grainbelt Corp. Employees and contractors that are required to participate by these railroad employers subscribe to ERS-Short Line, enroll in the appropriate program and complete the required tasks to determine their eligibility to access key worksites and facilities. The railroads and their contractors can manage the entire process from one web-based platform. No additional software or equipment is required and the system can be securely accessed from any PC anywhere at any time. July 1, 2009 UP invests nearly $12 million in Big Springs-Potter, Neb., line Union Pacific is investing nearly $12 million in track improvements to its Big Springs-to-Potter, Neb., line. When the project is complete, crews will have removed and installed more than 90,000 ties, spread nearly 29,000 tons of rock ballast and renewed road surfaces at 50 crossings. Work began on the project June 24 and is scheduled to be completed by mid August. Union Pacific invested more than $254 million for capital projects in Nebraska in 2008. July 1, 2009 Cleveland RTA Board awards several contracts At its June 30 meeting, the Cleveland Regional Transit Authority awarded several contracts: Awarded a contract to Bialosky + Partners Architects LLC of Cleveland for $1.2-million to design a new Brookpark Rapid Station. More than 1,400 riders board there each day. About 20.6 percent of the work, or $247,000, will be shared by six DBE firms. The station opened April 20, 1969. The design of the new facility will include replacement or reutilization of the present buildings, the drop-off area (also known as “kiss-and-ride”), bus loop tunnel, platform and a 1,000-car parking lot, plus improved landscaping along Brookpark Road. The project will use federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The 12-acre site is located on the border of Cleveland and Brook Park. The design is expected to be completed next summer. 2009-45: Authorized a $1.12-million contract with transportation planning consultant PB Americas Inc. to perform an alternative analysis/environmental study for the Blue Line Corridor in Shaker Heights, especially the Warrensville Center Road-Van Aken Boulevard intersection and the end of the Blue Line. The study must be completed before work can receive federal New Starts funding. Part of the contract will use federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. About 19.1 percent of the work, or $213,431, will be shared by three DBE firms. 2009-48: Awarded an $8.54-million contract with the Albert M. Higley Co. of Cleveland to build a new, relocated Rapid Transit station at East 55th Street. This award is 18.5 percent lower than the original RTA estimate. The current station, built in 1956, serves both light rail and heavy rail at 2890 East 55th Street. The project includes building a new station at a new site east of the present station. The station building will contain about 2,700 square feet, with a new canopy, stairs and elevator at track level, and an enclosed pedestrian bridge. It will be ADA-compliant, and the platform will be 863-feet long. The project will use federal stimulus funds. About 20 percent of the work, or $1.9 million, will be shared by eight DBE firms. 2009-53: Purchased six parcels of land (6.7 acres) on the east side of Columbia Road at First Street in Westlake for $1.9 million, to expand the Westlake Park-N-Ride, 24800 Sperry Road. The expansion is needed to meet the increased demand for transit during the Innerbelt reconstruction project, and it will add 200 spaces to the current lot of 550 spaces. Part of the purchase will use federal stimulus funds. July 1, 2009 Work begins on Denton County's A-train commuter line Workers began unloading 20-ton lengths of steel track in Lewisville and Lake Dallas along the route of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad in Texas, The Dallas Morning News reports. The 1,600-foot lengths of steel will form the backbone for the new 21-mile railway that is expected to be completed by December 2010. "This is the first evidence that real progress is taking place," said Dee Leggett, a spokeswoman for the Denton County Transportation Authority, which is managing the project. "We've been talking about this for so long." The commuter line will stretch from Denton to Carrollton, where passengers can transfer to DART's Green Line and travel to Dallas. The Denton-to-Dallas commute will take about 70 minutes. Once the quarter-mile lengths of track are unloaded, workers will begin laying the rails in Denton and Carrollton. "The goal is to meet in the middle over Lewisville Lake," said Kimberly Durnan, public information manager for the North Texas Rail Group, which is constructing the $314-million transit project. The A-train project is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2010 to coincide with the opening of the northern terminus of the Green Line in Carrollton. While some have felt that Denton County isn't ready for a commuter rail service, transportation authority officials believe that the A-train will draw 4,000 to 5,000 passengers a day when it opens, Leggett said. And she expects those numbers to grow with Denton County's increasing population. Cities along the line hope the A-train will be an engine for economic development. Lewisville will have three rail stations, including one east of its historic Old Town area where officials have just broken ground on a $10-million arts center. Denton will have two stations. Two new apartment projects are in the works in downtown Carrollton, which expects to be the hub for three rail lines, and DART's Trinity Mills transfer station will support A-train railway passengers. Unlike DART's light-rail transit system, the A-train will be commuter rail, with stations spaced farther apart and passengers traveling aboard diesel-powered vehicles instead of electric train cars. The massive tracks that are being unloaded this week will replace the shorter segments along the old freight line that don't meet current standards for passenger lines, Durnan said. Old wooden railroad ties will be replaced with concrete supports. The new tracks will be welded together to provide a smoother, quieter ride for commuters and less noise for residents who live along the train's path, Durnan said. And, she added, "quiet zones" will be established along the entire A-train corridor. July 1, 2009 SEPTA to begin rehab of R5 bridges In Montgomery County On June 29, Philadelphia's SEPTA began work on two of the Lansdale (R5) Regional Rail line bridges. The 1930’s era bridge adjacent to North Hills Station over North Hills Avenue has begun to deteriorate over the years and crews will repair bridge fascia and concrete in addition to installing new waterproofing and other elements on the structure. Residents and riders will also see work begin on the SEPTA bridge over Valley Road near Melrose Park Station. This bridge will have extensive joint repair performed along with new waterproofing installed to improve the durability of the structure. Upcoming bridge rehabilitation projects are also slated for the Lansdale (R5) Regional Rail line near Penllyn and Gwynedd stations later this summer. These projects are funded by a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and are among 32 SEPTA projects that will improve transportation in the area while stimulating the economy by creating local jobs. July 1, 2009 Funding sought for Alabama rail relocation Metropolitan Planning Organization members believe they have found a means of funding the relocation of 7.1 miles of Norfolk Southern tracks that now pass through Sheffield and Muscle Shoals, Ala., according to local newspapers. David Willingham, with the engineering firm of Barge, Wagner, Sumner and Cannon, gave MPO members a brief overview of the Tiger Discretionary Grant program, a U.S. Department of Transportation economic development program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program is providing $1.5 billion for highway and bridge projects. The projects will range from $20 million to $300 million and not require local matching funds, Willingham said. The estimate placed on the railroad relocation project is $80 million. Norfolk Southern has told MPO members that the railroad would provide up to $1.8 million to help with the purchase of right-of-way, Sheffield City Councilman Steve Stanley said. A rail line would remain in Sheffield and Muscle Shoals for local customers, but the main line would turn south near the Vulcan Materials rock quarry off U.S. 72, turn back to the east and proceed through what is mostly farmland south of U.S. 72. The tracks would again turn south just west of U.S. 43 and connect to the main line to the east of U.S. 43. The MPO voted to ask the Alabama Department of Transportation to place the railroad track relocation project back on the state's Transportation Improvement Plan. The board also voted to provide up to $25,000 to allow Willingham to prepare the application, which must be completed by Sept. 15. Grants would be awarded no later than Feb. 17, 2010. The application must include a cost-benefit analysis and a complete project schedule. Historical and environmental impact studies must be updated and certified through a sponsoring agency. Willingham said historical and environmental studies have been completed and found no significant impact. The railroad track relocation project dates back to the early 1990s. Tuscumbia Mayor Bill Shoemaker said the possibility of a derailment that involved a punctured railcar containing a chemical such as chlorine could prove disastrous if it took place near a populated area. Shoals Hospital in Muscle Shoals is only several hundred feet from the tracks as is Northwest-Shoals Community College. Helen Keller Hospital is about a mile from the tracks. Several residential neighborhoods lie near the tracks. "How do we get those people out of these hospitals when that happens?" Shoemaker asked. Willingham said the relocation would move 7.1 miles of track away from population centers and would reduce the number of trains that pass through from 16-18 per day to two or three per day. It would eliminate half of the railroad crossings in the population centers and reduce the amount of time motorists and commercial vehicles wait at railroad crossings. The MPO agreed to provide $20,000 of the application cost, but the remaining $5,000 must be provided by local governments. July 1, 2009 Union Pacific finalizes land transfer to Denver RTD Union Pacific Corporation closed a $118-million transfer of land to the Regional Transportation District in Colorado. The agreement with the RTD involves Union Pacific's entire Boulder Industrial Lead, from Brighton Boulevard in Commerce City to Boulder, a distance of approximately 33 miles. Union Pacific has reserved a rail easement to continue serving its freight customers on the first eight miles of the lead. Freight operations will move to specified time windows once RTD begins construction. July 1, 2009 Northwestern Pacific operating work trains between Petaluma, Windsor North Coast Railroad Authority Chairman Allan Hemphill said that, for the first time in more than 10 years, a locomotive has rolled on the Northwestern Pacific rail line from Petaluma to Windsor in California, according to local media. A locomotive pulling flat cars loaded with new railroad ties began distributing the ties along the line, which parallels U.S. Highway 101 in Sonoma and Marin Counties, as part of the $39-million state-funded project to repair 62 miles of the historic railroad from the interchange with the Union Pacific south of Napa (Lombard) to Windsor. The Federal Railroad Administration stopped freight service on the NWP line in November 1998 for safety reasons. In 2006, the NCRA began making repairs with funds allocated by the California Transportation Commission to address the FRA concerns. Work was delayed for almost all of 2008 while NCRA battled a lawsuit filed by the City of Novato, which was settled last November. Since that time, NCRA has completed more than 90 percent of the repairs to the signals and bridges and will be finished with the trackwork by the end of July, according to Hemphill. Hemphill said the projected October start-up date will be delayed 2-3 months to address permit requirements for three bridges that require work in the water. “All of the bridge work and FRA certification of all of the required repairs will be complete by the end of the year, and you will see freight trains in operation between Lombard and Windsor by early next year,” he said. Hemphill, a resident of Cloverdale said that “NCRA freight service will be the warm-up act for SMART.” “We will acclimate North Coast residents to the rebirth of trains in this rail corridor and set the stage for SMART commuter service,” he said. NCRA will also certify its Russian River Division Environmental Impact Report, which evaluates the impacts and benefits of freight trains between Willits and Lombard, prior to service start-up. Hemphill said that the NCRA anticipates adoption of the EIR by the end of the year. June 30, 2009 TKDA wins design services contract for Amtrak Seattle facility TKDA was recently selected to provide Amtrak design services for the new Cascades maintenance building, warehouse, and administrative and health/welfare building at the King Street coach yard in Seattle, Wash. TKDA will work closely with Amtrak, the city of Seattle and the states of Washington and Oregon to execute this important project. The King Street Yard is used to service Amtrak’s long-distance Empire Builder passenger trains and Sound Transit commuter trains. Before Amtrak, the Empire Builder was once operated by the Great Northern Railway, a privately-funded transcontinental railroad that TKDA’s founders helped to construct more than 100 years ago. June 30, 2009 NYC Planning Commission approves tunnel land use application The New York City Planning Commission today approved, as part of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, the project’s special permit application to advance the $8.7-billion ARC Mass Transit Tunnel, which includes an expansion of Penn Station under 34th Street and other project facilities. The project is expected to support 6,000 construction jobs annually. The Port Authority and NJ Transit voluntarily submitted the ARC Mass Transit Tunnel to the land use process as part of an effort to encourage community and public participation in the project. The successful city planning commission vote was the result of a focused effort to work collectively with the Borough President, community boards and other stakeholders on the project design. The application now goes to the City Council for final review. The approval will move the project closer to beginning construction in New York City to build the new tunnel infrastructure. The Port Authority is partnering with NJ Transit on the ARC Mass Transit Tunnel project and has committed $3 billion towards the total project cost. Earlier this month, the Port Authority and NJ Transit broke ground for the project in New Jersey. The project will double trans-Hudson River rail capacity by adding two new single-track tunnels - supplementing the existing two tracks that opened for service in 1910 and now are at capacity - as well as expand New York Penn Station with a new facility designed to meet ridership growth into the future. June 30, 2009 Amtrak Lancaster, Pa., train station renovation begins Amtrak Keystone Corridor passengers who use the Lancaster, Pa., train station will find it much improved and more accessible and comfortable as a result of a major $12-million renovation project now getting under way. Representatives from the City of Lancaster, Lancaster County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Amtrak celebrated the start of the 18-month state and county-led project that has been in development for the past 10 years. The Lancaster station is served by Amtrak’s state-supported Keystone (Harrisburg-Philadelphia-New York) and Pennsylvanian (Pittsburgh-Harrisburg-Philadelphia-New York) routes. The project includes: a complete rehabilitation of the station's interior and exterior; a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; new restrooms; improved landscaping; and increased parking capacity (from 175 parking spaces to 237). A new taxi loading and unloading area will be provided as will a new waiting and ticketing area for the Trailways Bus Company. The station also will have retail space and meeting rooms. "Pennsylvania continues to be a leader in recognizing the benefits of rail and in providing its citizens with the stations and services that allow rail to be a viable transportation option," said Joe McHugh, Amtrak's vice president of government affairs and corporate communications, noting that last fiscal year over 484,000 passengers arrived or departed from the Lancaster station, ranking it 22nd busiest out of the 525 stations served by Amtrak. Funding for the renovation of the station, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1929, was secured from county, state and federal sources — $9.6 million in federal funds, $2 million in state funds, and $400,000 in county funds. During the 18-month construction period, the station will remain open and the impact on Amtrak and Trailways bus passengers who use the station daily should be minimal. The number of available parking spaces during construction will not change. However, part of the renovation calls for the creation of a taxi lane in front of the station, which will eliminate parking there. June 30, 2009 UP invests more than $12 million for track improvements in Oregon Union Pacific is spending $5.9 million on track improvements to the line between Portland, Ore., and Oregon City. When the project is complete, crews will have removed and installed more than 38,000 ties and renewed the road surfaces at 59 crossings. Work began on the project June 1 and was completed on June 16. Union Pacific invested more than $127.5 million for capital projects in Oregon in 2008. During 2009, Union Pacific plans to invest approximately $1.7 billion in strengthening the track infrastructure across its more than 32,000-mile system. June 30, 2009 Advocates propose for 220-mph Chicago-St. Louis line The Midwest High Speed Rail Association and local leaders proposed a $12-billion, 220-mph high-speed rail line that would cut the trip between Chicago and St. Louis to just over two hours. The ultra-fast electric-powered service would also serve Kankakee, Champaign-Urbana, Decatur and Springfield, and would complement new 110-mph lines already proposed for other parts of Illinois and the Midwest. The Association is asking the State of Illinois to seek $10 million in Recovery Act funds to conduct a detailed alternatives analysis and environmental study for the Chicago-St. Louis route, which would pave the way for a formal request of funding through Congress. “Ultra-fast trains are green, efficient transportation that brings people closer, stimulates the economy and creates jobs,” said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. “It's the right investment at a time when we look to curb our emissions and our dependence on oil, while helping jump-start growth.” Any planning and construction funds should be allocated in addition to – and not instead of – monies already planned for improvements to 110 miles per hour along several corridors around the country, said MHSRA officials. The proposal is based on a study commissioned by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association and conducted by transportation planning experts TranSystems. It concluded that the best route for achieving 220 miles-per-hour speeds with existing rights-of-way was to link St. Louis and Chicago via Decatur, Champaign-Urbana and Springfield. While the line through Champaign is considered the most feasible and cost-effective for 220-miles-per-hour service in Illinois, the Association also urged the state and federal officials to consider studying bringing the technology to other Illinois corridors, including the Chicago-Springfield line that goes through Bloomington-Normal, which is already being considered for upgrades to 110 miles per hour. The 220-miles-per-hour service proposed would bring Champaign within 50 minutes of Chicago and 1 hour 14 minutes of St. Louis, and Decatur about one hour from either city. Springfield would be 1 hour 23 minutes from Chicago and only 41 minutes from St. Louis. Those times make every leg of the route competitive with not only driving but also flying, once flight times and airport waits. The current Amtrak line along that same right-of-way is limited to 79 miles an hour, but the terrain and trajectories allow for much higher speeds with newer proven technology used successfully in Europe and Asia. U.S. Department of Transportation figures show high speed rail consumes nearly 10 times less fuel than cars and six times less than planes. Based on projects elsewhere in the country, it is estimated the project would create up to 60,000 construction-related jobs and 170,000 permanent jobs. Building the new trains in the U.S. could also help reinvigorate the manufacturing sector; Alstom, the largest high speed train manufacturer in Europe, employs more people than plane giant Airbus. High-speed rail advocates offered the study as evidence that faster speeds are achievable and economically feasible, and urged the federal government to consider boosting funding beyond current levels, which only support 110-miles-per-hour service. “We absolutely must upgrade major rail lines across Illinois to 110-miles-per-hour to increase reliability and speed,” said Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago), Chairman of the senate transportation committee. “But if we are to make trains a truly viable alternative to planes and automobiles for longer distances, we also need ultra-fast trains capable of going above 200 miles an hour. That is a vital investment in our future to keep our economy competitive.” June 30, 2009 Westmoreland to Pittsburgh rail transit outlook strong, study finds A consultant hired by the Westmoreland County Transit Authority said during a public hearing that train service could potentially start tomorrow between Latrobe and Greensburg to Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Officials during the first of two public sessions presented the results of a $500,000 study that found enough potential riders for rail service on two lines: Latrobe to Pittsburgh and from Arnold to Pittsburgh. Although much of the infrastructure for the Greensburg rail line appears to be in place, more work has to be done to determine a better estimate of potential riders as well as whether the existing rail lines in Pittsburgh, specifically in the Shadyside area, can sustain the dramatic increase in traffic. "We feel there is enough ridership to justify a startup system at this time," said Bill Novak, a consultant with HDR Inc., the company hired by the authority to perform a feasibility study of the proposed rail line. The line would begin in Latrobe and travel through Greensburg, Jeannette, Irwin and Trafford. Trains would travel on tracks owned by Norfolk Southern. The freight company has said it won't commit to allowing commuter service on its rails until it can better determine what effect the additional trains would have on its existing operation, Novak said. Local officials conceded the study of Norfolk Southern's rail capacity, which would include looking at the company's freight service from Ohio to Harrisburg, is essential before advancing the commuter rail project. "That could be a make or break for us," transit authority Executive Director Larry Morris said. He said there is no timetable or costs associated with the Norfolk Southern study or a more comprehensive market review to determine up-to-date rider estimates. The HDR feasibility study determined there could be about 1,500 riders a day initially on the Greensburg line. Overall, the proposed 42-mile railway would use existing train stations in Latrobe and Greensburg and build new platform stations near Second Avenue in downtown Jeannette, at the far end of Main Street in downtown Irwin and along Turtle Creek, near Route 48 in the Trafford area. The proposal also calls for construction of a $13 million maintenance facility in Derry. The 65-minute trip into Pittsburgh could include a stop in Shadyside, near the East Busway station. The line would terminate at Penn Station in downtown Pittsburgh. Overall, the proposed rail lines, including a 19.5-mile portion that would travel tracks owned by Allegheny Valley Railroad along the Allegheny River, is estimated to cost a combined $208 million. Novak said a total of more 5,000 riders could travel the rails each day. But the Arnold-to-Pittsburgh portion of the service would be costlier and take longer to complete. The track, used for freight service, would need to be completely replaced, Novak said. Transit officials said they would post the full feasibility study on the authority's Web site this week. June 30, 2009 Huntley, Ill., board moves forward on Metra station The village board has taken another critical step toward bringing a Metra commuter railway station to Huntley, Ill., The Courier-News reports. As part of a Regional Transit Authority requirement, the board approved and accepted the transit station site selection guidelines study as prepared by The Lakota Group and Civiltech Engineering. Village Manager David Johnson said the village worked on the study for more than a year before deciding the station should be located where the Union Pacific crosses Coyne Station Road, just past the village's northwestern border. Plans for the selected site would include a new station and facilities, new road construction, bicycle and pedestrian access and land preservation. That site was considered more desirable than another one that also was being looked at, along Kreutzer Road on the village's south side. But there is one complication to the chosen location. The Coyne Station Road site adjoins land owned by the McHenry County Wildlife Conservation District. "The preservation district owns 25 feet on either side of the railroad tracks at Coyne Station. That's a partnership we need to make sure we maintain," Johnson said. Two representatives of the preservation district, Dave McGue and Elizabeth Kessler, recently appeared before the village board and echoed support for cooperation on the project. "We are looking forward to working cooperatively with the village of Huntley on this project," McGue said. "There are some very unique plants, endangered and threatened plants, in that area, and we are asking that you consider the guidelines proposed as this process moves forward." Board members approved the guidelines study unanimously. The RTA, meanwhile, has been working toward securing state and federal funding for the project. June 30, 2009 CSXT to improve inspections in N.J. CSX Transportation will step up its inspection program of its old bridges in the Hopewell Valley area in New Jersey and be more proactive about removing loose concrete from the underdecking and facades of those bridges, said Paul Pogorzelski, administrator/engineer of Hopewell Township, local media report. Pogorzelski discussed the CSX bridges at the June 29 Township Committee meeting. About a month ago, the committee sent CSXT a copy of a bluntly worded resolution, passed unanimously by the committee, calling on the railroad company to improve bridge safety. The resolution was passed a few weeks after a portion of Route 654 in the township had to be closed for hours because pieces of concrete from the bridge's underdecking kept falling onto that heavily traveled roadway whenever a train crossed the bridge. Also, within the past few years, a one-cubic-foot piece of concrete fell on Titus Mill Road from the underdecking of the CSXT bridge that crosses that road. That bridge is a short distance south of the Route 654 bridge. Both were built in the early 20th Century, as was the CSXT bridge that goes over Broemel Place in Pennington, about a mile and a half south of Titus Mill Road. A quick look at that bridge shows that a lot of concrete has come loose from its facings already. Pogorzelski said CSXT has told him all these bridges are structurally sound in that they are totally capable of handling the very heavy loads that go across them. The problem is loose concrete on the underdecking and facades, he said. The concrete falling off does nothing to lessen the structural integrity of the bridge in terms of handling its load, but, of course, it could be a hazard to anyone under the bridge. Pogorzelski added CSXT recently has told him it is starting a more aggressive program of inspecting these bridges and safely knocking off the loose concrete before it falls off the bridge, perhaps with someone walking or driving under it. Township Police Chief George Meyer, who has been with the township force about 34 years, recently said he cannot recall an incident of injury or serious damage resulting from concrete falling off a CSXT railroad bridge anywhere in Hopewell Valley. June 29, 2009 Metra begins work on new Lovana S. “Lou” Jones/Bronzeville Station Metra broke ground June 29 on a new station in Chicago at 35th St. along the Rock Island line, a project that promises another mass transit alternative for White Sox fans, Illinois Institute of Technology students, local workers and neighborhood residents. The station is being funded with $4.9 million in federal money secured by U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Chicago), a longtime supporter of the project, and an additional $6.8 million from the federal stimulus bill, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2010. The Metra Board of Directors voted earlier this month to name the stop the Lovana S. “Lou” Jones/Bronzeville Station, after the longtime Assistant Majority Leader for the State of Illinois who represented the area for nearly 20 years. She died in 2006. IIT provided Metra an easement on its property to facilitate the construction of the station. In addition to U.S. Cellular Field to the west and IIT to the east, the station also will serve Chicago Police Headquarters, De La Salle Institute and the redeveloping Stateway Gardens housing complex. The station also will provide a convenient link between CTA and Metra service on the South Side. The Rock Island line’s principal market has been to deliver far south side and south suburban residents to the downtown area, with no connection to the near south side. The CTA provides extensive service to the near south side, including stops at 35th St. on the Green and Red lines, but does not serve the far south side and suburbs. A new Metra station at 35th St. will therefore give both CTA and Metra riders access to more extensive service. The new, fully accessible station will feature heated ramps, stairways, eight-car platforms, heated platform shelters, bicycle racks, benches, Metra’s audio and visual information system, lighting and landscaping. Metra is receiving $140.9 million as its share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Metra estimates that using federal stimulus dollars on this station will create about 100 jobs. Other Metra projects that are being funded with these dollars include the remanufacture of locomotives, bridge replacements as well as station additions, renovations and parking expansions. June 29, 2009 UP upgrading tracks between Tri-Cities, Wallula, Wash. Union Pacific is investing money to strengthen its railroad infrastructure in the Tri-Cities, Wash., area, according to the Tri-City Herald. The company recently started a program to replace old, worn ties on its industrial rail line that serves local industries. The 20-mile track -- between the Tri-Cities and Wallula -- is being upgraded at the cost of $2.8 million, said Zoe Richmond, company spokeswoman for the western region. It will promote safety and help Union Pacific better serve its customers, she said, noting it's a significant investment at a time when rail business is slow. The project continues through the end of September. But the Kennewick part of the project that involved about 185 workers wound up Friday, said Randy Ruiz, a track supervisor on the project. Groups of workers on alternating shifts removed ties, fixed metal plates on the track and did other maintenance, he said. "We even hired about 30 to 40 local workers to flag traffic at the crossings," Ruiz said. His crews made sure their work didn't affect traffic, particularly near Fruitland Street and Canal Drive, he said. The track hasn't seen much servicing in 20 years because it's used just once a day by a train that travels 10 mph, Ruiz said. It has different maintenance standards compared with a major line with high-speed traffic, he explained. June 29, 2009 Gary, Ind., airport chugs closer to moving railroad tracks Gary/Chicago International Airport and Canadian National Railway have reached a preliminary agreement on moving railroad tracks that block expansion of its main runway, which remains one of the last hurdles to beginning construction, local newspapers report. "This is a huge, huge step," said Leigh Morris, chairman of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. "This could have been a show stopper, if we were not able to come to agreement on this." Canadian National wants to come to a final agreement on moving the tracks within 90 days, according to a June 23 letter from the railroad to Airport Director Chris Curry. Curry gave a rough estimate of $30 million to $35 million for the project. That is at least $10 million less than estimates for the cost of moving the tracks under a previous preliminary agreement that involved three railroads. Curry and his predecessor at the airport, Paul Karas, have been negotiating with railroads for more than half a decade over moving the tracks. Those negotiations were complicated recently when the tracks were sold by the EJ&E Railway to Canadian National. The estimated cost of the current project is less because it does not contain enhancements for other railroads, some of which would have occurred miles from the Gary airport, Curry said. Morris said the RDA expects the airport to seek partial funding for the project from his organization. The RDA was directly involved in the airport's negotiations with Canadian National on the deal. The letter from Canadian National states its final approval is contingent on completion of a definitive agreement and detailed engineering plans. If final negotiations and engineering on the project go well, construction on new tracks could begin by spring, Curry said. The agreement with Canadian National includes a new alignment for the tracks, which will require the purchase of about 25 more acres of land, Curry said. The airport has already purchased about 160 acres to make way for runway expansion. The only remaining hurdle to expanding the runway is obtaining an environmental permit for the runway expansion. That process has been slowed by a dispute with the Gary Community School Corp. over rare dune and swale habitat the airport wants to buy to replace those at the airport. June 29, 2009 SFRTA amended budget to maintain Tri-Rail service The Governing Board of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority adopted an amended budget for fiscal year 2009 - 2010 this morning that will enable the Agency to maintain Tri-Rail’s current level of service. The budget goes into effect July 1, 2009, the beginning of the SFRTA’s new fiscal year. The budget that was passed uses the total county contributions to maintain service. The mandated amounts include $1.567 million for operations and $2.6 million in tax contributions. These amounts reflect a $3 million per county reduction over fiscal year 2008-2009 funding levels. The reduction was necessary due to reduced revenues, primarily property taxes, at the county levels. The Florida Department of Transportation has committed to match the counties’ contributions. Tri-Rail will continue to run the full schedule of 50 weekday trains and 16 trains on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. If the amended budget had not been passed, Tri-Rail service would have been reduced to approximately 30 weekday trains and service on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays would have been eliminated. June 29, 2009 FRA awards contract for Portland, Maine, area improvements The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a grant totaling $500,000 to the city of Portland, Maine, for the rehabilitation and improvement of track infrastructure including the replacement of crossties and rail, surfacing of track, replacement of bridge ties, ballast replacement and renewal of turnouts. This work is intended to add capacity and eliminate slow orders that are currently in place, resulting in improved ride quality and an increase in the speed of passenger rail operations through the area from 10 to 25 mph. It is anticipated that this increase in speed will reduce trip times by an average of 3-5 minutes per trip. In addition, the project will once again permit the use of wye tracks to turn passenger cars and switch locomotives among train sets in the event of mechanical difficulties, thus minimizing operational disruptions. The period of performance for the above work extends to March 31, 2010. Also, FRA has awarded a grant totaling $238,510 to the University of California in San Diego for the continued refinement of a rail defect detection prototype. A previous grant totaling $231,802 was awarded in July 2008. Based upon lessons learned from the performance of the prototype at recent field testing, this funding will help support ongoing efforts to assist track inspectors by providing faster defect detection at speeds of up to 40 mph. These funds will also support a planned technology demonstration program at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo. June 29, 2009 Caltrain staring signal, communications projects Caltrain is beginning a $2.8-million project to add additional signals to its signal system. The work will take place at Stockton Avenue in San Jose, June 27 to July 1, between the hours of 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Caltrain also will begin a $2.1-million project to improve the radio communications system that operates the switches on the railroad tracks. This project will add a second radio channel, which will increase the system’s capacity. Work will take place from June 26 to July 1, between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. at the Tamien station in San Jose. Caltrain will work to improve the First, Second and Third avenue crossings in Millbrae. Work began Saturday, June 27. The work will take place from Thursday to Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Throughout the project, at least one lane of the street will remain open. The work is part of a larger program to improve grade crossings in San Mateo County. Caltrain will finish installing new sidewalks, curbs, gutters and streetlights near the former railroad crossing at Stockton Avenue and Emory Street in San Jose by July 1. The improvements will complete the closure of the former crossing, at which time the temporary concrete barricades will be removed. From June 28 to July 2, worn asphalt, rails, ties and ballast will be replaced on the tracks between the Bayshore and Millbrae stations. From June 28 to July 2, crews will weld and grind the switches on the tracks between the Santa Clara and San Jose stations. June 29, 2009 Portland & Western upgrading track in Oregon Rails on Santiam Lead date back to when Oregon Electric arrived in town in 1912, the Albany Democrat-Herald reports. A piece of Albany history — or rather a line of it — is about to be replaced. The Portland & Western plans to upgrade nearly a mile of track known in railroad lingo as the Santiam Lead. It runs along the old Oregon Electric Railway line from about Davidson Street to Santiam Road and parallels the Union Pacific track. The Portland & Western obtained $1,477,700 in federal money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to replace the Santiam Lead track and upgrade several street crossings. Bob Melbo, an official with ODOT Rail and an expert on Oregon railroad history, says the rail being replaced dates from 1912, which was the year the Oregon Electric reached Albany as it was being built from Salem to Eugene. The line used to connect to a track along Fifth Avenue and was used by Oregon Electric passenger trains. The OE’s freight trains ran along Water Avenue, a line still used by freights today. In the 1930s, the Santiam Lead became OE’s access to a line to Lebanon and Sweet Home. “Looks like the original steel is going to miss by three years its 100th anniversary,” Melbo wrote in an e-mail. “Well, 97 years of service isn’t bad.” The old rail being replaced weighs 75 pounds a yard. It’s being replaced with 136-pound rail that was rolled in 2008 at Rocky Mountain Steel Manufacturing in Pueblo, Colo., a subsidiary of Oregon Steel. As part of the rail replacement, P&W also will rebuild the street crossings on Geary Street and Salem Avenue. Later this summer it plans to fix the crossings on Davidson Street, Santiam Road and Third, Fourth and Fifth avenues, said Dale Hansen, P&W’s vice president for engineering. The work on the Santiam Lead is connected to, but separate from, other improvements along the rail line, for which P&W got a grant of about $8 million under the Connect Oregon program. The Connect Oregon work, later this summer, includes construction of a short section of new track. Both projects are intended to improve rail corridor from the Toledo Branch to the Millersburg yard so that freight trains and street traffic meet fewer delays. June 29, 2009 BMWED system federations on BNSF merge The governing bodies of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Federation and the Frisco Federation of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division finalized a merger between the two federations. The name of the newly formed federation will be the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Frisco System Federation. The AT&SFF System Federation will now represent more than 3,000 members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and will maintain offices in Newton, Kan., and Tulsa, Okla. Richard Sandlin was elected to head the new federation as General Chairman. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Frisco System Federation represents maintenance-of-way workers who build, construct, inspect and maintain railroad tracks, bridges, buildings and equipment for BNSF and a number of short line railroads operating in states from coast to coast. June 29, 2009 Northstar station shelters in Anoka, Big Lake mostly complete In the Twin Cities area, crews are paving and striping the east half of the park-and-ride lot at the Elk River Northstar commuter rail site and will complete remaining concrete work in the west half of the site. Also, crews are removing the station fencing at the downtown Minneapolis site and paving the construction staging area. In downtown Minneapolis, LRT station shelter painting is finished and electrical work will finish soon. Communications system installation is finished at the commuter rail platform. Crews are testing the systems. Crews continue electrical work at the commuter rail platform and the work is expected to be completed soon. Crews are set to remove the station site fence and pave the construction staging area lot. In Coon Rapids, elevator installation continues and is expected to be completed -the week of June 29. Crews continue to paint the interior of the pedestrian overpass, which will be completed shortly. Station signage installation began and is expected to be completed the week of June 29. In Anoka, crews finished the station shelter trim. Crews in Elk River paved and striped the east half of the park-and-ride lot. and will complete remaining concrete work in the west half of the lot the week of June 29. Also, crews seeded the site. In Big Lake, crews are completing the station shelter trim and are seeding the site. Work at the VMF has been completed. In Fridley, crews finished grading the east park-and-ride and electrical work in the lot is continuing. Curb and gutter will be poured in the east lot the week of June 29. Work on the east head house continues as crews are forming and pouring the head house walls will begin forming the deck for the east head house. Crews poured the deck of the center head house. June 26, 2009 Metra schedules groundbreaking for new station Congressman Bobby L. Rush, Ald. Pat Dowell, IIT President John Andersen and other dignitaries will join Metra Chairman Carole Doris and Board Member Larry Huggins at 35th Street and Federal in Chicago to break ground on construction of the new Lovana S. “Lou” Jones/Bronzeville Station. The ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m., June 29, at 35th and Federal. The new station is on the Metra Rock Island District commuter line and is near U.S. Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox), Illinois Institute of Technology and the Bronzeville Historic District. June 26, 2009 Freeholder director says Roxbury doesn’t own railroad tracks After weeks of silence, county freeholders are pushing back at the township, saying it’s the Roxbury, N.J., Township Council and neither the county nor Randolph who have erred when it comes to a reactivated railroad behind Horseshoe Lake, the Roxbury Register reports. A week after the Township Council publicly stated that it will consider supporting a reactivated railroad behind the township’s key recreational facility at 72 Eyland Ave., Succasunna, only if the freeholders pay for improvements there, Freeholder Director Eugene Feyl said that Roxbury may be squandering its only opportunity to get those improvements made. Using $6 million in federal stimulus funds, the county is moving forward with a plan to purchase the railroad from Jack Holland, the owner of Holland Manufacturing in Succasunna. Once revived, it would service the Kuiken Brothers facility in Roxbury, and would also extend down to the former Westinghouse site in neighboring Randolph, where it would service that industrial park. Roxbury has vocally objected to the plan, however, because it would negatively impact, if not completely eliminate, the walking and bike trails behind Horseshoe Lake. The roadway there is also the sole vehicle access point to the rear of the facility, where fairs, craft shows and carnivals are held annually. It’s also the sole access point to the township’s veteran’s memorial and the bandshell, as well as the fields back there. Feyl said, however, that Roxbury has forgotten one thing: It does not own the property on which the roadway was built; Jack Holland does. Feyl said detailed reports have been sent to Roxbury, and said every question Roxbury officials have posed has, indeed, been answered. “We have thought, after several meetings, that we had, at least an agreement in principal. We have been reluctant to comment because we did not want to embarrass Roxbury,” Feyl said. “But, their bike path and their roadway is not on their property. They are part of the right-of-way that we are buying (from Holland). They built it in Holland Manufacturing’s property, and they did so without the approval of the owner. We will work to mitigate that, and we have told them (Roxbury) that, but they do not own the property. The bottom line is that their bike and pedestrian path are on somebody else’s property. “They are telling Morris County to improve a road and property they don’t own. We have offered flagmen and a fence. We told Mayor (Kathy) DeFillippo that we will not permit train cars to be stored on the track. It was their Planning Board that approved access to the Kuiken Brothers site. The Kuiken Brothers train has to go 300 or 400 feet up the tracks (toward Horseshoe Lake) to back into their facility, and now Roxbury is saying not to extend past Kuiken Brothers,” Feyl said. “Randolph wants the train to continue on to the Westinghouse facility. Roxbury is saying we don’t care about Randolph, we only care about our park,” he said. “But, it was they who built on somebody else’s property, and for us, this is an economic development issue. We have addressed the frequency and the number of cars. They (Roxbury) are ignoring the facts. (Randolph Township Manager) John Lovell has taken offense to Roxbury’s implication that we have some hidden agenda here. There are no poltergeists about to come out of Randolph to threaten Roxbury. “Jack Holland can put a fence up tomorrow and tell Roxbury to get off his property. Not that he’s going to do that. But, we have the funding. We have indicated that we are willing to work with Roxbury. Roxbury can work with the county. If Holland tells them to get off his property, that’s the end of it,” he said. “And, a railroad is never abandoned unless the abandonment is approved by the Surface Transportation Board,” he said. All of those issues, however, remain mute, he said, when compared with the fact that Roxbury doesn’t own the property it built a bike path on. “It’s not their property. They neglected to get an easement. They never acquired an easement,” he said. “And, they have suggested that we just move the tracks. The State DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) won’t let that happen, because there are wetlands all over the area. The DEP also won’t let hazardous materials pass through those wetlands, so that’s not likely,” he said. June 26, 2009 SunRail commuter train might be back from brink Just days before facing a potentially crushing deadline, the SunRail commuter train proposed for Central Florida might be chugging along again, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Backers of the $1.2-billion project have won a crucial negotiating extension and likely will be heading back to the state legislature, which has scuttled the plan twice before, most recently two months ago. "It's far from a done deal. But what we have is one more chance," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who chairs the local SunRail committee. Added state Sen. Lee Constantine, R- Altamonte Springs, and a prime SunRail supporter: "I think we are off life support. We're still not healthy, but the prognosis is improving." A key development was the waiving of next week's deadline to buy tracks from CSX Transportation, the Jacksonville train company that owns the line SunRail intends to use. CSXT officially agreed this week to back off the June 30 cutoff date to give lawmakers another chance to consider the plan, company spokesman Gary Sease said. "We are talking to the Florida Department of Transportation and local officials about options to continue the transaction," Sease said, declining further comment. Without CSX, it would have been impossible for the train that would link DeLand in Volusia County with downtown Orlando and Poinciana in Osceola County to ever materialize. But SunRail still remains far from becoming a reality. Most vexing remains the problem that stopped SunRail in the legislature the past two sessions: getting an insurance policy. The state Senate has twice balked at approving a $200-million pact that assigns liability in case there is an accident. Opponents contend the plan placed too much risk on the state and not enough on CSXT. Dyer said SunRail hopes to blunt that criticism by having CSXT assume more risk, particularly when its employees are at fault. Critics also have decried the high cost of SunRail, saying it amounts to corporate welfare. It was an especially effective argument during the past legislative session when lawmakers were forced to raise some taxes and fees, raid trust funds and rely on federal dollars to plug a $4 billion hole in the budget. But U.S. Rep. John Mica, R- Winter Park, said he hopes to win even more money from the federal government — close to $250 million — from the nearly $800 billion stimulus package approved earlier this year by the Congress. "More federal money, less state money," Mica said. "We'll get as much as we can get there." Some of the money saved by the state could, in theory, be diverted to the struggling Tri-Rail commuter train in South Florida. Constantine tried to win votes in that region last session by offering to back a $2 surcharge on rental cars, but South Florida lawmakers turned him down. Now that Tri-Rail is facing layoffs, service reductions and a related loss of federal funding, Constantine said, they might be more willing to work with SunRail supporters. Mica previously has applied for $300 million in federal funding. About $40 million was aside for SunRail in the current budget, he said. Constantine and Dyer said they could bring SunRail back to the Legislature when it meets early next year or during a special session. The most probable scenario, Constantine said, is a special session called during September or October, when regular committee meetings are held. Likely standing in the way will be Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, who successfully led the two previous fights against SunRail. Dockery, whose hometown would be forced to accept extra freight rerouted by SunRail, has argued the commuter train is too expensive and the insurance policy is loaded against the state. The attempt to resurrect SunRail largely came together Wednesday, when Dyer flew to Washington to meet with Mica, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, and representatives from CSXT, the Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak. Dyer and Mica both characterized the talks as "very positive." The federal representatives, Dyer and Mica said, stressed that SunRail is critical to state hopes of building a high-speed train because they want it to connect to anther form of mass transit, not just a large parking garage. Florida is seeking $2 billion in federal money to pay for a 90-mile link between Orlando International Airport and Tampa with a train capable of going at least 110 mph. Ten areas have been declared eligible by the government. Besides Florida, other likely applicants include California, North Carolina, the Pacific Northwest and Pennsylvania. As much as $8 billion is up for grabs. The Obama administration might start awarding grants by the end of the year. June 26, 2009 KCS slated to increase train speed on Victoria-Rosenberg line On June 10, The Kansas City Southern Railway Company said that it would reinstitute train service on the rebuilt Victoria to Rosenberg, Texas, rail line, with gradual increases in train speeds to allow motorists to adjust to the restored service. KCS reminds communities along the line that the next speed increase to 25 miles per hour will take place on June 29, as previously announced. Except for segments of the line where there will be speed restrictions, further incremental increases to reach the maximum scheduled operating speed of 49 miles per hour will occur during July. For public safety, KCSR and Texas Operation Lifesaver would also like to remind the community that as train operations begin, regardless of whether the crossing is public or private or what type of warning is in place, motorists and pedestrians are urged to always expect a train. In addition, pedestrians are urged to stay off railroad rights-of-way. Do not walk along the track or trespass on railroad rights-of-way and only cross the tracks at designated crossings. June 26, 2009 'Replace Huron Central with Ontario Northland' With area American-owned railway companies closing operations, New Democrats brought their campaign to expand northern rail passenger and freight service to North Bay, the Soo Today reports. In support of expanding the railway westward to Sault Ste. Marie and beyond, New Democrat MP Tony Martin (Sault Ste. Marie) and MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) met with Ontario Northland General Chairpersons Association [at] a meeting here. “The Ontario Northland Transportation Corporation was set up initially to ensure that Northern Ontario had a strong, integrated transportation system,” Martin said. “With the private sector not investing, the ONR has the potential to be the go-to railway for the North, a Northern solution that would link our industries to bigger markets and resume passenger service.” "Investments in public transit are good for people's health, the environment and the economy,” said Gélinas after the meeting. “The McGuinty government is spending almost four billion dollars over the next two years on highway repairs and expansions. A relatively modest investment to expand train transit opportunities in Northern Ontario would pay great dividends." Huron Central Railway has announced it is closing its Sault-Sudbury line, while the Ottawa Valley Railway running a Sudbury-Mattawa service for the Tembec mill is talking similar action. New Democrats propose the investment in rail infrastructure is a key first step to once again making railways productive and competitive, serving tourism, industries, First Nations communities and passenger needs. New Democrat MP Carol Hughes (Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing) said, "The takeover by the ONR would mean funding for much needed upgrades to the Huron-Central Railway line to make it competitive, much like happened when the ONR took over CN lines helping communities and the forestry industry in places like Cochrane, Hearst and Kapuskasing." “This is not a time to reduce infrastructure in the North," noted GCA spokesperson Brian Kelly. “Ontario Northland already operates motor coach and communications services across the North, and run freight and passenger services throughout Northeastern Ontario." Last week federal New Democrat MPs urged Ontario to sign a deal with Ottawa like Québec's $75-million agreement to repair that province`s shortline rail infrastructure. Huron Central Railway has said $33-million is needed for the Sault-Sudbury line to meet new North American load standards and provide key links to larger railway lines. The GCA is made up of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, United Steelworkers and Canadian Auto Workers unions who represent all unionized employees at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. June 26, 2009 Asbestos at Norfolk library drives up demolition cost Kirn Memorial Library, which is being readied for demolition for a light-rail station, is far more laced with asbestos than anyone ever thought, The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., reports. It’s in the ceiling, the walls, the columns and even the glue on the floor. To remove and dispose of the hazardous material, Hampton Roads Transit’s board acted to add $593,000 to the demolition contract, which now totals $1.5 million. Norfolk councilman and HRT board member W. Randy Wright said the overall light-rail budget, $288 million, will not change. Even before this change, the demolition contract with S.B. Cox Inc. was triple the original projections - all because of asbestos. The contract covers razing Kirn on City Hall Avenue as well as the Baylor Building on York Street, which is now gone. The full extent of the asbestos could not be identified until the library moved books out at the end of 2008 and crews could open up walls and floors and test the material. Most of Kirn’s books and staff moved to a smaller building, the historic Seaboard Building, which was renamed Norfolk Main Library. Over the next four years, a $50 million addition will be built onto Seaboard. Much of the hazardous material in Kirn has already been dealt with. Crews will use an excavator to knock down the 47-year-old former main library, beginning on July 6. The site will be cleared by the end of August, said Fred Schneader, HRT’s senior vice president for construction. HRT is partnering with the city to build a 7.4-mile light-rail line beginning at the medical center near Brambleton Avenue, going through downtown and reaching the city line at Newtown Road. The line is projected to open in late summer or early fall of 2010. Construction is being paid for with federal, state and local money. Norfolk’s share is $53.7 million. The state is contributing $67.1 million and the federal government is contributing $167.2 million. June 26, 2009 I-66 and Route 267 work for Metrorail under way Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project construction activities in northern Virginia began June 2, in the grassy areas between Route 267 and I-66. Notices of this work were emailed the previous week to local officials. Residents of nearby communities received notices by mail. The night work begins at 8 p.m. in what the project refers to as Laydown Area 1. It is located at the I-66/DCR interchange. Weather permitting, work should continue June 26 and June 29 through Wednesday, July 1. There will be no construction activity July 2 through the holiday weekend. June 26, 2009 Pittsburgh T work causes 47L detour this weekend The 47L Library via Overbrook light rail service in the Pittsburgh area will run on a deviated route this weekend to allow workers to replace overhead wires. The change means the T will not serve the 47L stops south of Washington Junction on June 27-28. Bus shuttles marked “44L” will serve the stops. The 47L light rail service will follow a deviated route through the weekend that starts at South Hills Village and runs through Downtown Pittsburgh. T service will be restored between Washington Junction and Library by the Monday morning rush hour. June 25, 2009 Stourbridge Railroad to see $6-million upgrade Major improvements are on the horizon for the Stourbridge Railroad in Pennsylvania, according to the Wayne Independent. The 26-mile line will undergo infrastructure upgrades to increase speed, allowing it to ultimately become a more suitable freight route, said Al Siebold, Stourbridge Line manager. “You can probably run that speed, but there’s ... ties that have to be replaced,” said Siebold in a phone interview with The Wayne Independent on Wednesday. “It’s safe to operate over. You just got to go slow.” A $6-million capital budget, spread over a five-year period, will enhance sections of the track and rail bed so that it can handle up to 25-miles-per hour. The Stourbridge Railroad runs from Honesdale to Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, connecting with railroad owned by Norfolk Southern. ?With a new trestle in place in Hawley, the former destroyed by two devastating floods in 2005 and 2006, all 26 miles are now completely open, primed for freight and also the popular train excursions to Lackawaxen Township. The Morristown & Erie Railway Inc., which runs the Stourbridge Railroad and others in New Jersey, is actively seeking freight customers, said Siebold. “We have some good customers looking at parcels of land” along it, he said. “We do expect there will be some growth in Wayne County, especially industrial growth." That may include a branch location of Ideal Steel Supply Corp, a New York-based steel supplier. Ideal Steel executive Paul Brancato purchased the Stourbridge Railroad last year from the Lackawaxen Honesdale Shippers Association. Siebold said site development work has begun for a White Mills-based Ideal Steel location. A $95,000 federal earmark that was intended to restore the vintage passenger cars used for the Stourbridge Line tourist excursions will instead be directed to the rail line infrastructure improvements. The earmark, set by U.S. Rep. Chris Carney’s office, cannot be applied to the passenger cars in this case, said Siebold, noting that current federal legislation dictates it. Siebold added that he intends to apply for federal stimulus money to supplement the Stourbridge Railroad’s $6-million capital improvement budget. June 25, 2009 Cattron establishes service department in China Cattron Group International, Inc., appointed Jason Chen as a service technician for Cattron Controls Asia Pacific Ltd. located in Shanghai. He will report directly to Martin Chen, Marketing and Sales Manager Cattron Controls Asia Pacific Ltd. Chen earned a degree in Electrical engineering specialty from Yancheng Technician Institute of Jiangsu Provinceand Nanjing/ Mechanical and Electrical Technical. He worked with an engineering company analyzing and servicing printed circuit boards that used surface-mount technology and brings two years of experience in the remote control industry prior to joining Cattron. Martin Chen explains, “Jason adds valuable remote control servicing and technical project experience as well as customer service and problem solving skills to Cattron’s China operation.” His responsibilities include installation supervision and after market service of the company’s industrial products throughout China. In addition to providing technical service support, he will provide technical training for OEMs, dealers, distributors and end users in China.” Celebrating nearly 65 years of radio frequency and industrial remote control experience, Cattron companies have a total installed base of over 150,000 remote control systems for over 7,000 customers throughout the world. June 25, 2009 Crews laying groundwork for Provo, Utah, train Nearly a quarter of the contract work to build FrontRunner commuter rail from Salt Lake City to Provo is complete, but there's plenty of heavy lifting to come, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Specifically, the Utah Transit Authority still must shift Union Pacific freight tracks to the east through the Jordan River narrows near Bluffdale. And earthmovers are busy digging away at the hillside there just to make room for a second track. There also is the matter of 30 bridges -- 28 more than UTA had to erect for FrontRunner north to Ogden. "The north project was good practice," said FrontRunner South project manager Steve Meyer. On June 24, UTA staffers and several board members toured the 44-mile construction zone for the $850-million project. Although Meyer said 22 percent of the work is done, much of that went toward creating a foundation for the tracks -- not installing the tracks themselves. Crews have replaced utility lines and graded a path next to the Union Pacific track for FrontRunner's spur. Much of the continuously welded rail is in place next to the route, waiting for ballast rock and ties. At about 10000 South in Sandy, the concrete supports for a flyover bridge allowing UTA trains to cross the freight route are in place. About 215 contractor and subcontractor workers are on the job. It's expected to be completed in late 2012, with passenger service starting in 2013. Crews are digging into the east side of the narrows just to make room for a second set of tracks in the wind tunnel of a canyon that connects Utah and Salt Lake counties via the Jordan River. The tracks will traverse a section of the river that few see, well out of sight of Interstate 15 along some little rapids where construction workers say deer hang out. "That'll be worth the trip just for the scenic view," UTA General Manager John Inglish said. June 25, 2009 Poplar Rail Study juggles citizen, business concerns Paul Morris empathizes with the college students who climb over the trains stopped on the tracks that intersect the University of Memphis campus on their way to class, the Memphis Daily News reports. He also empathizes with anyone who gets caught by a train as they make their way across the rail line that parallels Southern and Poplar avenues, from the Mid-South Fairgrounds all the way out to the Shelby-Fayette County border. Recently, he was held up for a long time by a train at the intersection of White Station Road and Poplar Avenue, and just a few minutes later he narrowly missed getting held up by a second train going in the opposite direction. Morris now cringes at the thought of students risking their lives to make it to class on time or commuters trying to beat the train at a crossing, but as a planner for the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization, he also is charged with addressing these issues. Morris is looking for ways to help mitigate some of the efficiency and safety problems that train crossings present. He is heading the MPO’s Poplar/Southern Corridor Study, which is under way and kicks off with a series of public comment sessions. He understands how those who are affected by the trains the most – people who live or work near the track – might have some ideas about improving traffic flow and mitigating delays at railway crossings. “A lot of the concern in the area is if you live near the NS line, their first concern is the volume of rail traffic that goes up and down the line on a daily basis,” Morris said. “The second part is you don’t realize how much traffic is in that area until the train comes by.” This study area encompasses 63 road/rail crossings, 14 of which are private and 49 of which are public; it sees about 370,000 vehicles per day; there have been 49 incidents involving a train and car or pedestrian, with six injuries and three fatalities; and it is one of the most densely populated areas in Memphis, with 108,000 people living and 90,000 people working within one mile of the corridor. When a train leaves Norfolk Southern’s Forrest Yard near the fairgrounds, specifically around Southern Avenue and Goodwyn Street, there isn’t an overpass or underpass until the track reaches Ridgeway Road, about six miles to the east. One of the first trouble spots is at the University of Memphis, which is pushing for solutions to the problems caused when a train disrupts vehicular and pedestrian traffic on campus. “There has been no progress toward either of those, but a grade separation for students and cars is still needed, for safety,” said U of M spokesman Curt Guenther. The answer typically isn’t as simple as quickly building tunnels or bridges to allow easier flow for trains and cars. Neighboring homes and businesses all have a stake in how the situation can be enhanced. “You don’t want to adversely affect the surroundings just to get traffic through,” Morris said. “For us, it’s about improving the quality of life in that area without adversely affecting the community.” Another issue to consider is the economic benefit that trains provide Memphis, one of just three cities in the U.S. with five Class I railroads. “It’s trying to balance that transportation, distribution segment of the economy that is Memphis,” Morris said. “Then there’s that other side where you’ve got people who live near the corridor, you’ve got people who have businesses near the corridor and you’ve got people who don’t necessarily live in that corridor, but … they travel in that area.” One variable is traffic counts along the Southern-Poplar corridor could change once NS develops its massive intermodal facility in Fayette County. The Norfolk, Va.-based railroad will continue to run trains into and out of Forrest Yard, but it’s unclear how many will use the yard as an origination or destination point once the new terminal is built. “They haven’t informed us of whether that once the Fayette County facility is developed, to what degree Forrest Yard will be in operation,” Morris said. “There’s talk that there may be more trains there; there’s talk that there may be less. Until we sit down and talk with them about their future operations, we can’t say.” June 25, 2009 Caltrain construction, maintenance update Work to improve the Center Street crossing in Millbrae, Calif., is continuing. Throughout the project, at least one lane of the street will remain open. The work is part of a larger program to improve grade crossings in San Mateo County. Caltrain is installing new sidewalks, curbs, gutters and streetlights near the former railroad crossing at Stockton Avenue and Emory Street in San Jose. Construction is expected last two more weeks. The improvements will complete the closure of the former crossing, at which time the temporary concrete barricades will be removed. On June 23, Caltrain began a project to upgrade its signal system. The signal system, which uses a radio communications network, controls the movement of the trains. The $4.3-million upgrade will improve the reliability and speed of data transmissions. The project, which will begin at Stockton Avenue in San Jose and continue in Sunnyvale, Redwood City, Belmont and San Mateo, is expected to be completed early next year. The work will be done in signal houses located on the right-of-way. Caltrain will perform routine maintenance at several locations. From June 21-25, worn asphalt, rails, ties and ballast in the San Francisco rail yard will be replaced. On June 21, crews replaced worn asphalt, rails, ties and ballast between the Millbrae and Redwood City stations and another crew welded and ground the switches near the Santa Clara station. June 25, 2009 Gov. Culver promotes rail line with statewide train ride Gov. Chet Culver of Iowa brought back a bit of nostalgia and hope for the future to passenger rail advocates aboard a special three-car "Iowa Unlimited" train that carried with it the prospects for high-speed rail eventually linking Chicago and Omaha, Neb., according to the Quad City Times. "We've never been this close. It's never looked this positive," Culver told reporters who rode with him on a 120-mile, 13-city excursion from Des Moines to Council Bluffs to promote the prospects for expanded passenger rail service in Iowa. "We're pushing as hard as we can to get this done as quickly as we can," said the governor, who held out hope for service from Chicago to the Quad-Cities and possibly even Iowa City to begin by the end of 2010. The state is eyeing federal stimulus dollars to help pay for the line. Iowa lawmakers set aside money this past session to try to make the rail line a reality, and Culver's I-JOBS infrastructure plan includes $3 million for passenger rail in Iowa. "It gave a real clear signal that we're serious in Iowa about our commitment to light rail and high-speed rail," Culver said. Derrick James, Amtrak's senior officer for government affairs, said if all the federal and state funding for Illinois and Iowa to rebuild track and buy railway cars could be approved in the next year or so, "we're looking at maybe two to three years from that point when service can start." The Iowa governor said he met with Amtrak officials in Washington, D.C., this month to discuss rail prospects, and will attend a July 27 rail summit with other Midwest governors in Chicago to discuss region rail service plans. The train tour kicked off at an old Rock Island Railroad Depot in downtown Des Moines. The last time a Rock Island Rocket pulled out of the station with passengers was in 1970, said Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie. Culver said Iowa officials are working closely with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and are planning a summit in the coming weeks to talk about possible rail service between the states. President Barack Obama's support could give the project a boost. While visiting Newton in April, Obama urged a greater investment in mass transit. June 25, 2009 Track replacement set at site of two Vermont derailments Crews from the Vermont Rail System will replace about a mile of track that has led to two freight train derailments in the past three months, according to local newspapers. The week of June 29, crews will begin replacing about one mile of 80-pound rail on New York and Ogdensburg Railway line with 100-pound rail and about 5,000 ties between Ogdensburg and Lisbon, said Jerome Hebda, vice president of Vermont Rail, which operates the line. The heavier rail is of a similar steel alloy, but it is stronger, with a taller shape and less likely to buckle because of high heat, he said. "It certainly isn't going to be enough to do the whole railroad, but it will take in that derailment site from last week," Hebda said. "We're making the problem area smaller as we're doing this." Hebda expects replacing the rail will cost about $125,000 and will take about one month to complete. The project is funded with a $1.5 million state DOT allocation to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority for seven miles of rail line improvements through the Passenger and Rail Preservation program. The OBPA owns the rail and is responsible for raising funds for funding major projects. Last year about two miles of track near Ogdensburg were replaced with heavier rail as well, according to Hebda. However, traffic has grown about 25 percent since then and the older track is beginning to show its age. On April 24, four cars derailed, and on June 17, five cars jumped the track because of buckles caused by heat. The cars carried a total of 900 tons of salt. Although small derailments are common, Hebda said, larger derailments are increasing with the traffic and fixing the rail is becoming a necessity. According to Mr. Hebda, rerailing the nine cars cost about $70,000. "We're constantly working on it, but there's a limited amount of maintenance you can do. Most of it takes a capital project," he said. June 25, 2009 MetroLink single tracking scheduled for June 27-28 St. Louis’ MetroLink will operate on a single track between the Arch-Laclede’s Landing and 5th & Missouri MetroLink Stations from the beginning of revenue service to noon on Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28. The single tracking is necessary to accommodate inspections of the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River. The single-track operation will affect the East Riverfront eastbound platform on Saturday and the westbound platform on Sunday. Customers traveling through this area should expect a minor delay, and are advised to allow extra time for their commutes. June 25, 2009 Flooding caused washout along BNSF line in Illinois Train traffic was temporarily suspended early Monday morning, June 22, while railroad crews repaired a washout along the BNSF freight line following a flash flood between Oregon and Stratford, Ill., local newspapers report. The washout was found following a routine inspection by railroad officials. “We do routine inspections on all of our tracks,” said Steve Forsberg, BNSF public affairs official. “After storms we inspect the tracks and continue with routine inspections.” The washout was located between Forest and Columbian Roads, between White Pines State Park and Lake LaDonna Family Campground. “There was a washout at mile post 103.8 that was about four feet by six feet that caused delays to eight trains, but that has been repaired,” said Forsberg Monday afternoon. “We repaired that by using a local contractor to dump riprap, which are large boulder sized rocks, and rebuilt the support underneath the track so that trains are proceeding normally again.” Forsberg said the track was returned to service at 11:30 a.m. “The trains were held while repairs were made to the track,” he said. Approximately 10 inches of rain fell between Oregon and Polo from Friday night to early Sunday morning. A washout on tracks owned and operated by Canadian National Railway in Rockford is thought to have caused a deadly derailment following heavy rains June 19. June 24, 2009 Gardner opens door for Edgerton to grab BNSF facility The Gardner, Kan., City Council opened the door for Edgerton,Kan., to expand it city limits all the way to Gardner’s southern boundary, the Kansas City Star reports. The council voted 3-2 in a special meeting to rescind all current agreements for the BNSF intermodal and logistics park. The resolution will force the council to de-annex the land in July and begin from square one with negotiations. But the Allen Group, one of the principal developers in the project, is not interested in starting over with Gardner, said Bill Crandall, Kansas City president of the Allen Group. “We (had) an agreement that was negotiated in good faith,” he said. BNSF had put the intermodal project on hold because of the economy. The project received new life with the recent announcement that the Kansas Department of Transportation was trying to obtain $50 million in federal stimulus money for construction of the intermodal hub. The Allen Group met with Edgerton officials to begin negotiations on possible annexation of the hub and park. Edgerton City Administrator David Dillner said it was just an initial meeting. Pete Heaven, an attorney representing BNSF, said the Gardner council’s decision will not prevent the intermodal from developing, but he was disappointed to see almost two years of negotiations and work go to waste. Skip Kalb, director of economic development for BNSF, said the railway will continue to work cooperatively with Gardner despite the decision, but they needed to have all the local agreements in place before Sept. 15 to receive a favorable rating in the stimulus money process. The vote was the culmination of a two-year battle between pro- and anti-intermodal forces in Gardner. Although voters approved annexation of the intermodal land by 72 percent in 2006 and the City Council approved the annexation, financial and project agreements 18 months later, opposition forces were able to obtain a majority on the Gardner council in April elections and brought the issue back to the table. Councilman John Shepherd said there were too many unanswered questions about infrastructure costs such as improvements to Waverly Road, sewers, wastewater treatment and electricity, which made the city financially vulnerable. He said he could not support the current agreements and wanted to renegotiate. Council members Dan Thompson and Mary Peters agreed with him. Council members Todd Winters and Steve Hale said the agreements were solid and the intermodal project would expand Gardner’s tax base, which currently relies on residential property taxes. Both council members said the other council members were just making excuses so they could nullify the agreements and prevent the intermodal from becoming part of Gardner. The decision sends a bad message to developers — it tells them that Gardner is a difficult city to work with and that the council does not keep its word, Hale said. Mayor David Drovetta said the decision could set Gardner’s economy back several years. “All (developers) will know is that we said, ‘No,’ again,” he said. Several people in the standing-room-only crowd at City Hall spoke both for and against the intermodal for two hours before the council discussed and voted on the issue. June 24, 2009 DART Board sets Orange Line connection to DFW Airport The final section of the DART Rail Orange Line will connect to Terminal A at DFW International Airport in December 2013. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors made the decision following a staff recommendation for direct terminal access from the future Belt Line Station on airport property. Construction on the first two sections of the Orange Line, from the future Bachman Station in northwest Dallas to Las Colinas and then to Belt Line Station, began earlier this year. The sections are scheduled to open in December 2011 and 2012 respectively. A contract for the final section to the airport is scheduled to be awarded next year. The Board vote also adds a future light rail connection from the Orange Line to the Cotton Belt, a DART-owned rail line that crosses through airport property north of SH 114. This would provide additional rail access to the airport. DART owns 52 miles of the Cotton Belt, presently in use as a freight rail line, between the Collin County city of Wylie and Fort Worth. DART’s long-range plan is to connect the Red Line in the Plano/Richardson area to DFW Airport in 2027. The Fort Worth T currently has plans to operate rail service by 2013 on the western half of the Cotton Belt between Fort Worth and the airport as part of their Southwest/Northeast project. DART and the T are also exploring a public private partnership to accelerate the start of Cotton Belt passenger rail service. June 24, 2009 MARTA Board approves FY2010 operating and capital budget The MARTA Board of Directors in the Atlanta area approved the FY 2010 Operating and Capital Budget during its regular meeting, including the restoration of some bus and rail service that had originally been proposed for elimination. The approved FY 2010 budget totaling $787.6 million, includes a net transit operating budget of $399.1 million and a total capital budget of $388.5 million, which includes $134 million allocated for debt service. The FY 2010 budget takes effect on July, 1 2009, with service, fare, and internal cost containment/productivity measures taking effect at various times over the next several months. Based on public comments received during the official comment period and at last week's public hearings, the board members in attendance voted unanimously to maintain rail service until 1 a.m. rather than ending it at 12 a.m. midnight, and to preserve bus routes that were originally proposed for elimination. MARTA was able to fund the restoration of these services by realizing some savings through the establishment of an irrevocable trust account for its post-employment medical retiree benefits. "We heard from the community and were able to make some financial adjustments to restore critical bus and rail service to our customers," said MARTA General Manager/CEO Dr. Beverly A. Scott. "While we are grateful that we were able to balance our FY 2010 budget, we have not overcome our financial challenges. MARTA faces huge budget deficits in fiscal years 2011 and 2012. I thank our customers and the public for all their input and support throughout this challenging process; however, we are still in critical need of additional financial support." MARTA's FY10 budget implements a number of new measures to balance its budget including a number of internal cost savings/containment recommendations; a 25 cent base fare increase and increases in pass prices; transit service modifications including elimination of non-productive bus routes and efficiency adjustments to duplicative, overlapping service routes; and adjusting rail service frequency. Internal cost savings/containment recommendations include the elimination of annual merit increases for all non-represented employees; an increase in medical benefit contributions for all non-represented employees; implementation of up to a 10-day furlough for non-represented employees excluding MARTA police officers and operations supervisors. In addition, the Amalgamated Transit Union local 732, which serves MARTA's represented employees, has agreed to a 15-month deferral on collective bargaining on economic matters due to the current economic conditions. "Thanks to the Atlanta Regional Commission for working with us to arrange a reallocation of federal stimulus funds, we were able to avoid even more severe cuts this year; however, this is a one-time infusion of funds," said MARTA Board Chairman Michael Walls. "We are facing increasing deficits in the coming fiscal years. It is imperative that we identify a permanent, dedicated source of funding for transit as soon as possible in order to avoid more drastic cuts in the future." June 24, 2009 Old Chicago post office building 'perfect' for train hub (The following is part of a column by David Roeder that appeared June 24 in the Chicago Sun-Times.) Two weeks ago, the U.S. Postal Service said it plans to auction its old main post office in Chicago. Ever since, I've been struggling with the futility of the agency's backward process. After years working with Walton Street Capital to establish that the redevelopment prospects are daunting, the agency now wants a buyer to assume an estimated $2-million-a-year cost just to keep the huge old place secure, plus get assessed a few million dollars more in property taxes each year. It isn't a stretch to suggest the Postal Service might have to pay a buyer for its trouble. Then I heard from Reuben Hedlund, zoning lawyer and former Chicago Plan Commission chairman, who had a great idea. "Location, location, location" is the classic real estate mantra, but his suggestion for the post office comes down to location, opportunity and actual money. President Obama wants to pass out $8 billion to localities to start high-speed rail passenger lines. For Chicago, what better hub is there than the post office, Hedlund asked. He explained his idea last week in accepting the Daniel H. Burnham Distinguished Service Award from Lambda Alpha International. "The old post office building would be the perfect central station for high-speed rail, given its unique collection of railroad tracks with access to all of the trunk lines serving Chicago, with indoor parking available for more than 400 automobiles," Hedlund said. He said it's available for express trains to O'Hare Airport, as well as light rail service connecting McCormick Place to Streeterville and Navy Pier, an idea akin to the unbuilt downtown circulator. Seriously, anything you need for light rail is already there. The idea is fabulous and, with federal help, promises less fiscal risk and maybe greater rewards than a 2016 Olympics. June 24, 2009 UP honored for promoting healthy lifestyles Union Pacific has been named one of the 2009 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award winners from the National Business Group on Health. Union Pacific, one of just 17 companies named to the platinum level, was the only railroad and only transportation company to be recognized by the NBGH. The NBGH recognized companies that demonstrated exceptional commitments to a healthy workplace and for helping employees and their families make better choices for their own health and well-being. “Employee health and fitness go hand in hand with safety and nothing is more important than safety to railroad employees,” said Barb Schaefer, Union Pacific senior vice president – Human Resources. “Weight management is a specific health risk factor, which is why Union Pacific provides access for employees to fitness centers across the country, delivers health and wellness educational programs, and emphasizes healthy lifestyles.” “We are proud to recognize companies such as Union Pacific for their unparalleled commitment to a healthy workplace and for making their employees’ health and well-being a top priority,” said Helen Darling, NBGH president. “Employers know first-hand that a healthy workforce is essential to increasing productivity and to maintaining a competitive edge in the new global economy.” June 23, 2009 NJ TRANSIT set to fully restore historic Rutherford Station U.S. Representative Steven R. Rothman and NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles joined Rutherford Mayor John F. Hipp today at the historic Rutherford Station on the Bergen County Line to mark the completion of exterior renovations and announce the start of interior restoration work that will preserve the building as both a transit facility and community landmark. NJ TRANSIT kicked off the first phase of the two-phase project in May 2008, with the Board of Directors awarding a $1.4-million contract to DMR Construction Services Inc., of Waldwick, NJ, to restore the original exterior of the historic station. In May 2009, the Board authorized a $988,000-contract with Collette Contracting, Inc., of Rutherford, for construction work on the second phase of the project—expected to be completed in spring 2010—to refurbish the interior of the station. “The exterior improvements to Rutherford Station have helped to restore and preserve one of New Jersey’s historic assets, while ensuring the useful life of the station for residents and riders,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman Stephen Dilts. “With the federal funds secured by Congressman Rothman, we are now starting on the interior work that will result in a fully restored Rutherford Station.” The recently completed exterior work included 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. Interior work is being funded entirely with $1.9 million in federal funding secured by Congressman Rothman, and will include restoration of the main station building’s ceiling and floors, windows, doors, wood benches, plaster surfaces, and wood frames and moldings, as well as the replacement of exterior windows and doors in the taxi stand building. Listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, Rutherford Station was constructed in 1898 and serves approximately 1,030 customers on a typical weekday. June 23, 2009 Miner's SaniLOK™ Gates sweeten deal with Imperial Sugar Co. Miner Enterprises, Inc., has been selected by TrinityRail and Imperial Sugar to provide components for 185 new sugar cars built by TrinityRail. Due to strict food safety guidelines for the transportation of food commodities, Miner’s SaniLOK™ gate system was a critical component in the order. The SaniLOK™ gate system, built with FDA- and USDA-approved food grade materials, serves as Imperial’s only system approved for sugar discharge. “Miner’s SaniLOK™ gravity pneumatic gate system will ensure that Imperial Sugar is able to safely and effectively transport and unload its products in keeping with food industry standards,” said Ric Biehl, Miner's vice president of sales. “And, with Miner’s Series 2008 Brake Beams, these 185 new cars are equipped with the finest array of Miner products guaranteeing long lasting, high-quality performance for years to come.” The gravity-unloading version of the SaniLOK™ gate system is built with the option of gravity or vacuum unloading, allowing for seamless discharge through a 27" x 30" clear opening. The gate system will be integrated into TrinityRail’s 5,161-cubic-foot covered hopper car optimized for the transportation of agricultural products such as sugar and other similar products. June 23, 2009 Elk River, Minn., Northstar station construction almost complete The majority of work at the Elk River Northstar commuter rail station was completed the week of June 15. Crews finished painting the station shelters, concrete and electrical work, and shelter roofing. Installation of station signage and paving and striping of the parking lot will finish the week of June 22. This past week, crews paved the first course of asphalt on the west parking lot and Ashton Avenue in Fridley, Minn. Work on Ashton Avenue is now complete and the road is completely open. Final paving and striping will occur late summer or early fall when most of the Fridley station construction has been completed. In downtown Minneapolis, traffic signal lighting at the intersections of 5th Street N and 1st Avenue N, 2nd Avenue N and 3rd Avenue N was connected the week of June 15. LRT platform work continues as crews install metal panels in the shelter roofs. Crews installed shelter glass and station signage In Coon Rapids, elevator installation continues and is expected to be completed the week of June 22. Crews continue to paint the interior of the pedestrian overpass. Station signage installation began Installation is expected to be completed the week of June 22. In Anoka, crews paved and striped the north and south parking lots. Crews are installing benches in the platform shelters in Big Lake. Work at the VMF has been completed. In Fridely, backfilling the west and center head houses began and backfilling will finish after crews complete the decks on the west and center head houses. Crews formed and began concrete pours on the west head house deck and will form and pour the center head house deck. The east parking lot was graded. Utility work in the east lot will begin the week of June 22. June 23, 2009 New MTA train schedules take effect due to construction Construction and track work on the MTA’s Hudson Line and the Danbury and Waterbury branches of the New Haven Line in Metro New York City will require a new schedule, effective July 13. There are no schedule changes on the Harlem Line. On the Upper Hudson Line, completion of track work between Beacon and Poughkeepsie results in the end of temporary schedule changes that have been in effect since April 5. Also to accommodate future track maintenance outages, the schedule pattern for off-peak and weekend trains from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central is being changed from 33 minutes past each hour to 40 minutes past each hour. Progress on the station rehabilitation project at Philipse Manor, Scarborough and Ossining will require substitute bus service for about a year at Philipse Manor and Scarborough for AM Reverse Peak and PM Reverse Peak customers. About two dozen customers will have travel time increases up to 20 minutes. Tie replacement and bridge maintenance on the Waterbury Branch requires the suspension of train service between Bridgeport and Waterbury from July 13 through August 14. Substitute buses will replace 15 weekday trains and 10 weekend trains, resulting in longer travel times for all customers on the Waterbury Branch. Another tie replacement project on the Danbury Branch requires mid-day substitute busing for six weekday trains between South Norwalk and Danbury from September 7 through mid-October. June 23, 2009 CP agrees to study move of downtown Saskatoon yard Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway have reached an agreement in principle to move railcar switching out of the downtown core, Saskatoon, Sask., city council heard June 22, according to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. The move, which would still see trains running through the city, could finally make it possible for the city to extend 25th Street to Idylwyld Drive, city manager Murray Totland told the council. Totland was commenting on a memorandum of understanding between the City of Saskatoon and Canadian Pacific Railway, which was approved by the council. Those two parties have entered into an MOU that allows the design work to continue on the 25th Street extension. That will allow the discussions between the three parties to continue. "In order for us to extend 25th, we need to relocate (the switching yard),” he said. “We couldn't build 25th Street without moving that operation out of there." The city, CP Rail, and CN have been in negotiations for several years on moving the yard out of the north downtown. The moving of switching operations would be accomplished by installing a new rail connection between the CP and CN lines near 11th Street and Dundonald Avenue as part of the Circle Drive South project, Totland said. Under the agreement, CN Rail would run railcars through the city along CP Rail's main line into CP's yard in Sutherland, he said. CP would run cars across the city to CN's Chappell Yards south of Montgomery. The new piece of rail would render the downtown switching operations unnecessary. The city would pay for the capital costs to build the short extension as part of the south bridge project. The agreement, which isn't legally binding, also provides that the city pay for a risk assessment of up to $250,000 to study the proposed new 25th Street rail crossing to ensure it would be safe. The approved alignment of 25th Street, with a three-way intersection at Idylwyld Drive at the CP Rail crossing, was approved late last year. The alignment would see 25th Street continue from where it ends at First Avenue and wind through the city yards to Idylwyld Drive. June 23, 2009 Asbestos contamination halts rail project Asbestos-contaminated soil along the railroad tracks leading to the Port of Redwood City, Calif., has forced Union Pacific to halt a major maintenance project until the site can be cleaned up, the San Mateo County Times reports. Worse still, at least for children on the Peninsula, the delay in the track rehabilitation derailed a planned Redwood City stop for a special Disney train promoting the upcoming movie "Disney's A Christmas Carol." The snag in the project also caught the attention of state and regional regulators, who are monitoring the situation but have not yet opened formal investigations. Railroad workers discovered the asbestos as they were replacing portions of the track and laying down new bedrock near the intersection of Seaport