Late Breaking Rail Industry News

June 18, 2008

Illinois residents upset with NS over rail bridge

In a move that local officials say threatens hundreds of homes and tens of thousands of acres of crops, the Norfolk Southern has refused to raise a bridge that residents fear could create a giant logjam on the Mississippi River and send floodwaters pouring over a fragile levee, local media report.

The townspeople in East Hannibal, Ill., say the railroad has reneged on a promise to keep the bridge up during this week's expected record river crest and then removed electric motors so it cannot be lifted until the water recedes. Adding to their sense of betrayal is the knowledge that the bridge's lift span was rebuilt 15 years ago with federal tax dollars.

A spokesman for Norfolk Southern said the railroad made no such promise and that the U.S. Coast Guard "did not object" to its plans.
The anxiety gripping this community is being felt for hundreds of miles along the Upper Mississippi this week.

When the water goes up another four feet to its predicted crest of 31.8 feet late this week, it will slam against the superstructure of the bridge - a series of cantilevered spans that run about 1,000 feet from here to Hannibal on the Missouri side. That will effectively create a dam that could push the water higher behind the blockage.

Rudy Husband, the railroad's spokesman, denied that the company had promised to leave the lift section of the span up, allowing a clearer path for water and debris. He said company engineers decided the bridge is "more stable in the down position than the up position," so "last Friday, after consulting with both the Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we put that bridge in the closed (down) position and locked it."

Husband said that keeping a lift bridge in place "is fairly standard procedure" in the event of flooding, and he said that a member of the Army Corps of Engineers told the railroad that the bridge's position would likely have no effect on water levels.

He later acknowledged, however, that the railroad had not talked to anyone at the corps about closing the bridge until Monday, after it had been done and when it was too late to reverse the decision.
Husband also said that the Coast Guard "knew what we were doing. They didn't object."

Roger Wiebusch, the Coast Guard's bridge administrator for the Mississippi River, said, "Norfolk Southern did not ask us" for permission to keep the bridge down, which the company does not need under law. He said that the service also was informed of the decision after the fact.

June 18, 2008

Tinley Park, Ill., seeks design plans for train station

Tinley Park, Ill., is looking for someone to design a state-of-the-art train station to replace the one along 80th Avenue, according to local newspapers. The approximately 25-year-old station is one of the busiest on Metra's system, with nearly 2,500 daily commuters, but it’s past its prime.

Village leaders have been working on building a new station for about three years. Tinley Park agreed to pay $2.4 million toward the project and has secured a $667,000 federal grant but needed Metra to cover most of the cost. The agency recently promised to spend $5.4 million for the new depot.

The village plans to issue a "request for qualifications" to about 20 vendors and advertise in newspapers. Those interested also can download the RFQ on the village's Web site, www.tinleypark.org.

Village leaders want a station that "makes an architectural statement in both height & mass and enhances the quality of surrounding property," according to the RFQ. The station will feature upscale lighting, kitchen services and warming shelters. The RFQ is are due July 18, and a person or firm is slated to be chosen by Aug. 19.

Zabrocki said he would've liked to have begun construction "yesterday," but it now looks like underground work will begin this fall or winter, with construction of the station beginning next spring.

June 18, 2008

Debate continues on CN purchase of EJ&E

The pending purchase of the EJ&E rail line by Canadian National has created uproar in many communities likely to be most affected by the increased rail traffic—issues CN addressed at a recent meeting of area business leaders at the Hilton Lisle in Naperville, Ill., local newspapers report.

The six factors of greatest concern to area residents were outlined by U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), who spoke at the outset of the briefing. Those issues are:
• Traffic backups and congestion at grade crossings on east-west arteries.
• The ability of emergency personnel and equipment to respond to calls for assistance in a timely manner.
• Schools and their ability to provide safe and timely bus service.
• Noise and vibrations and their impact on commercial and residential property and property values.
• The safety of area residents as the volume of hazardous materials transported through communities grows.
• Air quality and natural areas adjacent to the rail line.

In most cases, these concerns can be mitigated, but to what level and from which funding source is still being hotly debated.

CN has stated that after due diligence on its part, through research conducted by industry experts, it will pay up to $40 million for repairs and enhancements in communities most likely to be hardest hit by the increased rail traffic. It also does not believe any grade separations on any of the EJ&E lines are necessary.

“Forty million dollars is what we think the customary payment is that railroads would make in these circumstances to mitigate,” said Jim Foote, CN executive vice president of sales and marketing. “There is no precedent whatsoever for the position that every crossing should be grade separated and that the railroad should pay for them all.”

Biggert strongly opposed CN’s stance on this matter.

CN issued a statement on the matter, stating the Illinois Department of Transportation prioritizes rail crossings using a formula that takes into account rail and roadway traffic volumes and speeds. Using IDOT criteria, CN’s transportation consultants showed that—after the transaction is complete—none of the EJ&E crossings would rank among Illinois’s 50 crossings most in need of a grade separation. However, $40 million is what CN has identified as the proper amount to pay for improvements in crossings, sound barriers, fencing around schools and noise mitigation, based on its investigation of rail needs along the EJ&E.

According to CN, if each high traffic rail crossing along the EJ&E were to be grade separated, the cost would kill the transaction.

“Those are unreasonable positions,” Foote said.

Biggert suggested reallocating federal resources available under the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program, which was to be a $1.5 billion public/private partnership to fund capital improvements on the region’s rail infrastructure. But with a federal contribution of only $100 million and another $100 million contributed by the railroads, the program only has $200 million available.

As currently structured, most of the funding would be spent in Chicago and Cook County, rather than in the collar counties.

Foote pointed out that the railroads have done their part in regard to what he sees as a failed program.

“The CREATE project has been talked about for nine years now,” he said. “The railroads put in their money and no one else has stepped up to the plate to fund it.”

The state of Illinois has yet to submit its $100 million portion of CREATE, while the city of Chicago has not contributed its $30 million.

“The most recent estimate is going to exceed $3 billion for that project to be completed and it is unlikely that the money is going to be forthcoming,” Foote said. “What we’re proposing here is a private sector solution to this problem.”

Yet, even after CN pointed out the regional benefits of this plan—more efficient transportation of goods, less overall rail congestion and environmental advantages—many community leaders at the forum were not satisfied that the transaction’s positives outweighed its negatives.

June 17, 2008

UTA to Break Ground on West Valley TRAX Line

The Utah Transit Authority is breaking ground on the 5.1-mile West Valley TRAX line Wednesday, June 18, 2008, at 10 a.m. at Decker Lake Drive just north of 3100 South, West Valley City. Speakers will include UTA Board of Trustee Necia Christensen, West Valley Mayor Dennis Nordfelt, South Salt Lake Mayor Robert Gray and UTA General Manager John Inglish.

The West Valley line, scheduled to be finished by 2015, branches off the Salt Lake/Sandy line at the 2100 South Central Pointe TRAX station, adding four new stations to the system. The new stations include the Chesterfield Station, the Decker Lake Station, The E-Center Station and the West Valley City Intermodal Center near West Valley City Hall.

UTA expects ridership on this line to reach between 9,000 and 12,000 people each day by 2025.

The FrontLines 2015 project also includes the FrontRunner Provo to Salt Lake commuter rail line, the Draper and Airport TRAX lines and the Mid-Jordan TRAX line, on which UTA began construction in May 2008.

June 17, 2008

Proposed Indianapolis light rail could cost $100 million-plus

A commuter rail line from Noblesville, Ind., to Indianapolis could cost upward of $100 million, officials told people at a public meeting, local newspapers report. The Metropolitan Planning Organization presented the idea June 16 during a meeting in Indianapolis attended by about 65 people.

The proposed line would run along an old Nickel Plate railroad between the northern suburb and Union Station downtown. Trains would run every 30 minutes during peak morning and afternoon driving times.

Engineering consultant John Myers estimated a diesel light rail line could be up and running in three to five years at a cost of $100 million to $160 million. That cost includes upgrading the track, building about five stations and buying the equipment.

A longer-term proposal for 2035 including two tracks and 19 stations would cost an estimated $690 million. Six more routes to other suburban areas also are proposed and would add to the cost.

The planning group, which is gathering public input this month, will make a recommendation later this summer to the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council. If the council approves the proposal, an environmental study would begin.

June 17, 2008

BART plans to restore Fremont Line service in early August

Service delays continue to and from Hayward, South Hayward, Union City and Fremont stations in California as BART works to recover from a fire at the Hayward Train Yard. The agency is looking to restore full service to the area in early August. However, the repair work is extensive and BART can't set a definitive date.

Two fires caused extensive damage to the Hayward Yard train control system on May 10, knocking out 25 percent of BART's system-wide maintenance and service operations. While the fires severely damaged several systems, BART’s first priority is to repair the ones that will restore train service as quickly as possible. Work is ongoing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including wrapping up work to remove toxic materials from the fire sites; testing and repairing more than 1,500 complex and safety-sensitive power and control wires; purchasing and installing critical equipment that was damaged; and bringing in extra personnel to help expedite repairs.

June 17, 2008

Downers Grove's Belmont Road underpass plan suffers setback

The Village of Downers Grove, Ill., must revisit the long-standing Belmont Road underpass project after legislators in Springfield failed to pass an infrastructure bill last month that was critical to its completion. 

The intersection at Belmont Road and the BNSF has been the site of numerous traffic accidents and at least four fatalities since the early 1990s. The village's reconfiguration plan, which dates to 1996, would create an underpass where Belmont Road would run beneath the railroad tracks.



Mayor Ron Sandack said the bill's failure forces the village to reconvene with representatives from Metra, the state, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the railway. An estimated $8.5 million is needed to complete the project.



"We need to see how we can find the money," Sandack said, suggesting that DuPage County could be a source of funds.

 Although much of Belmont Road is under county jurisdiction, no county money has been committed to the project, said County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom.



"The responsibility to come up with the money belongs to the state," Schillerstrom said, adding that the project is a high priority. "We will continue to put pressure on political leaders to get it done."



Schillerstrom said the county contributed more than $1 million in other capital improvements to the road.

The state already had already committed $8 million to the project. Metra has committed $21.8 million.

June 17, 2008

MTA advertising for program management consultant 
services

The Maryland Transit Administration posted an advertisement for Expressions of Interest to seek qualified engineering firms to provide professional services in conjunction with requirements for On Call Program Management Consultant services for major capital projects. These capital projects involve system preservation, enhancements and expansions for all MTA transit modes. The MTA continues outreach efforts to meet those goals by strengthening awareness of these new opportunities.

Two contracts will be awarded in an estimated amount not-to-exceed $60 million each for a period of eight years. Expressions of Interest are due by July 9, 2008. A copy of the advertisement can be seen at the MTA website at www.mtamaryland.com, click on “Doing Business with the MTA” and then go to Professional Services Section, Architectural & Engineering Services and select Contract No. MTA-1264 A&B.

June 17, 2008

Metro-North schedules Otisville Tunnel rail and tie replacement

Track improvement work on the Port Jervis line the weekend of June 21 will mean bus substitution for MTA Metro-North Railroad customers at three stations: Middletown, Otisville and Port Jervis. To allow Metro-North track workers to replace the rail and ties in the mile-long, single-track Otisville Tunnel, the track will be taken out of service beginning at 12:15 a.m. Saturday, June 21 after the 12:08 a.m. arrival at Otisville. That train, the 9:55 p.m. Friday departure from Hoboken, will continue to the end of the line at Port Jervis, arriving at 12:27 a.m.

Normal service will resume on Sunday, June 22, beginning with the 6:15 p.m. from Hoboken, due Port Jervis at 8:25 p.m.

June 16, 2008

Amtrak reschedules Conn. bridge work, starts Illinois work

Amtrak has been notified by the contractor working on the Thames River Bridge in Connecticut that the installation of the new lift span has been further delayed due to complications encountered in the dismantling and removal of the bridge's counterweight. As a result, the previously announced schedules to accommodate the change-out have been suspended.

Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole told RT&S that the four-day work window, first scheduled to begin June 14 and then revised to commence June 16, remained in limbo, though Amtrak hopes to surmount its delays sometime this week.

Amtrak schedules on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, served by Lincoln Service trains and the Texas Eagle, will undergo temporary changes throughout this month while Union Pacific carries out the second of two phases of track improvements at Springfield, Ill.

June 16, 2008

Downtown Minneapolis LRT Connection sidewalk reopens

This week, work continues on the Light Rail Transit Connection in downtown Minneapolis, the Vehicle Maintenance Facility in Big Lake and commuter rail stations in Big Lake, Anoka and Coon Rapids.

In downtown Minneapolis, crews have completed the reconstruction of the permanent sidewalk on the south side of 5th Street North between 1st and 2nd avenues. The sidewalk is now open to pedestrians. Removal and reconstruction of the south half of the 5th Street roadway between 1st and 2nd avenues is under way and is scheduled to be completed by Monday, June 23. Beginning Monday, June 16, the southwest quadrant of the 1st Avenue and 5th Street intersection will be removed and reconstructed.

At the Northstar Station in the City of Coon Rapids, Minn., work has begun on the pedestrian overpass stair towers. Crews are first working on the tower on the north side of the tracks. Once both stair towers and elevator shafts are completed, the pedestrian walkway will be placed between the two towers.

At the Anoka Northstar Station, jacking and boring on 4th Avenue under the BNSF tracks continues as crews conduct storm sewer utility work. This work is expected to continue on 4th Avenue between Pierce Street and Grant Street at least through the end of June. Excavation of the drainage pond has finished and crews will seed the pond banks by the end of the week of June 16.

In Big Lake, concrete work on the Big Lake station platform and future park-and-ride lot continues. Interior piping, ductwork installation and exterior concrete work will continue at the VMF next week. Track installation outside of the VMF continues.

June 16, 2008

Rail traffic sploshes to halt in Iowa

Washed-out track and the collapse of two major bridges have brought Iowa's railroad operations to a virtual halt this week, interrupting shipments of coal, grain, ethanol, building materials and chemicals, according to the Des Moines Register. 

Union Pacific reports that both its north-south and east-west lines are out of service.



UP's shutdown has implications for national traffic because the east-west line across Iowa is the railroad's main route from Chicago to the Pacific coast. That line is used not only to haul coal to numerous utilities in the Midwest, South and East, but also is a main route for inbound import traffic from Asia.



Other railroad operations are also experiencing problems with rising waters.

 BNSF expects to lose its main east-west line across Iowa when Des Moines River flooding reaches Ottumwa. The Iowa Interstate Railroad has operated only east of the Mississippi River after waters from the Raccoon River washed out its tracks through West Des Moines earlier in the week.



The Iowa Northern Railroad lost its bridge Wednesday across the Cedar River, cutting the railroad - which runs between Cedar Rapids and Manly in northern Iowa - virtually in half. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad also lost a bridge over the Cedar River on Thursday, despite trying to stabilize the structure with 20 cars loaded with crushed rock.

The Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad, which serves northern Iowa, reported washouts between Mason City and Nora Springs and between Charles City and Ossian, and said the lines will remain closed for seven to 14 days.

June 16, 2008

CTA opens renovated south entrance at Howard Station

Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman toured the newly renovated south entrance to the Howard Red Line station, which opened to customers June 9. Improvements to the new entrance include the installation of elevators, making the station newly accessible to customers with disabilities. With the opening of the south entrance, 83 of CTA’s 144 rail stations are now accessible. Renovations to the south entrance are a part of the overall construction project currently underway at the Howard station, which is scheduled to be completed in 2009.

The new south entrance provides a convenient, accessible path between the station platforms and the multi-story parking garage and bus terminal on the west side of the station.

The overall rehabilitation project includes building a modern ADA-accessible station equipped with elevators, escalators, gap fillers and tactile edging; renovating the existing stationhouse and platform areas; and upgrading communications, electrical and lighting systems. The station features customer-friendly amenities such as new benches, signs and bike racks, and new wind breaks and canopies to shelter customers during inclement weather. The construction project also calls for the rehabilitation of the existing Howard Street viaduct and the retail space on the north side of Howard Street.

Chicago-based James McHugh Construction Company is the construction contractor and the Regional Transportation Authority and proceeds from CTA Bonds are providing the funding.

June 16, 2008

FRA awards grant to Alaska Railroad to install positive train control

The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded a $735,000 grant to the Alaska Railroad to install and test its positive train control system, the Collision Avoidance System, on 68 locomotives. The grant is the final step to implement the CAS throughout Alaska Railroad’s network, and will fund the installation of locomotive on-board computers, which interface with the office safety servers, the computer aided dispatch system, and the radio communication network.

The development of the CAS was initiated in 2005. Previous work included the installation of a new generation computer-aided dispatch system, the deployment of a communications network and locomotive tracking system, and the engineering and design of the onboard system.

June 16, 2008

New Iberia, La., to get $1.6 million for crossings

Safety upgrades for railroad crossings in New Iberia will soon be under way as part of the city's plans for the $1.6 million in federal funding it received for a railroad grade separation, according to local newspapers. The money was originally tied specifically to an underpass or overpass to allow traffic flow across rail tracks that divide the city and access to the city's two hospitals located on the same side of the tracks. However, language changes recently approved by President Bush will now also allow the city to use the money to upgrade safety features at the city's 24 railroad crossings.

The $1.6 million was not enough for a railroad grade separation and the safety upgrades such as gates and lights at the crossings are a more immediate need to ensure the public's safety, said New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry. Currently, the city is working with the Department of Transportation and Development to assess which crossings are in need of enhanced safety features. The funding will also be used for a feasibility study of a grade separation.

The city received the funding in 2005, Curry said. Originally, the funding was placed in a federal highway bill to help the city eliminate some switching tracks within the city that repeatedly caused traffic build-up.

The city has 24 crossings. Some are marked with lights and rail gates, though some have no auxiliary warnings to signal oncoming trains.

Reducing the number of crossings may be an option, said Bill Fontenot, district administrator of the Department of Transportation and Development.

June 13, 2008

Ark., La. communities seek restoration of rail line

An economic development group has agreed to endorse a pact that would restore a section of rail line that runs between McGehee, Ark., and Tallulah, La., local newspapers report. The Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District agreed Thursday to adopt an interstate agreement between southeast Arkansas and northeast Louisiana to jointly restore the 90-mile stretch of line.

The rail section was recently proposed for abandonment. However, the Arkansas group and the Lake Providence Port Commission have developed a plan for the rail to be active again. The project will offer rail access to two interested ports and preserve the railway for potential future uses.

The development district owns 21.8 miles of the abandoned railway from Lake Village to the Arkansas-Louisiana state line, and Delta Southern Railroad owns the remaining 70 miles of rail from the state line to Tallulah. The agreement calls for either the district or the Lake Providence group to pursue purchase of an additional section of rail connecting McGehee and Lake Village.

June 13, 2008

NOMAD Digital partners with Utah Transit to offer free WiFi

Nomad Digital said that it has partnered with the Utah Transit Authority to launch the first “free to all passengers” onboard WiFi wireless broadband network on a U.S. railroad. Nomad, which worked with local partner Wasatch Electric, provided its high-speed wireless broadband connection for the 12 double-decker trains on the new 40-mile FrontRunner commuter rail line between Ogden and Salt Lake City. In the six weeks since the railroad opened for business, the number of passengers using the WiFi service has already risen rapidly from 300 per day at the start of May to 700 per day by early June.

This is the first full-scale commercial roll-out for Nomad Digital in the U.S. but the company anticipates more. Nomad is already established internationally, providing passenger broadband services to Southern Railways and to the Heathrow Express in the U.K. It has also recently won the contract to design, construct and manage the world’s longest broadband corridor for Virgin Trains on the U.K.’s 600-km London to Glasgow route. Nomad has also won the on-train and station Internet service contract for the Dubai Metro and its most recent major win was for a nationwide rail network for the Norwegian State Railway.

June 13, 2008

DOT Action Plan: Private crossings, new technology and closures

Several safety initiatives designed to reduce collisions between motor vehicles and trains will be completed before the end of 2008 as part of the ongoing U.S. Department of Transportation Highway-Rail Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention Action Plan, said DOT Secretary Mary Peters.

“Our efforts to improve safety where the rails meet the road are working,” Peters said, noting that from 2004 to 2007 grade-crossing accidents and fatalities declined 10.8 percent and 9.1 percent respectively. However, there were still 2,746 collisions and 338 deaths at America’s nearly 227,000 grade crossings last year.

Peters explained the Federal Railroad Administration is releasing the first-ever comprehensive report detailing the challenges associated with the nearly 87,000 private roadways that cross over railroad tracks and which are not subject to the same federal safety standards as public crossings. The report describes and proposes possible courses of action to improve safety at private crossings through development of a national policy or issuance of federal regulations, she said.

In the coming months, the FRA also intends to issue a multi-year research and development plan that includes several projects specifically addressing grade crossing safety issues, Peters said. It will support research into innovative and low-cost technologies to modernize existing warning devices, improve detection of oncoming trains by motor vehicle drivers and apply Intelligent Transportation System solutions, among several other research efforts.

And, by the end of the year, the FRA will issue a revised guidebook to assist states and communities in closing or consolidating unneeded or little used public grade crossings along a rail corridor while improving crossing safety at those that remain open. More than 18,000 crossings have been closed since 2004.

Peters said the Action Plan, originally issued in June 2004, involves the work of several DOT agencies and has completed numerous projects and activities during the past four years including regulations, research, technology development, technical assistance and educational efforts.

June 13, 2008

Gary, Ind., airport forges railroad agreement for runway extension

A preliminary railroad relocation agreement to allow expansion of the Gary/Chicago International Airport is expected to be reached next week, but the Regional Development Authority is keeping its wait-and-see attitude about providing money that the airport lacks to cover all the costs, local newspapers report.

At a working group meeting June 12, airport attorney Patrick Lyp presented a letter in which RDA executive director Tim Sanders reports on a conversation with airport director Chris Curry, who Lyp said is hopeful the memorandum of agreement will be signed by the CSX, Norfolk Southern and EJ&E Railroads by June 16.

"This will allow us to have our engineers go to work with their engineers to design what we've agreed to design," he said.

Lyp said that includes moving the EJ&E tracks at the northwest end of the main runway and relocating the other two lines, likely involving an overpass, to allow future expansion of the cross-wind runway.
He said the Canadian National Railway, which is seeking to purchase the EJ&E, has been a party to the talks that have been under way since last fall.

According to the letter, Curry has estimated the cost of relocating the tracks at $45 million and has budgeted $27 million, the amount remaining from the federal money the airport has received, for the project, Lyp said. He said he hopes the engineers' work will provide "solid numbers."

June 13, 2008

Transit benefits would exceed costs after 15 years, study finds

Within about 15 years of completion, new mass transit expansion options currently undergoing public review would pay off with quantifiable public benefits that exceed the costs of building them. After 15 years, those public benefits — mainly from time and energy savings — would continue to accumulate for decades more, exceeding costs by a ratio of two to one.

These are the key findings of a benefit-cost analysis prepared for Sound Transit in the Seattle area and released to its Board. The Board currently is considering options for Sound Transit system expansion. Benefit-cost analysis of projects costing more than $100 million is required by the Puget Sound Regional Council as it reviews conformity with the regional transportation plan, a state mandate.

The impacts of new transit on travel patterns in the region were assessed in five categories: number of new transit riders; travel time savings for new and existing travel riders; savings in vehicle (highway) miles traveled due to new transit riders; paid parking saved for new transit riders and reduction in delay caused by traffic congestion.


The study’s methodology is modeled upon state-of-the-art, conservative assumptions for U.S. transit investments. It compares expanding transit with taking no action. Anticipated regional population growth will cause significantly more congestion on existing highways by 2030. The study finds that expanding the rail system will yield significant mobility benefits, resulting in time savings of between 13 million and 34 million vehicle-hours from reduced vehicle delay per year, depending on the expansion option.

The benefit-cost analysis was prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff for Sound Transit and included analysis of three transit expansion options: a 20-year plan developed last year that would add more than 50 miles of light rail service to the region and two new 12-year options adding 18 to 23 miles of light rail and increasing commuter rail service. The Sound Transit Board is weighing these options and whether to forward one for a November 2008 public vote or wait until 2010. That decision will be made in July.

June 13, 2008

California city moves ahead on underpass

City officials in Pico Rivera, Calif., say they are ready to proceed with a $43.4-million plan to tunnel under railroad tracks on Passons Boulevard, creating an underpass for traffic, according to local newspapers. In the process, residents of five houses and the 90-unit Rivera Villa apartment complex will be relocated, and their homes demolished.

"It's probably the biggest single public construction project either in the history of the city or in a long, long time," Senior Analyst Ceci Chang said.

The project is being paid for with state money and by Caltrans, BNSF and with federal funds. The city will not contribute money, Chang said, but it will be the lead agency on the project, bringing in construction contracts and collaborating with a consulting firm on relocating residents.

June 13, 2008

Caltrain to close Watkins Avenue for construction

Caltrain will close the railroad grade crossing at Watkins Avenue in Atherton, Calif., over two weekends to allow crews to reconstruct the crossing and adjacent track, as well as repave the street. The street will be closed from approximately 8 a.m., Friday, June 20 through 5 a.m., Monday, June 23 and again from 8 a.m., Friday, June 27 through 5 a.m., Monday, June 30. During the closure drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can use Fair Oaks Lane or Encinal Avenue as a detour.

There will be no delays in service due to the construction. However, from Friday morning through Sunday evening, all trains will operate in both directions on a single track in the construction area.

June 12, 2008

NJ TRANSIT to provide new station for Wood-Ridge residents

The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors authorized an agreement that will provide a new train station for residents of Wood-Ridge in Bergen County, part of a plan to transform a former industrial site into a transit-friendly, mixed-use neighborhood.

The agreement between NJ TRANSIT and Wood-Ridge Development LLC, of Lakewood, N.J., will share the cost for design and construction of a new train station and parking facility on the Bergen County Line in the Borough of Wood-Ridge, on the site of the former Curtiss-Wright industrial plant. The train station will be known as Wesmont Station.
As part of the plan, NJ TRANSIT will realize $37 million in improvements, including a new infrastructure maintenance facility.

The Borough previously approved plans for redevelopment of the 78-acre property and selected Wood-Ridge Development LLC as the master developer. NJ TRANSIT has worked closely with the Borough and the developer on a plan that will provide a new, fully-accessible rail station and parking facility to serve a transit-oriented, mixed-use community.

Construction of the new rail station is expected to begin in 2009, with completion in 2011.

June 12, 2008

CTA to seek private sector partners for Airport Express service

Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman said that after a thorough review of the CTA’s Block 37 project to develop a transit center, track connections and direct airport train service, he recommended to the Chicago Transit Board that the CTA go out to bid for a private sector partner to building out the station and develop and operate the service.

Huberman said staff would work with the City of Chicago, which is partnering with the CTA to develop a request for proposals to seek that partner. In the meantime, the CTA will continue constructing underground tunnels to connect the Red and Blue Lines to the new station. It will also continue to work with Joseph Freed & Associates, the Block 37 master developer, to finish the shell of a station that would serve both lines. Scheduled work on both is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

Huberman said that it would not make sense to completely build out the station or create the final tunnel connections until a partner is selected because final layout, technology and finishes are dependent on an operating plan.

To complete the tunnel work and the station shell will cost an additional $45.6 million. Build out costs would be more and would depend on the needs of the future partner. The project was conceived in 2003 and the initial budget estimate was $213.3 million with a CTA share of $130 million.

Huberman has identified three primary factors that impacted the project budget: construction costs, the site conditions and the site logistics.

Since the initial budget was developed in 2003, construction and materials costs have increased by 26 percent. In addition, the CTA work occurred several stories beneath street level and construction crews encountered more challenging conditions than anticipated. There was still a significant amount of foundation and debris from previous structures on the site as well as a staggering amount of utility work.

The other factor was site staging. With two contractors and all their heavy equipment working together in a limited space, there have been significant logistical challenges that have resulted in more work being done at night and on weekends, at a higher cost.

Huberman said that he replaced the prior project management team last fall and praised the new team for identifying the problems and providing workable solutions.

June 12, 2008

BART working to overcome fire damage on Fremont line

Service delays continue to and from Hayward, South Hayward, Union City and Fremont, California, stations as BART works to recover from a recent fire at the Hayward Train Yard. The agency is looking to restore full service to the area in early August, but the repair work is extensive and it can't set a definitive date.

Two fires caused extensive damage to the Hayward Yard train control system on May 10, knocking out 25 percent of BART's system-wide maintenance and service operations. While the fires severely damaged several systems, the first priority is to repair the ones that will restore train service as quickly as possible. Work is continuing 24 hours a day, seven days a week on wrapping up efforts to remove toxic materials from the fire sites; testing and repairing more than 1,500 complex and safety-sensitive power and control wires; purchasing and installing critical equipment that was damaged; and bringing in extra personnel to help expedite repairs.

June 11, 2008

Amtrak postpones replacement of Thames River bridge

The scheduled replacement of the moveable span of Amtrak’s Thames River bridge has been pushed back two days due to "unexpected complications" encountered by Amtrak’s contractors in dismantling the old span’s massive concrete counterweight. Originally scheduled for June 14-17, the replacement will now take place June 16-19.

Amtrak is replacing the drawbridge span of the 90-year-old bridge with a new vertical lift span to improve the reliability of the bridge, reduce the chance of operational failures and minimize train delays. During the four-day bridge outage, Amtrak will also undertake several track and signal maintenance projects between New Haven and Boston to provide smoother and more reliable passenger rail service.

During the bridge outage, Amtrak personnel and signs will be utilized to assist passengers with the adjusted schedules at stations along the Shoreline Route. MBTA and Shoreline East commuter rail service will not be affected by this bridge outage.

June 11, 2008

Alton & Southern to expand RailComm automation system

Alton & Southern Railroad continued to expand its existing RailComm Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) System by adding 14 remotely controlled solar-powered switches at the Bowl and Crest sections of their yard. The 14 switches will be added to the existing DOC® system and will eliminate hand throw switches. A point-to-multipoint wireless data communications network will be established utilizing RailComm’s RADiANT™ Data Radio technology.

June 11, 2008

NTSB lists possible causes of 2005 Metra crossing accident

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of an accident that occurred at a highway-railroad grade crossing in Elmwood Park, Ill., was a combination of factors including the intersection angle, the heavy holiday traffic and the complex street and rail pattern and related signal interactions at the intersection.

On November 23, 2005, the day before Thanksgiving, at 4:41 p.m., in Elmwood Park, Illinois, a traffic queue formed within the 366-foot-wide signaled Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad (METRA) highway-railroad grade crossing on eastbound West Grand Avenue. At the same time, METRA train 107 was approaching the crossing on the westbound tracks at a speed of 70 mph, as indicated by event data recorder information. The crossing lights were activated and the crossing gates lowered 54 seconds before the train arrived. The traffic queue trapped some stopped vehicles within the grade crossing.

As METRA train 107 approached the crossing, the engineer recognized the hazard and put the train into emergency braking. The train was unable to stop before colliding with approximately six of the stopped vehicles, pushing them into secondary impacts with 12 other vehicles.

The report adopted by the Board today states that this grade crossing is the widest in the State of Illinois and has been the location of 45 accidents between 1956 and November 2005, resulting in a total of seven fatalities and 27 injuries.

The Board report also notes that the Village of Elmwood Park, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Commerce Commission had undertaken several initiatives to improve the safety of the grade crossing in recent years, but that congested traffic conditions continue to cause safety problems in this location.

As a result of its investigation, the NTSB made a recommendation to the Governor of Illinois to require the ICC and IDOT to construct a grade separation in place of the West Grand Avenue grade crossing, and provide the necessary resources to effect this change.

June 11, 2008

Bay Area transit agencies awarded $60 million

Bay Area transit agencies are set to receive more than $60 million in state transportation funding, with the biggest chunk going to BART for station improvements, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. Local newspapers report that BART will get $36 million to make upgrades, such as new signage and equipment, at its 43 stations. The San Francisco Municipal Railway will receive $9.7 million to help pay for a new light-rail maintenance facility that is now under construction.

SamTrans gets $8 million to buy 126 buses that will be more fuel efficient and cleaner burning than the existing fleet, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will use its $6.7 million grant to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that will span the Monterey Highway and railroad tracks used by Caltrain, Amtrak and freight trains.

The money is from a $20 billion transportation bond approved by state voters in 2006.

June 11, 2008

Study to offer advice on dealing with EJ&E traffic increases

A statewide freight study in Indiana will contain ideas on how communities can deal with Canadian National Railway's proposed purchase of the EJ&E Railway, which would increase train traffic threefold in some towns and cities, according to local newspapers. The study, started in June 2007, should be ready for delivery by this January, said Barbara Sloan, of Cambridge Systematics.

CN proposed buying the EJ&E in September, when the freight study was already well along, but it is too big a deal to ignore, Sloan said.

"We are certainly taking a look at it," Sloan said. "You can't ignore something of that scale."

Sloan presented an update on the freight study to the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission's Transportation Policy Committee on Tuesday at its monthly meeting. Cambridge Systematics is preparing the study, called the Indiana Multimodal Freight and Mobility Plan, for the Indiana Department of Transportation. It will outline ways cities and towns can prepare for, and benefit from, increases in rail and other freight traffic.

The study comes as communities from Griffith to Barrington, Ill., are fighting CN's proposed purchase of the EJ&E, which they fear will gridlock their streets.

June 11, 2008

Metro to reopen roadway at the end the tracks at Union Station,

Los Angeles’ Metro will reopen, the new baggage roadway, pedestrian walkway and emergency vehicle access road at the end of the Metrolink platform tracks at Union Station Thursday, June 12, as part of the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension construction activities.

The Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, which will feature eight stations (two underground), will span six miles from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles via the Arts District/Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights to Atlantic/Pomona Boulevards in East Los Angeles. It is scheduled to open in mid-2009.

June 10, 2008

Patriot Rail Corp. acquires Louisiana & North West Railroad

Patriot Rail Corp., a short line and regional freight railroad holding company, acquired the Louisiana & North West Railroad, a short line freight railroad headquartered in Homer, La. This transaction marks the fifth railroad acquisition by Patriot since its inception in November 2006. Patriot now operates a total of 321 miles of rail line in seven states.

Incorporated in 1889, the LNW operates 68 miles of track from Gibsland, La., to McNeil, Ark. Major commodities shipped by the railroad include chemical products for Albemarle Corporation, wood products for Weyerhaeuser and Partee Flooring, steel products for CMC Steel Arkansas and plastics for Berry Plastics. The LNW, which interchanges traffic with Union Pacific at McNeil and with Kansas City Southern at Gibsland, handles approximately 5,000 carloads of freight annually. The railroad also owns 845 acres of real estate, operates five locomotives and has 27 employees.

June 10, 2008

CTA planning additional funds for Block 37 project

Chicago is planning another subsidy for Block 37, a three-phased funding program for the “L” station under construction there that's running more than $100 million over budget, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Under plans that the Chicago Transit Authority board is scheduled to consider on June 11, the city would provide roughly $20 million in additional tax-increment financing funds for the superstation beneath the mixed-use project rising at Block 37, Crain's has learned.

In addition, the CTA in several stages over the past year or so has poured an extra $60 million to $70 million of its own money into the project, despite its shortage of capital funds, sources say. And developer Joseph Freed & Associates, which is building the retail and residential structures on top of the station, reportedly has agreed to absorb about $19 million of the cost overruns.

People familiar with the matter say the new subsidies will cover only costs already incurred. Until even more money is found, those people say, the semi-completed station will be mothballed.

Originally, the superstation, which will connect the Red Line underneath State with the Blue Line under Dearborn Street, was budgeted at $213 million, with the city and CTA providing about $173 million of that. But spending now is estimated at about $320 million, including mothballing costs but excluding what will be needed to complete construction.

The station was designed to anchor not only the Block 37 complex but also premium-priced express train service from the Loop to O'Hare and Midway airports. The CTA shelved plans for the express because it doesn't have the $1.5 billion or more needed to build it.

June 10, 2008

Caltrain to celebrate completion of Burlingame Station Project

The City of Burlingame, Calif., is celebrating its 100th birthday and Caltrain has the perfect present: a modernized train station. The public is invited to join the party on June 12 when officials from Caltrain, the City of Burlingame and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority celebrate the completion of the year-long station improvement project.

The $20.5-million construction project targeted a range of improvements, including safety, accessibility and track capacity. The renovated station has a pedestrian plaza, enhanced landscaping, wider sidewalks, new station fencing and shelters that reflect the architecture of the historic station.

The old Burlingame station configuration only allowed one train to be in the station at a time, which caused service delays and required vehicles at adjacent crossings to wait for a prolonged period of time. The old center-boarding platform has been replaced with outside boarding platforms and a fence between the train tracks. The new design improves safety by preventing pedestrians from crossing the tracks except at designated crossing areas, which are protected with pedestrian crossing gates.

June 10, 2008

Texas rail district has freight issues, safety concerns

San Patricio Rural Rail District members identified some of the major rail concerns in the county before the ink had dried on the resolution they signed, according to local newspapers. The resolution committed to the district to working with the Nueces County Rural Rail Transportation District, the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization in improving rail service for the benefit of both counties. The Nueces rail district and the planning group have approved and signed similar resolutions.

District President Tom Ballou said one of his concerns was the integrity of bridges around the county used by railroad companies. He said some were old and needed improvement to avoid accidents and speed the movement of freight. Rail curves throughout the county also are a safety concern, he said. Perhaps the answer could be rebuilding or improving the bridges and adding tolls to recoup the investment.

Other members discussed a direct route for freight from the proposed La Quinta Trade Gateway Terminal to Sinton, adding rail to Naval Station Ingleside and adding track to other parts of the county.

Tom Niskala, the Metropolitan Planning Organization's transportation planning director, said the organization would hire a consulting firm that would conduct an impact study of the La Quinta terminal and the proposed Robstown Intermodal Facility.

Niskala added that the organization would contact railroad companies to discuss the area's pending project in an effort to collaborate better on projects.

June 10, 2008

Major upgrades ahead for MBTA Rockport Station

The Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority awarded a $1.2-million contract to Nitsch Engineering to complete the final design of the Rockport Commuter Rail Station and layover facility. Design efforts include:
• Full level boarding platform with tactile edge and accessible ramps at both ends.
• Relocation of freight office to contain crew facilities.
• New station shelter.
• Automated Fare Collection infrastructure.
• Closed-circuit cameras, emergency telephones, fire alarms.
• LED variable message sign.
• Improved site drainage.
• Landscaping and grade ramp entrance to the adjacent public recreation fields.
• Expand parking for 150 vehicles.
• Layover facility including four storage tracks, and a noise mitigation train shed.

With the cooperation of Rockport state and local officials, the MBTA worked very closely with the community to identify the preferred station location, layover facility and overall scope of work.

Upon design completion, slated for winter 2009, a separate contract for the construction of the work will be advertised and brought before the MBTA Board of Directors for approval.

Rockport Commuter Rail station is located on the Rockport Line approximately 35 miles north of Boston.

June 10, 2008

FHWA issues pedestrian safety guide for transit agencies

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a guide designed to help provide transit agency staff with an easy-to-use resource for improving pedestrian safety. The guide includes a variety of approaches to address common pedestrian safety issues that are likely to arise near transit stations, bus stops and other places where transit (bus or rail) is operated. The guide provides references to publications, guides and other tools to identify pedestrian safety problems.

The guide should prove useful for transit staff who set agency policies, monitor transit performance, determine transit stop locations and schedules, train transit operators and work with communities on development near transit stations. The guide is also a resource for agency staff who work with other transportation agencies to develop safe access and egress for transit passengers.

Secondary audiences for this guide include transit agency partners who are responsible for pedestrian safety issues—local and state transportation agency staff, developers, transit customers and community groups interested in improving pedestrian safety near transit stops and stations.

The guide includes:
Common pedestrian safety issues that are likely to be found near transit stations, bus stops and other places where transit (bus or rail) is operated.
Descriptions of specific engineering, education and enforcement programs that have been effectively applied by transit agencies to foster greater pedestrian safety.
Background information about pedestrian safety and access to transit.
References to publications, guides and other tools that can be used to identify pedestrian safety problems.

To view or download a pdf, go to http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9132

June 10, 2008

New Orleans Public Belt, CN inaugurate intermodal yard

The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, the Port of New Orleans and Canadian National recently dedicated the Napoleon Intermodal Rail Yard, a new terminal that will handle intermodal transfer at the port’s Napoleon Avenue terminal, according to the ASLRRA.

The new terminal is situated on 26 acres and features four 1,700-foot tracks with concrete transfer pads. CN is the first Class 1 to serve the new facility, which NOPB switches. The new terminal is expected to handle about 350 to 400 containers weekly.

June 10, 2008

Forest fires cut Pukatawagan, Man., lifeline

A forest fire burning near Sherridon, Manitoba, destroyed a wooden railroad bridge, cutting off the only affordable travel route between Pukatawagan and the outside world. Pukatawagan is an isolated community of about 1,500 people near the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, about 850 kilometers (570 miles) northwest of Winnipeg. In the summer, there are only two ways to reach the community: fly in or take the train.

Via Rail Canada runs a train twice a week on the 200-kilometer (134-mile) stretch of line between The Pas and Pukatawagan, under an agreement with Keewatin Railway Co., a firm owned by a First Nations consortium. KRC owns and maintains the track.

"The bridge is burnt," said Tom McCahill, general manager for KRC, explaining that about 80 feet of track across a small creek needs rebuilding. The site will be examined by an engineering firm to estimate the cost of rebuilding the bridge only when the firm can get to the location, McCahill said.

In the meantime, KRC will patch the track temporarily, laying lines across steel culvert and earth fill, he said, estimating the patching work will take a couple of days but can't start until work crews can get to the site.

Until the track repairs are done, the Northern Store and a local co-op in Pukatawagan have been bringing in food and supplies by plane.

June 10, 2008

NCRA loses appeal against decision suspending rail repairs

The City of Novato, Calif., recently won another round in its ongoing legal war against the North Coast Railroad Authority’s restoration of rail lines through the city, Local newspapers report. The First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected without comment an appeal by the North Coast Railroad Authority against an injunction by Judge James R. Ritchie. Ritchie’s decision, issued April 1, forced the NCRA to temporarily halt repair work on railway bridges and tracks between Lombard and Windsor, the so-called “Russian River” division of its rail-freight reactivation project, until the city’s suit against the NCRA was decided in court. The repair of railway signals was allowed to continue.

Ritchie’s decision was prompted by a suit against the NCRA by the city of Novato, which claims that the NCRA split a single project into two parts, the Russian River division and Eel River division, in violation of California Environmental Quality Act standards, in order to avoid completing the necessary environmental impact studies. The NCRA claims Novato filed its lawsuit almost six months too late.

Mitch Stogner of the NCRA said his agency was disappointed by the decision, but would continue to challenge the decision by other means.

June 9, 2008

CTA completes renovations at Armitage Brown Line Station

Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman said that the major construction work is complete at the Armitage Brown Line station and that the newly renovated station opened to customers on June 5.

The Armitage station, the 10th station out of 18 renovated as part of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion project, is newly accessible with the addition of two new elevators. With the opening of Armitage, 80 out of 144 CTA rail stations are now accessible.

Construction crews will continue to work in the weeks ahead to complete finishing work while the station is open for service. Additional work includes removing the temporary station, landscaping and adding rotogates to the auxiliary exits at platform level.

Major improvements to Armitage include restoration of the original brick and terracotta on the station’s exterior, longer platforms to accommodate eight-car trains, elevators and accessible turnstiles, wider stairways to improve platform access, more turnstiles to ease congestion, and additional exits and entrances to improve the flow of customer traffic.

The Armitage station features an original glass and ceramic tile mural on the north wall inside the stationhouse created by local artist Jonathan Gitelson. The piece, entitled Chicago ‘L’ Stories, is comprised of 45 photographs depicting memories of Chicago that have shaped the lives of customers who use the Brown Line Armitage station. Tile grout lines simulate a street map of the surrounding community.

Armitage station remained open to rail customers during weekdays and closed on only two weekends during construction.

Work has been completed at Kimball, Kedzie, Rockwell, Francisco, Western, Sedgwick, Montrose, Addison, Southport and Armitage. A temporary station is open at Diversey and work continues at other stations.

June 9, 2008

KCS appoints David L. Starling president and COO

Kansas City Southern appointed David L. Starling president and chief operating officer, effective July 1, 2008. Starling will also serve as president and CEO of The Kansas City Southern Railway Company. He replaces Arthur Shoener, who has resigned from KCS.

Starling is currently president and director general of the Panama Canal Railway Company, a joint venture of Kansas City Southern and Mi-Jack Products, which he has headed for more than nine years. Starling will report to Michael R. Haverty, chairman and chief executive officer of KCS.

Starling began his railroad career in 1971 with the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad and over the next 14 years held various positions in rail operations at the Frisco and, later, Burlington Northern.

In 1984, Starling joined Mi-Jack Products to help create a terminal operating company, In-Terminal Services, as general manager. Later, he was named vice president of ITS and launched an aggressive marketing strategy resulting in very rapid growth over a four year period.

In 1988, Mr. Starling joined American President Lines as managing director of stack train operations for the Chicago region and later the Southern region, where he was heavily involved with the implementation of dedicated double stack trains from the Detroit area to Hermosillo, Mexico, for Ford, to Monterrey, Mexico, for General Motors and to Toluca, Mexico for Chrysler. From 1993 to 1994 he served as managing director of the Philippines for APL and was responsible for all regional functions including financial, legal and governmental relations. In 1995, Mr. Starling became APL's managing director for Hong Kong/South China region, then later became vice president Central Asia responsible for China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

In 1999, Starling relocated to Panama and was named president and director general of the PCRC having responsibility for the reconstruction of the railroad and its subsequent operation.

June 9, 2008

Northstar construction continuing in Minnesota

During the week of June 8, work will continue on the Light Rail Transit Connection in downtown Minneapolis, the Vehicle Maintenance Facility in Big Lake and commuter rail stations in Big Lake, Anoka and Coon Rapids, Minn. Construction of the Elk River commuter rail station will begin in fall 2008. Major construction this week includes storm sewer work on 4th Avenue in Anoka and removal and reconstruction of the Ramp B entrance in downtown Minneapolis.

In downtown Minneapolis, crews have been removing and reconstructing the Ramp B (5th Street at 2nd Avenue) entrance this weekend. The Ramp B entrance ramp reopened June 9. The curb on the south side of 5th Street between 1st Avenue and Butler Square has been completed. The reconstruction of the sidewalk will begin next week.

In the Northstar Station in Coon Rapids, crews are beginning excavation for footings for the pedestrian overpass. Water main and storm sewer utility work continues. Temporary parking is available immediately to the north of the Riverdale park-and-ride lot.

At the Anoka station, storm sewer utility work continues along 4th Avenue. Crews have begun jacking under the tracks and will be installing large storm sewer pipes in the near future. Work is expected to continue at least through the week of June 9th. Drainage pond work is nearing completion. However, there will be sporadic hauling from the pond area across and along 4th Avenue.

Concrete work on the Big Lake station platform and future park-and-ride lot continues. Track installation outside of the VMF continues.

June 9, 2008

University of Nebraska-Lincoln uses Azimuth for FRA study

Azimuth Systems, Inc., a provider of wireless broadband test equipment, including the MIMO-optimized channel emulation platform for 4G and Wi-Fi, said the Advanced Telecommunications Engineering Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has selected its ACE(TM) 400WB channel emulator to perform a comprehensive mobile WiMAX technology study to investigate the performance and reliability of standards-based wireless networking technologies for the North American railroad industry.

The study, funded by the Federal Railroad Administration, will provide insight into the performance and feasibility of using 802.16e-2005 mobile WiMAX technology in enhancing current wireless networking infrastructure.

June 6, 2008

Sound Transit adds parking at Everett Station

Sound Transit broke ground on the Everett, Wash., Station expansion project, which will add more than 500 new parking spaces there. Everett Station is a multi-modal transit hub that serves Sounder commuter rail, ST Express buses, Community Transit, Everett Transit and other transit providers.

The completed expansion project will make it easier to use a Sounderwhich in the first quarter of 2008 saw a 28 percent increase in ridership compared with the same period one year ago. Of all commuter rail systems in the nation, Sounder had the biggest increase for the first quarter.

Sound Transit expects to add a fourth round-trip train in the north corridor between Everett and Seattle this fall. The agency also operates six round-trip trains in the south corridor between Seattle and Tacoma; two more round-trip trains will be added in the south corridor this fall and a ninth in 2009. In addition to more Sounder trains coming and the Everett Station parking expansion under way, work on the South Everett Freeway Station is set to wrap up at the end of this year.

The construction budget for the expansion project is $13.6 million and includes parking expansion, pedestrian access from the new parking lot, a new pedestrian plaza, expanded bus layover space, landscaping and public art. The Federal Transit Administration is a project funding partner, with additional planning partners BNSF, the city of Everett and Everett Transit.

The project’s prime contractor is Granite Construction, formerly Wilder Construction.

June 6, 2008

MBTA must replace three-year-old bridge on Greenbush line

The MBTA is being forced to spend more than $5 million to tear down and rebuild a three-year old bridge on the Greenbush commuter rail line, further driving up the cost of the half-billion-dollar project, local newspapers report.

Jim Eng, project manager for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, says the original bridge in Scituate, Mass., does not meet state and federal environmental requirements because it could make flooding worse in the area during powerful storms.

The MBTA's board approved the new bridge during its June 5 monthly meeting. The Greenbush project is now budgeted at $532 million. The South Shore rail line reopened last year after a nearly 50-year hiatus.

The MBTA board also approved a three-year, $738-million contract extension with the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Co., the private consortium that runs commuter rail.

June 6, 2008

NCTD names interim executive director, expands parking

Southern California’s North County Transit District board of directors has entered into an agreement with Ray Patchett to serve as interim executive director of the transit agency. Current Executive Director Karen King announced her resignation in May and will be departing NCTD on June 20. 



Patchett joined the City of Carlsbad, Calif., in 1985, became the city manager in 1987 and served in that capacity until 2007. Patchett will work with the board while the board aggressively seeks a permanent executive director to lead the agency 



Also, on June 13, 2008, NCTD will hold a ribbon cutting for a new addition to the parking lot 

at Carlsbad Village COASTER Commuter Rail Station that adds 130 new parking spaces for the public. The additional spaces will add much-needed relief to a current lot that is over capacity daily. The $200,000 construction project included lighting, fencing, paving and stripping. 


June 6, 2008

Caltrain continuing fencing, tie projects

As part of a multi-year project begun last year to fence one side of the entire Caltrain right-of-way between San Francisco and San Jose, from June 9-13 crews will install fencing during the day along the west side of the right-of-way between Paul and Salinas avenues in San Francisco. On June 9-10, a crew will install fencing during the day along the west side of the right of way just south of the Hayward Park station. From June 9-13, crews will install fencing during the day along the east side of the right-of-way north of the Menlo Park station.

From June 7-13, the boarding platforms at the northern end of the Palo Alto station will be demolished. This work is part of the Palo Alto stations project.

Caltrain will perform routine maintenance at several locations June 9-13. Crews will replace crossties on the tracks between the San Bruno and San Mateo stations and between the San Mateo and Belmont stations.
A crew will replace worn asphalt, rails, ties and ballast along the tracks between the Belmont and Redwood City stations and between the Sunnyvale and Lawrence stations.

In San Jose, a crew will weld and grind the switches on the tracks near the San Jose Diridon station.

June 6, 2008

Paulina Street entrance at CTA Howard Station re-opens

Rehabilitation work on the Chicago Transit Authority Howard Red Line station Paulina Street entrance is complete and the entrance will be open to customers for the morning rush on Monday, June 9. With the addition of new elevators and escalators – among other amenities – at the Howard station, 81 out of 144 CTA rail station are now accessible to customers with disabilities.

The Howard station is a major transportation center serving transit customers on the CTA’s Red, Purple and Yellow Lines, seven CTA bus routes and two Pace bus routes.

June 5, 2008

City of Industry, Calif., grade separation nearing completion

The railroad bridge and road underpass on Brea Canyon Road in City of Industry, Calif., is nearing completion and should be reopened to traffic by last summer. Freight trains will begin using the main line tracks on June 7. The temporary shoofly detour tracks will be dismantled over the next several months. As the main line tracks go into service over Brea Canyon Road, the permanent platform at the Metrolink Industry Station will become active again June 9 and the temporary platform taken out of service.

In July 2006, the Alameda Corridor East-West Construction Authority began construction of a railroad bridge and roadway underpass on Brea Canyon Road adjacent to the Metrolink station. The project will eliminate crossing congestion and the potential for accidents.

June 5, 2008

MBTA replacing ties on Longfellow Bridge

MBTA officials say the Red Line’s railroad ties that extend over the Longfellow Bridge are in such bad shape, they need to be replaced immediately, local newspapers report.

Last week, trains were ordered to slow down over the bridge after crews found the ties “exhibited signs of deterioration,” said T spokesman Joe Pesaturo. Pesaturo said the ties were scheduled to be replaced during the rehabilitation of the Longfellow Bridge, “but MBTA staff has decided to accelerate the schedule.”

Workers have already started to replace the tracks and ties in the area between the entrance to the Red Line’s Cambridge-side tunnel entrance and the First Street gate.

During the weekend of June 14-15 and June 21-22, Red Line service over the bridge will be suspended while workers replace more ties. A bus shuttle operation will be provided during that weekend, Pesaturo said.

June 5, 2008

Landslide interrupts NS service between Enola, Pa., and Perryville, Md.

At approximately 6 a.m., June 4, a rock slide occurred on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch between Enola, Pa., and Perryville, Md. Both main lines are blocked. Due to the instability of the slide, time estimates to clear the area remain uncertain. Delays are expected on all traffic moving through this area.

Norfolk Southern is invoking Force Majeure,

June 5, 2008

Ohio public transportation could return to the railroad

The rising cost of gasoline has forced the Ohio Department of Transportation and counties in the state to rethink modes of transportation and the highway system, according to local newspapers.
The Transportation Priorities Task Force, a state organization that evaluates transportation options, organized a meeting yesterday with Southeastern Ohio representatives and citizens about possibilities such as railway systems.

ODOT is working on a $500,000 study with the Ohio Rail Development Commission to research the feasibility of using railways not only as freight carriers but also as public transportation. The study will address whether the state would need to build more railways or use current ones.

The Athens County Regional Planning Commission will continue to work on a plan to improve public transportation for another year. The plan includes promoting bicycle use, improving road maintenance, installing more sidewalks and using railways.

ODOT is focusing on finding the best combination of multiple forms of transportation including pedestrian, highway and railway usage to meet citizens’ needs.

June 5, 2008

NJTPA board endorses Lackawanna Cutoff passenger rail

The Board of Trustees of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority approved plans to extend commuter rail to Sussex County, N.J., via the Lackawanna Cutoff. The action will allow the project to receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration for further engineering and design work.

"Creating passenger rail service on the Lackawanna Cutoff is essential for the future of Sussex County and the larger region," said NJTPA Chairman Susan M. Zellman, who is also a Sussex County freeholder. "It will help us combat congestion, improve air quality and enhance the region’s economy. Now is the time for this project to move forward."

The route endorsed by the NJTPA Board would run 7.3 miles from Andover Township, Sussex County, to Port Morris in western Morris County, where it would merge into the existing Montclair-Boonton Line. It would be the first step in developing more far-reaching passenger rail service that ultimately would run to Scranton, Pa.

The approved alternative also includes a commuter rail station in Andover.

The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization for 13 northern New Jersey Counties.

June 5, 2008

Amtrak service in Missouri may get additional $5 million

The Missouri General Assembly, which has made Amtrak the target for cuts in the past, approved an extra $5 million this year for Amtrak, local newspapers report. The money would go for track improvements aimed at relieving congestion and helping the trains run on time. The appropriation is awaiting the governor's signature.

But the good news is dampened by the fact that the state is about $400,000 short of the money needed to run the four daily trains between Kansas City and St. Louis.

The $5 million, only half of what MoDOT originally requested, will go toward lengthening two sidings on Union Pacific lines between Lee's Summit and Jefferson City. MoDOT wants to make both sidings 8,500 feet long, which would be big enough to handle freights trains averaging about 6,000 feet long.

Extending the sidings, one at California, Mo., and the other at Strasburg, Mo., could help reduce the length of delays by about 12 percent, a study done by researchers at the University of Missouri says.

The money appropriated by the General Assembly might be enough to start one of those siding projects. MoDOT also is seeking $5 million from a $30 million pie that the federal government is carving up for intercity passenger train service.

June 4, 2008

$350-million rail route would create link to Honolulu Airport

The City of Honolulu is proposing to add a 2.1-mile segment to its proposed rail transit system, pushing the overall price tag over $4 billion, according to Mayor Mufi Hannemann, local newspapers report. The spur would connect Ala Moana Center and Honolulu Airport and would be separate from the 20-mile route planned from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center that goes through Salt Lake and bypasses the airport.

The spur would cost about $350 million and complement the $3.7-billion main rail route, Hannemann said.

The city said the new segment could be paid for through the 10 percent the state withholds for collecting the 0.5 percent general excise tax surcharge to fund mass transit, as well as the state Department of Transportation's airport fund. But state Transportation Director Brennon Morioka said use of the airport fund to fund rail transit is unlikely.

June 4, 2008

Kansas City making progress toward mass transit

The path to a regional light-rail and transit election in Kansas City is getting longer and perhaps bumpier by the week, local newspapers report. Just four days after Missouri-side government leaders set a deadline of June 20 to decide on a November election, those leaders backed off that schedule Tuesday.

In addition, two new issues emerged relating to funding and leadership that could complicate the regional transit effort.

Studying such issues could make a November election more challenging on Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s $1.2-billion regional light-rail and commuter rail concept, said one leader working with Funkhouser.

Funkhouser has proposed a 119-mile network of light rail and streetcars on the streets of Kansas City, commuter rail on existing railroad tracks branching out to Clay and Jackson county suburbs, plus express buses across the Northland connecting to Kansas City International Airport. He is requesting a half-cent sales tax increase in the three counties, plus federal money, to help pay for the system.

Funkhouser’s $1.2-billion concept calls for half the money to come from the federal government. Mark Huffer, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s general manager, said “50 percent is a reasonable assumption.”

But David Warm, executive director of the regional council, which does regional transportation planning, indicated Kansas City’s regional concept would have trouble meeting federal funding criteria. That criteria favors population density, Warm pointed out. Light rail north of the Missouri River and commuter rail lines to northern, eastern and southern suburbs don’t serve high-population centers.

Funkhouser disagreed, saying, “The commuter lines should play out well in that criteria.” But making a detailed determination of federal funding prospects takes months of study, officials said.

June 4, 2008

MBTA ridership jumps again

Average weekday ridership numbers released today by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority show a 5.5-percent increase in April compared to the same month last year. The average number of weekday passenger trips is up each month this year and 6.1-percent overall for the first four months of 2008 compared to 2007.

Standing in front of a brand new, jumbo electronic train message board at South Station, MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas said thousands of new customers are benefitting from the T's recent investments in the transit system.

"With hundreds of new buses and subway cars and major upgrades to stations, tracks, and signals, the MBTA has never been more reliable and accessible than it is today," said Grabauskas.

The total number of average weekday passenger trips in all modes of T transportation jumped by nearly 70,000 trips to 1.337 million in April compared to the same month last year. Ridership is up in rail, bus, and boat, with the largest increases in bus and subway numbers.

General Manager Grabauskas also talked about the brand new, jumbo information board (18 feet wide, 12 feet in height) that has replaced the aging and unreliable Amtrak and Commuter Rail display boards. All information about trains and tracks is now displayed on the new, easy-to-see board in the center of the concourse. In addition, a number of summary monitors have been installed around the concourse for customer convenience. Although it’s fully-automated, the new board at South Station has been programmed to make the “old railroad depot style” clicking sound to alert customers that information is changing or being added.

June 4, 2008

Sen. Durbin reports on northwest Ill. passenger train progress



On Janet Fisher's name tag was a simple descriptor: "The crazy train lady." 

It was meant as a lighthearted joke from Fisher, a member of the Blackhawk Area Railroad Coalition. But with it, she hoped to get across a serious issue: return the train to Galena, Ill.



U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin agrees.

 Durbin visited Galena May 26 and 27, and spoke of efforts to bring rail service back to Galena. The second-highest ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate said he remembered when the train would travel through Galena in the '70s. "Unfortunately, rail service was suspended in 1981," Durbin said during the May 27 meeting at the Old Market House State Historic Site.



Durbin noted Amtrak has a train set currently not in use, in storage in Delaware.

 Through a feasibility study, Amtrak concluded that returning rail service, from Chicago to Dubuque-and through Galena-is feasible. Durbin is optimistic. He and a number of other officials submitted a letter to Alexander Kummant, president and CEO of the National Passenger Railroad Corporation board of directors.



"Enthusiasm for passenger rail service is at an all-time high, driven by high fuel prices, growing congestion and environmental concern. Amtrak has seen phenomenal growth in Illinois the past few years, with all three state routes showing double digit percentage increases," wrote Durbin and his colleagues. "To accommodate the expected boom in ridership due to the Chicago to Iowa City and Chicago to Dubuque service, we want to ensure that we have the absolute best rolling stock available. Please consider the viability of retrieving equipment from storage that could easily be rehabbed and used for Amtrak service into Iowa."



Senators joining Durbin in the request include U.S. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Joe Biden (D-Del.).



Presuming the state approves a capital bill in time, rail service could return in as soon as "two construction seasons," or two years. However, as of press time, no capital bill is in place in Illinois.



June 4, 2008

Crossing project to temporarily halt Maryland Light Rail

Maryland Transit Administration Light Rail service will be temporarily suspended north of Timonium, Md., for construction of a concrete embedded grade crossing from Sunday, June 15, through Sunday, July 27. Light Rail service is expected to resume on Monday, July 28. The $1.5-million project, awarded to Amtrac Railroad Contractors of Maryland, will replace the existing rubberized crossing at the intersection of the Light Rail tracks and Warren Road in Baltimore County. Bus shuttles will provide service throughout the construction schedule.

“This project is another service improvement that will allow us to provide increased reliability, and demonstrates our commitment to meeting the demands of the growth of our system and the needs of our customers,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, MTA Administrator.

The Light Rail travels from Baltimore County’s Hunt Valley corporate, hotel and shopping complex, through the heart of Downtown Baltimore’s shopping, sightseeing, dining and entertainment districts, past Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium at Camden Yards Sports Complex to Cromwell Station/Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County. There is also service to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and Amtrak’s Baltimore Penn Station.

June 4, 2008

Lyon County, Nev., to mull waiving V&T fees

The effort to extend the Virginia and Truckee Railway to Carson City, Nev., could get a boost if the Lyon County Commission approves a waiver of utility fees for the group doing the reconstruction. 

Lyon County Commissioner Larry McPherson, who also sits on the board of directors for the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway, said he and other V&T board members were asked to do what they could to reduce fees.



“This would be Lyon County’s contribution to the V&T,” he said. “We’ve already done some things up there, with water rights and things like that. That’s what they’re asking. I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with doing that.”



Utilities Director Mike Workman estimated the water fees would be about $21,550 for the upcoming fiscal year.

June 3, 2008

CSXT awards general engineering consultant contract to PB

CSX Transportation awarded one of several contracts for general engineering consultant services to Parsons Brinckerhoff. The contract calls for PB to provide GEC services on an on-call bases for transportation projects on CSXT’s entire railroad, with a focus in the railroad’s northwest region, which encompasses Illinois, Indiana Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The design services to be provided by PB include track, civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, environmental and geotechnical engineering, as well as architectural design and coordinating with CSXT signal engineering consultants. The scope of services will be project-specific and may range from limited design review to full engineering design and construction management.

June 3, 2008

Amtrak Thames River Bridge to be closed to rail traffic June 14-17

After more than two years of preparation and construction, Amtrak will replace the movable span of the 90-year-old Thames River Bridge that carries Amtrak's Northeast Corridor tracks between Groton and New London, Conn., Saturday, June 14 through Tuesday, June 17. Amtrak rail service will be affected between New Haven and Boston on those dates. During the outage, Amtrak will install a new vertical lift span to replace the movable bascule portion of the bridge, marking the final stage of a multi-year, $83-million project designed to improve the reliability of the bridge, reduce the chance of operational failures and minimize train delays.

"The aged drawbridge will be replaced by a more efficient vertical lift bridge that rises between two towers," said Frank Vacca, Amtrak Chief Engineer. "Once this is complete, rail passengers will be able to depend on a reliably operating lift span for the better part of this century."

Taking advantage of the train traffic outage occasioned by the bridge span replacement, Amtrak will conduct its first maintenance "blitz" over the same four-day period between New Haven, Conn., and Boston, Mass. This major investment in the New England region will accomplish multiple major infrastructure repair and replacement projects that will result in smoother and more reliable rail service and reduce the need for future service disruptions due to maintenance work.

Planned production tasks during the four-day blitz include:
• Replacement of 3,600 concrete and wood ties in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
• Remove switch at Canton Junction, Mass.
• Surfacing of four interlockings and 11 miles of track in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
• Install an ADA-compliant tactile edge surface on platforms at Providence station.
• Install concrete and wood ties at five interlockings and two wayside switches.
• Repairs to movable bridges at Connecticut River and Niantic River in Connecticut and to fixed bridges at Usquepaug River, Hunts River, Pawtucket River in Rhode Island and the Central Vermont Railroad Bridge in Connecticut.

June 3, 2008

CTA Armitage Station’s newly renovated main entrance reopening

Renovations to the Chicago Transit Authority Armitage Brown Line station are complete and the newly renovated main station entrance will open to customers on June 5. The station will be newly accessible to customers with disabilities. The temporary station located on the south side of Armitage will be closed and demolished over the next few weeks.

Construction crews will continue to work in the weeks ahead to complete construction even after the main station entrance opens for service. Additional work includes landscaping and adding rotogates to the auxiliary exits at platform level.

The Armitage station is the 10th station out of 18 to be renovated as part of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion project. Major improvements include longer platforms to accommodate eight-car trains, elevators and accessible turnstiles, wider stairways to improve platform access, more turnstiles to ease congestion and additional exits and entrances to improve the flow of customer traffic.

Armitage station remained open to rail customers during construction.

Work has been completed at Kimball, Kedzie, Rockwell, Francisco, Western, Sedgwick, Montrose, Addison, Southport and Armitage. A temporary station is open at Diversey and work continues at other stations.

June 3, 2008

Sound Transit launches rail service to Mukilteo, Wash.

Starting May 31, Snohomish County, Wash., commuters enjoyed a brand-new commuting option—Sounder commuter rail service to Mukilteo. The new service got under way with free rides to Saturday’s Seattle Mariners game, and regular weekday service started June 2. Mukilteo now joins Edmonds as a stop for the three round-trip trains carrying commuters between Everett and Seattle each weekday. Sound Transit plans to launch a fourth round trip in September.

The new service will expand commuting options for Snohomish County residents and will run on a schedule that also serves ferry commuters from Whidbey Island. The service will take more cars off the region’s roads and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The completed first phase of construction includes a passenger platform on the north side of the tracks, 68 parking stalls and public art by Whidbey Island artist Linda Beaumont. The second phase of the project, expected to begin next year, will include a south platform, pedestrian bridge and additional parking spaces. The $19.6-million project budget for both phases is being funded by Sound Transit and the Federal Transportation Administration.

By the end of this year, Sound Transit expects to run four round-trip trains in the north corridor between Everett and Seattle. It also operates six round-trip trains in the south corridor between Seattle and Tacoma, including a “reverse commute” round-trip train; two more round-trip trains will be added in the south corridor this fall, and a ninth in 2009.

Sound Transit’s Mukilteo Station is part of a larger effort to revitalize Mukilteo’s waterfront neighborhood and create a transit hub that serves both local residents and ferry riders. Sound Transit worked with the Port of Everett, the City of Mukilteo, the City of Everett and Washington State Ferries on planning and integrating the transit elements. Sound Transit also worked closely with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the United States Air Force and NOAA on project planning.

June 3, 2008

UP rail work getting under way near Corsicana, Texas

Crews from Union Pacific got started June 2 on a railroad tie and crossing replacement project through Corsicana, Texas, local newspapers report. Preliminary work done in May prepared several crossings through Corsicana for the replacement work. Crews are working on track and crossings from Corsicana to Grosebeck as part of a $4.7-million improvement project, according to UP spokesman Mark Davis.

Over 100 crewmen from throughout the Southwest are taking part in the work in the area. Cars, trucks and campers filled parking areas in the vicinity of the Union Pacific station near Seventh Avenue and Beaton Street over the weekend as they arrived to start work.

“There are 32,000 railroad ties and about 28,400 tons of rock to be placed,” Davis explained. The work is part of a system-wide improvement plan through the 23 states that Union Pacific operates in, he added.

Approximately 10 crossings in Corsicana will be rebuilt in the work. In May, crews removed large metal plates at the crossings and filled in the gaps with blacktop.

Davis said all the crossings should be returned to normal by August. The rail tie replacement should be completed by the end of June, he said.

June 2, 2008

APTA report: Mass transit ridership surges in first quarter

The American Public Transportation Association found that Americans took 2.6 billion trips on public transportation in the first three months of 2008 – almost 85 million more trips than last year for the same time period.

Last year 10.3 billion trips were taken on U.S. public transportation – the highest number of trips taken in fifty years. In the first quarter of 2008, public transportation continued to climb and rose by 3.3 percent. In contrast, the Federal Highway Administration has reported that the vehicle miles traveled on the nation’s roads declined by 2.3 percent in the first quarter.

Light rail (modern streetcars, trolleys, and heritage trolleys) had the highest percentage of ridership increase among all modes, with a double-digit 10.3 percent increase for the first quarter. Light rail systems showed double-digit increases in the following areas: Baltimore (16.8 percent); Minneapolis (16.4 percent); St. Louis (15.6 percent); and San Francisco (12.2 percent). New Orleans’ light rail system is recovering from Hurricane Katrina with a 476-percent increase in ridership.

Commuter rail posted the second largest ridership increase at 5.7 percent. The six commuter rail systems with double digit ridership growth rate in the first three months of 2008 were located in the following areas: Seattle (27.9 percent); Harrisburg, PA (17 percent); Oakland, CA (15.8 percent); Stockton, CA (13.9 percent); Pompano Beach, FL (12.9 percent); and Philadelphia (10.4 percent).

Heavy rail (subways and elevated trains) ridership increased by 4.4 percent. The heavy rail systems with the highest increases in ridership for the 2008 first quarter were in the following cities: Staten Island, NY (12.3 percent); Boston (8.8 percent); Jersey City, NJ (6.5 percent); Los Angeles (5.4 percent); New York City (5 percent); Baltimore (4.9 percent); and San Francisco (4.5 percent).

Bus ridership also saw an increase of two percent nationwide, with San Antonio seeing the highest increase at 10.6 percent.

June 2, 2008

Genesee & Wyoming buys CAGY Industries

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. completed its acquisition of CAGY Industries, Inc., for approximately $78.4 million in cash, to be adjusted for final working capital.

In addition, GWI has agreed to pay contingent consideration of up to $18.6 million upon satisfaction of certain conditions over the next two years.

CAGY is the parent company of three shortline railroads: Columbus & Greenville Railway in Mississippi; Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway in Georgia and Tennessee; and Luxapalila Valley Railroad in Mississippi and Alabama.

June 2, 2008

Iowa railroads plan upgrades on heels of shipping demand

Iowa Interstate Railroad spent $22 million in track upgrades along its 373-mile route and ordered 12 new locomotives to add to its 40-locomotive fleet. The investment is the result of a projected 30 percent increase in shipments over the next two years. The upgrades were financed with an RRIF loan and have allowed an increase in speeds from 10 mph to 40 mph in some areas.

In other Iowa railroad news, Iowa Northern Railway will spend $20 million in track upgrades along its 163-mile system that runs from Cedar Rapids northwest to Manly, Iowa. The upgrades will up speeds to 30 mph and allow the track to handle unit trains transporting agricultural products.

June 2, 2008

UP contemplates additional track along the Sunset Route

The number of trains per day along UP’s Sunset Route is expected to reach 84 by 2016, almost double the current number. The railroad is considering a double-track project through the entire state of Arizona and is working with the Arizona Corporation Commission on proposed modification of 50 road crossings.

UP has a signed agreement with Pinal County for 26 grade-separated crossings and track expansion and has proposed a 1,500-acre rail yard to accommodate growth.

May 30, 2008

Weyerhaeuser may sell four short lines, shipping line

Weyerhaeuser Co., a forest products company, is considering the sale of its four short line railroads, along with its Westwood Shipping Line, which serves more than 20 ports in Japan, Korea, China and North America. The plan is part of the company's portfolio restructuring.

Weyerhaeuser owns the DeQueen & Eastern, Columbia & Cowlitz, MSV, and Golden Triangle railroads. The lines are used to source mills in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Washington. Weyerhaeuser has not confirmed a timetable for completing this process.

May 30, 2008

Rail terminal opens in Texas

U.S. Development Group LLC celebrated the grand opening of the Dallas Fort Worth Rail Terminal LLC, a state-of-the-art ethanol handling and distribution terminal located in Arlington, Texas. The rail terminal will distribute a majority of the fuel-grade ethanol for north and central Texas.

Located on 15 acres within a heavy industrial area, the facility is served by the Union Pacific Railroad and consists of a rail terminal, pipeline operation, truck load operation and a mass storage facility. The Dallas Fort Worth Rail Terminal features 130,000 barrels of dedicated storage capacity, an 84-railcar high-speed offloading facility and outbound truck and pipeline capabilities. The terminal also features an allocation program that can be customized to each customer.

May 29, 2008

NS, 10 short lines create short-haul options in New York and beyond

Norfolk Southern and 10 New York-based short line railroads have created a program to convert short-haul truck movements to rail. The “Empire Link” allows the short line railroads to market the excess rail freight capacity on NS’ Southern Tier main line between Binghamton and Silver Springs, N.Y., as well as on branch lines between Corning and Geneva, and between Waverly and Ludlowville.

“With the high price of diesel fuel, the Empire Link is an attractive option for shippers currently trucking freight in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey,” said David Lawson, NS vice president industrial products. “The Empire Link provides our New York short line partners with the tools and resources to design and offer rail transportation services that are truck-competitive in lanes that are less than 500 miles.”

“The recent collaboration of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s Eastern Region Short line members and Norfolk Southern is one of the most creative business initiatives to come about in the last 15 years,” said Rich Timmons, ASLRRA president. “We expect positive results for shippers, communities and big and small railroads alike. If the Empire Link performs as we anticipate, it could serve as a model for future Class 1 and short line business arrangements.”

The 10 short lines participating in the Empire Link are the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad; Central New York Railroad Corp.; Finger Lakes Railway; Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad; the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp.; Ontario Central Railroad; Owego & Harford Railway; Rochester and Southern Railroad; Wellsboro and Corning Railroad; and Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad.

May 29, 2008

New Tinley Park Metra station to open in 2009

A new 80th Avenue station will be built on Metra's Rock Island District Line, Tinley Park officials said. The new stop, which would cost about $7.5 million, will be open in late 2009. The existing stop will remain open during construction.

Tinley Park officials said the key to project was a recent financial commitment secured by Metra. The commuter railroad is offering to contribute $5.4 million toward the project.

"We are enormously grateful to Metra for placing a high priority on the construction of this station," Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki said in a statement. "We also thank our commuters who have waited patiently for this state-of-the-art facility, which they deserve and will greatly enjoy."

Architectural drawings of the new station will be completed later this summer, with construction starting next year.

May 29, 2008

Sound Transit completes 14-plus miles of continuous light rail track

Seattle’s Sound Transit officials made the final connections joining more than 14 miles of continuous light rail tracks.

“For the first time we have an unbroken stretch of light rail track from downtown Seattle to the Sea-Tac International Airport area,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels as he led Board members in fastening the final track bolts. “We’re one major step closer to testing trains in Rainier Valley later this summer and running them all the way to Tukwila.”

The connection finishes the track that southbound light rail trains will travel on between Westlake Station in downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac International Airport when the line opens in 2009. Crews will continue work on the northbound track and the last portion of track leading into Airport Station.

Central Link light rail construction began in late 2003 and recently passed the 90-percent-completion mark and remains on schedule to begin service between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac International Airport in 2009. Light rail trains began making test runs between Sound Transit’s Operations and Maintenance Facility and the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel last fall. With those rails now connected to the tracks running through Beacon Hill and into the Rainier Valley, light rail trains can stretch their test run further south through Rainier Valley all the way to Tukwila Station by the end of this summer.

More than 6.5 million work hours have gone into light rail construction since the project broke ground, work performed by union laborers, equipment operators, carpenters, ironworkers, masons, bricklayers, teamsters, electricians, plumbers and painters.

May 29, 2008

Bentley Acquires Common Point to mainstream construction simulation

Bentley Systems, Incorporated, has acquired the global business of Common Point, Incorporated, which makes software products for construction simulation (ConstructSim) and operations simulation (OpSim). ConstructSim has become widely established in plant projects, has been successfully deployed on building projects, and, along with OpSim, can also be applied in civil infrastructure projects. The integration of Common Point’s technology with Bentley’s ProjectWise Navigator platform and comprehensive portfolio of applications and collaboration servers will enable Bentley to accelerate integrated project delivery for infrastructure projects by closing gaps between design, construction and operations.

Common Point says ConstructSim, its flagship offering, is the first software to model the construction process and provide a construction management environment that links data from design deliverables, schematics, project management, materials and resource management systems in a virtual and visual model. This linked model allows users to create and track work packages that closely match the actual construction workflow, enabling project managers to more quickly identify issues with time-critical activities or incorrect materials and avoid costly mistakes, schedule overruns and change orders.

May 29, 2008

L.A. Metrolink schedules tie projects, other work

Beginning May 30 through Friday, June 13, from 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. the following day, Metrolink's maintenance crews will be replacing ties at various locations along its Ventura County Line in southern California. This work will take place between Avenida Colonia Place in Moorpark and Tapo Canyon Road in Simi Valley.

From May 31 through June 3, Metrolink's maintenance crews will be replacing ties under tracks at various locations along the Ventura County Line between Stoney Park in Chatsworth and De Soto Avenue within the City of Los Angeles city limits.

On Monday, June 9, the main line tracks are scheduled to go in service on the newly built bridge over Brea Canyon Road. The permanent Metrolink platform will be active and the temporary platform will be taken out of service. The crossing from Washington Street remains closed. Freight trains will begin using the main line tracks June 7. The temporary shoofly detour tracks will be dismantled over the next several months. The Brea Canyon Road Grade Separation is nearing completion and should be reopened to traffic by late Summer 2008.

In July 2006, the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority began construction of a railroad bridge and roadway underpass on Brea Canyon Road adjacent to the Metrolink station. The project will eliminate crossing congestion and the potential for collisions. Metrolink station access is maintained via Brea Canyon Road from the north or Lemon Ave. and Currier Road from the south.

May 29, 2008

Toronto Transit Commission orders Axion composite switch ties

Axion International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Analytical Surveys, Inc., has received an initial purchase order for its specialty engineered composite railroad switch ties from the Toronto Transit Commission.

In conjunction with Rutgers University, Axion has developed plastics technology utilizing virtually 100-percent recycled plastic. Axion says its structural products have the distinct advantage of being environmentally friendly as well as providing superior products to customers.

Axion International CEO Jim Kerstein stated, "We're pleased to have received this initial purchase order from The Toronto Transit Commission for our engineered composite railroad ties. While this will be the first switch set order produced by Axion, our technology has previously been tested by TTC in their subway system. This order, procured by our Canadian sales partner H.J. Skelton, is expected to be the first of many."

May 29, 2008

Johnstown, Pa., Stone Bridge to get makeover

For nearly 120 years, Johnstown’s Stone Bridge has served as a symbol of both tragedy and strength. Now, the landmark is set to undergo a $1.2-million makeover, local newspapers report. The project, which could begin this year, will include aesthetic work as well as the installation of a decidedly modern accoutrement: energy-efficient LED lights.


“It’s going to be a showpiece for our community,” said Michael Brosig, who co-chairs a committee spearheading the bridge work.


The bridge, which crosses Iron Street, the Conemaugh River and Route 56, was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1887. 
It would play a central role on May 31, 1889, when a wall of water crashed into Johnstown after an earthen dam failed miles upstream. 
More than 2,200 people lost their lives.
 The Stone Bridge held, blocking tons of debris and possibly easing flood damage farther downstream. But the tangled material that had collected at the bridge caught fire and burned for days, serving as a death trap for victims lodged inside the mess.


The span became an iconic feature in downtown Johnstown and has stood the test of time. 
The structure was expanded to accommodate more rail traffic in the early 20th Century.
 However, deterioration has become a concern for community activists.
 
In more than a year of meetings, the Stone Bridge Committee has developed a plan to improve the span’s appearance.


The proposal focuses on the bridge’s southern facade, which faces Johnstown attractions such as Point Stadium, Festival Park and the Inclined Plane.
 The committee plans to restore and resurface concrete on the southern side. 
And the proposed illumination by LEDs could be programmable for various colors and intensities. That initiative would be assisted by a New Jersey-based company that specializes in lighting.


Norfolk Southern, which owns the bridge, has offered to help with restoration work.

May 28, 2008

Montreal’s 
Georges-Vanier Métro station closing for major work

The Société de transport de Montréal informed customers that, in order to carry out major work, it must temporarily close Georges-Vanier station beginning June 2 until September 5. STM will implement a shuttle bus service between Georges-Vanier, Lionel-Groulx and Lucien-L’Allier stations during renovations.

Renovation work during this period will mainly consist of completely demolishing the escalators and floor slab in the station’s entrance and of rebuilding the floor slab, staircases, windows and sidewalk outside. Work will be carried out as part of phase II of the Réno-Stations project. Transports Québec and STM are financial partners in this project.

May 28, 2008

New Mexico Rail Runner Express breaks ground for new station

Lt. Governor Diane Denish and Isleta Pueblo Governor Robert Benavidez, joined by state and local transportation officials recently broke ground to build the Isleta Pueblo Rail Runner Station. Construction on the Isleta Station will start in the next few weeks and is expected to be completed by late fall.

Also, the last two crossings in the stretch of railroad track between Menaul and Osuna Boulevards in the North Valley officially “got quiet.” Even though that whole section of track was designated a quiet zone back in January, two of the six crossings had to wait until construction work on Montaño Boulevard was complete before the train horns could stop sounding their horns when passing through the area.

Until recently, all trains were required to issue a warning horn as they approached railroad crossings in the city. But Federal Railroad Administration rules released in 2005 outlined specific safety guidelines that would qualify a crossing for quiet zone status when equipped with additional warning signs and safety measures to compensate for the absence of the train’s horn as a warning device. Utilizing appropriations from the 2007 legislative session, this area in Albuquerque’s north valley was the first to be designated an official “quiet zone.

In addition to the county’s lane expansion work along the heavily-traveled roadway, Rail Runner crews recently erected some new and very visual signage at the Montaño crossing warning motorists to “not stop on the tracks” when approaching in their vehicles.

The Rail Runner, which has become the fastest start-up of a commuter rail train in the country in the past 20 years, currently carries an average 2,500 commuters a day along a 50-mile corridor between the City of Belen and the Town of Bernalillo. Work has already begun on extending the Rail Runner route north to Santa Fe by the end of 2008.

May 28, 2008

WMATA continuing track work at Mt. Vernon Square Station

Metrorail riders in Washington, D.C., should add 30 to 45 minutes of travel time into their schedules while riding the Green and Yellow lines during two weekends as Metro conducts a vital track rehabilitation project at the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St.-Convention Center Metrorail station. 

Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St.-Convention Center switch replacement is scheduled Friday, May 30, 9 p.m., to Sunday, June 1, midnight and Friday, June 6, 11 p.m., to Sunday, June 8, midnight.



During these two weekends, Metro will replace the switch at the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St.-Convention Center Metrorail station. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended the track be replaced after last year’s derailment of a Green Line train at the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station. 

One car of a Green Line train derailed as it was pulling into Mt Vernon Sq/7th St.-Convention Center station in January 2007.

May 28, 2008

Snohomish-Renton commuter rail link taking shape

Commuter trains are expected to shuttle workers from Snohomish to Bellevue by 2013 under a deal just signed by Snohomish County, Wash., local newspapers report. Tom Payne and his company, GNP Railway, were granted the exclusive right to use a football-field-sized piece of county land in downtown Snohomish.

 Over time, the company hopes to spend as much as $150 million to $200 million to rehabilitate miles of tracks, build five train stations, a 12-foot-wide trail and buy locomotives and passenger cars.

The company, not the county, will pay for the commuter train system.

It's far from a done deal. 

To make a commuter system work, Payne's company wants access to most of the 42 miles of railroad property from Snoho­mish to Renton owned by BNSF. 

The Port of Seattle is in the process of buying the land for $107 million, and might ask federal regulators permission to discontinue freight train service between Woodinville and Renton. Freight service is expected to continue between Snohomish and Woodinville.



Payne plans to file paperwork with federal railroad regulators to keep the rail line operational all the way to Bellevue. Payne is founder of RaiLink Ltd., Canada's third largest railway. The company later was bought by RailAmerica.



The county can pull the plug on the deal unless progress is made within two years and trains are running within five years.



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