U.S. Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood commended the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Committee for reporting out the Obama Administration’s transit safety bill, the
first transit-specific safety bill ever sent to Congress by any administration,
by a unanimous vote. The bill now goes to the Senate floor.
Drakontas LLC, a company
that develops situation awareness and wireless communications tools for first
responders, law enforcement and homeland defense, formally demonstrated
its prototype wireless emergency messaging solution for transit passengers in
subway tunnels on June 29. The 30-minute demonstration showcased the messaging
platform capability inside a passenger train at PATCO’s 8th and Market Station
in Center City Philadelphia.
Even with its bridge over
the Elkhorn River washed out by floodwaters two weeks ago, Nebraska Central
Railroad trains south of the river are running almost as usual, reports the
Grand Island Independent. Even around Norfolk — just north of the ruined
bridge — trains are running. But the railroad can’t get goods from places
south of the bridge, such as Grand Island, to Norfolk.
Canadian Pacific said that
the section of the CP main line east of Medicine Hat, Alta., that has been
closed since June 18 is now open to traffic. This follows the reopening of the
southern line between Lethbridge, Alta., and Swift Current, Sask.
The temporary nighttime
lane closures of all eastbound and westbound lanes on NW 25 Street between NW
39 Avenue and NW 37 Avenue, originally scheduled to take place from June 16-July
1, have been rescheduled to take place starting July 12 through July 26. As
part of the Miami-Dade Transit’s Metrorail AirportLink Project, the above closures
will be implemented in order to conduct activities necessary for the
construction of the new Metrorail extension. All lanes will be closed at 9 p.m.
each night and will reopen at 5 a.m. the following morning. Detour signs will
be posted directing motorists to the below alternate routes.
Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood has announced the appointment of Rick Inclima, director of safety
for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, to a two-year term
on the Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS).
The new and improved
Downtown Berkeley bike station opens July 13, with a ribbon-cutting celebration
at 11:00 a.m. plus other events and prizes throughout the day.
The Obama Administration took
the next step toward realizing its vision for high-speed rail in the United
States. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration
will begin accepting applications for $2.1 billion in grants to continue the
development of high-speed intercity passenger rail corridors.
Kansas City Southern said
that the KCS board of directors elected Michael R. Haverty, currently chairman
and chief executive officer, to the position of executive chairman and elected
current president and chief operating officer, David L. Starling, to president
and chief executive officer, both effective August 1, 2010. Haverty will continue
to concentrate on the strategic direction of the company and oversee long-term
business decisions.
Unitrac Railroad Materials,
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Healey Railroad Corporation and a specialty
trackwork manufacturer and distributor of new and relay rail, has met the
requirements of the Association of American Railroads’ Quality Assurance
Program as specified in M-1003.
Aconex, a provider of
project collaboration solutions for the construction, infrastructure, energy
and resources industries, has been selected by the Regional Transportation
District Denver to provide its online collaboration solution to RTD’s $6-billion
dollar FasTracks transit expansion program. Aconex will be used to facilitate
the information and records management needs for design, construction, testing
and start-up of the public infrastructure project.
During the recession in the
early 2000s, U.S. freight railroads slashed spending and services. When
business revived, they were roundly criticized for bottlenecks and delays, The
Wall Street Journal reports. This time around, the railroads have continued to
spend heavily, plowing more than $20 billion into capital improvements to widen
tracks and tunnels, upgrade cars and engines and enhance their technology.
Coleman Young died a
dozen years ago. If the former Detroit mayor were with us today, he surely
would be delighted with news of a billion-dollar investment in Detroit’s
railroad infrastructure, the Port Huron Times Herald reports.
SEPTA General Manager
Joseph Casey joined state and local leaders and members of the community for a
ribbon-cutting ceremony at Wayne Station on the Thorndale Regional rail line in
Wayne, Delaware County, Pa. The ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of
the extensive two-year $22.7-million Wayne Station Improvement Project. The
project was funded as a joint federal, state and local effort to rejuvenate the
historic station, which dates to the late 1800’s.
Ten states that lead the
nation in the number of highway-rail grade-crossing deaths — Alabama,
California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio and
Texas –have until Aug. 27, 2011, to complete five-year action plans that
address highway-rail grade crossing accidents, Occupational Health &
Safety’s Website reported.
The three newest members
of the Amtrak board of directors recognize that Amtrak and its national network
of high-speed and intercity passenger trains are key to the future of passenger
rail transportation in America.
L. B. Foster said that the
Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania has dissolved the
preliminary injunction issued on April 21, 2010, which had enjoined the
completion of L.B. Foster’s tender offer for Portec Rail Products, Inc. Stan Hasselbusch,
L.B. Foster’s chief executive officer, commented, "We are pleased that
this obstacle to L.B. Foster’s acquisition of Portec Rail has been
removed."
BMWED National Division
President Freddie N. Simpson, who also serves as a Teamster International Vice
President, was re-elected by acclamation during the union’s Quadrennial
Convention.
In July, Metro will replace
rail switches at the Rosslyn Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines and
conduct major track work to maintain a state of good repair on all five of
Metro’s rail lines. All of July’s weekend projects will impact travel times and
cause delays. However, there will be no track maintenance during the upcoming
July 4th holiday weekend.
Pacific Harbor Line said
that M. D. "Mike" Stolzman, vice president, has been promoted to
president, succeeding Andrew C. Fox, who is promoted to managing director, a
newly created position. Otis Cliatt succeeds Stolzman.