Amtrak to begin serving renovated Castleton, Vt., depot






As the result of growing
and anticipated demand for passenger rail service to Castleton State College
and Lake Bomoseen, Amtrak and the Vermont Agency of Transportation said that
state-supported Ethan Allen Express trains will make twice daily stops at the
recently renovated Castleton, Vt., station beginning January 2, 2010. The
southbound Ethan Allen Express, train #292 scheduled to arrive Saturday at
11:02 a.m., will be the first train to officially stop at the station.

Port buys rail line, city prepares for train service







After a decade, a train may
be returning to Snohomish, Wash., by next summer, the Snohomish County Tribune
reports. The Port of Seattle purchased the Eastside rail corridor Dec. 21 from BNSF
in a deal totaling $81 million. The purchase covers 42 miles of rail line from
Renton to Snohomish.


Funding keeps Metra in neutral






Two planned Metra stations
could transform neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and North Sides — spurring
economic development, curbing carbon emissions and making it just plain easier
for residents to choose public transportation, proponents say, according to a
report in the Chicago Tribune. But when that vision will become reality is
uncertain.

Appointment boosts LACMTA expansion






A top adviser for Los
Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be transferred Jan. 4 to a new job
aimed at bringing a light-rail system to Los Angeles and L.A./Ontario
international airports, the Los Angeles Times reports. Deputy Mayor Diego
Alvarez will serve as the regional transportation coordinator for Los Angeles
World Airports, which operates both airports, according to Villaraigosa’s
office.

CREATE completes strategic rail connection in McCook, Ill.






A key rail connection and
capacity expansion project of the Chicago Region Environmental and
Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program is now operational in McCook,
Ill. The $13.1-million federally- and privately-funded McCook Connection
project (Project B6) provides additional connectivity between the Indiana
Harbor Belt, CSX Transportation and BNSF rail lines. Trains that had to wait or
travel at a maximum speed of 10 miles an hour are now able to proceed through
the area at 25 miles per hour as they move onto mainline tracks near the United
Parcel Service Willow Springs Distribution Center.

Metra opens expanded parking lot at Crystal Lake Pingree Road Station






Metra and community leaders
marked the opening of expanded parking facilities at the Pingree Road Station
on Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line in Crystal Lake, Ill., during a ribbon-cutting
ceremony Dec. 28.

New Brooklyn LIRR terminal is on a roll






After nearly six years of
construction, the new entrance to the Long Island Rail Road’s critical Atlantic
Terminal at Flatbush Avenue is finally open to straphangers, according to The
Brooklyn Paper. Commuters looking for the LIRR ticket office will find that it
has moved to a new location on the concourse below the ground floor entrance,
where natural light shines through glass that spans from the road to the
ceiling, offering views of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank tower across the
street.

CTA to open new elevators at Brown Line Belmont, Fullerton Stations






The newly installed
elevators at CTA’s Belmont and Fullerton stations will soon be available for
customers’ use by the end of 2009. The elevator at Belmont will go into service
on Tuesday, December 29 and the one at Fullerton will begin operation on
Thursday, December 31.

NS paid nearly $12 million for rail hub land at McCalla, Ala.






Norfolk Southern Corp. paid
nearly $12 million to purchase the 316 acres in McCalla, Ala., where it plans
to build a $112 million railroad hub, according to county records, The Birmingham
News reports. The railroad company bought land from six different property
owners in transactions ranging in price from $72,545.40 to more than $5.8
million, the property records show.

Faster trains top Amtrak’s list of needs






Amtrak has been working
hard to lure more business travelers to its trains, with advertisements highlighting
its advantages over air travel – roomier seats, power outlets on its Acela trains
and fewer annoyances, the New York Times reports. And its efforts have borne
some fruit: the number of riders on its Northeast corridor trains has been
rising.

WMATA sets January weekend track maintenance schedule






In January, in addition to
the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday weekend closure of the
Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail station on the Red Line, Metro in Washington,
D.C., will replace fasteners, make tunnel repairs, and make repairs to a rail
switch that will help ensure reliable Metrorail service. Customers should
expect travel delays during the weekends of Jan. 8 to 10, Jan. 15 to 18, and
Jan. 29 to Jan. 31.





Vandeventer Bridge is coming down






As construction to
replace the 80-year-old Vandeventer Bridge in St. Louis continues, work to
remove the old bridge will require a MetroLink system outage between the Grand
and Central West End MetroLink Stations from December 26 through January 3.
During this time, MetroBus shuttles will replace MetroLink light rail service between these two stations, enabling passengers to navigate around the
construction zone and continue their commutes.

Bypass still in the works for Victoria’s KCS rail line






Construction is complete on the Kansas City Southern rail line and
trains run through Victoria, Texas, daily, but there’s still more to go,
according to the Victoria Advocate. The next step is a bypass to offset rail
traffic through major arteries. It’s a work in progress and both KCS and the
Texas Department of Transportation are working toward a resolution, Victoria
County Judge Don Pozzi said.

Executive committee meets to further discuss Norfolk light rail, future of HRT






One day after telling
City Council that light-rail construction costs will not exceed the latest
estimate of $328 million, Hampton Road Transit officials said that the price
could climb another $12 million, The Virginian-Pilot reports. During a
closed-door executive committee meeting, HRT consultants revealed that the
project, which was budgeted to cost $232 million when construction started,
could rise to about $340 million, a 47 percent increase, several board members
confirmed. They added that the projection is preliminary.

Burlington, Iowa, quiet zone goes into effect






After years of waiting,
Burlington, Iowa, residents were rewarded for their patience with a Christmas
gift, The Hawkeye reports. At midnight Dec. 24, the city became a train horn
quiet zone. Earlier this month, quiet
zone status was granted by the Federal Railroad Administration based on safety
modifications to downtown railroad crossings.

Mission, Texas, bridge under scrutiny






 

The City of Mission, Texas,
is lobbying the U.S State Department to retain a permit to build another
international bridge, mere weeks after the completion of the Rio Grande
Valley’s newest crossing, according to The
Monitor.

 There is no plan or funding to build another crossing, but Mission
city officials said they want to retain the 30-year-old permit because it
allows them to connect railroads on both sides of the border, something the
newly unveiled Anzalduas International Bridge does not.



 

Missouri city to seek grants for rail siding






Construction of a new
railroad siding in the west industrial park in Washington, Mo., could begin
late next spring or early summer if the city receives final approval of state
and federal grant funds it’s seeking, the Missourian reports. The city has
received the preliminary nod for more than $2 million in state economic
development grants to finance the "team track" rail siding at the end
of West Main Street, according to Dick Oldenburg, economic development director.

Union Pacific alters tunnels so double-stack trains can reach Reno






Union Pacific has
raised the roof on 15 of its tunnels over Donner Pass in the Sierra, allowing
double-stacked trains to cross the pass and go through Reno for the first time
on the way to Chicago, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. When the recession
ebbs, more trains could be coming through Reno and Sparks. Double-stacked
trains have been routed through the longer and more difficult Feather River
Canyon north of Reno.

Port of Vancouver gets $3 million for rail loop






The Port of Vancouver,
Wash., will receive nearly $3 million in additional federal funds to help build
rail lines for its $137-million West Vancouver Freight Access project, the Portland
Business Journal reports. The new allocation comes with the help of U.S. Sen.
Patty Murray, D-Wash., and was included in the final version of the fiscal 2010
Consolidated Appropriations Act.

Caltrain construction, maintenance Dec. 27 – 30






Work on Caltrain’s Grade
Crossing Improvement Program, which will enhance safety at 25 grade crossings
in San Mateo County, continues. The schedule includes Maple Avenue, Chestnut
Street and Broadway, Redwood City, 8:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m., Dec. 28-30. Throughout
the project area, at least one lane of the impacted street will remain open. Flagmen
will direct traffic and pedestrians around the construction.

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