United Transportation Union-represented maintenance-of-way employees on Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad, who chose the UTU as their bargaining representative in January, have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has begun the advanced utility relocation work for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor construction project, which is the first contract awarded under LACMTA’s new Project Labor Agreement, a pact between LACMTA and the building trades to implement a targeted hiring program that will help provide jobs to economically disadvantaged workers.
L.B. Foster Company has completed the sale of its railway securement business to Holland, L.P. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. L.B. Foster acquired the shipping systems division as part of its acquisition of Portec Rail Products, Inc., in December 2010.
Kansas City Southern is set to increase train speed over some segments of its Gulfport to Hattiesburg, Miss., line. Effective June 8, speeds will move from 10 to 25 mph, but a 10 mph speed limit will continue through downtown Wiggins for the time being.
On May 17, the National Transportation Safety Board issued three reports involving a derailment, rear-end collision and an incident where a hi-rail maintenance vehicle struck two wayside workers on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority property.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) awarded approximately $350 million in grants to improve public transit across California. An estimated 80 projects will upgrade transit service, purchase eco-friendly buses, modernize transit stations and create jobs throughout the state. The grants are funded through Proposition 1B, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond, which is providing $3.6 billion over a 10-year period to improve public transit in California.
AECOM was named lead design subconsultant to a joint venture contracted to design, build and finance a spur line and passenger station as part of Ontario’s Air Rail Link (ARL). The ARL will connect the existing Georgetown GO transit line and link the city’s two busiest transportation hubs – Union Station downtown and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
On June 1st, Protran Technology was awarded its first major contract from Brazil’s Belo Horizonte Metro for the “Protracker / PTC” track worker protection overlay system for advance warning of approaching trains.
The Transportation Committee in Ottawa, ON, Canada, will consider an interim report of the environmental assessment on the western light-rail expansion at its meeting on June 6, 2012.
For the second year in a row, Union Pacific was selected as the top-performing railroad by U.S. agricultural shippers in the third annual Soy Transportation Coalition Railroad Report Card.
A new website for the railroad industry is now available to the public. RailAdvisor.com was created to offer solutions and to inform the industry of a product, service, event or technical concept. The website is designed with categories for solutions, product/service offerings, contacts, news, railway terminology and forums.
Dr. Arnold D. Kerr passed away on May 27, 2012 at the age of 84.
The Restoring Rail Service Act passed in the Canadian Senate and received the Royal Assent, effectively ending the strike at Canadian Pacific, which began on May 23. CP workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference will return to work on Friday, June 1.
On the night of May 29, crews working on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s East Side Access project brought a 642-ton tunnel boring machine to a halt underneath Sunnyside Yard in Queens seven weeks ahead of schedule, completing the third of four tunnels the MTA is building in Queens.
The Chicago Transit Authority, in partnership with IMG Worldwide, issued Requests for Proposals, seeking naming rights and sponsorships for 11 ‘L’ stations. O’Hare, Fullerton, Belmont, Addison, Chicago, Grand/State, 95th, North/Clybourn, Midway, Ashland 63rd and 79th stations could become the new location for businesses to showcase their brands.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission authorizing the installation of flashing lights and gates at three grade crossings in Butler and Richland counties.
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $306 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvements in California, Minnesota and North Dakota in 2012.
Following an extensive international search, the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors hired Jeff Morales as the authority’s new chief executive officer.
The Restoring Rail Service Act has been passed by Canada’s House of Commons. The Act would end the work stoppage at Canadian Pacific and its labor disputes with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
GE Transportation has chosen Chicago, Ill., as its global headquarters. Erie, Pa., will remain the headquarters for GE Transportation’s global locomotive business and key manufacturing site.
