CTA president releases 2012 budget recommendations

Chicago Transit Authority President Forrest Claypool proposed a $1.24 billion budget for 2012 that holds the line on fares and maintains current service levels, relying on deep management cuts and work rule changes from labor unions.

The proposed budget is $66.2 million, or 5.1 percent, less than the 2011 budget.

Management initiatives will help shave $117 million from the $277 million deficit and the proposed budget will close the remaining gap with anticipated work rule reforms, health care benefit changes and restraint in wage growth consistent with other metropolitan transit agencies.

"Since May, the CTA has launched a series of service improvements while cutting hundreds of positions and implementing management efficiencies that are saving tens of millions of dollars. The result is a lean management structure and the smallest number of employees in the CTA’s history," Claypool said.

The new service improvements are meant to improve the rider experience and encourage new riders and revenue. To improve security, more police have been added and thousands of new surveillance cameras. To improve the convenience of customers, Bus Tracker technology has been rolled out at bus shelters to let passengers know exactly when their bus is coming. To improve the cleanliness and aesthetics of rail stations, the CTA created "Renew Crews," SWAT teams of tradespeople to deep clean, repair and improve more than 100 stations and subways. And hundreds of new rail cars with modern technology and passenger amenities will be arriving shortly.

"But even the most innovative service and the leanest management cannot make up for a cost structure that far exceeds the national norm, mostly driven by antiquated work rules that benefit a small number of individuals at the expense of everyone else," Claypool said.

The CTA’s union collective bargaining agreements expire on December 31, but Claypool has already initiated the negotiation process.

Claypool warned that without labor and work rule reforms, the CTA would be forced to lay off up to 1,000 employees, reduce bus and rail service and perhaps hike fares.

The CTA’s current financial crisis dates back nearly 30 years.

The CTA is confronted with a record deficit despite more than $500 million in borrowing since the start of the recession in 2008, a 2009 fare hike and deep 2010 service cuts.

CTA says antiquated work rules cost the agency tens upon tens of millions of dollars, encouraging absenteeism, unnecessary overtime and layers of redundant costs required to manage around the cumbersome and inflexible mandates.

Approximately 70 percent of the CTA’s budget is spent on labor costs, and 91 percent of the labor force is unionized.

Labor expenses make up approximately two-thirds of the CTA budget. In 2012, labor costs are estimated to be $963.1 million, $61.7 million or 6.8 percent more than the 2011 budget.

CTA customers and the general public will have the opportunity to provide comments to the Chicago Transit Board on the president’s 2012 Budget Recommendations at three budget meetings. All are scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Westinghouse High School
3223 W. Franklin Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60624

Monday, November 7, 2011
Chicago Transit Authority Headquarters
567 W. Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60661

Thursday, November 10, 2011
Kennedy-King College
740 W. 63rd Street
Chicago, IL 60621

OCTA begins $600 million grade separation project

Drivers stuck at rail crossings in north Orange County, Calif., will soon find relief as the Orange County Transportation Authority kicks off a nearly $600 million program that will separate street traffic from trains at seven locations.

Known as the O.C. Bridges Program, the projects will eliminate the need for drivers to waste time idling at rail crossings, waiting for trains to pass.

"Making the important upgrades on these railroad crossings will positively benefit everyone impacted by delays on these crossings," said OCTA Chair Patricia Bates, also the Fifth District Supervisor. "This project will benefit pedestrians, motorists and residents alike by enhancing safety, eliminating traffic delays and improving the quality of life."



OCTA is working to improve traffic flow and safety at seven crossings along the BNSF rail line in Anaheim, Fullerton and Placentia by building a series of bridges, both underpasses and overpasses, to separate car traffic from trains. 



Placentia Avenue, which borders the cities of Fullerton and Placentia, and Kramer Boulevard are the first of the seven projects to begin construction. The additional crossings will begin construction on a staggered basis over the next two years and include Orangethorpe Avenue, Tustin Avenue/Rose Drive, Lakeview Avenue, Raymond Avenue and State College Boulevard. 



Nearly 70 trains a day travel along the BNSF rail line through Anaheim, Fullerton and Placentia and that number is anticipated to increase more than 45 percent by 2030; meaning every 10 minutes a train will be blocking each intersection.


"Without the bridges, drivers would be stuck at blocked intersections waiting for passing trains," said OCTA CEO Will Kempton. "Orange County’s economy and communities are second to none and we have to ensure our transportation system supports our growing area. These grade separation projects will have a lasting impact on drivers and I am excited to see them get under way."


NJ Transit deploys AquaTrack to fight against slippery rail

NJ Transit’s star player in the seasonal face-off against Mother Nature is again hitting the rails. AquaTrack, a high-pressure power-washing system, will lead the agency’s effort to prevent train delays associated with "slippery rail" conditions, starting this month and continuing through the end of falling leaf season.

"Fall foliage may make for a picturesque commute when the leaves are still on the trees, but after they fall onto our railroad tracks, they can become quite a nuisance," said NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein. "AquaTrack plays a vital role in helping to combat slippery rail and keep trains running on time."

Slippery rail, an age-old problem caused by autumn’s falling leaves and wet weather conditions, affects all railroads in the Northeast and other parts of the world where deciduous trees are prevalent. When falling leaves are crushed by train wheels, the decaying leaf material creates an oily residue that coats the rails, resulting in poor traction for trains and resulting delays.

NJ Transit introduced AquaTrack in October 2003. The system, which is pushed or pulled along its routes by a diesel locomotive, includes two 250-horsepower diesel-engine units mounted on a flat car with an operator control cab. Two pressure-pump units operate up to 20,000 pounds-per-square-inch at 17 gallons per minute, delivering water directly to the top of the rail.

To supplement the high-pressure washer, NJ Transit strategically spreads sand on the rails in advance of peak-period trains to increase traction and has implemented an extensive tree-trimming program along the right-of-way to reduce leaves falling onto the tracks.

AquaTrack operates primarily on the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton lines, washing the rails twice a day Monday through Friday, once overnight and again during midday hours. On weekends, the Pascack Valley and Main/Bergen County lines are covered.

 

AECOM wins $17 million contract extension to complete second phase of DART light rail extension

AECOM Technology Corporation, provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world, has been awarded a $17 million extension contract from Dallas Area Rapid Transit to complete the second phase of its light rail expansion program.

Under the contract extension, AECOM will provide a variety of project control, system integration and staff support services as DART completes the 20-mile expansion of its Orange and Blue light rail lines.

"AECOM is honored by this opportunity to continue partnering closely with DART, a key client of ours for more than two decades," said John Dionisio, AECOM chairman and chief executive officer. "We look forward to delivering innovative solutions to enhance Dallas’ mass transit systems."

AECOM’s work on the current light rail contract began during 2002 and has a value of $82 million to date.

DART names new leaders for commuter rail, marketing

Norma Navarro is the new vice president of commuter rail and Nevin Grinnell is the new vice president/chief marketing officer for Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

Navarro has served DART in several capacities since joining the agency in 1990, most recently as assistant vice president, commuter rail administration. In her new role, she will be responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the Trinity Railway Express and will serve as DART’s liaison with the T in Fort Worth, who co-own the 35-mile commuter rail line with DART.



Grinnell joins DART after more than 20 years in marketing, primarily in the food and beverage and consumer products sectors. Most recently, he was senior vice president of marketing for the NCH-Retail Product Group, where he was responsible for company strategy and new product innovation. He has also held marketing leadership positions at Frito Lay and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

Colo Railroad Builders appoints new CEO

Colo Railroad Builders, a provider of railroad construction and maintenance services to industrial, Class 1 and shortline railroads, appointed Paul Treangen as chief executive officer.

Treangen formerly worked as senior executive at Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Company Railroad and at Alliant Energy Transportation for more than 20 years.

"We are incredibly pleased to have Paul Treangen at the helm of L.A. Colo as we continue to build one of the leading national providers in the rail construction and maintenance of way space," said Frank Condurelis, managing director of L.A. Colo, LLC. "Paul has led and grown organizations of all sizes including rail operations, multimodal transportation and utility operations and brings unparalleled experience and skills to Colo. Bringing him on is a key next step for us as we pursue our strategy of growing Colo by offering the best in the industry in safety, quality and customer value to existing and new clients. We’re confident that Paul will lead the company with distinction in the years to come."

NYS DOT awarded nearly $8 million for Hudson Valley passenger rail signal upgrades

The Federal Railroad Administration obligated $7.913 million of the Fiscal Year 2010 funding to the New York State Department of Transportation for its NY Hudson Subdivision Signal Reliability Project.

Metrolink cancels service for line upgrades

There will be no service on Southern California’s Metrolink Orange County and Inland Empire lines the next three weekends as San Diego Northern Railroad construction crews work to improve passenger and freight rail services by installing a second mainline track and new rail bridges in the corridor. Additionally, Orange County Line trains 644 and 645 will be cancelled on Fridays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.

Amtrak’s schedule also will be affected, but it will offer some transportation options for those wanting to take public transportation. Metrolink Monthly Pass holders can ride Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains within the station pairs on their Metrolink ticket for free as part of the Rail2Rail program. Metrolink’s weekend pass is not valid on Amtrak trains.

This work is part of the LOSSAN (Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor) Coastal Rail Improvements, a project in which the San Diego Association of Governments, North County Transit District and Amtrak are working to add a second track to the 60-mile LOSSAN coastal rail corridor to improve passenger and freight rail services.

NJ Transit riders will be able to pay fare via smartphone at some locations

NJ Transit is the first public transportation agency to partner with Google Wallet, Google’s recently released contactless payment system. With Google Wallet, NJ Transit rail and bus customers have the option to use their smartphones to tap and pay for transportation tickets at select locations.

"Our partnership with Google demonstrates that NJ Transit and the state are at the forefront of emerging technology, paving the way for further exploration of new customer service technologies," said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. "I’m proud that New Jersey’s public transportation system is the very first public transportation agency to partner with Google Wallet, joining thousands of retailers accepting Wallet across the nation."

"Transit has been a common element of every major successful NFC effort globally and is a critical component of Google Wallet’s success," said Stephanie Tilenius, vice president of commerce at Google. "Transit is the fastest way to accelerate adoption and reach usage density in major urban centers by habituating the behavior of tapping and paying with phones and we’re excited to launch our transit effort here with NJ Transit."

Google Wallet is a free mobile app that transforms customers’ smartphones into their wallets, making "tap and pay" transactions quick and convenient by storing virtual versions of users’ credit cards on their phones. The technology uses "near field communication," which enables wireless data transmission between two objects when they are brought in close proximity with one another. By making payments with a simple wave of their phone in front of a sensor, customers who use Google Wallet will no longer have to juggle cash or credit cards to make purchases.

Now, NJ Transit customers can use Google Wallet to purchase transportation tickets at New York Penn Station ticket vending machines and ticket windows, Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station, on bus route nos. 6, 43, 80, 81, 87 and 120 and on some buses on the 126 line.

Currently, Google Wallet is available on Sprint’s Nexus S 4G phone and supports Citi MasterCard credit cards and a Google Prepaid Card, with plans to support additional card companies and more Android devices with NFC capabilities in the future.

 

GE Transportation to invest $231 million in U.S. plants

GE Transportation will invest $231 million in manufacturing improvements and site upgrades to its Erie, Pa., site and a new manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to meet accelerating domestic and global demand.

"These latest investments in our U.S. facilities put GE Transportation in a position to shape the future of the transportation industry worldwide," said Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE Transportation. "We’re making significant investments in GE’s technology leadership, product innovation and state-of-the art manufacturing operations to serve our customers worldwide."

GE Transportation’s return to double-digit growth in 2011 has resulted in job growth in the U.S. The business has announced more than 2,000 jobs in the U.S. in 2011, including more than 1,100 jobs filled at GE Transportation’s key manufacturing location in Erie. GE Transportation will hire about 360 new employees in Erie by the end of 2011, including 160 production workers to meet increasing demand for mining equipment. GE will also hire about 200 employees to backfill positions following the upcoming early retirement of production workers in Erie. The company is offering a Special Early Retirement Option and a Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program to eligible employees as part of the union contract ratified in June 2011.

In Erie, GE will invest $58 million in research and testing technology, facilities and equipment to reduce engine emissions and improve fuel efficiency of GE locomotives and as well as engines used in the marine and stationary power industries. This includes investments in test laboratories, called test cells, for large-scale diesel engines at the Erie plant. The enhanced test cells will enable GE engineers to refine an industry-leading locomotive that is fuel-efficient, reliable, durable, affordable and meets stringent EPA Tier 4 emissions standards scheduled to take effect in 2015.

GE will invest an additional $38 million in the Erie plant this year to increase capacity and modernize machining, equipment and tooling used for producing locomotives, drive systems for mining trucks and other transportation products. Production at the Erie plant is currently at levels equivalent to the facility’s peak production levels achieved most recently in 2008.

GE Transportation will also spend $40 million on facility upgrades and site beautification at its more than 100-year-old Erie plant, including new offices for hundreds of employees and a Customer Showcase Center.

The Company also intends to build a 236,000 square-foot facility adjacent to its new manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to complement its manufacturing operations in Erie. Pending necessary public approvals, GE plans to invest approximately $95 million in the new facility to manufacture and assemble AC motorized wheels for off-highway vehicles. The Company plans to launch production at the new facility in mid-2012 and anticipates hiring approximately 130 employees there.

300 public transit projects across U.S. to share $928.5 million in federal funds

Transit providers across the nation will receive a share of $928.5 million in federal funds for more than 300 public transportation projects in urban, suburban and rural areas. The money will put people to work renovating and building much needed transit facilities, manufacturing new clean-fuel buses and helping communities plan responsibly for their future transit needs.

"Investing in America’s transit systems, rails, roads, ports and airports will generate tens of thousands of construction-related jobs and put more money in the pockets of working Americans," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "But we must do more. Congress needs to pass the American Jobs Act so we can continue to invest in critically needed projects like these, to repair and rebuild our nation’s transportation system."

The grants that are made, which are available through the Federal Transit Administration’s fiscal year 2011 Alternatives Analysis, Bus Livability and State of Good Repair Programs, will go toward replacing or refurbishing aging buses, building or improving bus terminals, garages and other transit facilities, installing bus-related equipment and conducting studies to help communities select the best transit options to meet future transportation needs.

The grant selection process was highly competitive and FTA reviewed 839 project applications representing $4.9 billion in funding requests from transit providers across the country for the Fiscal Year 2011 discretionary grants.

The planned Woodward Avenue corridor project in Detroit is one of the projects to receive funding. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments will receive $2 million to study a possible second phase of the planned Woodward Avenue corridor transit project and the best mode of transit to pursue. The first phase, a light-rail line still in the early planning stages, would end just south of Eight Mile Road. The second phase may one day provide additional transit solutions another 7.5 miles to Maple Road.

US Departments of Transportation and Commerce partner to boost domestic Manufacturing

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce will form a partnership to encourage the creation of domestic manufacturing jobs and opportunities for U.S. suppliers through transportation investments.

The Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership will help to ensure manufacturers meet the U.S. Department of Transportation’s strict Buy America and Buy American standards, connecting U.S. manufacturers and suppliers for work on highways, railways and transit projects and in the process, help to create jobs.

"Investment in transportation is a critical piece of President Obama’s American Jobs Act," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Not only are we improving how we move people and goods, but we are strengthening our economy by providing opportunities for American companies and their employees to build our transportation system here at home."

With a network in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, MEP serves more than 34,000 American suppliers, helping them to retool their manufacturing capabilities to meet demand, compete in the global marketplace and sell American-made products all over the world.

"This initiative is a win for workers and communities across America," said Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank. "The Manufacturing Extension Partnership will connect U.S. manufacturers and suppliers with hundreds of millions of dollars in upcoming highway, railway and airport projects, providing new job opportunities in every corner of the country."

MEP will leverage more than 1,300 expert manufacturing assistance field staff in over 350 locations to provide knowledge of local manufacturing capabilities from across the nation. MEP will identify suppliers’ production and technical capabilities to match them up with viable business opportunities that may have otherwise gone to foreign suppliers, ensuring maximum economic benefit for taxpayer-funded transportation investments across all modes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will team up with MEP to connect American suppliers with opportunities created by the Obama Administration’s historic investments in high-speed intercity passenger rail, including track and station construction and the development of next-generation trains. MEP will help DOT to guarantee American companies and workers receive benefits from public investments like the upcoming $782 million order for domestically-built passenger rail trains that will travel in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa.

MEP will also help DOT assure that American companies and workers benefit when the state of California issues a request for information for new bi-level passenger coaches. Responses to the RFI will inform the states of the manufacturer’s capacity to complete the order and identify potential domestic suppliers. A request for proposals will be issued this winter and winning bids will be selected next summer.

Already, MEP is working with the Federal Transit Administration to improve its ability to assess the merits of requests for waivers from Buy America requirements, eliminate the need for some waivers and strengthen FTA’s support for these requirements.

At the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

 

CP partners with Contrans to expand intermodal reach

Canadian Pacific will be the exclusive Canadian rail transportation provider for Contrans, using Raildecks multimodal flat rack containers. The agreement extends the long-haul efficiencies of rail to markets currently served by transport trucks across Canada.

"Raildecks’ innovative product extends the efficiencies of intermodal rail to industrial products shippers," said John McBoyle, vice president intermodal at Canadian Pacific. "We believe industrial product customers will be attracted to the consistency, efficiency and reliability of our long-haul intermodal network."

"The Raildecks solution provides a viable option to convert some of the industrial freight that is moving over the road to be transported on intermodal rail," said Rick Jocson, CEO of Raildecks. "By converting a traditional over-the-road commodity to rail, Raildecks are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, freeing up major roads and highways and reducing costs for shippers."

Canadian Pacific has been testing Raildecks’ 53 ft. collapsible, multimodal carriers over the summer at its Toronto Intermodal Facility in Vaughn, ON, Canada. The testing proved the concept, as pipe and other industrial products moved seamlessly on CP’s longhaul intermodal trains. Previously, shippers relied on trucks to move these types of products over a long distance.

 

Metro-North wins Brunel Award for Overall Excellence in Railroad Design

The United States Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, presented the prestigious 2011 Jury Prize for Overall Design Excellence from The Watford Group and The Center for Industrial Design in Transportation to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad at the Brunel Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Metro-North was the first American railroad to win this coveted award in its 26-year history. Forty-three railways from 15 countries on three continents entered 150 projects in this year’s international competition. The Brunel Awards are open to all passenger and freight railways throughout the world and recognize and promote the best in railway design and engineering.

"As we work to rebuild our transportation systems and create jobs, it is more essential than ever that we recognize the innovative engineers, architects and designers who make new rail projects possible," said Secretary LaHood. "These projects, including eight right here in the United States, all exemplify the idea that when we invest in transportation, we lay the groundwork for a new century of economic development, opportunity and growth."

"Considering the caliber of the competition, it was certainly a thrilling and rewarding experience," said Metro-North President Howard Permut, who accepted the Jury Prize from LaHood.

In describing the selection, the report of the Awards Jury stated: "Metro-North carries the most passengers every year on the American continent and has undergone both extraordinary changes of company culture as well as the shift to incorporation of design as a strategic business tool."

The Jury Prize is only eligible to a railroad that enters project in all five categories, which Metro-North did, winning first place in the "Freight and Railway Support Buildings" category for its Croton-Harmon Locomotive and Coach Shops. These two 21st century facilities are designed for a 21st century fleet, with ultra-modern equipment maintenance capability that provides employees with a safe, clean work environment. They represent the largest capital and engineering project ever undertaken by Metro-North.

 

TTC welcomes 28 billion customer

The Toronto Transit Commission will mark a major milestone Oct. 18, when Chair Karen Stintz welcomes the TTC’s 28 billionth rider since the Commission was formed in 1921. The TTC Chair will present the 28 billionth rider with a special gift at Davisville Station.

The TTC has the third largest ridership in North America, after Mexico City and New York City.

Amtrak’s Wilmington station wins award for design

The renovated Amtrak Wilmington Train Station in North Carolina was recognized for its design excellence at the 2011 Brunel Awards International Railway Design Competition. It was selected from a pool of more than 150 entries submitted from 14 countries.

The Amtrak-led renovation balanced the need to modernize the station while retaining its historic charm. The project included detailed restoration to various parts of the station including the grand staircase located in the lobby and the historic men’s and women’s waiting rooms on the second floor of the station. It also provided for a new passenger information display system and enhancements to the station’s accessibility to people with disabilities.

The Brunel Awards competition recognizes and promotes the best in railway architecture, engineering, landscape and environmental design, product design, locomotive and car design, graphic arts and corporate branding amongst railways from Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The Wilmington Train Station is the 12th busiest station in the Amtrak system with 717,772 passengers in Fiscal Year 2011. In addition to Amtrak, the Wilmington Station also serves two commuter services; SEPTA and the Delaware Transit Corporation. In March 2011, the station was rededicated the Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Railroad Station in honor of the long-time Amtrak rider, strong advocate of passenger rail and current Vice President of the United States.

Amtrak is also being recognized with a Brunel Commendation for the Superliner I Coach Overhaul completed by its in-house Mechanical Department. This project involved restoring stored or wrecked train cars and returning them to service. As a result of this effort, Amtrak has increased capacity on many of its Long Distance trains.

Metra releases prelim 2012 budget with fare increase

Chicago area’s Metra Board of Directors approved the release of a preliminary 2012 budget that calls for a fare increase that averages about 25 percent across all fare types. The budget plan now will be the subject of a series of public hearings before the board votes on a final budget on Nov. 11.

Metra’s proposed 2012 budget includes $686.8 million for operations and a $244.1 million capital program.
Metra has been warning for months that it faces a budget deficit next year due to a spike in diesel fuel prices, the demands of meeting new federal regulations, higher insurance premiums and a variety of other rising costs. Meanwhile, proceeds from the regional transportation sales tax have fallen short of expectations due to the faltering economy. Metra has decided to stop diverting funds from its capital budget, meant for infrastructure improvements, to plug holes in its operating budget. That practice helped Metra get through tough times until now, but simply is not sustainable given our critical capital needs.

Metra was able to reduce the deficit by $17.5 million through a variety of steps, including locking in the price of 75 percent of its fuel needs, making administrative cuts and finding other operational efficiencies. Those actions reduced the size of the needed fare increase by 7 percentage points. However, there still is a projected budget gap of $53.6 million that will need to be covered by a fare increase.

Under the fare increase proposal, one-way tickets would increase an average of 15.7 percent across all fare zones. Ten-ride tickets would go up an average of 30 percent and monthly passes would increase an average of 29.4 percent. Reduced fare one-way tickets would increase an average of 10.3 percent, reduced fare ten-ride tickets would increase an average of 18.9 percent and reduced fare monthly passes would go up an average of 10.8 percent. Taken together, the overall average increase is 25.1 percent.

In addition to the fare increases, several fare policies would change. One-way tickets would only be valid for 14 days, instead of a year and they would no longer be refundable. The ten-ride ticket discount would be reduced so that riders would get 10 rides for the price of nine, rather than 10 for the price of eight. Ten-ride tickets would remain valid for a year, but would only be refundable within three months of the date of purchase. The 10-ride tickets could be refunded on a prorated basis, but there would be a $5 handling fee. Monthly passes would be valid through the end of the month (instead of noon on the first weekday of the following month) and refunds would be subject to a $10 fee.

Also, the Metra subsidy for the Link-Up and PlusBus tickets would be eliminated and riders would have to pay the full costs of those passes. Young adult fares on weekends and holidays also would be eliminated.
The fare increase and other changes would begin on Feb. 1, 2012.

Metra Board will vote on a final budget at its Nov. 11 meeting. The budget will then be forwarded to the Regional Transportation Authority, which will vote on the region’s transportation budget in December.

Bloomington-Normal to Peoria passenger rail study gets federal grant

The Department of Transportation awarded $160,000 in funding to study the feasibility of establishing passenger rail service from Bloomington-Normal, which is currently served by Amtrak service from Chicago to St. Louis – Peoria.

"Connecting Peoria to the high-speed rail service in Bloomington-Normal opens up new possibilities for businesses and travelers from Chicago to St. Louis," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

The Amtrak station in Normal is the busiest in Illinois outside of Chicago and a considerable amount of that ridership is from the Peoria area. According to the Economic Development Council of Central Illinois, over 5,000 people travel from the Peoria area to Bloomington-Normal to work on a daily basis, and over 2,500 travel in the reverse direction. It has been estimated that more than 95 percent of these commuters travel alone in a single-occupancy vehicle. Having a study investigating passenger rail options is the first step to better connecting these two hubs and reduce travel times and congestion while improving air quality in the region.

Watco Transportation Services names Tony Cox VP Engineering

Tony Cox has been promoted to vice president of engineering. His main areas of focus will be safety, service, growth, efficiency and profit¬ability and people. In this position Cox will be responsible for the supervising and plan¬ning of all engineering and track related activities including working with all regional management teams defining priorities, expectations and establishing performance met¬rics and measurements.

Tony has been with Watco for four years and has recently served as senior chief engineer and was responsible for planning, development and overseeing of the capital and mainte¬nance budgets and supporting the Regional Chief Engineers.

Tony has 28 years of railroad experience including the management of track departments with Kyle Railways, Statesrail and Rail America.

 

Skanska secures contract in Norway worth NOK 1.36 billion, US$ 242 million

Skanska has been contracted to build a double track railway on the Vestfold Line in Norway. The contract amounts to NOK $1.36 billion, about SEK 1.57 billion, (US$ 0.25 billion), which will be included in order bookings for the fourth quarter. Customer is the Norwegian National Rail Administration (Jernbaneverket).

The Vestfold Line will contribute to a more efficient flow of traffic between Drammen and Porsgrunn, Norway and the area around the Oslo Fjord will be better connected with sustainable transports. The new route is adapted for future train speeds of up to 250 km/hour (1.5 mph). The contract Skanska has signed is for the projects Station and Fibo. The Station project covers a 2,370 meter (1.5 mile) tunnel and the construction of the 866 meter (.53 mile) station hall. Furthermore, Skanska will construct 1,000 meter (.62 mile) of drain tunnels. The Fibo project covers the 1,930 meter (1.2 mile) long main tunnel.

"This is an important project for us. The project is completely in line with Skanska Norway’s strategy to be the best at large and complex civil construction projects. Therefore it is very gratifying that Jernbaneverket has chosen to work with us," said Petter Eiken, business unit president of Skanska Norway.

The project is scheduled to be completed in December 2015.

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