Author: jrood

Parsons Brinckerhoff designing LACMTA

The Exposition Construction Authority has awarded a $542 million contract for the design and construction of Phase 2 of the Expo Corridor light rail in California to the joint venture of Skanska/Rados. Parsons Brinckerhoff will design the project on behalf of the Skanska/Rados design-build team.

The first phase of the Expo Line, which extends 8.5 miles from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City, includes 10 stations. Phase 1 is about 90 percent complete and expected to begin operation in 2012.

Phase 2 will extend the line 6.6 miles from Culver City to Santa Monica and is expected to open in 2015. The extension will include seven stations, terminating at 4th Street/Colorado in Santa Monica. Pre-construction work and utility work for phase 2 is expected to begin later this year.

Completion of the 14-mile Expo Line will enable travel from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica in approximately 46 minutes, even in rush hour, and will provide access to destinations such as the University of Southern California, Exposition Park, the Crenshaw District and West Los Angeles. By 2030, an estimated 64,000 passengers are expected to ride the line each day, which would make it one of the most heavily used light rail lines in the country.

Travelers will be able to transfer to other Metro rail lines at the 7th Street/Metro Center station, where the Expo Line will connect to the Blue, Red and Purple lines.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is providing funding for the $1.5 billion project, which is being designed and built by the Exposition Construction Authority. Metro will own and operate the line once it is complete.

ARG Trans signs Coos Bay Rail Link pact, names GM

ARG Trans has signed an interim contract with the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay to operate the Coos Bay rail line, known as Coos Bay Rail Link. ARG Trans also announced the appointment of Tom Foster as CBR’s general manager.

ARG Trans President Scott Parkinson said, "We are excited to partner with the Port to operate the Coos Bay Rail Link and develop business opportunities that will create jobs and enhance the local economy."

The rail line extends from a connection with Union Pacific at Eugene to Coquille, Ore. Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad closed the line in 2007 and the Port purchased it from RailAmerica in 2009.

CBR is undergoing nearly $24 million in repairs to upgrade the line from 10 mph to between 25 and 40 mph. Partial service is expected to resume in October. The interim agreement will cover operations while the rail line is being rehabilitated.

Parkinson added, "Tom Foster brings a wealth of experience in shortline railroad operations and marketing. We are fortunate to have his expertise supporting the start up of the Coos Bay Rail Link."

Foster was formerly the general manager of the Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad.

 

LIRR to test hand-held credit card ticket payments

Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Long Island Rail Road in New York is launching a pilot program using wireless, hand-held Ticket Issuing Machines (TIMS) that will allow customers to purchase tickets on board trains with all major credit cards and with a ‘debit-as-credit’ card, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Beginning August 16, LIRR conductors assigned to trains running between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will be carrying an Apple iPhone 4 equipped with a PaySaber cradle device that uses an application designed by the LIRR that enables train crews to make credit card sales and ‘debit-as-credit’ sales and print out tickets in one easy transaction. The device will be used to process onboard cash sales as well during the pilot program.

To save time and avoid higher, on-board fares, the LIRR strongly urges customers to purchase tickets in advance at station ticket windows or Ticket Vending Machines.

Customers who opt to buy tickets onboard will still be required to pay an extra fee of up to $6.50 per ticket if they board at a station which has a ticket machine and/or a ticket window that is open. In situations where a customer must buy on board the train and isn’t carrying sufficient cash, making a ticket purchase with a credit card or ‘debit-as-credit’ card will be an added convenience.

"This device uses the latest technology to offer a real convenience to customers," said LIRR President Helena Williams. "Credit card and ‘debit-as-credit’ card transactions will allow customers to pay for their LIRR fares even when they don’t have enough cash on hand. It also will help the LIRR to speed up end-of-tour accounting of onboard transactions.

"We live in a time that is more and more a cashless society," said Williams. "Our younger customers in particular often don’t carry cash. Smart phone technology is offering new improvements and efficiencies almost every day. It’s time for the LIRR to explore how these applications can help provide better customer service."

During the pilot, the electronic, hand-held devices will replace the familiar "duplex" paper ticket and ticket punch system that conductors have been using for decades. Instead, customers will be issued a smaller ticket printed by the device with no punching of the ticket required at the time of issue. Customers should retain the ticket to be used on any connecting trip.

As part of the pilot, customers will also be able to use credit cards to make bar cart purchases on the North Fork Wine Train departing Ronkonkoma for Greenport at 5:21 p.m. on Fridays. The North Fork Wine Train features a different Long Island vineyard selection each week during the summer season.

The pilot project is scheduled to run through October 9. At the conclusion of the pilot, the railroad will determine if more testing is needed before a decision is made about expanding use of the hand-held devices to other branches of the LIRR.

A select group of LIRR conductors have been training on the new devices. Crew members were involved in the design and development of the application, offering a number of key suggestions that led to improvements. Crew members will also be involved in the evaluation of the devices during and after the pilot program.

 

Beacon Enterprises awarded WMATA Red Line IT contract

Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group, Inc., a design, implementation and management of Information Technology Systems infrastructure solutions company, has been awarded a Washington, D.C.-based project by teaming partner ICS Nett, Inc., a federal prime contractor, to provide ITS infrastructure services to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Red Metro Line.

This first contract award to Beacon by ICS is projected to bring $4 million in new net sales to Beacon. Under the agreement, Beacon will initially provide installation management, maintenance, program and project management services, as well as camera installation for WMATA’s Red Metro Line CCTV infrastructure. Beacon will also provide future ITS infrastructure services for various projects, including public address systems, fire intrusion alarm, telephony, wireless systems, structured cabling system and networking.

"The relationship with ICS is allowing Beacon to expand the verticals to which we offer our core services and will help stabilize our net sales volume which has been somewhat unpredictable the last couple of quarters. Providing Rail Telecom services to ICS Transportation Division is a very solid strategic move for Beacon," said Beacon President and COO Jerry Bowman.

Spectrum Infrared to supply switch heaters to IHB

Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad has acquired more than 70 SPECTRUM RRSH Track Switch Heaters from Spectrum Infrared, a division of Advanced Detection Systems, Inc., to be installed at the Blue Island and Riverdale Yards. The design of the SPECTRUM RRSH provides a fully integrated control system, eliminating the need for way side control panels. According to Spectrum Infrared, the RRSH Track Switch Heater reduces energy costs, increases reliability in the harshest of winter snowstorms and is the lowest life cycle cost track switch heater in the industry.

The design of the RRSH units will minimize the amount of energy in Btu’s required to keep the switches clear of snow and ice during the coldest period of winter. This will enable the switches to maintain full operation on these days.

 

Gonzales joins PB

Gary Gonzales has been named a senior principal engineer in the Denver office of
Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Gonzales has more than 20 years of experience working on Colorado Department of Transportation and Regional Transportation District projects. His experience includes traffic and Intelligent Transportation System planning, design and construction/program management for highway and transit projects. For the past four years, he served as CDOT’s program engineer and liaison to the RTD FasTracks program. He has also served as the traffic and ITS manager for the multimodal, design-build Transportation Expansion project.

 

Atlanta commission agrees to draft list of $6.14 billion transportation projects

The Executive Committee of the Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable reached a unanimous agreement on a draft list of transportation projects to get the region moving in the next 10 years. The five-member committee voted to approve a $6.14 billion draft list of transportation projects to be potentially funded by a penny sales tax to come before voters next year.

"Today, the Roundtable Executive Committee worked tirelessly to craft a constrained list of priority projects that represent tremendous benefits to the entire region," said Norcross mayor, Bucky Johnson, chairman of the Roundtable Executive Committee. "We had representatives from all the major jurisdictions in the Atlanta region rolling up their sleeves to help the Executive Committee select projects with the greatest impact. By working creatively and cooperatively, we approved a constrained list of investments today that can usher in a new era of transportation possibilities for our residents."

With public feedback, the five-member Roundtable Executive Committee completed their task of narrowing a $22 billion list of projects down to $6.14 billion. That meant whittling a regional list of more than 400 transportation projects to just over 100 in two and a half months.

The list now must be approved by the full 21-member roundtable by October 15 and submitted to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The next meeting of the full roundtable will be held on Friday, September 16.

Rail-related projects that are part of the draft include:

MARTA North Heavy Rail Line Extension to SR 140: Project cost of $903,900,000 ($37,000,000 funding commitment).

Atlanta Beltline Streetcar Circulator and Trail: Project cost of $1,547,100,000 ($601,892,477 funding commitment).

Northwest Corridor (Acworth to Arts Center Station) Fixed Guideway Transit – Phase 1 from Midtown to Cumberland: Project cost of $1,234,900,000 ($856,499,900 funding commitment).

I-85 North Transit Corridor (all phases): Project cost of $1,303,300,000 ($95,000,000 funding commitment).

MARTA State of Good Repair and Station Enhancements (consolidated): Project cost unknown ($600,000,000 funding commitment).

MARTA East Heavy Rail Line Extension from Indian Creek Station to Wesley Chapel Road Near I-20 East: Project cost of $791,600,000 ($225,000,000 funding commitment).

Clifton Corridor Transit – Rail Corridor Phases 1A, 1B and 1C: Project cost of $1,113,400,000 ($700,000,000 funding commitment).

Rail line at Toledo port dedicated

Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority President and CEO Paul Toth, Midwest Terminals of Toledo and area officials dedicated the Port Authority-owned rail line currently under construction at Ironville Terminal on August 15. This phase of construction was made possible by $5 million in Jobs Ready Sites Grant Funding. Commemorative rail spikes were pounded into the rail line by the officials in honor of the dedication. The total public/private investment into Ironville Terminal will be more than $18 million when the infrastructure projects are complete in 2014.

The Port Authority and Midwest Terminals also shared their joint future plans for Ironville which include three phases of development focused on using the 71 acres of waterfront property for material delivery and handling to support a new manufacturing base located on the 110 acre balance of the property. The flexible waterfront property at Ironville will also have the ability to receive bulk materials and will support and receive goods for other manufacturing operations throughout the region.

Since 2008, the Port Authority has sought funding for the redevelopment of Ironville. In addition to the $5 million JRS Grant Funding, Ironville Terminal also benefits from $7.4 million in grant funding via a State of Ohio Logistics and Distribution Stimulus grant and a $3.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration is currently pending. The awards are unique as several local entities partnered on each application to ensure the region had the best chance in receiving each award.

"The development of Ironville Terminal has received a tremendous amount of support, due mostly to the incredible potential this property has for commerce and job development," said Toth. "This public/private partnership is possible not only due to the vast amounts of grant funding but specifically to our private partners, Midwest Terminals of Toledo, who will invest nearly $5 million into the development of this property when complete. Without this strong partnership, we would not be able to create these future jobs for our community or this new development opportunity for our region."

Ironville Terminal is currently in Phase One – Rail Installation. Approximately 7,200 linear feet of rail and eight switches will be installed when Phase One is complete later this year or early 2012. The Port Authority owned rail line connects with the nearby Norfolk Southern rail line.
 
Phase Two includes improvements of the river channel and shoreline to prepare a deep water marine dock to accommodate barges and lake trading and ocean vessels.

Phase Three plans include the installation of a multi-modal delivery system. The conveyor and material transfer systems creates efficiencies through rapid freight loading and unloading and is capable of handling any dry bulk material. Self-unloading ships will discharge into a 500 cubic yard hopper, which will feed the conveying system. The hopper discharge will also be capable of loading rail cars on the outer loop track.

Houston Metro kicks off Southeast Line extension

A crowd of hard-hatted, safety-vested notables endured withering heat to watch construction crews complete an 80-foot bed for light-rail track, the first Houston has seen in 10 years. The steel rail near Paige and Rusk, east of downtown, will be part of the 6.6-mile Southeast (Purple) Line. The line, starting near the new Dynamo Stadium will run to Palm Center near the University of Houston Central Campus and is expected to be open in mid-2014.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) joined other officials in support of METRO public transit and cited light-rail for improved infrastructure and many jobs it brings to the city.

METRO Board Chairman Gilbert Garcia said he was delighted with the progress, "This is an exciting moment and an exciting day for the community and certainly all of us at METRO. It’s been more than 10 years since we laid concrete for rail. We’re happy to be here today to tell everyone light rail is coming to Houston."

The last time METRO poured concrete for new light-rail track was for the Main Street Red Line in September 2001.

Chrysler Group recognizes UP

Chrysler Group LLC recognized Union Pacific for outstanding support in the fields of logistics and transportation at its 2011 Annual Supplier Meeting and Awards Ceremony in Detroit.

"Collaboration with our supply base has been a critical component in our ability to bring 16 new or significantly refreshed vehicles to the marketplace in the past year. Without the strong support of our supplier partners, we would not have been able to accomplish such a feat in such a short amount of time," said Dan Knott, Chrysler Group senior vice president of Purchasing and Supplier Quality.

Chrysler recognized suppliers who fared well on its External Balanced Scorecard, a rating system that evaluates supplier performance in areas such as quality, delivery, cost, warranty and partnership in addition to input from senior leadership.

"It is an honor to be recognized by Chrysler for our commitment to service," said Linda Brandl, Union Pacific vice president and general manager Automotive. "Our dedicated team effort and our focus on delivering value made this award possible. We aim to continue exceeding expectations in logistics and transportation with Chrysler."

In Memoriam: Mike Kearns

Mike Kearns, a long-time member of the railroad recycling industry, passed away August 12 at IU Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Ind., after a long battle with cancer.

Kearns was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and moved to Muncie and graduated from Muncie Central High School in 1966. He attended and played football at Ball State University.

He became involved with the railroad industry when he formed Miro Enterprises in the late 1970s. After the death of his partner, he worked for Continental Rail Company of Houston, Texas.

Since 1996, Kearns has been employed with Tie Yard of Omaha, now Omaha Track Materials, and held the position of vice president of steel operations. He was widely known throughout the railroad business, both for his knowledge of relay rail materials and for his strong business ethics and integrity. A mentor of many young people in the business, he was also a pilot and an avid Purdue football fan. He is survived by his wife Sheila, three children and two grandchildren.

 

California HSR project issues DEIR/S

The California High-Speed Rail Authority released the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement for both the Merced-to-Fresno and Fresno-to-Bakersfield sections of the project.

"These reports – the first environmental documents for true high-speed
rail in the nation – represent a major milestone for California and for
bringing high-speed rail to the United States, said Thomas Umberg,
chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors.
"We are leading the nation’s high-speed rail vision and remain on track
to break ground next year.

"True high-speed rail connects
major cities across significant distances and does it in a way that is
faster, cleaner, safer and more convenient than alternatives for
traveling through California. California’s high-speed trains will
connect Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 2 hours and 40 minutes.
These documents represent the closest point California and its federal
partners have ever been to implementing true high-speed rail – just
because it’s never been done before is no barrier to it being done now."

The reports for both Central Valley sections and supporting documents can be found at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov.

FRA issues regs on HOS for passenger crews

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final rule limiting the number of consecutive hours passenger railroad workers can be on the job. The new rule aims to reduce risk and improve safety and, for the first time, differentiates between freight and passenger service.

Caltrans increases Pacific Surfliner project funding to $50 million

California’s Caltrans has received nearly $25 million from the Federal Railroad Administration to install global positioning system-based train control equipment on its Pacific Surfliner intercity rail line to improve worker safety and help prevent train collisions and derailments. The state will match the federal funds dollar-for-dollar with 2009 Proposition 1A rail bond funds, increasing the project’s funding to $50 million.

"Caltrans is committed to safety not only on our highways but also on our three intercity rail lines," said Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. "As more travelers choose train travel as an option, Caltrans is working with both its local and federal partners to keep riders safe."

The safety equipment, Positive Train Control, will be installed on the Pacific Surfliner corridor in San Diego County. The PTC signaling system will increase railroad safety and efficiency by monitoring and controlling train movements. In a partnering effort, the North County Transit District, operator of the Coaster rail service, will install the PTC signaling system on the tracks between San Onofre and San Diego, where the Pacific Surfliner and the Coaster service share the line.

 

CN, CNBM Forest Products Trading Ltd. strike deal for B.C. lumber export supply chain

Canadian National and China’s CNBM Forest Products Trading Ltd. have reached an agreement to use CN’s new lumber transload facility in Vancouver to increase the supply chain capacity for Canadian lumber exports.

CN is scheduled to start operation of the lumber container export facility at its Thornton Yard in Surrey, B.C., in the fall of 2011. It will have an initial footprint of eight acres and throughput capacity of approximately 10,000 containers per year, with room to grow up to 20 acres. The facility, supplied with rail cars of lumber originating in communities in British Columbia, will make it easier to transport lumber to export markets in China.

"Lumber exports to China now account for close to 25 percent of the western Canadian total and are expected to continue to increase at a fast pace in the years to come," said Jean-Jacques Ruest, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of CN. "CN aims to foster a world-class export supply chain for Canadian lumber in cooperation with CNBM Forest Products Trading, lumber producers in B.C. and ocean shipping lines serving Port Metro Vancouver."

"It is imperative that we align expected demand with appropriate facilities and ocean capacity to accommodate the growth we see coming over the next few years," said Ken Kao, general manager of CNBM Forest Products Trading Shanghai. "We are pleased to be able to conclude an agreement with CN on capacity at the new Thornton transload facility.

"CN continues to be a very important component of our global supply chain. With its access to both the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert and its commitment to support transload infrastructure, we can continue to meet our strategic growth objectives for the China market."

CN also plans to increase lumber transload capacity at its Prince George Distribution Center to more than 30,000 containers annually. The facility was built in 2007 to support Port of Prince Rupert export opportunities.

Ruest said, "We are confident that, together, CN and its transload facilities, CNBM Forest Products Trading, lumber mills and ports in B.C. and ocean shipping lines can help spur increased economic activity and job creation in the province through a highly-efficient supply chain that will help meet increasing demand for lumber in China."

 

Sen. Harkin announces $750,000 to repair damaged railroads in Iowa

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) said that the state of Iowa will receive $773,353 in grants for the repair and rehabilitation of flood damaged railroad infrastructure. The funds come from the Iowa Department of Transportation through the Flood Damage Restoration for the Iowa River Railroad Program.

Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds transportation initiatives.



The railroad repairs include debris removal, track regulation, bridge reconstruction, aligning and surfacing caused by flood damage. The funds will be used to reimburse shortline and regional rails in the following counties: Adair, Cass, Dallas, Des Moines, Hardin, Iowa, Jasper, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Pottawattamie and Poweshiek.



"Three years ago, devastating floods hit Iowa causing destruction across our state, including severe damage to our railway system," said Harkin. "These railroads are crucial to the safe and efficient movement of goods between Iowa communities and to places outside of our state, as well as critical to growing our economy."

Unitrac receives $4.8 million award for Kansas DOT project

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 received a $4.8 million award for a Kansas Department of Transportation project.

The contract involves furnishing eighteen track miles of rail and other track components for the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad. The bid went through the KS DOT as part of the TIGER grant money and the project is being constructed by Railworks Corporation.

Axion partners with Coll Materials, expands manufacturing capacity

Axion International, producer of railroad ties made from 100 percent recycled plastic, has signed a contract manufacturing agreement with Coll Materials that will provide expanded manufacturing capacity located at Coll’s Waco, Texas facility.

Coll Materials is a fast growing post-industrial and post-consumer plastic recycling company, with offices in Zanesville, Ohio.

"We are excited to align ourselves with Coll Materials," said Steve Silverman, Axion’s president and chief executive officer. "Their facility in Texas allows Axion to increase our capacity in a strategic location so that we can efficiently service our customers and meet the growing demand for our products. More importantly Coll has a ‘quality first’ mentality and is knowledgeable about recycled plastics processing. Our new relationship not only provides us with the necessary short-term capacity we need, but also gives us room to grow."

"We are pleased to work with Axion to satisfy their plastic conversion needs," said Brian Coll, CEO of Coll Materials. "Axion’s outsourced manufacturing model aligns well with our business model of providing value added conversion services to our clients. We believe Axion has a superior product and we look forward to working more with Axion as their technology grows in popularity in the United States and internationally."

 

Amtrak launches free iPhone app

Amtrak passengers can now plan trips, purchase tickets, modify existing reservations, check train schedules and status and view station information from the convenience of an iPhone with the free Amtrak application, now available through iTunes.

The new app provides quick, convenient and on-the-go Amtrak travel planning and organization. Customers can purchase one-way and roundtrip tickets that can be printed at a Quik-Trak machine, picked up from an agent or mailed. Passengers will be able to access the latest train arrival and departure information for their itinerary.

Customers can use the app to show the nearest station to their current location and obtain addresses, directions, amenities and hours. Users will be able to use their Amtrak.com account to see all trips booked and modify existing reservations including changing dates or trains and upgrading seats.

Amtrak customers can also utilize the Passport feature to share their travels on Facebook or Twitter.

Customers using other web-enabled mobile devices can access the Amtrak mobile website at m.amtrak.com. This site provides features available on Amtrak.com in a mobile-friendly format.