Railway company threatens council with lawsuit

An attorney for the Greenville and Western Railway Company has asked the Anderson, S.C., County Council to stop trying to regulate the safety of its tracks, and has threatened to sue council member Cindy Wilson, the Anderson Independent Mail reports.

The council approved a resolution at its December 7 meeting asking the company to keep its trains "at lower speeds" in consideration of drivers and families who live near railroad tracks. The resolution was introduced by Wilson.

The company’s lawyer, Marshall Lawson, says in a letter that the council went beyond the scope of its power in approving that resolution. Lawson says that Wilson has made "false and reckless statements" about the company, including some about the safety of its tracks.

The company has nearly 13 miles of tracks that run through Anderson County, and its trains carry fuel and freight. Lawson said the company "undertook a major and costly track-improvement project" in the last two years, and this month chose to change the class for a little more than half of its track mileage. The change allows that instead of traveling a maximum of 10 mph, trains on the upgraded tracks could go up to 30 mph, according to Lawson’s letter.

The resolution that the council approved this month reads as follows:

"A resolution to approve the request that Greenville and Western Railroad remain at the lower speeds due to the volatility of the product that they are transporting and the safety of families and motorist(s) adjoining the Greenville and Western Railroad."

Wilson said Tuesday that she is not sure that the company’s lawyer was fully aware of safety concerns involving the railroad tracks. She said she will continue to listen to the concerns of her constituents and will stand for any one of those concerns "whenever it involves a question of safety and life and the pursuit of quiet enjoyment."

Lawson’s letter, dated last Thursday, says that the Federal Railroad Administration inspected the company’s upgraded tracks on December 11 in response to an anonymous complaint.

"The FRA’s inspection determined the track to be in compliance with applicable regulations, with ‘no exceptions taken’ to the increase in classification and speed for the segment so designated," Lawson wrote.

Lawson said that any attempt by the council to regulate the train tracks is "pre-empted" by federal law.

"We, therefore, respectfully request (that) council rescind the ill-advised resolution and make no further attempt to regulate this area," Lawson wrote. "Should individual members of council continue to make false and defamatory comments about my client or take any legislative action purporting to usurp federal authority over railroad operations … I will have no choice but to advise my clients to seek all remedies available to it in the courts of law."

FTA: $25.7 million to help evaluate, select local transit options






The
Federal Transit Administration said $25.7 million was awarded through
competitive grants through the Alternative Analysis grant program to help
community officials in 15 states evaluate and select the best options to help
place new or expanded transit systems in their communities.

Siemens to equip new metro line in Santo Domingo

Siemens is set to supply the entire electrification and rail automation equipment for the new metro line in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Siemens received a corresponding order as member of a consortium including the French company, Thales, from the government transport authority Oficina para la Reorganización del Transporte (OPRET). Siemens’ share of the order is worth approximately about $94 million. The order also includes a maintenance contract for the period of three years.

The new Line 2 will be about 11 miles long and serve 20 metro stations. It will be built in two phases, with the first 7.4-mile stage of construction due for completion by the end of 2012. The plans for the second phase of this metro line project will be finalized by the operator OPRET in the course of next year.

Santo Domingo’s first metro line opened as recently as the end of January 2009. In that case, Siemens Mobility was in charge of the system integration and project management and also responsible for supplying the traction power supply system along with the signaling and control equipment. Line 2 is another step toward comprehensive modernization of the island’s transportation systems and reducing the increasing number of privately operated motor vehicles. Running underground over its entire length, it will link the city center with municipal districts in the east and west.

 

CN completes construction of Griffith, Ind., rail connection

Canadian National Railway has completed construction of the first major rail connection built as part of the continuing integration of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E) that, when all connections are constructed, will enhance the fluidity of train movements along CN routes in the greater Chicago area. The new $5-million connection at Griffith, Ind., creates an efficient, direct route for CN freight trains moving between Kirk Yard in Gary, Ind., and points farther east on the company’s rail network.

CN, which completed its purchase of the EJ&E on Jan. 31, 2009, is investing more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements to integrate the EJ&E into its other lines in Chicago.

The integration also includes building new rail connections at Mundelein, Ill., Bartlett, Ill., Joliet, Ill., and Matteson, Ill. Engineering or construction work is now under way on the balance of the connection projects.

Jim Vena, CN senior vice-president, Southern Region, said: "CN is pleased to have reached this milestone and finished the first major EJ&E connection project. This connection is a significant step toward our goal of fully utilizing the EJ&E and providing improved rail fluidity in Chicago."

The Griffith connection project, started in late 2009, was completed Nov. 19, 2010. Three trains per day operate over the new connection, which links CN’s South Bend Subdivision with the Matteson Subdivision leading to Kirk Yard.

Also, CN has reached a voluntary mitigation agreement (VMA) with the Village of New Lenox, Ill., located approximately 36 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, regarding its acquisition of the EJ&E. With this agreement, CN has VMAs with almost 80 per cent of the 33 communities along the EJ&E in Illinois and Indiana.

CN will provide New Lenox funding for the creation of a quiet zone, noise and safety mitigation, communications and emergency response training.

Vena said: "CN is pleased to have come to terms with the New Lenox on this mitigation agreement, which is the 26th VMA signed by CN with communities on the EJ&E line. We believe negotiated settlements like the one with New Lenox will help to establish solid ties between CN and the communities through which it operates on the EJ&E and ensure effective lines of communication in the future."

CN is also working closely with the few remaining communities on the EJ&E that do not have agreements with CN to ensure implementation of safety and environmental conditions in accordance with the requirements of the Surface Transportation Board.

HRT skirted contracting and bidding laws, audit finds

Virginia state investigators say Hampton Roads Transit’s former leaders flouted federal and state contracting laws, steering millions of dollars of publicly funded consulting work to "preferred individuals" over about four years, 
The Virginian-Pilot
 reports.

HRT manipulated some contracts to prevent them from coming before the agency’s governing board and failed to seek competition in nearly 70 percent of procurements reviewed by the Virginia Department of Transportation Inspector General’s office, that office says. Additionally, consultant work at times was "improperly" arranged without the knowledge of HRT’s procurement office or was secured under expired contracts, says the inspector general’s "special review," which was released the week of December13.

"HRT did not comply with applicable procurement laws," the report concluded.

Many contracts dealt with the $338-million Tide light-rail project, which the inspector general also examined. HRT’s senior staff concealed escalating costs from the governments funding it, according to the report. The Federal Transit Administration will conduct a formal review of HRT’s consultant selection process over the past two years.

Philip Shucet, HRT’s new president and CEO, is seeking legal guidance from state and federal law enforcement officials on how to respond to the report’s conclusions.

Meanwhile, Shucet has hired a forensic auditing firm to examine billings by one light-rail consultant and its subcontractors to find whether they overcharged the agency. Over four years, the consultant was paid $26 million. An internal analysis points to "significant discrepancies" in billing, according to HRT bid documents. Overhead costs, furniture, travel and living expenses and automobile expenses are among the areas to be audited.

The state inspector general was asked by Shucet to examine how HRT handled hiring consultants, as well as light-rail budgeting and management. Shucet replaced Michael Townes, who was forced to resign for cost overruns on the light-rail project and for not pursuing legal action for an alleged embezzlement by two former HRT employees.

Investigators reached their findings from reviewing procurement files, interviewing current and former staff and examining e-mails.

The report states that HRT: improperly hired consultants without seeking competition in 16 of 24 contracts; failed to establish an "impartial and comprehensive evaluation" in eight of nine contracts competitively bid; produced no documents to show price was considered in five of seven competitive bids; awarded five consulting jobs under expired contracts; and twice hired consultants as temporary employees to avoid seeking competition.

 

Virginia, NS sign landmark agreement for passenger rail service

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell said that the Commonwealth of Virginia and Norfolk Southern Railway Company have signed a landmark agreement that is an important step toward bringing daily intercity passenger rail service back to Norfolk for the first time since 1977. The round-trip train will link Norfolk with a single-seat ride to Richmond, Washington, D.C., and cities as far north as Boston.

Speaking about the agreement, Governor McDonnell noted, "The new service will bring direct intercity passenger rail service to one of Virginia’s largest population centers. The Hampton Roads region is home to over a million Virginians, including thousands of Federal employees and military personnel, who currently have limited transportation choices for travel to Richmond, Washington, D.C., and into the Northeast. This service will provide an alternative to the heavily congested I-64 and I-95 corridors."

The agreement provides for the speedy upgrading of Norfolk Southern tracks between Norfolk and Petersburg so that they are suitable for use by passenger trains. Funded by an $87-million Rail Enhancement Fund grant, the projects include upgraded signaling, track extensions and connections, passenger train turning and servicing facilities and a track and platform near Norfolk’s Harbor Park for the passenger train. Also included is construction of a new connection between NS and CSX Transportation tracks near Petersburg. These improvements will enable passenger trains to run on NS’ busy Heartland Corridor route.

NS will work with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to complete the work outlined in the agreement. The project is already being designed and construction will begin in 2011.

 

STB fines CN for bad reporting on EJ&E crossing blockages

The Surface Transportation Board fined Canadian National Railway Company $250,000 for "knowingly violating Board orders" regarding the reporting of street-crossing blockages in the Chicago area. The Board also extended its oversight regarding the CN-EJ&E merger for an additional year.

The fine is the first ordered by the Board since its inception in 1996.

The Board requires Canadian National to report every street-crossing blockage of 10 minutes or more as a condition of the Board’s approval of its 2008 acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company. In its November and December 2009 monthly reports, the railroad reported a total of 14 blockages caused by stopped trains. But an independent audit conducted on behalf of the Board by its third-party consultant, HDR Inc., found 1,457 instances during that same period of crossings blocked for 10 minutes or more by stopped or slowly moving trains.

The Board held a hearing on April 28 to hear from both CN and the consultant.

In the December 21 decision, the Board found that the record "supports the conclusion that CN has knowingly violated the Board’s orders that CN report, on monthly and quarterly bases, the date and descriptive information for each crossing blockage exceeding 10 minutes in duration. CN’s alleged ‘good faith’ interpretation that the reporting requirements regarded only stopped trains is contradicted by both the CN staff admissions and the plain text of the Approval Decision."

The Board’s decision to extend the original five-year oversight period to
January 2015 will also require additional reporting from Canadian National and another audit to be conducted next year.

$1.2 Million approved by NOACA for Cleveland RTA

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will receive $1.2 million in funding from the Northeast Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency for two Transportation Enhancement Programs. Two grants of $600,000 each will support the Clifton Transit Enhancement Project in Cleveland and Lakewood and the University Circle Rapid Transit Station Reconstruction project in Cleveland.

"These projects will benefit our customers not only in Lakewood and Cleveland, but those traveling throughout the system," said Joe Calabrese, CEO, RTA. "Combined with our TIGER II grant we received in October, the University Circle Rapid Station secured more than $12 million and we hope to break ground there next summer. The Clifton grant allows us to continue our work to better serve our customers in a major Westside corridor."

The University Circle grant will be used to enhance pedestrian walkways under the railroad bridges between the bus and train waiting areas at the new station. The Clifton funds will be used to enhance the bus station areas.

Izbicki joins Louis Berger Group as director of rail systems

Michael Izbicki has joined The Louis Berger Group as director of rail systems. Izbicki joins the firm with more than 30 years of experience in rail and transit systems, including signals, communications and traction-power.

Before joining LBG, Izbicki worked on such projects as the New Hampshire Capitol Corridor and Federal Railroad Administration project management oversight for the $8-billion High Speed Rail Initiative. He also has served as the interim director of the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, the town councilor for Bedford, N.H., and the planning commissioner for the Southern New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority. He will work to expand the company’s rail services across the United States.

The Louis Berger Group, Inc., provides engineering, architecture, program and construction management, environmental planning and science, and economic development services.

Progress Rail acquires Coast to Coast Signal Engineering

Progress Rail Services has acquired Coast to Coast Signal Engineering, Inc., based in Omaha, Neb. The acquisition marks the third of its kind this year for Progress Rail.

Coast to Coast Signal Engineering is a full-service signal engineering business serving Class 1 railroads, shortline railroads and other signal engineering firms. Through its acquisition of Coast to Coast, Progress Rail will once again complement the company’s existing Signal Division, allowing even broader service coverage for signal customers.

"Progress Rail continues to invest in the signal sector to better meet our customers’ growing needs for the latest in signal design and manufacturing. This year alone, we have taken aggressive steps to broaden our signal operations through the acquisition of Coast to Coast, C&S Signaling and earlier this year, the acquisition of GE’s Inspection Products business," said Dave Roeder, senior vice president of Engineering and Track Services at Progress Rail.

As the latest addition to the Signal Division, Coast to Coast’s signal design expertise will allow Progress Rail to focus on increased signal engineering capacity and coordinate customer-focused efforts through Progress Rail’s existing Hudson, Wisconsin, signal engineering facility.

The company will operate under Progress Rail’s Signal Division, as part of the Engineering and Track Services group. The Signal Division currently includes facilities dedicated to signal manufacturing, installation and maintenance, engineering and software programming and Progress Rail’s Inspection and Information Systems group. Coast to Coast’s headquarters will remain in Omaha in addition to another facility that will remain operational in Jacksonville, Fla.

West Rail Relocation Project begins in Brownsville, Texas

At the sound of Union Pacific Engine No. 5936 firing up, officials from both sides of the border broke ground December 17 on the West Rail Relocation Project at the Olmito Switchyard in Brownsville, Tex., The Brownsville Herald reports. Ten years in the planning, the West Rail project will relocate the international railroad bridge from the downtown areas of Brownsville and Matamoros to less populated areas of both cities. The new bridge will enter the U.S. about a half-mile west of the River Bend Resort area.

The project is a collaboration with Cameron County, the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, the city of Brownsville and Union Pacific.
Officials said it has been at least 100 years since a new railroad bridge was built between the United States and Mexico.

The $35-million bi-national project is expected to take 15 months to complete, with the new bridge in operation by the summer of 2012.

Juan José Erazo García Cano, secretary of communications and transportation for Mexico, said the project has been supported by Mexican President Felipe Calderón.

"This project is historic and symbolic for President Calderón," he said.
The new railroad bridge is expected to make it easier for trains to cross at all hours, and should eliminate the three- to six-hour delays during peak travel times in the morning and evening when trains have not been allowed to cross, officials said.

Joe Adams, vice president for Union Pacific Railroad, noted that there are many proposals such as this but few gain approval. He said rail traffic between Mexico and the United States is bringing in revenues of about $1.5 billion year.

Mario Jorge, district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation Pharr District, said the West Rail Relocation Project was the result of officials listening to residents who wanted the train traffic moved out of the city. Officials first had proposed building an overpass over the railway, but Brownsville residents were opposed to the idea, he said.

"We listened to the community," Jorge said. "They did not want that overpass. They wanted the railroad out. This project provides more benefits than a single overpass."

Chicago-area Metra gives update on Emissions Task Force

Metra’s Emissions Task Force, formed by the rail agency to investigate the level of diesel emissions on trains and downtown platforms and to identify ways to improve air quality, has taken several steps since it was formed last month in response to a Chicago Tribune story.

Metra staff updated the Board of Directors about the task force’s work at the December 17 board meeting. The task force is composed of Metra officials and representatives of its unions, its freight railroad partners, Amtrak, federal and state regulatory agencies and other interested parties.

Metra has already hired an independent testing firm, Carnow, Conibear & Associates, to conduct a full round of tests on Metra trains and downtown stations. The first phase of that work, which covered testing of the air on railcars, was completed in mid-December and the data is now being analyzed. Testing of station platforms and engineer locomotive cabs, cabs cars and shops will be done in the next phases starting in January.

The railcar tests were performed on the two cars closest to the locomotive and the rear car of each train. Tests were conducted on multiple trips on multiple trains. The industrial hygienist used a variety of instruments to test for total particulates, fine particulates, carbon, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other diesel exhaust components. Since Metra has a variety of different locomotives, each required to meet a different EPA emissions standard depending on their age or date of rebuilding; the tests were done for each variety.

It is important to note that Metra currently meets all EPA standards that have been established for rail engines. In terms of diesel exhaust exposure, Metra has performed similar studies for diesel exhaust components other than carbon soot and found that it is below OSHA permissible exposure limits for occupational standards.

While the testing was being conducted, the task force was subdivided into six working groups responsible for different areas. Each of those subgroups has met to begin outlining a strategy for addressing the issue:

• The Emissions Level Testing Group is responsible for establishing testing plans and reviewing testing results. The group determined that there are no regulatory exposure standards for carbon soot for Metra’s riders. The group will work to come up with a recommendation based on studies or guidelines.

• The Locomotive Group is responsible for reviewing locomotive engine options. That group will explore exhaust after treatment options, engine changes to turbochargers and possible injectors.

• The Car Group is responsible for reviewing the ventilation systems on cars. The group will explore filters, air intakes on cars, car pressurization and ventilation design of older cars for future changes during rehabilitation.

• The Ventilation Group is responsible for reviewing ventilation issues and procedures in the buildings that house downtown stations and buildings that have been built over tracks leading to the stations. That group is working with Amtrak, the owner of Union Station, to discuss contracts and agreements with building owners. Metra has already told its crews to shut down power and use standby power as much as possible when in the station.

• The Fuel Group is responsible for reviewing fuel and fuel additive options. Metra will switch to using Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel only on April 1, the earliest date that current fuel contracts will allow. Metra now uses some Low Sulfur Fuel and some Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel. The group discussed fuel additives and determined they are not currently a viable option.

The Funding Group will seek to identify funding options once Metra’s needs are determined. A large capital investment will be required. Only a small amount of funds are now available, which the group will pursue.

Highway ramp closing to make way for MARC parking lot

The Maryland Transit Administration said that starting December 20, 2010 at 9 a.m., the eastbound ramp to U.S. 40 at Smallwood Street would be closed to allow continued demolition of a section of the infamous "Highway to Nowhere." Traffic will be diverted to Mulberry Street for the duration of the project, which is expected to be complete by June 2011.

The highway section includes an abandoned bridge abutment, which is being removed to allow expansion of the parking lot for the West Baltimore MARC Station. The project has been under way since September, but work has so far been limited to the north side closer to Franklin Street. As work shifts to the south side, trucks will be staged in the roadway.

The ramp will reopen once demolition work is complete. Access to the MARC station parking lots and bus service in the area will be maintained. Signs will alert drivers and pedestrians to the changing traffic patterns.

Demolition of the "Highway to Nowhere" will reunite the communities of West Baltimore that have been physically separated since the highway’s construction in the early 1970s. The project will also make way for expanded parking at the West Baltimore MARC Station and pedestrian-friendly features such as landscaping and ornamental fencing coordinated with the City of Baltimore’s Pulaski Street streetscape project.

Gannett Fleming celebrates 95th anniversary

Gannett Fleming, an international planning, design and construction management firm, celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2010. Founded on Aug. 1, 1915, the firm has grown from a two-person office in Harrisburg, Pa., that specialized in water resources to an international, ISO 9001:2008 Certified company with more than 2,100 professionals.

The firm’s planners, engineers, designers, information technology specialists, program managers, construction managers and other professionals furnish professional services from more than 60 offices worldwide. During the past 95 years, the firm has completed projects in every U.S. state and more than 50 countries.

One of Gannett Fleming’s key contributions has been the design of many transit systems constructed in the U.S., including the Lindenwold Line in New Jersey, the Detroit People Mover in Michigan and the Market Street Elevated line for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Throughout the firm’s history, it has worked with the majority of transit agencies and freight rail companies in the U.S. to plan, design and build a variety of systems that help move people and goods.

Today, the firm’s Transit & Rail Practice is working on projects such as the PHXTM Sky Train project in Ariz., the Greater Richmond Transit Company bus operations and maintenance facility in Richmond, Va., the Pittsburgh North Shore Connector project in Pittsburgh, Pa., the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Rowlett Extension project in Dallas, Tex., the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line extension in N.M. and new assignments implementing positive train control for several clients. In addition, the firm is positioned to further enhance the nation’s mobility with the integration of high-speed rail systems throughout the country.

Caltrain construction, maintenance update, Dec. 18 – 24

In the Bay Area, work on the San Bruno Grade Separation Project is under way. Work will take place Monday, December 20 through Thursday, December 23 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. This work includes continuation of the storm pipe installation along 1st Avenue, grading adjacent to the tracks between South Linden Avenue and Scott Street, drainage improvements near the I-380 overpass and preparation work for the construction of the future temporary station.

The $147-million project will elevate the Caltrain tracks above three existing at-grade street crossings at San Bruno, San Mateo and Angus avenues. A new, elevated Caltrain station will be constructed between San Bruno and San Mateo avenues, replacing the existing station at Sylvan Avenue.

Work will continue on the new pedestrian underpass at the Santa Clara station. The underpass will connect the north and southbound platforms, allowing two trains to pass through the station at the same time and improving safety for pedestrians in the station. The current temporary platform will be in use until approximately March 2011.

The work is part of an 18-month station improvement project that will add a new wider, longer center-boarding platform and extend the southern platform 150 feet.

Construction on a VTA project that will improve safety at eight grade crossings in Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto continues. December 19-23, between the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., crews will work at the Rengstorff Avenue crossing in Mountain View and the Charleston Avenue crossing in Palo Alto.

December 20-23, crews will replace switch timbers in the San Francisco train yard while other crews will resurface the tracks between the Bayshore and South San Francisco stations and replace rail in the South San Francisco train yard and will weld, resurface the tracks and replace crossties between the Lawrence and Santa Clara stations.

December 18-19, crews tested radio communications and performed maintenance on switches near the San Jose Diridon station.

Watco Companies acquires Greens Port Industrial Park in Houston






Watco Companies has successfully acquired the
remaining interest in Greens Port Industrial Park (GPIP) located on the Houston
ship channel in Houston, Texas. Watco has owned a minority interest in the
property since 2004, when GPIP was originally acquired from AK Steel. Watco
acquired the General Partnership interest of GPIP from Charles Iupe, a Houston
based real estate developer who has been involved since 2004, along with all
other limited partnership interests.

Federal Signal names Midwest regional sales manager






Federal Signal’s
Environmental Solutions Group appointed Randy Dickens as the new sales manager
for the Midwest region of the United States for the group’s direct sales
channel, operating out of Seneca, Ill. In this new role, Dickens will be
responsible for managing and overseeing the growth of new unit sales for the Guzzler, Vactor HXX and Jetstream brands in the industrial, utility and construction
market segments in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.

 

 

Winners of the Safe Railroad Contractor of the Year announced

The results of the 2010 NRC/RT&S/Commercial Insurance Associates Safe Railroad Contractor of the Year Awards have been announced. This year featured near record participation in the contest, with 45 total railroad contracting companies preparing entries.

Every one of these companies should be commended for their extensive efforts to promote and improve safety in the railroad contracting industry, and for subjecting their full safety program and range of practices to an extensive outside review. These companies represent the very best of the NRC and the entire railroad construction and maintenance industry.

The competition is getting tougher every year, and the judges have once again reported that the overall quality of submissions is rising. This reflects very well on the participating contractors, and speaks to the fact that the railroad contracting industry is safe and getting safer.

Special congratulations to the four category winners:

– Fritz-Rumer-Cooke Company of Columbus, Ohio – Ben Swope, Safety Officer.
– Mass Electric Construction Company of La Verne, California – Richard Guerrero, Safety Officer.
– SLC Commuter Rail Constructors (a JV of Stacy & Witbeck and Herzog Contracting Corp) of Salt Lake City, Utah – Bill Olsen, Safety Manager.
– PNR RailWorks of St. Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada – Helen Aherne, Corporate, Health & Safety Manager.

Full Results:

Category I (under 35 employees) – Winner: Fritz-Rumer-Cooke Company

Gold: Amtrac of Ohio
Gold: Coleman Industrial Construction
Gold: Sharp & Fellows
Gold: US Trackworks LLC

Silver: American Rail Marketing
Silver: CR Construction Company
Silver: Railroad Construction Company of S. Jersey

Category II (36-100 employees) – Winner: Mass Electric Construction Company

Gold: Balfour Beatty Rail – Gillette Division
Gold: Delta Railroad Construction
Gold: Georgetown Rail Equipment Co.
Gold: Herzog Services

Silver: Clayton Railroad Construction

Bronze: Armond Cassil Railroad Construction
Bronze: Colo Railroad Builders
Bronze: Midwest Mole
Bronze: Railroad Constructors, Inc.
Bronze: Swanson Contracting Company
Bronze: West Rail Construction Company

Category III (101-300 employees) – Winner: SLC Commuter Rail Constructors-Stacy & Witbeck/Herzog JV

Gold: J-Track LLC
Gold: Lone Star Railroad Contractors
Gold: RailWorks Track Services
Gold: Stacy and Witbeck
Gold: Stacy and Witbeck/Kiewit Western JV

Silver: Hamilton Construction Company
Silver: Railroad Construction Company
Silver: Railroad Controls Limited
Silver: Tranco Industrial Services

Bronze: All Railroad Services Corp.
Bronze: Atlas Railroad Construction

Category IV (301+ employees) – Winner: PNR RailWorks

Gold: Flatiron Construction Corporation
Gold: Herzog Contracting Corp.
Gold: Kiewit/Herzog/Parsons JV
Gold: Loram Maintenance of Way
Gold: RailWorks Track Systems

Silver: Kiewit Infrastructure West
Silver: Kiewit/Stacy and Witbeck/Reyes/Parsons JV

Bronze: Balfour Beatty Rail
Bronze: Holland LP

Certificates of Commendation:
ASTA Construction, Railway Equipment Services, SoPac Rail

$98-million grant signing on National Gateway Freight Rail Project


Work can now begin on improvements that will allow double-stacked trains to move freely from Northwest Ohio through Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland thanks to an agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Ohio Rail Development Commission, U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. The National Gateway Freight Rail Project received $98 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will help complete the first corridor project.

"This Recovery Act money will help move goods more efficiently among the four states and strengthen the economy up and down the east coast," said Secretary LaHood. "Moving more goods by rail means less congestion on our highways and reduced fuel emissions."

The National Gateway Initiative will allow trains to carry double-stacked containers, which will increase freight capacity and make the corridors a cost-effective option for major ports and shippers. This new project will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel usage, shorten transport times and expand access to rail services.

"This new initiative will give businesses a more competitive edge by giving them additional options for moving goods between the Midwest and our nation’s ports along the east coast," said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez.

The grant is part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant program included in ARRA to promote innovative, multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional transportation projects that provide significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, region or the nation.

 

Sound Transit Board adopts 2011 budget, sets path for major expansion

The Seattle-area’s Sound Transit Board of Directors adopted a 2011 budget that continues the momentum on major projects under way and sets a long-term path for delivering the bulk of Sound Transit 2 expansions approved by voters in 2008. The Board will continually evaluate options for completing the voter-approved ST2 system in the wake of agency revenue impacts from the continuing national recession.

"The budget we’re adopting today and the path forward for dealing with the recession will deliver what the voters asked for in 2008 – connecting regional jobs and housing with reliable transit options," said Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.

Sound Transit revenues expected through 2023 are $3.9 billion, or 25 percent, lower than forecasted in 2008 when voters approved the ST2 expansion plan. The ST2 plan included flexible provisions for delivering the projects during economic downturns including reducing the scope or delaying projects.

The adopted budget and long-term priorities emphasize:
• Achieving the voter intent of the ST2 plan to connect regional employment and housing centers.
• Continuing momentum on projects under way or near completion.
• Maintaining existing services and assets.

The ST2 plan included 36 miles of light rail expansions north to Lynnwood, Wash., east to Mercer Island, Bellevue and Overlake, Wash. and south to Federal Way, Wash., with the last of the expansions running by the 2023. The agency has cut project reserves, expanded some construction timelines and eliminated discretionary programs.

The new budget and long-terms plans include:
• Opening light rail from UW to Northgate by 2021.
• Opening light rail from Northgate to Lynnwood by 2023.
• Opening light rail between Seattle and Overlake by 2021.
• Working with the City of Seattle to open the First Hill Streetcar in Seattle by late 2013.
• Continuing studies to open light rail from SeaTac to South 200th Street earlier than planned – by 2016 and moving forward with High Capacity Transit studies from South 200th Street to South 272nd Street.
• Studying better access options to mass transit in South King and Pierce counties.

The Board will continually monitor agency revenues and could adjust timelines as and projects move through environmental studies and final design updates.

 

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