Parsons adds Abruzzo as rail bridge leader
Parsons has hired Joseph Abruzzo as its railroad bridge practice leader, where he will be responsible for directing the pursuit and execution of railroad bridge projects worldwide.
Class 1
Rail energy storage project receives lease from federal agency
The Advanced Rail Energy Storage, LLC (ARES), proposed commercial-scale gravity-based rail energy storage project (ARES Nevada) has been granted a right-of-way lease by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
NCDOT prioritizes $100M for CSX’s planned Carolina Connector
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has identified $100 million for a planned CSX terminal in Johnston County in a preliminary priority list of state transportation improvements.
Port of New Orleans dedicates Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal
The Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners joined a host of elected officials and industry partners April 12 to dedicate the port’s new $25-million Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal.
JAXPORT rail terminal begins receiving trains
The Jacksonville Port Authority’s (JAXPORT) newly completed Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Dames Point is being used in support of a high-level military training exercise this month in advance of its official opening to commercial container movements later this year.
AAR names environmental award recipients
The Association of American Railroads on April 12, 2016 presented Michael Hoey, a CSX Transportation civil engineer from Philadelphia, Pa., the 2016 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award. U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) was the 2016 John H. Chafee Congressional Environmental Award.
Port of Long Beach studying business case behind short-haul rail
The Port of Long Beach in California is looking to an old idea with new variables to combat traffic congestion: Short-haul rail.
Various cost-effective maintenance practices for conventional track structures
Use determines a given maintenance strategy, but planning determines that strategy’s cost effectiveness.
CP quits NS bid
On Monday, April 11, 2016, Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. terminated its efforts to merge with Norfolk Southern Corp.. This includes “withdrawal of a resolution asking NS shareholders to vote in favor of good-faith negotiations between the two companies,” CP sais. “No further financial offers or overtures to meet with the NS board of directors are planned at this time.”
BNSF mulls ending California port project
BNSF is weighing the fate of a planned $500-million intermodal facility following a court ruling last week that questioned the adequacy of the environmental analysis for the project.
FTA issues safety advisory to gather stop signal overrun information
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued Safety Advisory 16-1 to collect information on the frequency of stop signal overruns in rail transit and the actions being taken to address these occurrences.
Metra lays out 2016 construction program
Metra has laid out plans to begin infrastructure improvements to its stations, track, bridges and road crossings this year to ensure safe and reliable service and maintain a state of good repair systemwide. Construction work is expected to begin this week and continue through the fall, weather permitting.
KCS plans to replace more than 92k ties, 100 crossings through five states
Kansas City Southern plans to invest approximately $20 million this year in construction and improvement projects on KCS’s mainline from Kansas through Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and northwest Louisiana, which is a key component of the KCS network.
American Midstream commences operations at Lonview rail facility
American Midstream Partners, LP, has begun operations at the East Texas Rail Facility, allowing for receipt and delivery of natural gas liquids (NGLs) and condensate by rail to the Longview processing plant, located in the heart of the Cotton Valley shale play in Gregg County, Texas.
CN reaches training milestone
Fifteen thousand Canadian National employees have completed a range of railway training programs at its two education campuses since they opened in 2014. The railroad also unveiled plans to provide customer safety training under its new CN Campus Partnership Program.
Union Pacific’s Denver, Council Bluffs Service Units hit safety marks
Union Pacific’s Denver Service Unit, which includes about 1,700 miles of track across Colorado and parts of Wyoming, Utah and Kansas, improved community and employee safety in 2015.
NS CEO highlights past accomplishments, looks ahead in annual report
Norfolk Southern Corporation on March 31, 2016 posted its 2015 Annual Report online, highlighting early accomplishments of a recently announced five-year strategic plan to drive growth, streamline operations, improve network performance and deliver enhanced shareholder value.
Watco to build liquid fuels terminal in Mexico
Watco Companies has reached a definitive agreement with WTC Industrial to design, build and operate a new public, unit train liquid fuels terminal and general cargo facility at WTC Industrial Park in San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico.
FRA awards California $1.5 million to separate tracks and road at crossing in Oxnard
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded a $1.5 million grant to California to fund the design of a bridge which will carry vehicular traffic on Rice Avenue over railroad tracks in Oxnard. Currently, the Union Pacific tracks, which Metrolink, Amtrak and freight trains utilize, intersect with Rice Avenue.
Union Pacific Twin Cities Unit marks safety improvement
Union Pacific‘s Twin Cities Service Unit, which includes about 1,700 miles of track across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, improved community and employee safety in 2015 with a reported 21 percent fewer railroad crossing incidents versus 2014.