The government of Canada will extend its CA$2.2-million (US$2-million) federal subsidy to Canadian National for the operation of the Algoma Central Railway (ACR) passenger rail service between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, Ontario, until March 31, 2015.
Military Times EDGE named Union Pacific among the Best for Vets 2014 Employers. Union Pacific’s number five ranking marks the fourth consecutive year the railroad has been in the top 10.
Amtrak, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), has launched a preliminary engineering study for rehabilitation or possible replacement of the 108-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge.
A major expansion at Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Bellevue Yard in Ohio is nearing completion and is expected to wrap up construction by the end of this year.
The state of Illinois will make a $223-million state capital investment that will create hundreds of jobs and restart Amtrak service between Rockford and Chicago beginning in 2015.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled a six-year, $8.6-billion construction program that he says will improve roads and bridges throughout Illinois while making major investments in public transportation.
A major tie replacement and track resurfacing project will get underway during the last two weeks of April on Metra’s BNSF Line to Aurora, Ill. Metra said the project is part of an effort to maintain and improve the quality of service.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) revealed its intention to issue a proposed rule requiring two-person train crews on crude oil trains and establishing minimum crew size standards for most mainline freight and passenger rail operations. The FRA also intends to advance a rulemaking on train securement and recommends a rulemaking on the movement of hazardous materials.
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), launched a new public service advertising (PSA) campaign called See Tracks? Think Train!, which aims to reduce pedestrian and driver injuries and fatalities around railroad tracks by highlighting behaviors that put people at risk.
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) led a letter from 16 senators, calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to support new investment and resources for a Safe Transportation of Energy Products Fund to address existing and emerging issues related to the transportation of Bakken crude and other energy products. The Senators also called for increased investment for inspection personnel.
Union Pacific Railroad began work to improve infrastructure in Nebraska and by investing more than $9 million in the rail line between near Missouri Valley, Iowa, and Arlington, Neb. The project began April 1 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.
A record number of attendees joined researchers from Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the Association of American Railroads 19th Annual Research Review April 1-2, 2014. This year’s theme was “Innovative Technology Developments in North American Railways.”
Two Illinois state agencies pledged funding for transportation studies covering Decatur and Macon County that will examine how to increase and better handle freight moving through the region. The studies will look for ways to capitalize on growth of multi-modal shipping at the region’s Midwest Inland Port and at the operations of Archer Daniels Midland Co.
The Evansville Western Railway, an affiliate of CSX, commenced operations at a state-of-the-art intermodal terminal located just off State Road 60 in Winter Haven, Fla. Known as the Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center (ILC), this facility serves as a centralized hub for transportation, logistics and distribution serving Orlando, Tampa and South Florida.
The Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen (FAMES) Committee published a series of recommendations to improve roadway worker projection when trackwork occurs where adjacent track is present. Between 1997 and 2012, 25 percent of roadway worker fatal accidents have occurred on adjacent track.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) published its report on an April 2013 Canadian Pacific accident and found poor drainage and water-damaged track bed led to 17 cars derailing.
New York state will make additional efforts to protect residents from potential disasters involving the transport of crude oil.
Emphasizing the importance of cooperation with local emergency responders and an commitment to preparedness, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), President Lisa Stabler testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations, and the District of Columbia about the railroad industry’s continuing safety efforts.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved eight highway-rail grade crossing projects in Lucas, Seneca, Stark and Wood counties.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated $334 million in funding to 53 projects, including $48 million to the Alameda Corridor East – Construction Authority (ACE) Puente Avenue Grade Separation Project.