USDOT: TIGER grants in high demand
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the overwhelming demand for TIGER grants has once again far surpassed the available funding.
Freight
Arizona, BNSF partner to upgrade safety at crossings
The Arizona Department of Transportation will partner with BNSF to install new technology to enhance vehicle safety at railroad crossings.
SFMTA renames streetcar yard for Cameron Beach
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, which oversees all surface transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), held a ceremony to rename Muni’s Geneva Yard for SFMTA board member and transit advocate Cameron Beach.
FRA issues safety advisory aimed at reducing yard incidents
Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo issued a safety advisory to the railroad industry to help prevent injuries and fatalities from employees working between rail cars during switching operations and other dangerous or unsafe workplace behaviors.
NS names yard office in honor of late coal executive
At a dedication ceremony Oct. 4, Norfolk Southern named its new yard office building in Williamson, W. Va., after the late John William Fox, Jr., who retired from NS as senior vice president coal services in 2003 after a 35-year career with the company.
NS, GE Transportation sponsor sustainability symposium
Demonstrating a commitment to corporate sustainability, Norfolk Southern Corporation and GE Transportation are sponsoring the first Railroad Sustainability Symposium.
NS 2011 report details strengthened connections through corporate sustainability
Norfolk Southern has made significant strides in its corporate sustainability program, including achieving nearly 40 percent of its five-year greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal during the first year.
Indiana Rail Road Co. to invest $65 million in Hiawatha Yard
Indiana Rail Road Company President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Hoback, along with state of Indiana and Greene County officials, plan to announce a major capital investment and participate in a groundbreaking ceremony at INRD’s Hiawatha Yard near Jasonville, Ind., at 11 a.m. (ET) Monday, Aug. 29.
RailComm to expand remote control yard system at BNSF Memphis
RailComm has been selected to expand its existing yard system at BNSF’s mechanical facility in Memphis, Tenn. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) System will be used to remotely control derails.
CN investing US$165 million to expand Kirk Yard
Canadian National has plans for a US$165-million expansion of its Kirk Yard in Gary, Ind., and relocation of its Chicago area locomotive repair shop to the upgraded freight car classification facility in Northwest Indiana.
Wavion Partners with Ferrovalle to provide Wi-Fi coverage for Mexico City yard
WavionTM, a technology carrier of grade Wi-Fi solutions, will deploy it’s Beamforming-based Wi-Fi base-stations for high-speed internet access at Ferrovalle shipping containers train yard in Mexico City, Mexico.
New rail yard in Port Everglades Terminal on the horizon
Motiva Enterprises LLC and Vecenergy have reached an agreement to construct a fuel grade ethanol rail offloading facility at the Motiva Port Everglades, Fla., terminal. The expanded operations will allow for the delivery of ethanol unit trains directly into existing Motiva storage tanks. The new facilities will increase cost-efficiency and improve delivery logistics by minimizing the number of transports required before arriving into the South Florida market.
UP opens western Wyoming rail yard
Union Pacific Railroad representatives, customers and community leaders from western Wyoming officially opened a new $24 million rail yard about 20 miles west of Green River on May 19. The rail yard provides vital support for the nation’s economic growth and shipping the products American families and businesses use every day.
RailComm to provide remote control yard system for Jim Walters Resources
RailComm will provide a remote control system at Jim Walters Resources’ mining facility in Brookwood, Ala. RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC) system will be used to monitor the shove track lights.
LACMTA yard recognized for its EMS
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail yard for the Red and Purple Line subway is the first major rail maintenance facility in the nation to earn international recognition for its environmental management system.
Major Crescent Corridor improvements completed
A critical choke point on Norfolk Southern’s Crescent Corridor has been eliminated with a reconfigured rail junction near Front Royal, Va. This was the final and most complex of six capacity improvement projects in Northern Virginia to handle more trains at higher speeds.
Oklahoma lawmaker wants commuter rail
Oklahoma could soon have a commuter rail transportation system to get people to and from work and ease travel, the Tulsa Beacon reports. State Rep. Charlie Joyner has been working to make that a possibility. Joyner met with representatives from Trinity Railroad Express, BNSF, Amtrak and Dallas Area Rapid Transit this week in Fort Worth to discuss the possibility of getting a commuter rail system in Oklahoma. He discussed the projected costs and pros and cons.
Arson suspected as fire damages NS maintenance equipment
Police and firefighters are investigating what appears to be an intentionally set blaze that damaged one and destroyed another railroad track repair vehicle, the Dayton, Ohio, Daily News reports. It took firefighters less than 20 minutes about 5:40 a.m. Feb. 3, to get the fires under control along the railroad tracks near 506 E. Xenia Ave., according to reports.
BNSF doing track work in Chicago western suburbs
BNSF will conduct work along the tracks from Naperville, Ill., into downtown Chicago the week of August 10 and in September, the Clarendon Hills Doings reports. The work will cause minimal pedestrian and traffic delays in Clarendon Hills from Aug. 11-13 and Sept. 6-10. The crews will be in Hinsdale Aug. 12-13 and Sept. 7-10, in Western Springs Sept. 9-10 and 13, and La Grange Sept. 9-10 and 13-14.