Gary Smith has been named rail sector lead for Stantec’s freight rail team, accountable for growing Stantec’s freight and commuter rail services throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Rep. Brad Ashford (D-NE-2) joined representatives from NMC Railway Systems for a tour of the company’s Omaha facility and discussion of public policy priorities for the local business and rail communities.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is soliciting applications for $10 million in competitive grant funding available to states to improve highway-rail grade crossings and track along routes that transport energy products, such as crude oil and ethanol.
The guidelines for the grant applications set by the FRA encourage states to include innovative solutions to improve safety, especially at highway-rail grade crossings. The funding is part of the Railroad Safety grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products (STEP) by Rail Program.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation has made increasing safety at highway-rail grade crossings, especially along routes transporting energy products, one of its top priorities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This money allows the department to support innovative ideas and solutions developed at the local level and I encourage states to apply for this funding.”
Highway-rail grade crossings collisions are the second-leading cause of all railroad-related fatalities. Last year, 269 individuals died in these collisions. While the number of fatalities has decreased for the last several decades, this number increased last year for the first time this decade.
FRA notes that highway-rail grade crossing accidents are frequently the result of a driver’s lack of awareness of a crossing or an oncoming train or a driver’s attempt to “beat the train.” Earlier this year, FRA ramped up its campaign to prevent collisions and save lives at highway-rail grade crossings through greater education, stronger enforcement and smarter engineering. To accomplish this, FRA developed key partnerships and has: worked with Google and other technology companies to integrate FRA’s grade-crossing location data to provide audio and visual alerts when using turn-by-turn navigation applications; partnered with local law enforcement agencies to increase enforcement at railroad crossings and supported research on grade crossing technology.
“Most of these deaths are completely preventable and that is why the Federal Railroad Administration has redoubled its efforts to reverse last year’s upward trend. These funds will allow states to take innovative ideas and make them a reality to increase safety and decrease fatalities,” said FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg.
Through the GROW AMERICA Act, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has proposed creating new grant program that would make $250 million available to local communities for highway-rail grade crossings, as well as other critical rail infrastructure projects. In addition, USDOT has proposed continuing Federal Highway Administration’s $220-million per-year dedicated grant program for highway-rail grade-crossing projects.
Earlier this year, USDOT released its rule that raises the bar on the safety of transporting crude oil by rail. The rule requires stronger tank cars and 21st century electronically controlled pneumatic brakes that activate simultaneously on all tank cars, reduce the distance and time needed for a train to stop and keep more tank cars on the track if a train does derail. USDOT has also required that railroads transporting crude oil notify State Emergency Response Commissions of the movement of crude oil through individual states.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $9.5 million in grants to 19 projects in 13 states selected to help train a new generation of skilled workers and support long-term careers in the public transportation industry.
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Board of Governors has appointed Elizabeth Caruso, CAE, as AREMA’s executive director and chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2015.
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, has completed the acquisition of Regional Rail, LLC (Regional Rail), operator of shortline railroads and rail-related businesses in the United States.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has declared the week of Aug. 23-29 as Indiana Rail Safety Week and the Indiana Rail Road (INRD) is participating via a grade-crossing blitz in partnership with the Terre Haute Police Department and Indiana Operation Lifesaver.
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Rep. Larry Bucshon (D-IN-8) and Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann celebrated August 20 at the grand opening of Indiana Rail Road’s (INRD) new White River Bridge.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for its Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) located at the Harry Schnabel, Jr., Lab.
The Mississippi Transportation Commission (MTC) has given its approval for the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to award $1.44 million in grants to several railroads across the state for maintenance and improvement projects.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR) after 16 months of negotiations.
R. J. Corman Railroad Company took possession of the former Carolina Southern on August 17, but began moving equipment into place and clearing shrubs on the overgrown line two weeks before the deal was sealed in an effort to return the line to working order as quickly as possible.
TNW Corporation (TNW), operator of shortline railroads and logistics centers, has completed a multimillion dollar upgrade at its Panhandle Logistics Center, which is located on the TXNW Railway complex in Sunray, Texas.
The West Rail Bridge, the first rail bridge connecting U.S. and Mexico in more than 100 years, became operational August 7.
On August 5, Rep. David B. McKinley (R-WV-1) joined representatives from Warwood Tool Company and the Appalachian & Ohio Railroad (A&O) to tour Warwood’s steel tool manufacturing facility and discuss public policy priorities for the business and rail communities in West Virginia.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-9), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Jamie Fox and New Jersey Transit Executive Director Ronnie Hakim unveiled safety improvements made to Midland Avenue railroad crossing in Elmwood Park Aug 3. The crossing was labeled as one of the nation’s most dangerous in a New York Times article in February.
According to a recent study by the Washington Department of Transportation and the Washington State University Freight Policy Transportation Institute, more than half of the state’s shortline rail miles aren’t up to modern standards.
United Transportation Union Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (UTU-SMART)-represented engineers employed by Paducah and Louisville Railway ratified a new five-year agreement.
Applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation‘s seventh round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants totaled $9.8 billion, almost 20 times the $500 million set aside for the program, demonstrating the continued need for transportation investment nationwide.