Washington state to improve 98 crossings through Grade Crossing Protective Fund grants
Washington state regulators have approved nearly $18,000 for rail safety upgrades at 98 railroad crossings in Grant, Franklin, Adams, Yakima and Benton counties.
Washington state regulators have approved nearly $18,000 for rail safety upgrades at 98 railroad crossings in Grant, Franklin, Adams, Yakima and Benton counties.
According to a recent Washington State Freight and Goods Transportation System report published by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Columbia Basin Railroad line from Connell to Moses Lake/Wheeler, Wash., is the busiest shortline in eastern Washington.
BNSF has named Utah Railway as the 2014 Shortline of the Year. Utah Railway operates about 423 miles along the heavily-populated Wasatch Front Corridor, serving a wide variety of customers with growing volumes in Utah.
As part of an ongoing effort to improve the movement of goods produced on Northwest farms, officials are asking for input from eastern Washington citizens, businesses and communities to help make state-owned rail lines better.
Randy Altshuler joined HDR as the firm’s West Region transportation director, based in the Oakland, Calif., office. His responsibilities include leading business development activities and growth strategies throughout the West Region.
The Québec government and Lac Otelnuk Mining Ltd., a joint venture between Adriana Resources and WISCO International Resources Development & Investment Limited, have formed a partnership with Champion Iron Limited, the Northern Quebec Railway Partnership (SFNQ), to study Labrador Trough rail feasibility.
Watco Terminal and Port Services and Great Northern Project Development (GNPD) broke ground on the South Heart Rail Terminal (SHRT), a multi-purpose rail transload terminal and railcar maintenance shop near South Heart, N.D., and will serve the energy industry and its service providers in the Bakken, Three Forks, Tyler and emerging oil and gas formations.
Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) and PortMiami, through a strategic alliance, are offering the Sunshine Gateway service, which includes on-dock intermodal rail capabilities.
AECOM completed its acquisition of URS Corporation on Oct. 17, 2014, following approval of the merger agreement by URS’ stockholders and the stock issuance proposal by AECOM’s stockholders at each company’s respective special stockholder meetings held on Oct. 16, 2014.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has approved six freight rail improvement projects totaling more than $24 million in grants and loans. The goal of Wisconsin’s freight railroad assistance program is to increase the use of rail transportation and support economic development and job creation.
Bentley Systems, Inc., a company dedicated to providing software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, has announced the project finalists in the 2014 Be Inspired Awards competition.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin (TDA) are teaming up to promote, educate and celebrate the freight rail system that contributes to the state’s economy, environment and quality of life during Freight Rail Week in Wisconsin October 6 – 12.
The North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) had a direct impact on the North Carolina economy of an estimated $794 million during 2013, according to a recently completed study conducted by RTI International (RTI).
U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL-14) joined representatives from Atlantic Track and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) for a tour of Atlantic Track’s manufacturing facility in Richmond, Ill.
Work was completed recently on a railroad crossing at the intersection of Andy Griffith Parkway and Rockford Street in Mount Airy, N.C. The old crossing was identified as a safety hazard and was slated for resurfacing through the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement Fund (FR&RCSI).
Watco Companies has formed the Watco Safety, Training, and Compliance Team. The company says the team formation is an effort to continually improve focus on its people and customers.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is expressing concerns over the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Bill (S.2777), scheduled to be marked up in the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $53.7 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants that will help rail projects in six states and District of Columbia.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $2.5 million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funds to complete the master plan for expansion of the marine terminal in Seward, Alaska.
The Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) and the city of Seward submitted the application for the planning grant funds concurrently with an application for capital project grant funding. These grants are necessary to fund improvements to Seward’s West Dock, which primarily services passenger ships and is nearing the end of its useful life.
While the program makes competitive grants based on a variety of factors, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-AL) said a recent visit by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx certainly helped.
“I brought Secretary Foxx to Alaska in August so that he could get a better understanding of our state’s special transportation challenges. I’m glad to see the visit generated some real results,” said Sen. Begich. “These grant funds will be used to develop plans for the Seward dock expansion, a project that will provide family-wage jobs and increase transportation and economic growth in Seward and throughout the state.”
Sen. Begich organized a meeting between representatives of ARRC, Secretary Foxx and other transportation leaders during his visit to Alaska. During the meeting, railroad representatives pressed Secretary Foxx on the urgency of funding the Seward Marine Terminal Expansion project. In order to complete the project, ARRC must complete several studies including a passenger study, freight traffic study and transportation connectivity study. These elements will be the foundation of a new Seward Marine Terminal Expansion Master Plan, which will allow ARRC to prioritize infrastructure improvements at the terminal in order to better serve regional, state and national partners and customers.
Several rail-related projects across eight states will benefit from close to $90 million million in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants.