Railway Age magazine has named Coos Bay Rail Link the 2014 Short Line Railroad of the Year, and Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Co. its 2014 Regional Railroad of the Year. The awards will be presented at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., Friday, April 25, 2014.
Watco Transportation Services has named Travis Herod vice president of transportation safety and compliance. In this position, Herod’s responsibilities include leading the Transportation Safety Team in safety training, certifications, safety incident solutions and proposals and mentoring managers and team members.
According to an estimate released by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the nation’s freight railroads project they will spend approximately $26 billion to build, maintain and upgrade their nationwide rail network this year.
The Massachusetts Senate passed a bill authorizing $13 billion in capital spending over the next five years to fund improvements to the commonwealth’s transportation system.
Watco Transportation Services appointed Larry McCloud to general manager of the Grand Elk Railroad where he will be responsible for daily operations, specifically focusing on improving safety, productivity and efficiency.
U.S. Department of Transportation says its $90.9 billion proposed budget would lay a new foundation for economic growth and competitiveness by addressing growing infrastructure deficit, investing in the national infrastructure network and increasing safety and efficiency.
President Obama proposed a $302-billion, four-year surface transportation reauthorization effort while visiting the historic Union Depot train station in Saint Paul, Minn.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) sixth round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants is making $600 million available to fund transportation projects across the country.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has approved $34.7 million in funds for 33 freight rail projects across the state which will create more than 43,000 jobs.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) continued the effort to restore and extend the Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act through 2016.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has been asked by elected officials in New Hampshire and North Dakota to step up track inspections along routes that transport hazardous materials in an effort to insure rail safety to communities along the lines.
Twin Cities & Western Railroad (TC&W) rejected a proposal to relocate Minneapolis area freight rail service after reviewing a technical analysis prepared by a South Dakota engineering firm. The proposed relocation would move freight service from the Kenilworth Corridor to a St. Louis Park route to make way for the Metropolitan Council’s Southwest light-rail project.
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Piedmont Improvement Program (PIP), a $520-million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project to improve the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte, celebrated a major milestone with the laying of the first section of track.
Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) is installing crane pads for the new Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Port Everglades, which is slated to open in the summer of 2014.
Transport Canada has proposed grade crossings regulations that would establish new safety standards for federally-regulated grade crossings.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is looking for a freight rail operator to provide rail services to businesses in Grant and Adams Counties and is now accepting bids through March 19.
The Port of Quincy in the state of Washington is partnering with the Great Northern Corridor Coalition to promote regional cooperation, planning and shared project implementation to improve the movement of rail freight along the Great Northern Corridor.
The Sooner Subdivision rail line between Del City and Sapulpa, Okla., garnered bids from four companies interested in purchasing the line.
In Portland, Ore., TriMet’s WES Commuter Rail celebrated its fifth anniversary with more people climbing on board than ever before. Since the line opened on February 2, 2009, riders have taken more than 1.9 million trips on WES. Ridership has climbed each year reaching more than 476,000 in 2013.
The Metra Board of Directors unanimously selected Donald Orseno, a lifelong railroader who has worked at Metra for more than three decades, as the next executive director/CEO of the Chicago suburban rail agency.