The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released its proposed $2.9-billion Operating Budget and $3.6-billion Capital Budget. Combined, together with debt service, the proposed agency budget for 2015 totals $7.8 billion in proposed spending.
Norfolk Southern and the Delaware & Hudson Railway (D&H), a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific, have proposed a transaction under which NS would acquire 282.55 miles of D&H rail line between Sunbury, Pa., and Schenectady, N.Y. The $217-million is subject to the approval by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.
RailComm has been selected to provide remote control to multiple switch locations and install a shove track protection system at a Class 1 hump yard located in North Carolina.
RailComm has been chosen to install and provide control to multiple switches throughout the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) terminal.
Construction has started on the new passenger rail route connecting Chicago and Moline, Ill. The $23 million in improvements underway at the BNSF’s Eola Yard in Aurora, Ill., are made possible by funds from the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) $177-million grant toward the project, as well as $78 million in matching funds provided by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now! capital program.
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.
CSX, along with federal, state and local officials, celebrated the grand opening of the new Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center (ILC) in Winter Haven. The facility, which began operations earlier this year, provides a centralized hub for transportation, logistics and distribution serving Orlando, Tampa and other regional Florida markets.
United Transportation Union Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (UTU-SMART)-represented trainmen, engineers and yardmasters employed by Lake Terminal Railroad have ratified a new six-year agreement by a unanimous vote.
Union Pacific says it will move forward with plans for a new rail yard in Robertson County, Texas, that will strengthen Texas as a national freight transportation hub, create jobs and deliver significant economic stimulus to the region.
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. has been awarded the contract to design and build the rail yard and maintenance facility for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project (Silver Line).
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) presented the 2014 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence to Union Pacific for its Santa Teresa Terminal project in New Mexico.
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $4.3 million to upgrade critical infrastructure and fund rail projects in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Iowa. The grants are intended to support communities affected by recent natural disasters, as well as communities looking to support and attract businesses.
“The Obama Administration and the Commerce Department are committed to helping communities affected by natural disasters rebuild so they can rebound economically,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “The EDA investments announced today support a diverse group of projects – from infrastructure improvements and transportation upgrades to workforce training and disaster recovery efforts – that will enable communities across Arkansas to be more economically resilient in the wake of future natural disasters and other challenges.”
The investments include $1.2 million to the city of Pine Bluff, Ark., which will help upgrade roughly 40 miles of rail line to increase economic resiliency and diversity by providing alternate transportation in times of natural disasters to area businesses and manufacturers. Also, the proposed continued upgrading of the rail line is a vital component of broader efforts to restore and improve critical rail infrastructure that will service Southeast Arkansas and Northeast Louisiana. According to the grantee, the project will enhance the area’s ability to attract new industry and to grow existing industry by improving local logistic infrastructure and will create 24 jobs in the area.
A $1.2 million grant in Corning, Ark., will support rail improvements to an industrial site, enabling Peco Foods, Inc., to build poultry processing and hatchery facilities and associated infrastructure on a 120-acre site in Clay County. According to the grantee, the company has committed to a $165 million investment and the creation of 942 jobs. The feed mill operation will produce 15,000 tons of self-use feed per week to support the breeder and grower flocks grown for the Pocahontas plant and those ingredients will be sourced primarily from local farmers.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Shawnee, Okla., received $1,232,023 in Public Works funds to fund the construction of rail infrastructure improvements at the Iron Horse Industrial Park in Pottawatomie County. This project is part of Phase II of development of the park and will provide rail service to the tenants, which include both native and non-native businesses and provide greater access to both domestic and international markets. This investment is part of a $1,232,023 project that the grantee estimates will create 15 jobs and leverage $350,000 in private investment.
The City of Sioux City, Iowa, received $631,102 in Economic Adjustment funds to fund continued implementation of infrastructure and site work necessary for construction of a new, flood-protected rail system to serve and support industries locating or relocating operations into the new Southbridge Business Park, which is located outside the city’s flood-prone area. This project supports the city’s efforts to implement flood protection and disaster resiliency measures in the region severely impacted and still recovering from the 2011 flooding of the Missouri River.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) have been awarded nearly $2 billion in storm resiliency funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). All of the grants are part of the FTA Emergency Relief Program & Disaster Relief Appropriations.
A combined $1.5 billion in Sandy resiliency grants to repair and fortify New Jersey’s transit system has been awarded to New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners approved a major redevelopment of Greenville Yard that will include a new ExpressRail facility, the fourth of its type to be built by the agency, that will support the adjacent Global Marine Terminal. This will allow the terminal to ship and receive containerized cargo by rail.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners approved a major redevelopment of Greenville Yard that will include a new ExpressRail facility, the fourth of its type to be built by the agency, that will support the adjacent Global Marine Terminal. This will allow the terminal to ship and receive containerized cargo by rail.
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.
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) said on Aug. 28 that it has terminated its agreement with CSX Transportation, Inc., and CSX Intermodal Terminals, Inc., (CSX) to attempt location of the Baltimore Rail Intermodal Facility at Morrell Park and has pulled all state funding from the project.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published its final rule concerning Positive Train Control (PTC) systems in the Aug. 22 Federal Register. The rule, which takes effect Oct. 21, 2014, expands certain exemptions and comes 16 months before the full implementation deadline of Dec. 31, 2015.