Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider, Springfield Mayor Michael Houston and Sangamon County Chairman Andy Van Meter signed an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement (IGA) to advance design work as a part of the 10th Street Railroad Consolidation Plan.
In a letter to the United Transportation Union, Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo pushed for more integrated rail systems. In the message, he said:
“We know well the population growth, mobility and environmental challenges revealing a clear need to invest in passenger rail and of passenger rail’s skyrocketing ridership, be it intercity, commuter, light or heavy.
The Amtrak Board of Directors is extending the contract of President and CEO Joe Boardman for his achievements in improving the operational and financial performance of Amtrak and to provide continuity of leadership.
Beginning June 2 and continuing through October 2013, Amtrak will continue the long-term railroad tie replacement project on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The affected ties are showing premature signs of wear, resulting in speed restrictions for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains.
More than 1,200 people participated in a month-long survey to name two new Amtrak Cascades trains, which have been named Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Bachelor.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed Virginia’s Road to the Future, the state’s first transportation funding plan approved in 27 years, which will increase funding for Virginia’s transit providers by $509 million and provide more than $256 million in funding for intercity passenger rail within the first five years.
VIA Rail Canada has released its 2012 Annual Report to the public. The company’s continued commitment to the efficient use of public funds helped bring down the operating deficit for the third year in a row.
Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc. (X Train) elected John McPherson to chairman of the board and George Rebensdorf to director. Former Chairman Gil Lamphere remains on the board as director.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Bowen Civil Engineering Inc. (BCE) is now part of Hanson Professional Services Inc., adding expanded civil and transportation engineering, design services and 12 engineering professionals to Hanson’s national consulting practice.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is making $21.9 million available to help strengthen public transportation safety for millions of riders and transit workers nationwide.
Amtrak has launched an animated video to educate kids about rail safety and security.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has awarded a two-year, $120-million contract extension to Parsons Brinckerhoff, Balfour Beatty’s professional services division, for program management services on the California High-Speed Rail project.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen will celebrate its 150th anniversary on May 8; the union was founded on May 8, 1863.
The Federal Railroad Administration has released $30.2 million to Amtrak to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy along its Northeast Corridor. The funding comes from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013.
L.B. Foster Company has delivered approximately 2,600 tons of 36-inch diameter steel pipe to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., for use as lateral shoring struts in the excavation of San Francisco’s new Transbay Transit Center.
Gannett Fleming received a Distinguished Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey’s (ACEC/NJ) annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition for its work on the Amtrak Security Improvements project.
On May 1, 1971, Amtrak began operations as an intercity passenger rail service provider, marking today, May 1, 2013, as its 42nd anniversary. As Amtrak celebrates this milestone, it is seeking a multi-year federal investment.
Network Rail Consulting, the international consultancy arm of rail infrastructure company Network Rail, has joined the North American rail market after bidding to become a part of Amtrak‘s Northeast Corridor (NEC) Partner Forum.
The $55-million King Street Station project in Seattle, Wash., which received $32.9 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation, has opened.
The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority‘s Yolo Causeway West Crossover project was completed on April 14, 2013, by Union Pacific crews.