News and Opinion

Denver RTD opens Auraria West Station

Denver, Colorado’s Regional Transportation District opened the new Auraria West Station, directly across from the site of the former station, on October 31. The station was moved so that it could be expanded to accommodate four-car trains and additional light rail coming into Denver Union Station. This expansion, which will make connections with Golden and downtown Denver, is part of the long-term FasTracks plan that is paving the way for the planned opening of the West Rail Line in Spring 2013.

RailComm recognized by Rochester Top 100

RailComm has been ranked second in the Rochester Top 100 list. RailComm was recognized based on its dollar and percentage growth.

The Rochester Top 100, now in its 25th year, ranks privately held companies based on their three most recent years of revenue growth. Companies must have at least $1 million in revenue for each of those years and ranking takes into account both dollar and percentage growth.

Sound Transit Board endorses agreement for tunnel partnership with Bellevue

Seattle, Wash.’s Sound Transit Board endorsed a landmark agreement with the city of Bellevue, Wash., to enable the East Link light rail project to serve downtown Bellevue via a tunnel.

The board authorized Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Bellevue following upcoming action by the Bellevue City Council. Bellevue Mayor Don Davidson presented the board with a letter stating the city’s commitment to take action on the MOU on or before Nov. 14.

The MOU establishes a collaborative partnership for Sound Transit and the City of Bellevue to work together during the final design and construction processes for East Link to manage the project’s costs and impacts and to share the additional cost of building the tunnel. Benefits of the partnership include saving time for transit riders as well as motorists by avoiding at-grade street crossings in downtown Bellevue and establishing a grade-separated light rail alignment all the way from Seattle to the Bel-Red Corridor.

"Building the voter-approved East Link line is critical for the mobility and prosperity of our region. This agreement is good for the people of Bellevue and good for the people of King County," said Sound Transit Board member and King County executive Dow Constantine.

Following the issuance of a Record of Decision by the Federal Transit Administration, Sound Transit will move the East Link project into final design. Sound Transit is expected to start construction of East Link in 2015 or 2016 and launch passenger service in 2023.

The tunnel is estimated to cost an additional $276 million beyond the cost of an at-grade alignment through downtown after factoring in cost savings from locating East Link’s South Bellevue alignment along 112th Avenue Southeast. The MOU establishes a firm funding commitment by the city of Bellevue for up to $160 million (2010 dollars), identifies the city’s preferred design for the alignment along 112th Avenue Southeast and commits Sound Transit to review and consider the design changes.

 

LIRR to finish track renewal interrupted by Hurricane Irene

A track modernization project that Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road was unable to complete in August because of Hurricane Irene is scheduled to resume this coming weekend, October 29-30, and continue on the following weekend, November 5-6. The work taking place on the mainline will result in some cancellations and service adjustments on the Huntington-Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Ronkonkoma, Far Rockaway and Babylon branches.

LIRR personnel will be performing surfacing and railroad tie renewal, welding repairs and installing some new running rail between Queens Village and Carle Place on October 29-30 and between New Hyde Park and Hicksville on November 6-7. When finished, work will provide a smoother ride and more reliable service.
Since one of two mainline tracks will be out of service during the project, the LIRR has revised weekend service on trains that travel the mainline to accommodate the track work.

Durbin: House Transportation Bill wrong approach to Amtrak funding

A House transportation funding proposal would dismantle Amtrak service and stunt high-speed rail growth in spite of record ridership numbers, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said during a news conference at the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center in St. Louis, Mo.

"St. Louis is one of the most important hubs in the nation’s passenger rail network and Gateway Station is the anchor of that network. Residents of the St. Louis region on both sides of the river have come to rely upon Amtrak," Durbin said. "We need to maintain and grow passenger rail service-not dismantle it. People are clearly demanding more train service, yet the House bill takes us in exactly the wrong direction-eliminating the service we already have."

The U.S. House of Representatives Fiscal Year 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill, which has been passed by the THUD Appropriations Subcommittee, cuts Amtrak’s operating funding by 60 percent, includes a legislative rider prohibiting Amtrak from using any federal funds to help states pay for state-supported routes and provides no money for high-speed and intercity rail projects.

The U.S. Senate’s FY2012 THUD Appropriations bill would maintain current funding levels for Amtrak and also includes a bipartisan, Durbin-authored amendment that would restore $100 million for high-speed and intercity passenger rail. This funding is completely eliminated in the House version of the bill.

"The House of Representatives spending proposal is devastating to Amtrak in Illinois, Missouri and the entire Midwestern network. Two million passengers use Amtrak’s rail service in Illinois and Missouri every year. By slashing Amtrak’s operating budget by more than half and prohibiting Amtrak from helping fund state-supported routes, their bill would deliver a death blow to passenger rail service in St. Louis and hundreds of other cities and towns across the nation. These cuts will degrade our state’s world-class transportation system and cost the St. Louis area good paying jobs. Stopping Amtrak service to this station would force riders to make do with fewer travel options, which means more cars on the road and more congestion," Durbin said.

In addition to the Chicago to St. Louis route, the House bill would also mean elimination of the Amtrak service from Chicago to Carbondale, Milwaukee and Quincy. With Amtrak unable to provide support, Illinois would not have the funds needed to cover the shortfall and keep the routes in service. Illinois has had state-supported Amtrak service since 1972 and there are now 14 round-trip trains traveling from Chicago’s Union Station to Milwaukee, Quincy, Carbondale and St. Louis, moving 1.7 million passengers each year.

 

Progress Rail opens Muncie, Indiana locomotive assembly operation

Almost one year to the date of announcing its decision to locate a locomotive manufacturing facility in Muncie, Ind., Progress Rail Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., officially opened its Muncie operation.

Progress Rail announced the site selection in October of 2010 and began work in earnest in January of this year. In less than 10 months, the facility has produced completed diesel-electric locomotives for its customers.

"This is the type of responsiveness our customers have come to expect from Progress Rail," said Billy Ainsworth, president and CEO of Progress Rail. "Through its Progress Rail subsidiary, Caterpillar has proven its commitment to the rail and transit industries and since 2006 has invested more than $2 billion to meet our customers’ growing needs."

Progress Rail and EMD offers a broad range of locomotive engine solutions and remain the only manufacturer of two- and four-cycle locomotive engines. The companies are also working on numerous alternative fuel projects for customers. In December of 2008, Progress Rail utilized the first common rail fuel system for mainline locomotives, with its 4,300-horsepower PR43C locomotive, powered by two rugged Cat® engines – the C-175 and C-18.

"We are proud to be in Muncie, Ind., today celebrating the official opening of our locomotive assembly plant. We look forward to being a part of this community’s economic future for many years to come," Ainsworth said. "We have assembled a talented and dedicated group of local employees eager to meet our customers’ needs. As we continue to grow our business and build additional manufacturing capacity, Progress Rail will be well-equipped to produce and support the largest global population of locomotives."

 

California awards $448 million in bonds to L.A. County transportation Projects

Eight key transportation projects in Los Angeles County were awarded a total of $448 million in state bond money on Oct. 25 by the California Transportation Commission at its meeting in Sacramento, Calif.

The Alameda Corridor East project received $336.6 million to help eliminate street crossings of the busy Union Pacific tracks in San Gabriel, Calif. The overall project aims to improve safety and reduce the number of street crossings along 70 miles of railroad tracks in the San Gabriel Valley.

The second phase of the Expo Line light-rail project, which will run for 6.7 miles between Culver City, Los Angeles and Santa Monica, received $35.3 million. When completed in 2015, the full Expo Line between downtown Los Angeles and downtown Santa Monica is expected to be one of the busiest light rail lines in the United States.

"We’re expanding our transit system, increasing the number of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, optimizing traffic flow in our streets and we’re helping speed the flow of freight through our region," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is also the chair of LACMTA’s Board of Directors. "These projects will help bolster our local economy, create jobs and help reduce traffic congestion in Los Angeles County."

The money comes from Prop 1B bonds approved by California voters in 2006 to help pay for transportation needs throughout the state. The California Transportation Commission is in charge of allocating most of the $19.925 billion in bond money based on the merit and need of the projects.

UP promotes two in operating department

Union Pacific promoted Kurt Zalar to general superintendent-transportation services for the Forth Worth Service Unit, who will replace Jeff Jones who is retiring Jan. 1. Zalar will be responsible for the safe operation of trains on the more than 1,200 miles of track in Texas and southeast Oklahoma.

Jay Everett was promoted to general superintendent-transportation services for UP’s Denver Service Unit, replacing Zalar. He will be responsible for the safe operation of trains on more than 1,700 miles of track in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and Utah.

TriMet faces budget shortfall for FY2013

Portland, Oregon’s TriMet kicked off its Fiscal Year 2013 budget process three months ahead of schedule to begin developing options to respond to a projected $12 million to $17 million shortfall. The shortfall results from the continued recession and slow recovery, an anticipated cut in federal operating grants and costs associated with a new labor contract.

The shortfall is part of the agency’s FY13 operating budget that begins July 1, 2012. TriMet’s FY12 operating budget is $444 million.

"We have already cut $60 million from past budgets, but our financial challenges remain," said TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane. "We face some tough decisions ahead and everything is on the table as we look to take corrective actions to close our budget gap and realign our cost structure."

With employment and wage growth stagnant, TriMet expects to receive about $3 million less in payroll tax revenues than previously anticipated.

TriMet receives $40 million to $45 million in federal funds for annual preventive maintenance. There is significant uncertainty in the federal budget, including the continuation of that funding level. TriMet is estimating a cut of $4 million.

TriMet is working to bring the union contract in line with revenue growth and make it financially sustainable. The contract expired in 2009 and both parties are now heading to interest arbitration scheduled for mid-January 2012. A recent Employee Relations Board decision, which TriMet is asking ERB to reconsider, currently has eliminated potential wage and retiree benefit savings from the current labor arbitration. The ERB decision adds $5 million to $10 million to the FY13 budget shortfall, an amount that grows significantly in future years. There are also additional outstanding items related to the labor contract that could increase the shortfall further.

TriMet will create a Budget Task Force with community members that will provide the general manager with recommendations on how to balance the budget. TriMet has limited options to lower costs and increase revenues. The task force will consider internal efficiencies, fare increases and service reductions.

 

VIA Rail, CN to perform track and signal work

VIA Rail Canada and Canadian National will periodically perform overnight track and signal work along the railway right-of-way between William Street and the western end of Delhi Street during the period from November 1 to November 15, 2011.

On two occasions this work will require the closure of Perth Street at the rail crossing. The first closure (to perform track work) will take place from Friday, November 4 at 9:00 p.m. until Monday, November 7 at 8:00 a.m. The second closure (to test signal operation) will take place from Saturday, November 12 at 9:00 p.m. until Sunday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m.

During these closures, traffic will be diverted to William Street/Stewart Boulevard.

This project is linked with other work VIA is undertaking in its Ontario-Quebec Corridor with the overall result being improvements in train safety and better passenger rail service.

GWI’s Powell awarded 2011 Professional Environmental Excellence Award

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Vice President of Motive Power David Powell received the 2011 Professional Environmental Excellence Award from the Association of American Railroads in a ceremony at the University of Illinois. This achievement marks the first time that the AAR’s top award for environmental professionals has been won by someone from the shortline and regional railroad industry.

Powell’s accomplishments include organizing GWI’s Environmental Team; leading efforts to fund, design and build three ultra-low-emission GenSet locomotives; entering GWI in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s "SmartWay" Program; developing GWI’s Standard Environmental Procedures and instituting GWI’s annual Earth Day cleanup, hazmat spill reporting and worldwide recycling programs.

"This honor is wonderful recognition for David and for everyone at GWI who supports our commitment to protect the environment wherever we operate in North America and worldwide," said Jack Hellmann, GWI president and CEO.

Powell joined GWI in 2003 and has more than 35 years of railroad experience.

HDR PE/Environmental awarded task order for Redlands Passenger Rail Project

California’s San Bernardino Association of Governments (SANBAG) has awarded HDR a task order contract to provide preliminary engineering/environmental services for a new nine-mile passenger rail service, the Redlands Passenger Rail Project. This project will extend rail service from San Bernardino to Redlands, Calif. The award is an amendment of a previous contract with HDR.

That contract includes work delivering the Redlands First-Mile Metrolink Extension and alternative analysis phase of the Redlands Passenger Rail Project. The new amendment adds an 18-month schedule and associated scope of services to prepare preliminary engineering and environmental clearance for the project.
"This is a unique opportunity to work on a brand new passenger rail system from the ground up," said Mike Boraks, senior rail/transit project manager who will manage this task order for HDR.

BNSF, LA/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council sign $255 million labor agreement

BNSF and the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council have finalized a Project Labor Agreement worth more than $255 million for the construction of the proposed Southern California International Gateway, representing more than half of BNSF’s $500 million private investment in the new facility. The agreement governs safety, quality and the timely construction of SCIG and will provide job and apprentice opportunities. The construction jobs created during the three-year construction phase will also contribute more than $85 million in federal, state and local taxes.

"SCIG will be the greenest intermodal facility in the U.S. We look forward to working with the council and affiliated trades to build SCIG and to bring its traffic, air quality and economic benefits to Southern California," said Matthew Rose, chairman and chief executive officer of BNSF.

"We’re proud to provide BNSF with a skilled local union workforce to build SCIG," added Robbie Hunter, executive secretary of the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. "We need to build this new environmentally friendly rail yard. This has been a long process and the time to build it is now."

SCIG is designed to be the greenest intermodal facility in the United States. SCIG will allow containers to be loaded onto rail just four miles from the docks, rather than traveling 24 miles on local roads and the 710 freeway to downtown rail facilities. SCIG will allow 1.5 million more containers to move by more efficient and environmentally preferred rail through the Alameda Corridor each year, greatly reducing truck traffic congestion in Southern California.

Upon completion, SCIG will create up to 22,000 new direct and indirect jobs in Southern California, including 14,000 new and indirect jobs in Los Angeles by 2036, according to a study by IHS Global Insight. BNSF has also committed to create a local jobs training program and offer priority hiring for new jobs to qualified local job applicants.

DesertXpress gets OK from STB

The Surface Transportation Board approved the building of a 190-mile high-speed passenger rail link between Las Vegas and Southern California. The line would allow DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC, to provide a rail alternative to driving and flying.

The approval is conditioned on DesertXpress implementing 146 environmental mitigation measures recommended by an Environmental Impact Statement approved by the Federal Railroad Administration with input and expertise provided by the STB.

The proposed passenger line would run along the Interstate 15 freeway, with stations at Victorville, Calif., and Las Vegas. There are no planned at-grade vehicle or pedestrian crossings. The project would reduce air pollution, fuel consumption and congestion along the busy I-15 corridor.

UP to perform $6.6 million in track improvements on central Iowa line

Union Pacific will improve the transportation infrastructure in Iowa by investing $6.6 million in the rail line that runs from Tama, Iowa to Ames, Iowa. Various projects on nearly 50 miles of this line include removing and installing 45,500 ties, as well as renewing the surfaces at 40 road crossings. Crews will also spread about 21,800 tons of ballast to help provide a more stable roadbed and replace more than a half mile of rail in various curves.

The project began October 16 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-December.

MBTA, BART to tap alternative energy sources to power stations

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Bay Area Rapid Transit are both introducing energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly ways to provide power to its train stations.

Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Richard Davey joined state and local officials on Oct. 25, to break ground on the Kingston Wind Turbine Program at the Kingston Layover Facility, a 100-kilowatt wind turbine that will power 65 percent of the Kingston commuter rail station’s energy supply. The $2.5 million project is funded through President Obama’s 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and builds on the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts to invest in transportation infrastructure and create a more energy efficient Commonwealth.

"We have made strategic investments in our clean energy infrastructure to create jobs and build a healthier commonwealth for generations to come," said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. "Massachusetts is the national leader in energy efficiency and projects like the Kingston Wind Turbine will help us carry that torch well into the future."

The station’s energy supply to the parking lot, station platforms and plug–ins for locomotives will be supplied by the turbine. Also funded under the grant is a second 300-kilowatt turbine to be installed along the commuter rail tracks in Bridgewater this spring.

Due to recent advances in technology, as well as changes in the financial structure of renewable energy, wind energy is quickly becoming a more cost competitive energy source when compared to fossil fuel sources of energy. Once installed, the two wind turbines will save MBTA approximately $100,000 annually in electricity costs.

Awarded to SPS New England, the wind turbine will be constructed on a parcel of land on the north side of the commuter rail tracks between the maintenance and substation structures. Construction will begin immediately and includes, structural and mechanical support for the site preparation and foundation installation; electrical and communications support for the installation of the transformer and interconnections and the erection and commissioning of the turbine.

As for San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit, a solar energy project is taking shape at the sun-drenched Lafayette Station, the latest example of BART’s commitment to sustainability.

The BART system already has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per passenger of any large transit system in the nation, said BART Energy Division Manager Frank Schultz.
Now, a new solar canopy system over part of Lafayette Station’s parking lot will capture the sun’s rays to help power the lights, escalators and other electrical needs inside the station.

Schultz said that other solar projects at BART’s maintenance shops in Richmond and Hayward have been successful, so it was time to move on to a project at a station.

"The solar panels will reside on the top of the canopies and provide shade for the customers when they park their cars and in addition, will generate solar power all day long," said James Lavelle, CEO of LightBeam Energy, the company managing the project. "Renewable energy provides a way for us to use the sun and wind and steam from the earth and other naturally generated electricity sources so that we don’t have to use fossil fuels and damage the environment."

 

Consortium wins contract for rail link to Toronto airport

AirLINX Transit Partners was awarded the contract to design, build and finance a three-kilometer (1.9 mile) rail line for the Air Rail Link and an ARL passenger station at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Metrolinx will own and operate the ARL, providing an express rail service between Canada’s two busiest transportation hubs, Toronto Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport. The ARL will be in service in time for the TO2015 Pan / Parapan American Games and the service is expected to eliminate 1.2 million car trips in the first year of operation alone.

The selection of AirLINX Transit Partners as the preferred bidder is the result of an open, fair and competitive procurement process, which was overseen by a fairness advisor. AirLINX Transit Partners consortium’s key team members include:

• Aecon Construction and Materials Ltd.
• Dufferin Construction Company

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx will begin negotiating contract details with the preferred bidder. The project cost will be announced publicly following completion of negotiations and financial close, which are both expected in early 2012. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2012.

The line will branch off the Weston Subdivision (GO Georgetown corridor) and connect to Toronto Pearson with a new passenger station at Terminal 1.

This section of the ARL project will be delivered using the Province’s alternative financing and procurement delivery method, which is managed by Infrastructure Ontario.

"The government of Ontario is making it more convenient for residents, businesses and travelers by creating a transit link between Pearson International Airport and Toronto’s downtown core," said Bob Chiarelli, minister of infrastructure, minister of transportation. "The Air Rail Link project is part of our government’s long-term infrastructure plan, Building Together, which builds on the government’s unprecedented infrastructure investments to date and will improve our economy, our environment and our quality of life."

Al Shoula consortium wins contract for Saudi high-speed line, Invensys to provide C&S systems

The Saudi Railways Organization selected Al Shoula consortium to provide the superstructure, systems, rolling stock, signalling, operation and maintenance for the Haramain high-speed line in Saudi Arabia, linking the two cities of Makkah and Madinah. This consortium is a Saudi-Spanish group, which will implement the successful high-speed line model and technology applied in Spain to this new line.

As a member of the Al Shoula consortium, Invensys Rail will provide the full turn-key signaling and train control systems, including its FUTUR 3000 and FUTUR 2500 Level 2 ERTMS solution and also includes centralized traffic control, electronic interlockings, LED wayside signals, train detection systems and on board ETCS equipment for the 34-strong train fleet. The contract includes a 12-year maintenance period.

Invensys Rail’s share of the three-year construction phase is valued at €298 million US$413 million). Its share of the 12-year maintenance phase is €185 million (US$256 million).

Wayne Edmunds, chief executive of Invensys, said, "This is a major breakthrough for Invensys Rail. We are particularly delighted to be part of this team and we look forward to continuing to grow our presence in the global railway signaling and train control market."

Massachusetts commuter line gets $75 million federal grant

The Federal Transit Administration has sealed a $75 million agreement that will put an estimated 260 people to work making long-overdue improvements to the 50-mile Fitchburg commuter rail line in Massachusetts, one of the state’s oldest passenger rail lines still in service.

The investment will increase the train line’s maximum speed by nearly 20 miles per hour, while greatly improving safety and on-time performance to 17 communities and 18 stations. If passed by congress, President Obama’s American Jobs Act could make more projects like this possible throughout the country.

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff signed the agreement with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to provide the federal share of the $159 million project, which will significantly reduce travel times and improve connections between suburban Fitchburg and the MBTA’s Red Line at Porter Square just outside Boston.

Nearly 20 percent of the current line, 9.6 miles, travels on a single track. Maximum train speed is 60 miles per hour and significantly slower in many sections along the Fitchburg line, which is now the oldest, longest and slowest running rail branch within the MBTA system. It also has the worst on-time performance in all of MBTA.
Planned improvements include:

• Track upgrades that will allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 79 miles per hour
• Construction of high-level platforms for better accessibility
• Replacement and updating of grade crossing warning systems
• Construction of new and modified interlocking
• Transfer of the Waltham Tower to MBTA Control Center
• Bridge repair and replacement

The $75 million in FTA Small Starts funds has already been appropriated and to date FTA has awarded $7.8 million for the engineering and design of the project. The Fitchburg Line will continue to operate during the modernization project, which is expected to be completed before 2015.

The Fitchburg Line is also the recipient of $59.2 million from the department’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER I) program. The TIGER grants will fund a 4.5-mile extension of the line and construction of a new Wachusett Station.

CSX, local officials celebrate Columbus Terminal Expansion project

The city of Columbus, Ohio, recently hosted industry leaders and local officials, including Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Councilmember Zachary Klein at a celebration for the Columbus Intermodal Terminal Expansion Project.

This multi-million dollar expansion will ready the region with the capacity needed for anticipated growth in business. When complete, this expansion will continue to enhance the economical and environmentally friendly rail intermodal service offered to customers. This terminal expansion is part of the National Gateway, linking deep water east coast ports with Midwestern markets.

"I am very pleased that CSX is expanding and investing in Ohio, a decision that will strengthen our infrastructure, spur job growth and provide the local economies in Central Ohio with a much needed boost," said Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). "These investments, along with CSX’s new intermodal facility in Northwest Ohio, will provide greater opportunities for workers and employers throughout our state."