UTU-represented train and engine employees of Columbia & Cowlitz Railroad have a new employer in Patriot Rail Corp. after Patriot completed purchase of the shortline from paper manufacturer and forest products supplier Weyerhaeuser.
Also included in the sale is Weyerhaeuser Woods Railroad (a non-UTU property) that connects with Columbia & Cowlitz Railway. The two are slated to be consolidated into one shortline by Patriot, a shortline holding company whose properties include UTU-represented Louisiana & North West Railroad.
UTU Assistant President Arty Martin has met four times in recent months with the UTU train and engine employees on Columbia & Cowlitz, and has assigned International Vice President Paul Tibbit to work in conjunction with General Chairperson Sean Kibee to monitor the transfer of ownership, which includes protection of seniority and work assignments.
"As the nation’s largest rail union, the UTU has a long history of successful experience in processing grievances governed by the Railway Labor Act, and the UTU will work diligently on behalf of our Columbia & Cowlitz members to ensure a smooth and properly protected transition," Martin said.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is seeking a business partner to help develop the next generation of electronic fare payment to create more options for customers, make using the transit system easier and encourage new ridership.
The Request for Proposals issued is the first step in a process to identify a vendor to assist Metro in developing a fare system designed to process payments directly at the gate using technology like contactless, chip-enabled debit and credit cards, which banks are already distributing to customers; federal identification cards; or smart phones equipped with near-field communication capability; as well as existing SmarTrip® cards.
The current SmarTrip® system will remain in operation until a new system is developed and Metro will solicit significant customer input into the design of the new system to ensure all customers are served, whether they are frequent or occasional riders.
"We want to make it even easier for our customers to use Metro," said Metro Board Chairman Peter Benjamin. "While customers will still be able to use SmarTrip®, they will have additional payment choices such as debit, credit or federal ID cards. Just as SmarTrip® revolutionized how customers paid their fares a decade ago, we look for this new system to be equally dramatic in the eyes of our customers."
The RFP contemplates new and rehabilitated gate hardware, and new fare payment targets onboard the bus fleet. Web-enabled services, SMS texting and mobile applications will be enhanced to provide additional information and convenience for customers traveling throughout the region in both peak and off-peak periods.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood provided a $150 million grant to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to replace Washington Metro’s "1000-Series" rail cars. These cars were cited by the National Transportation Safety Board as a contributing factor to the severity of passenger injuries and the number of fatalities in the June 2009 Red Line crash near Fort Totten Station. Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia will also provide $150 million in matching local funds to help pay for the improvements.
"This money will let WMATA make important safety improvements to Washington’s Metrorail system," said LaHood. "But to establish a standard level of safety across all transit systems, we urge Congress to pass the rail transit safety legislation proposed by the Obama Administration last year."
In addition to $79.3 million to purchase as many as 300 new 7000-Series rail cars and $44.4 million for track rehabilitation, the remainder of the $300 million will be used to address other much-needed infrastructure projects within the system, such as Metrorail station improvements, the rehabilitation of track maintenance equipment, the replacement of track switching equipment, and elevator and escalator repairs. The grant also allocates $10.3 million for the transit agency to address safety recommendations made by the NTSB.
"Safety is our number one priority at FTA and this investment in WMATA is an investment in the welfare of the people who live and work around the nation’s capital," said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. "Whether they’re going to work, to school, to the doctor, or to a ballgame, DC-area residents deserve a transit system that is efficient, reliable, and most importantly, safe."
As a result of cost-conscious management, the CTA enters 2011 with a balanced budget that maintains current fares and service levels for riders-one of the many goals the agency accomplished this year.
Faced with an aging infrastructure in need of repair, but lacking the capital funds to invest in all desired improvements, CTA found other ways to finance the critical capital needs. By leveraging previously secured federal funding, outside resources and shifting of existing resources, the CTA was able to upgrade and refurbish existing infrastructure.
CTA submitted multiple grant applications in 2010 and, to date, CTA has been awarded more than $55 million in grants for various projects.
Earlier this year, CTA used $12.5 million in federal stimulus funds to construct a new entrance on Archer Avenue to the Red Line Cermak-Chinatown station. The entrance serves as the primary access point for customers while the main entrance to the station is rebuilt and made accessible.
Through a continued partnership with the Chicago Department of Transportation, rehabilitation of the Grand Red Line subway station and the construction of the CTA’s first new station in nearly a decade – the Morgan Green Line station in the West Loop – are currently under way.
In addition, CTA and Apple, Inc. reached an agreement in which Apple supplied funding to refurbish the Red Line’s North/Clybourn station. The station renovations were completed in October.
In-service testing of the new 5000-series prototype rail cars also began earlier in 2010. The 10 prototype rail cars are currently being tested to determine how they perform when operating in the conditions that CTA’s rail fleet is subjected to throughout the year. The prototypes must successfully complete testing on all eight rail lines.
Using grant funding from the Department of Homeland Security, CTA continues to make progress in enhancing security and expanding its surveillance network. Each of the 144 CTA rail stations has at least one high-definition camera installed, with expansion continuing in 2011.
As part of the CTA’s renewed commitment to further develop and implement meaningful and proactive accessibility initiatives consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, an Infrastructure Accessibility Task Force was formed on the 20th anniversary of the landmark piece of legislation.
The task force is charged with developing a financially-informed plan for accessibility initiatives and to help guide future initiatives that can enhance the accessibility at CTA rail stations. Currently, 63 percent of CTA rail stations are accessible via elevators or ramps. Four more stations will soon be accessible following the completion of renovation work at the Cermak-Chinatown and Grand Red Line stations and the construction of two new rail stations – the Oakton Yellow Line and Morgan Green/Pink Line stations.
The CTA is currently in the process of seeking out proposals for corporate sponsorships/naming rights – intended to generate new revenues for improving facilities and services – and a new open fare payment system, which could introduce the use of contactless credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards to ride the system.
Also scheduled for 2011, CTA plans to test a system that allows customers to receive estimated arrival times for CTA trains following the popular Bus Tracker system.
The merger of Foster Thomas Company with and into Portec Rail Products, Inc. has been effected as of December 27, 2010. Portec Rail is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of L.B. Foster.
As of the close of trading on December 29, 2010, Portec’s common stock will no longer be traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that work could begin on construction of two intermodal freight facilities in Memphis and Birmingham thanks to a signed grant agreement with the Alabama and Tennessee Departments of Transportation for $105 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The facilities are a key part of a larger effort to increase rail capacity and relieve traffic congestion along the 2,500-mile Crescent Corridor from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic.
"President Obama’s efforts to create jobs and improve our nation’s transportation infrastructure depend on investments like these," said Secretary LaHood. "The new facilities in Birmingham and Memphis will create jobs, help increase rail capacity, reduce highway traffic congestion and improve air quality for area residents."
Of the $105 million, Alabama will use half – $52.5 million – to build the 261-acre Birmingham Regional Intermodal Facility near McCalla, about 20 miles southwest of Birmingham. The remainder of this $97.5-million project’s funding will come from Norfolk Southern and other sources.
Tennessee will use its half – $52.5 million – to build the 380-acre Memphis Regional Intermodal Facility immediately west of Rossville, about 27 miles east of downtown Memphis. The remainder of this $105.1-million project’s funding is expected to come from Norfolk Southern and other sources.
The existing Crescent Corridor passes through 13 states, from Louisiana to New Jersey. The planned upgrades to facilities and rail capacity will allow freight to move faster and more reliably. By diverting 1.3 million commercial trucks from interstates, the Crescent Corridor will greatly improve air quality along the route, reduce traffic congestion and generate significant fuel savings.
The grant is part of the TIGER program included in the Recovery Act to promote innovative, multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional transportation projects that provide significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, region or the nation.
A broken wire and weather conditions led to Christmas Day railroad crossing blockages in Plainfield, Ill., a Canadian National Railway spokesman said, the Herald News reports. The gates were stuck down at four CN crossings on public roads Saturday afternoon.
CN spokesman Patrick Waldron said he did not have times for how long the crossings were out of service. But a Plainfield police official said the problem lasted about four hours. Waldron said CN personnel were at the crossings within 40 minutes of the malfunctions to begin routing traffic around the gates. Traffic still was backed up for a long distance on Lockport Street as Christmas Day travelers waited to get across the tracks.
The gates also stopped operating at crossings at 143rd Street, Naperville Road and Main Street. One private road crossing also malfunctioned, but that did not affect the public, Waldron said.
"We think it was caused by ice, snow and salt build-up at the grade crossings," Waldron said. "Also, there was a broken wire."
Waldron said the breakdown times varied at each crossing.
Plainfield police Cmdr. John Konopek, also director of the village’s Emergency Management Agency, said the crossings "were out of service for about four hours." Konopek said emergency management personnel were brought out to the crossings to manage traffic.
Taxpayers are footing the bill to clean contamination at the former site of a metal scrapping yard in west Vancouver, Wash., the Columbian reports. The property will be used for auxiliary tracks as part of a $150-million rail improvement project. Excavation will resume in the spring. The total cost, including earthwork and remediation, could come to $1 million.
The 2½-acre property along Fourth Plain Boulevard had been the site of a metal scrap yard originally established in 1946. Metal scrapping ended after a raid by environmental regulators in late 2006. Later, the property owner hired an environmental remediation company to clean out oil-soaked trenches and dry wells. But residual contamination – metals, petroleum and polychlorinated biphenyls – remained embedded in the soil.
The railroad, with the Washington Department of Transportation, identified the property as a parcel that could be useful in a major railroad improvement project. The $150-million project – funded by state and federal transportation dollars – is designed to alleviate chronic rail congestion in Vancouver. The property would accommodate a new set of auxiliary tracks, allowing freight and passenger trains to speed through the Vancouver yard on a track currently used as a siding. Ultimately, the DOT anticipates railroad improvements in Vancouver and throughout Western Washington will enable the state to improve the frequency and on-time performance of Amtrak passenger service.
Acquiring the property was seen as a small but necessary piece toward that much larger goal. The contamination did not faze transportation officials, said David Smelser, rail projects coordination manager for the DOT.
A spokesman for BNSF, which now holds title to the property, said the railroad and the DOT were fully aware of the contamination. Yet the state ultimately agreed to bear the cost of cleanup because this particular property was considered crucial to the overall $150-million rail improvement project.
State officials said they considered segregating the property with a retaining wall to minimize environmental remediation, but that would have been even more costly than hauling away all of the tainted soil. And the Fruit Valley neighborhood would have been left with a contaminated piece of ground. So taxpayers are stepping up.
"We came to an agreement on the best overall plan to accommodate rail," BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said. "It works operationally, but it is also a benefit to the neighborhood and community."
The state agreed to pay up to $1 million for BNSF to remediate the environmental hazard and clear the top eight feet of soil to bring it level to the adjacent rail yard. The soil had to be removed to clear the way for the auxiliary tracks. State transportation officials said they did not break down the estimated cost of earthwork versus environmental remediation.
However, they said the remediation cost would be substantial.
"At some point, you dig down and get to clean dirt," Smelser said.
The Federal Transit Administration said that it is advancing a total of $182.4 million in New Starts funding for seven transit projects already under construction in New York, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Northern Virginia.
"By making these payments now, we’re not only fulfilling the federal government’s commitment to these projects sooner, but we’re also giving a well-timed boost to communities that have made an important investment in their transportation infrastructure," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "We want to keep the projects moving and people working with these early investments, which will save these cities money over the long haul."
The grants being awarded will not increase the federal government’s overall share in the projects. Rather, a portion of the federal share for each project is being paid earlier than expected because of unallocated funds in FTA’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget for new construction.
"The advance payments will free up local funds that can now be used for other transit projects that will make it easier for families to get to work, to school and to other important destinations," said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. "These advances will also result in the savings of financing costs that local sponsors would have otherwise incurred."
These projects-which include subway, light rail and commuter rail-have already been given "full funding grant agreements," documents that establish the federal government’s share of funding as well as annual payment schedules.
In recent years, the FTA has provided between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion annually toward new public transportation projects through its New Starts Program, the primary source of federal assistance for local sponsors of transit construction.
Construction of a new six-level, 1,200-parking-space structure on the west side of the D.C. Metro’s Glenmont Metrorail station is set to begin January 3, resulting in the need to close the west Kiss & Ride parking lot at closing on that day, to accommodate the construction. Customers who normally use the west Kiss & Ride parking lot can use the east Kiss & Ride parking lot on the east side of the Glenmont Metrorail station near the existing parking facility.
Construction of the $24.7-million parking structure is expected to continue for at least one year, with the new garage slated to open in early 2012. It will increase the parking capacity at the Glenmont Metrorail station to nearly 3,000 spaces. The parking structure on the east side has a capacity of 1,781 parking spaces.
Canadian National Railway won’t make permanent repairs on two bumpy crossings until next year, an Outagamie County, Wis., official says, the Appleton Post-Crescent reports. In an e-mail message this past week, CN let the county know it ran out of time to fix the crossings, said Ray Palonen, deputy highway commissioner.
The county’s demand for a fix on three troublesome crossings goes back to March. Only one of the three was repaired.
Here’s a county snapshot of the two crossings in need of repairs:
o No repairs have been made on the County J crossing south of County OO in the town of Kaukauna. The crossing is still rough and frost likely will raise the pavement along the timbers.
o No repairs have been made on the west track on County BB east of Bluemound Drive in Grand Chute. There are potholes and pavement deterioration along timbers, and timbers are in need of replacement.
"We’ll just have to try to buffer those joints as best we can with some temporary materials until they get them repaired," Palonen said. He said a railroad spokesman indicated CN fully intended to make repairs but "ran out of time."
Jackie Macewicz, CN’s manager of public works based in Stevens Point, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Thomas Running, a representative with the state Office of the Commissioner of Railroads, said it meets regularly with railroads.
"One of our top priorities at these meetings is making sure the railroad is on top of crossing repairs," he said. "Statutorily, railroads are not required to repair crossings through the winter months."
A third Outagamie County crossing, on County S east of County A in Center, was adequately repaired with the re-fastening of timbers, the county said.
Palonen said frost gets beneath the pavement and plays havoc with the driving surface.
"Last winter when you crossed the County J crossing, you had to
drive really slow. We had ‘bump’ signs up all winter," he said. "We had to put cold mix in there."
No one was thrown out of control due to the problem, but the county received a raft of complaints from motorists who use the route, he said. Palonen said County J, accessible off U.S. 41, is a frequently used route by truck traffic serving paper mills in the Heart of the Valley.
U.S. Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood said that a final agreement has been signed for a $33.8-million
Recovery Act-funded project that will upgrade a train crossing and eliminate
delays in the San Bernardino, Calif., area. As a result, work can now begin on
the project, which will elevate two Union Pacific tracks over two BNSF main line
tracks in Colton.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff said that Utah would
receive $37 million in advanced payments for two rail projects funded under its
New Starts grants program.
Due to an unexpected change
in Congressional scheduling, Railroad Day Organizers must reschedule the 2011
Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. The event will now take place Thursday, July 14,
2011.
Caltrain, the 55-mile
commuter railroad serving the San Francisco Peninsula, has an ongoing
commitment to safety. The agency uses a multifaceted approach, addressing
safety issues on three fronts: engineering, education and enforcement.
Engineering improvements
include upgrades to crossings, such as pedestrian gates, and grade separation
projects that separate vehicle and pedestrian crossings from the train tracks.
This year marked the start
of construction on the San Bruno Grade Separation Project. The $147-million
project will elevate the Caltrain tracks above three existing at-grade street
crossings at San Bruno, San Mateo and Angus avenues. A new elevated Caltrain
station will be constructed between San Bruno and San Mateo avenues, replacing
the existing station at Sylvan Avenue. And pedestrian underpasses will be built
at Euclid, San Bruno and Sylvan avenues.
At the Santa Clara station,
a $40-million modernization project will add a new wider, longer
center-boarding platform to the station. A new pedestrian underpass will allow
passengers to move safely from one side of the platform to the other.
A $5.8-million project will
improve safety for motorists and pedestrians at eight crossings in Santa Clara
County. The improvements include signalized pedestrian gates, crossing panels
and, where appropriate, center medians to keep vehicles from driving around lowered
crossing gates.
In September, as part of
Railroad Safety Month, the agency installed the first of 250 suicide prevention
signs with a hotline number to a local crisis intervention agency. The signs
are part of national study to test the effectiveness of signs in preventing
suicides on railroads.
The signs will be posted
along a 10-mile stretch of the right-of-way between Menlo Park and Mountain
View. The hotline number on the new signs is routed directly to the Youth and
Family Services Crisis Intervention Center in San Carlos. The calls will be
tracked to determine if the signs are an effective tool for suicide prevention.
Caltrain is a member of
Operation Lifesaver, an internationally renowned organization promoting rail
safety. First organized 38 years ago, the organization has helped reduce the
number of train/vehicle collisions from a 1972 high of roughly 12,000 annual
incidents to a 2009 record low of approximately 1,900 incidents. This past
year, Caltrain has given Operation Lifesaver presentations to more than 1,300
people. Audiences have included students, community groups, police and fire
officials, elected officials and civic leaders. The presentation can be
targeted to specific audiences and includes videos and handouts.
Caltrain’s Transit Police
represent the enforcement component of Caltrain’s rail safety program. The
Transit Police Bureau, comprised of San Mateo County Sheriff’s officers, is
responsible for policing Caltrain property, including stations, parking lots
and railroad right of way. These highly-skilled law enforcement professionals
are familiar with railroad operations and the conditions at rail grade
crossings. Whenever a vehicle or pedestrian collision occurs along Caltrain’s
rail line, the Transit Police respond.
The Transit Police target
locations where people may engage in unsafe behavior, such as trespassing along
the rail line and walking around lowered gates at stations or grade crossings.
As of October, Transit Police had issued 560 citations.
Transit Police deputies
also receive specialized Crisis Intervention Training. This training helps
deputies recognize people who may be a threat to themselves or others in the
vicinity of Caltrain’s railroad. As a result, the Transit Police referred 17
people to treatment programs this year.
Caltrain is committed to
its role as a safety advocate and will continue to communicate safety messages
with the goal of increasing public awareness and ending tragic collisions,
fatalities and injuries at grade crossings and on the right of way.
Fort Worth & Western
Railroad said that Steven George would retire in the first quarter of 2011 as
president and chief executive officer of the Fort Worth-based 276-mile regional
railroad. Succeeding him will be Thomas Schlosser, former chief executive
officer of Global Rail Systems, Inc., Marlin, Texas, and chairman of the
American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association from 2007 to 2010.
The rough railroad
crossings throughout the town of Fairfield, Maine, are a source of constant
complaints to local officials, the Waterville Morning Sentinel reports. But
because the railroad is privately owned, the town can’t repair the crossings.
The latest solution is to let aggravated drivers know who can fix them.
Koppers Inc., a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Koppers Holdings Inc., said that it has completed a
transaction to acquire the rail joint business product line and related
manufacturing facility of Portec Rail Products, Inc. for a purchase price of
$10.1 million less certain assumed liabilities, subject to certain working
capital and other adjustments. The purchase price was funded with cash on hand.
Illinois
Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig said that a historic public-private
partnership agreement on high-speed rail development is in place to bring
Illinois one giant step closer to achieving high-speed passenger service
between Chicago and St. Louis by 2014.