San Bruno, Calif., Grade Separation Project kick-off celebration






Rosanne Foust, Chair, San
Mateo County Transportation Authority; Omar Ahmad, Caltrain Board; Jim Ruane,
Mayor, City of San Bruno; and Ken Ibarra, Councilman, City of San Bruno are
among the officials scheduled to attend a Nov. 18 celebration to kick-off the
construction of the San Bruno, Calif., Grade Separation Project. The project
will elevate the Caltrain tracks above San Bruno, San Mateo and Angus avenues,
replace the existing station at Sylvan Avenue; create three new pedestrian
underpasses; and add 201 parking spaces and a "kiss and ride" lot at the
station.

Chicago’s Metra testing air quality in train cars, downtown terminals






On November 16, Metra in
northeastern Illinois began testing the air quality onboard some passenger cars
and at downtown terminals. Recent questions were
raised about the level of diesel emissions on downtown platforms and trains.
While Metra trains are in full compliance with all Environmental Protection
Agency standards, additional testing conducted on a system-wide basis will
provide a more detailed picture of total air quality.


Murphy to lead Urban Engineers’ Connecticut office






William Murphy, P.E., has
been hired by Urban Engineers and named manager of the firm’s New England Regional
Office in Hartford, Conn. Murphy, who has 30 years of experience, is a
registered professional engineer in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York,
Pennsylvania and Florida. He holds a master’s degree in business administration
from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree in civil engineering from
Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from
Manhattan College.

$8.6-million Levelland industrial rail park gets engines on track






Levelland, Texas, city and economic
development officials got engines on track for an $8.6-million industrial rail
park in the 12,866-population town just 30 miles west of Lubbock, Texas.


$35-million Recovery Act grant to renovate St. Paul, Minn., Union Depot






Renovations to Minnesota’s
historic Union Depot in Saint Paul can now begin thanks to a signed agreement
between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Ramsey County Regional
Railroad Authority for $35 million, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.

TriMet in Portland, Ore., begins testing at its 85th MAX station






TriMet’s MAX Blue Line
trains have begun two weeks of testing at the new Civic Drive Station in
Gresham, Ore. The trains will briefly stop at the station, simulating revenue
service, but no passengers will be able to board or exit the train. 

Rail duopoly needs watchdog: shippers






Canada’s two largest
railways need to be monitored by a federal watchdog to keep their duopoly
powers in check, says a former rail executive who is leading the charge for
disgruntled shippers, the Toronto Globe and Mail reports.

Village of Mundelein, Ill., seeks to become train horn quiet zone






The
village of Mundelein, Ill., would like to reduce the noise of train horns, the
Chicago Tribune reports. Board members recently hired Lisle, Ill.-based Patrick
Engineering Inc., who will develop  a plan that will look into the
establishment of what’s known as a Federal Railroad Administration  train
horn quiet zone.

Massachusetts’s officials break ground on MBTA Yawkey Station






As part of the
Patrick-Murray Administration’s historic Massachusetts Works program to promote
job growth and long-term economic recovery, Massachusetts Governor Deval
Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray joined Boston Mayor Thomas
Menino Nov. 15 to break ground on the $13.5-million Yawkey Commuter Rail
Station reconstruction project, a key public transportation component of the
$450-million Fenway Center development.

Hampton Roads, Va., transit plan envisions a mix of ferries, rail, buses






A tunnel dedicated
exclusively to light rail and a network of fast ferries are recommended to link
South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula in a draft plan for expanding public
transit in Hampton Roads, the Virginian-Pilot
 reports. Other ideas include
streetcars, bus rapid transit and commuter rail.

Bidding on MARC contract canceled






Maryland has canceled the
bidding on a contract to take over the operations of the MARC Camden and Brunswick
lines from CSX Transportation, saying its bid solicitation had failed to
generate sufficient competition for the work, The Baltimore Sun reports.

L.B. Foster extends tender offer for Portec Rail Products, Inc.






L.B. Foster Company is
extending its previously announced cash tender offer, through its wholly-owned
subsidiary Foster Thomas Company, for all outstanding shares of common stock of
Portec Rail Products, Inc., until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December
15, 2010. The tender offer was previously set to expire at midnight, New York
City Time on November 15, 2010.


Caltrain construction, maintenance update Nov. 13-19






As part of the Santa Clara,
Calif., Station improvement project, work will continue on the new pedestrian
underpass. The underpass will connect the north- and southbound platforms,
allowing two trains to pass through the station at the same time and improving
safety for pedestrians in the station.

Solar project gets green light despite BNSF safety objections






Mohave County, Ariz.,
Supervisors unanimously approved general plan amendments that allow a large-scale
proposed 1200MW solar project to go head despite opposition from railroad
officials, Havasu News reports. The vote came down after BNSF officials pleaded
with supervisors for a continuance citing safety concerns surrounding Needle Mountain
Power’s Sterling Solar Generating Facility, slotted to set up shop northwest of
the Interstate 40 and State Route 95 interchange.

 

SEPTA takes part In National Escalator And Elevator Safety Awareness Week






Philadelphia’s SEPTA
officials are talking safety with riders as part of National Escalator and
Elevator Safety Awareness Week. The goal is to make travel safer by reminding
customers to take some simple yet effective steps to stay out of harm’s way.
For example, when using elevators, always use handrails, stand in the middle
facing forward and keep loose clothing away from edges. On elevators, don’t
force doors open or closed – and if you get stuck, push the "help"
button and wait for assistance.

Hulcher Services adds division in Montreal






Hulcher Services Inc. has opened a new full-service division
in Montreal, Quebec. The new division is staffed and equipped to provide
a broad range of services for railroads and general industry. Service offerings
include railroad services, engineering work, transfer and load adjustments,
industrial services, snow removal, flood control and emergency/disaster
response.


LIRR completes major clean-up of track area In Jamaica, N.Y.






Nearly 200 cubic yards of
trash and more than 400 old rail ties have been removed from the track area in
and around Jamaica Station, completing one of the largest clean-up projects in
the history of MTA Long Island Rail Road. The work was carried out by LIRR
track maintenance workers over two weekends in October and November while a
state-of-the-art switch and signal control system was being installed at
Jamaica, a critical hub for the railroad.

CN Aurora, Ill, overpass cost in the hands of the courts






It’s been nearly two
years of legal battles over Canadian National Railway Company’s purchase of the
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern rail line, and it all comes down to this, the Aurora
Beacon-News reports. Sometime in the next four months, the U.S. Court of
Appeals is expected to rule on whether Canadian National will have to pay more
to separate grade crossings in Aurora and Lynwood, and whether the federal
Surface Transportation Board conducted a thorough study of the impacts of the
$300-million sale before approving it in 2008.

Cost of NSU’s light-rail demands pegged at $10 million






Changes to the light-rail
line pushed by Norfolk State University officials and agreed to by city leaders
will cost city taxpayers $10 million, The Virginian-Pilot reports. These costs
are not new. They are included in the $338-million light-rail price tag, but
after three years of negotiations, NSU, HRT and the city are nearing an
agreement for the changes. They include moving a
passenger station farther from campus and redesigning the storage and
maintenance building.

UP North ridership fell 10 percent, Chicago’s Metra says






Ridership on Metra’s Union
Pacific North line dropped in September, reflecting widespread displeasure with
schedule changes, which the commuter line was forced to rescind, the Chicago
Tribune reports. The number of monthly passenger trips fell 10 percent to
820,462 compared with September 2009, according to recent figures.

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