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.

LA Metrolink launches new mobile Website






Saving time, money and
being more environmentally friendly just got easier now that Metrolink in the
Los Angeles area has implemented a BETA launch of its new, mobile Website. 
Customers can visit Metrolinktrains.com from their web-enabled cellular devices
and they will automatically be directed to the new mobile site. 

Axion International Celebrates “America Recycles Day”






In
an effort to bring attention to the ground-breaking work being done in
recycling, Axion International producer of the recycled, composite plastic
industrial building products, takes the occasion of November 15, "America
Recycles Day," to call upon American consumers and manufacturers to
increase recycling efforts to help build a better, greener and more sustainable
future.

Companies compete to operate New York shortline






First up was a $100-million
company that operates eight railroads in two countries, a firm that brought
four of its top executives to town to try to answer any question posed to them,
the Glens Falls, N.Y., Post-Star reports. Next was a train conductor from
Pennsylvania who has no funding, no equipment and no experience running an
operating railroad.

GO Transit expanding service to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton






GO Transit will be
expanding rail service on the Georgetown line to Toronto-area suburbs Kitchener-Waterloo,
Guelph and Acton, with service scheduled to begin by the end of 2011.

Stella-Jones expects more demand for railway ties as economy picks up






Treated-wood producer
Stella-Jones expects more demand for its railway ties in new tracks and
upgrades as the economy improves, The Canadian Press reports. Sales of railway
ties at Stella-Jones increased 91 per cent in its third quarter to C$84.3
million, chief executive Brian McManus said.

Experts say Columbus & Greenville rail line should reopen






Restoration
of the Columbus and Greenville Railway line in Mississippi could have far-reaching and
long-lasting results, not just for the areas it touches directly but also for
the entire nation, the Commercial Dispatch reports. As freight volumes and fuel
costs increase, shippers will move toward rail and barge, prompting more rail
activity.

Government of Canada, and VIA Rail unveil new Cobourg Station design






Northumberland-Quinte West
Member of Parliament Rick Norlock, Peter Delanty, Mayor of Cobourg, and Yves
Desjardins-Siciliano, General Counsel and Secretary of VIA Rail Canada,
unveiled the design for VIA’s enhanced and expanded Cobourg, Ont., passenger
rail station. 

Representing an estimated investment of C$9 million, the
project will receive C$1 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s
Economic Action Plan. This investment will provide modern, attractive
facilities for passengers, with capacity to meet potential future growth.





Amtrak says it has no plan to work on ARC project in New Jersey






The following statement
was issued by Amtrak to make clear its position on the Access to the Regions’
Core (ARC) tunnel project in New Jersey: "Amtrak is not having formal
discussions with NJ TRANSIT regarding a joint tunnel project and has no plans
to purchase any NJT work related to the ARC project.

GO Transit wraps up Passenger Charter week






Following a week of
events launching GO Transit’s first-ever Passenger Charter, GO riders in the Toronto
area are getting a chance to tell their favorite customer service stories with
the launch of the new Random Acts of GO-ness program.


Southbound CTA Red Line Trains to skip Jarvis, Morse and Loyola 11/13-14






Chicago transit Authority Red
Line trains traveling southbound (to 95th/Dan Ryan) temporarily will be unable
to stop at the Jarvis, Morse and Loyola stations from 11 p.m. Friday, November
12 until 4 a.m. Monday, November 15, due to tie renewal work. Red Line trains
traveling northbound (to Howard) are not affected.


Changing of the guard at Railway Track & Structures






Tom Judge, who has been
Editor of Railway Track & Structures magazine since joining Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation in July
1998, will be retiring effective Dec. 31, 2010. Managing Editor Mischa Wanek-Libman,
who has been with the publication nine years, will become Editor of RT&S.

Harsco secures China Metro orders for rail grinders totaling $11 million






Worldwide industrial
services and engineered products company Harsco Corporation received two new
railway equipment orders in China totaling close to $11 million.

Chicago Transit Board approves 2011 budget






The Chicago Transit Board approved a $1.337-billion budget for 2011 that, through cost-conscious
management, maintains current fares and service levels for riders. The proposed
budget is $66.7 million, or 5.2 percent, more than the 2010 budget due in part
to contractually dictated union wage increases, along with pension and
healthcare obligations. These fixed increases will be partially offset by
management efficiencies that are expected to save nearly $54 million in 2011.

 

Government of Canada, VIA Rail unveil new Brockville Station design






Gord Brown, Member of
Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, David Henderson, Mayor of Brockville, and Yves
Desjardins-Siciliano, General Counsel and Secretary of VIA Rail Canada,
unveiled the design plans for VIA’s new Brockville, Ont., passenger rail
station. Representing an estimated investment of C$4.5 million, the project
will receive C$3 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s Economic
Action Plan. This investment will provide modern, attractive facilities
for passengers, with capacity to meet potential future growth.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, looks at relocating railroad lines






Shopping and industry have
mostly given way to entertainment districts and convention centers, but one
thing remains constant in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, The Gazette reports. Studies
have come and gone, but the June 2008 flood disrupted the most recent effort to
address the situation. After the flood, a grant that would have continued the
study went instead to planning the city’s new convention complex.

Editorial urges Wisconsin governor-elect to back high-speed rail






(The following editorial
appeared in the Badger-Herald) The signing of the Pacific Railway Act by
President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 is lauded as a defining moment in America’s
history. Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the transcontinental
railroad represented the epoch of westward expansion.

Razing Norfolk building for light rail to cost more than $1 million






A divided City Council
approved spending an additional $934,000 in taxpayer money to purchase a small
office building on York Street in Norfolk, Va., that officials say would cause
a safety issue when light rail opens in May, The Virginian-Pilot
 reports. However,
some council members say Hampton Roads Transit, not the city, should be
responsible for purchasing the building. The transportation agency is
constructing the city’s light-rail line.

D.C. Metro plans weekend renovation work on all five Metrorail lines






November 12-14, Washington,
D.C., Metro will upgrade its platforms, rail bridges, install new crossties and
new track to improve long-term reliability and service. As a result of this
crucial work, which is critical to maintain the railroad in a state of good
repair, trains on all lines will be single-tracking and riders should expect
their trips to take up to 30 minutes longer than usual. 



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