D.C Metro schedules Columbus Day weekend work






Washington, D.C., Metro
will close two Blue and Orange Line stations and there will be no Blue or
Orange Line service at the Metro Center Metrorail station during the three-day
Columbus Day Holiday Weekend from 10 p.m., Friday, Oct. 8, to closing on
Monday, Oct. 11, as the agency undertakes a major rehabilitation and rebuilding
project to improve safety, to comply with a recommendation made by the National
Transportation Safety Board and maintain service reliability and a state of
good repair.

Kicking the tires on the Huron Central deal






What do you get for 30
million bucks? To start, Huron Central Railway has "probably" agreed
to operate its line between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury until the end of its
lease with CP Rail in 2017, "possibly" longer, said Tony Martin, the
Sault’s MP, Sault This Week reports.

Governor plans $42 million for New York rail, port improvements






February 14, 2001

New
York Governor David A. Paterson announced approval of more than $42 million in
funding for 34 rail and port capital improvement projects in New York State.
Grants from the Renew and Rebuild New York Transportation Bond Act of 2005 and
the Governor’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program will fund these
infrastructure investments and security improvements, bringing with them
economic development and job creation and retention opportunities across the
State.

Amtrak envisions 220 mph service in Northeast Corridor






February 14, 2001

A Next-Generation
High-Speed Rail service could be successfully developed in the Northeast with
trains operating up to 220 mph on a new two-track corridor resulting in a trip
time of about three hours between Washington and Boston, cutting in half or
better the current schedules, according to a concept plan released by Amtrak.

Politicians argue over NJ/NY rail tunnel






February 14, 2001

When it comes to the
planned multibillion-dollar commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River, New
Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn’t doing much to build bridges, U.S. Sen. Frank
Lautenberg says, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The longtime Democratic
senator said the Republican governor has refused to let NJ Transit engineers
and professional staff meet with federal transportation officials to break a
30-day construction delay that threatens to scuttle America’s largest public
works project.

Long, steep hill for Norfolk, Va., light rail






February 14, 2001

(The following commentary
appeared in The Virginian-Pilot
 September 26, 2010.) The Tide’s financial mismanagement
will cost Norfolk’s citizens millions of dollars more than originally planned. That’s
hardly news.

Michigan Tech seeks railroader input for survey






February 14, 2001

Michigan Tech is working on
what it believes is a first-ever collaborative study between the U.S. and the European
Union to improve railway education.

Suffolk, Va., officials examine possibility of a passenger rail stop






February 14, 2001

Suffolk,
Va., City Council members viewed a proposal to create a combined Amtrak and
Hampton Roads Transit station in downtown Suffolk, near the Saratoga
neighborhood, the Suffolk News Herald reports. City leaders pinpointed the
former site of the Golden Peanut Company, in between Saratoga and Wellons
streets, as a suitable location for a train and bus transportation hub. The
site still includes the company’s abandoned buildings, which feature broken
windows, graffiti and at least one tree growing on the roof.

 

Montreal’s STM becomes a Full Signatory of UITP’S Sustainable Development Charter






Michel Labrecque, chairman
of Montreal’s STM Board of directors, said the agency signed the Sustainable
Development Charter of Union internationale des transports publics (UITP) in
Brussels.

West Lake Street in Ft. Collins, Colo., closed for repairs






West Lake Street in Ft.
Collins, Colo., will be closed to all traffic at the BNSF railroad tracks west
of College Avenue for track repairs and improvements, the Coloradoan reports. The
work is scheduled to begin Sept. 28 and continue through Oct. 5, weather
permitting. A detour route will be provided to direct through traffic to use
College Avenue and Centre Avenue.

CTA Red Line sets sights on South Side extension






Even in a time of
belt-tightening and dreams deferred, a long-sought CTA project is in the works,
offering the promise of improved transportation and economic rebirth for poorly
served Chicago communities, according to a story by Jon Hilkevitch in the Chicago
Tribune.

Illinois DOT commissions environmental study of high-speed rail line






The Illinois Department of
Transportation has selected Hanson Professional Services of Springfield to
evaluate environmental consequences of building a new rail line between St.
Louis and Chicago for high-speed passenger trains, the State Journal-Register
reports. Hanson will work with the Parsons Transportation Group, a branch of
the construction and engineering firm of Parsons Corp., headquartered in
Pasadena, Calif.

Sound Transit plans hearing on North Corridor High Capacity Transit Project






As part of the Sound
Transit 2 plan approved by Metropolitan Seattle voters in 2008, the agency is
starting the formal planning process for mass transit between Northgate and
Lynnwood with early scoping. Sound Transit wants to hear from residents because
public input received during this early scoping process will help us identify
the best way to serve a given community.

New Kansas rail plan moves down track






Kansas and Oklahoma
officials already are at work on a development plan for rail passenger service
between the Kansas City area and Oklahoma City, with a stop in Topeka, even
though they haven’t actually seen Washington’s money yet, the Topeka Capital
Journal reports. The Federal Railroad Administration recently announced the
approval of a $250,000 grant to the Kansas Department of Transportation to do
the planning.

Burlington, N.C., Amtrak station gets money for improvements






Work to improve the train
station in Burlington, N.C., should begin this fall or winter, with about
$685,000 worth of improvements being added there, the Times-News reports. The
station, an Amtrak hub on the Raleigh-to-Charlotte line, will get a new backup
electric generator, video security system and passenger information display
system. The size of the boarding platform will be doubled in length, allowing
the train to stop only once to board and unload passengers.

DM&E sees little damage from flood






Recent flooding caused
little damage locally on the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad, the
Post-Bulletin in Rochester, Minn., reports. Mike LoVecchio, spokesman for
Canadian Pacific Railway, which owns DM&E, said no damage occurred on the
east-west line, which passes through Rochester, but that a small washout
suspended traffic on the north-south line near Owatonna. The line was expected
to be restored to service shortly, LoVecchio said.

LA Metro Blue Line to close for two weekends due to construction work






Los Angeles Metro Blue
Line passengers will experience travel delays of up to 40 minutes for two
weekends beginning September 24, due to construction of the Expo light rail
line, which will connect with the Metro Blue Line in downtown Los Angeles.

Caltrain construction, maintenance update Sept. 24 -30






Work will be done on the
new pedestrian underpass at the Santa Clara, Calif., station. 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.

BART sets grand opening on Contra Costa Transit Village






On October 1-2, Sunne Lane
and Harvey Drive near the Pleasant Hill, Calif., BART Station will be closed to
traffic. This closure is to allow for the set-up and ceremonies for the grand
opening of the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village and the Robert I. Schroder
Overcrossing that will be held in the Town Square on October 2.

Demand for TIGER II funding overwhelms supply






Nearly 1,000 construction
grant applications for more than $19 billion from all 50 states, U.S.
territories and the District of Columbia far exceeded the $600 million in
TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II dollars the
U.S. Department of Transportation can award for infrastructure projects ranging
from highways and bridges to transit and ports, Secretary Ray LaHood said
following the August deadline for submissions.

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