TriMet selects new Executive Director of Capital Projects






Dan Blocher replaces Neil
McFarlane, who is TriMet’s new general manager, as executive director of capital
projects for TriMet in the Portland, Ore., area. Blocher, 49, will direct and
manage all aspects of planning, development, design and construction of TriMet’s
capital projects, including the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project now in
the design phase. He has been with TriMet for 13 years over two periods of
employment.

D.C. Metro Blue, Green lines undergoing weekend renovation






July 23-25, Metro in the
Washington, D.C., area will make upgrades to its track on the Blue and Green
lines to improve reliability and service. As a result of this crucial work
aimed at keeping the railroad in a state of good repair, riders can expect
delays of up to 30 minutes. 



CSXT agrees to pay $11.2 million to clean up Desoto County, Fla., site






Jacksonville-based CSX
Transportation reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to pay $11.2 million to clean up a former wood treatment plant site in
Desoto County in Southwest Florida, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Upgraded rail crossings approved in Ohio








The Public Utilities
Commission of Ohio has approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail
Development Commission directing Wheeling & Lake Erie, Norfolk Southern,
CSX Transportation and Indiana & Ohio Railway to install flashing lights
and roadway gates at six grade crossings in Auglaize, Champaign, Fayette,
Logan, Ross and Wayne counties, the Urbana Daily Citizen reports.

RailWorks names Bob Rolf to succeed Jack Wilt






RailWorks Track Systems,
Inc., appointed Robert Rolf vice president and general manager of the South
Track division with responsibility for all operations of RailWorks Track
Systems – Texas, Inc. He succeeds Jack Wilt, who is retiring as vice president
and general manager of this division.

Senators Lautenberg, Murray and Cantwell introduce legislation for new freight program






Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), with co-sponsors
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), introduced
the Focusing Resources, Economic Investment and Guidance to Help Transportation
Act of 2010 (FREIGHT Act), a landmark bill, leading the charge to transform
America’s transportation policy and investment by focusing on the freight
network that enables goods and commodities to move about and reach their
markets. The FREIGHT Act provides a visionary, comprehensive, systemic approach
to infrastructure investment that addresses the nation’s commerce needs while
providing a solid foundation that will also help our nation meet its energy,
environmental and safety goals. The bill also calls for the creation of a new
National Freight Infrastructure Grants initiative – a competitive, merit-based
program with broad eligibility for multimodal freight investment designed to
focus funds where they will provide the most public benefit.

LTK Engineering names Furmaniak vice-president, business development






LTK Engineering Services appointed
Thomas B. Furmaniak, P.E., vice-president, business development. Furmaniak
worked for LTK during the 1970s, after which he held senior management
positions with New York City Transit and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority, and served as Chief Systemwide Engineer for the Athens Metro in
Greece.


FTA study: $77.7 billion needed for rail, bus transit systems






 A Federal Transit
Administration study estimates the cost of bringing the nation’s rail and bus
transit systems into a state of good repair at $77.7 billion. In addition, a
yearly average of $14.4 billion would be required to maintain the systems.

CN renews support for University of Illinois Railroad Engineering Program






The University of Illinois said
from Canadian National Railway Company made a new $325,000 donation to the
university’s Railroad Engineering Program, a gift that renews the company’s
generous commitment to railroad engineering education.

Dulles Metrorail construction update






Dulles Corridor Metrorail
construction is visible all along the 11.7-mile alignment of Phase 1 of the
23-mile extension of Metro’s existing Orange Line. By early fall, construction
of all five stations between East Falls Church and Reston will be under way.
Crews are building aerial bridges to carry tracks across the westbound lanes of
I-66 near the Dulles Connector Road (Route 267) where the rail extension will
tie into the Orange Line. There is ongoing bridge construction at Pimmit Run and
Magarity Road. Pile driving activities will continue through September all
along the Connector Road as tracks are built at grade level in most areas.

Pennsylvania governor seeks to save transit systems






With the Port Authority of
Allegheny County warning of deep service cuts ahead, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed
Rendell on July 21 threatened to use federal highway money to bail out mass
transit systems if lawmakers won’t approve higher taxes and fees, the
Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports.

Expert says Hampton Roads-to-DC rail would run at $1 billion surplus






A railroad consultant
predicts that high-speed trains between Hampton Roads, Va., and Washington, D.C.,
would not only be popular, but also highly profitable – operating at surpluses
of up to $1 billion a year, The Virginian-Pilot reports.

Worcester endorses zoning change as neighbors resist CSXT expansion






CSX Transportation’s plan
to expand its freight yard between Shrewsbury and Franklin streets in Worcester,
Mass., gained more momentum after the Planning Board last night endorsed a zone
change and to street layouts essential to the expansion project modifications, the
Telegram & Gazette reports. By a 4-0 vote, the board recommended changing
the zoning of roughly three acres along the CSXT railroad tracks to
manufacturing-general.

LA Metro Blue Line Florence Station to close for maintenance






Beginning at 8:00 p.m. on
Friday, July 23, through Sunday, July 25, the Los Angeles Metro Blue Line
Florence Station will be closed due to systems maintenance and track replacement
at the Florence Avenue crossing. Metro customers will experience up to 20
minutes delays between the Florence and Firestone stations.

Possible weekend delays on BART Pittsburg Bay Point line through September






For the next several weeks
BART will run northbound Pittsburg/Bay Point line trains on a single track due
to ongoing weekend track work for the Central Contra Costa Crossover Project. Single-tracking
will take place on weekends only and the agency expects to complete this work in late
September. Single-tracking may result in delays of up to 15 minutes on weekend
trains going toward the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station.


KCS estimates reopening of KCSM Nuevo Laredo Gateway






Kansas City Southern said
that its Mexican subsidiary, Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. estimates
that, if there are no new complications, its Nuevo Laredo gateway will be
reopened for service sometime the weekend of July24-25 with the Anahuac Bridge
repairs under way and expected to be in service by then. With the anticipated
restoration of service, all current service embargoes imposed on July 3 are
expected to be lifted early the week of July 25.

Pandrol USA awarded contract by Stella-Jones for MBTA Old Colony Line






Pandrol USA has been awarded the contract
to supply captive fastenings for the concrete tie to wood tie change out on the
MBTA’s Old Colony Line in the Boston area. 


NS ready to break ground on Memphis terminal






Norfolk Southern is about
to clear the final hurdle needed to begin work on its Rossville intermodal
terminal, where cargo containers will be transferred between trucks and trains,
The Memphis Daily News reports. The Norfolk, Va.-based railroad, which is
preparing to formally break ground on the massive $112-million project, will
unveil the federally mandated environmental assessment that was recently
approved in preparation for the facility.

Moline, Ill., to buy property for Amtrak terminal






Moline, Ill., is one step
closer to being a hub in the return of passenger rail service to the
Quad-Cities, the Quad-City Times reports. In a unanimous vote July 20, the city
council approved spending $993,000 to purchase property near existing railroad
tracks for conversion to an Amtrak terminal. The property is at 1201 4th Ave.,
the site of the O’Rourke Building, and an adjacent vacant parcel at 323 13th
St. The property is owned by High Rent LLC.

State makes offer for Maine rail line






The state has offered $18
million to purchase the 233 miles of rail line that Montreal Maine &
Atlantic Railway is seeking to abandon in Aroostook and Penobscot counties, the
Maine Public broadcasting Network reports.

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