New Pennsylvania bulk transfer facility opens






It is fitting an
expansion project at the Newberry Rail Yard would be dedicated on Veterans Day,
said Lycoming County, Pa., transportation planner Mark Murawski, according to
the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. The railroads were instrumental in helping the
nation win its wars by transporting men and equipment vital to the war effort.
Today, railroads still are vital to the nation, he said Nov. 11 during a
ceremony marking the opening of a bulk transfer facility at the rail yard.

UP puts New Mexico intermodal facility on hold






Because of the recession,
Union Pacific Railroad officials said plans for its proposed intermodal
facility in Santa Teresa, N.M., are on hold until the economy improves, the El
Paso, Texas, Times reports.

Florida legislators close to SunRail deal






After two embarrassing
defeats, the SunRail commuter train could be on the verge of winning approval
in the Florida state Legislature, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Supporters
are lining up votes and drafting a bill for a special session that could be
held in Tallahassee during the week of Dec. 7.

Red Bank, N.J., train station awaits repair






The battle of the borough
train station continues as historians voiced concerns that the Victorian-style
NJ Transit station will go through the winter with peeling paint and rotting
holes in the wooden walls and window sills, the Asbury Park Press reports. NJ
Transit officials confirmed there are no plans for work on the station until
after next summer when contracts are scheduled to be awarded for repairs and
painting. However, they insist the station is structurally sound.

Jacksonville, Fla., seeks funds for rail, bus hub






It’s a project that could
improve public transportation in Northeast Florida while also helping to bring
back the historic LaVilla section of downtown Jacksonville, the Florida
Times-Union reports. For almost 20 years, the Jacksonville Transportation
Authority and the Florida Department of Transportation have been working on a
plan to create a regional transportation center that would house Amtrak,
Greyhound, bus rapid transit and, possibly, commuter rail — all at the
existing Prime Osborn Convention Center.

Union Pacific, New Mexico agree to land swap for hub






The state of New Mexico and
Union Pacific Railroad agreed on a land swap that will enable Santa Teresa, N.N.,
to become a major commercial and industrial hub, officials said Nov. 10,
according to the El Paso, Texas, Times. Under the agreement, Union Pacific is
trading a large ranch property in exchange for land near the Santa Teresa
industrial park for its intermodal facility.

Amtrak eyes moving Ill. station






A plan is in the works to
eliminate some of the lengthy stoppages on Glenview Road caused by train
traffic at the downtown Glenview, Ill., train station, the Sun-Times reports. If
the General Assembly, Glenview and Metra make good on their funding pieces,
Amtrak officials have agreed to move the stops for the Hiawatha and Empire
Builder routes from the downtown Glenview Metra station to The Glen of North
Glenview station.

Lake Zurich, Ill., CN working on land trade






The Lake Zurich, Ill.,
Village Board gave its preliminary consensus for a property swap with Canadian
National Railway at the board’s meeting last week, which would result in CN
building a 250-foot-tall communication tower in the village’s industrial park
rather than near downtown, according to local newspapers.

Los Angeles MTA backs light rail for Crenshaw corridor






South Los Angeles has won a
significant victory as transportation officials recommended this week that a
proposed transit corridor along Crenshaw Boulevard be a light-rail line rather
than a less expensive dedicated busway, the Times reports.

D.C. Metro and its Board committed to strong safety oversight






Washington, D.C., Metro
Board Chairman Jim Graham and Metro General Manager John Catoe issued the
following joint statement: "The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and
its Board of Directors are committed to working with all safety oversight
agencies that have jurisdiction over Metro and its operations. Regionally, that
oversight comes from the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which was created by
Congress and then implemented through an agreement among the District of
Columbia, State of Maryland and Commonwealth of Virginia. 




MBTA addresses safety concerns






MBTA officials laid out a
four-step plan Nov. 9 to address last week’s critical third-party review of the
system’s safety and finances, The Raynham Call reports. Transportation
officials also reiterated that the agency is not backing away from the proposed
expansion of transit service to the South Coast cities of Fall River and New
Bedford, Mass.

L.A. Metro Blue Line weekend service to be impacted by construction






Los Angeles Metro Blue
Line passengers will experience travel delays of up to 40 minutes between
Washington Station and 7th/Metro Center from Nov. 20 after 9 p.m. until Nov. 22
at the close of service due to construction work to allow the installation of
rail track coming from the Expo Line and merging with the Metro Blue Line.

Hillsboro, Ill., cuts ribbon on rail spur







 

The ribbon is cut and work
is well under way on a project six years in the making.

 Representatives from
the City of Hillsboro, Ill., Union Pacific, Oberkramer Contracting and
Hurst-Rosche Engineers joined Representative Betsy Hannig, Transportation
Secretary Gary Hannig and Senator Deanna Demuzio in cutting the ribbon on the
city’s new railroad spur, located near the old Eagle Zinc site.



 

CTA Loop signal project to reroute L trains November 14-15






As part of Chicago Transit Authority’s
work to replace the signal and train control systems in the Loop, the weekend
beginning November 14 crews will be installing a new signal control facility at
Lake and Wells that will require elevated trains to reroute on Saturday and
Sunday. Brown, Green, Pink and Orange line trains will be temporarily rerouted
from approximately 4 a.m. on Saturday, November 14 until 8 p.m. Sunday,
November 15. Brown and Orange line trains will operate on the Lake and Wabash
elevated tracks only. Green and Pink line trains will operate on the Wells and
Van Buren elevated tracks only.

CN moves on PTC






A $10-billion unfunded
mandate regarding "positive train control" — wherein trains will
need to be outfitted with GPS technology that’ll detect when trains are near
each other — may hamper the railroad industry as a whole, but as far as
Canadian National’s plans for Northwest Indiana go, it’s full steam ahead, the Gary
Post-Tribune reports.

Public asked to comment on Caltrain short-range transit plan






Caltrain is soliciting
public comment on the annual update of its Short-Range Transit Plan (Fiscal
Year 2009 & 2010 – Fiscal Year 2018). The plan includes the 10-year
operating and capital plan and financial projections used to qualify for state
and federal funds.

Texans eye new commuter-rail line






With a catchy new name and
wads of cash, the LSTAR has left the station, the San Antonio Express-News
reports. The Lone Star Rail District said that it’s moving closer to a goal of
connecting San Antonio to Austin and beyond with a commuter rail line.

Riding public transit saves individuals $9,190 annually






Individuals who ride
public transportation can save on average $9,190 annually based on the November
9, 2009 national average gas price and the national unreserved monthly parking
rate. Over the last year, an individual riding public transportation would have
saved an additional $255 due to the 41-cent increase of gasoline per gallon
since November 2008.

Whitefish River cleanup right on schedule






The Whitefish River
clean-up work in Montana is on schedule, but Environmental Protection Agency
officials say it will take several years to finish the project, local media
report. The EPA ordered the railroad to clean about two miles of the Whitefish
River. The diesel and bunker oil fuel contamination appears to come from the BNSF
fueling facility.

New West of Hudson timetables in effect






Following construction
season track improvements, new West of Hudson schedules went into effect on
Sunday, November 8, 2009. On the Port Jervis Line: With the completion of work
on the interlocking at Harriman, travel times have been reduced by one minute
on westbound trips from Harriman to Port Jervis.

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