Caltrain extends contract for rail service provider TASI

At its monthly meeting [yesterday], the Caltrain Board of Directors approved a contract extension to the Caltrain Operating Agreement with TransitAmerica Services, Inc. (TASI) to continue providing commuter rail service for the

ABB will power up Toronto’s new Hurontario line

ABB has been awarded a contract by Hitachi Rail to provide traction power equipment for the Hurontario Light Rail Transit (HuLRT) project in Toronto, Canada. Among its roles, Hitachi leads the Systems

FTA announces $173 million grant agreement for double track northwest Indiana project

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) [yesterday] announced a $173 million federal grant agreement with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) for the Double Track Northwest Indiana Project,

‘Deeply troubled’ Transportation Secretary Chao resigns following D.C. violence

Calling the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 “traumatic and entirely avoidable,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced she is resigning effective Monday. On her Twitter page, Chao said it was

Charlotte, N.C., committee advances transportation plan, but not without concerns

The city of Charlotte is getting closer to passing a massive transportation plan. A committee voted on Jan. 6 to move forward with an $8-12 billion investment, but some said they wanted

A Dem-controlled Senate boosts hope that major infrastructure bill will pass in 2021

The sudden flip in the Senate could have transit officials doing spinning cartwheels by the end of 2021. Both Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, the Democrats who claimed Senate seats after winning

MBTA

MassDOT moves forward with plans for new east-west passenger line

Ridership might be down because of the pandemic, but new transit projects continue to be up across the U.S. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is deciding on where it will put

Controversial Amtrak plan becomes more, well, controversial

In response to a plan that was openly criticized a few years ago, Amtrak is responding with a heavy closing statement. The passenger rail service re-issued a plan for fences and gates

Multibillion-dollar transportation program will create America’s most connected urban center in National Landing

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) released a new report, Mobility Next, detailing the multibillion-dollar, public-private investment program that is transforming National Landing into the most well-connected downtown in the country.

MBTA

New renewable energy contracts in effect at MBTA

Taking effect this week, two new 100% renewable energy contracts with BP Energy Company and Direct Energy LLC will reduce the MBTA’s carbon footprint and save the T over $3 million per

Kenyatta Mitchell joins HNTB as Associate Vice President, Government Relations, in Atlanta

HNTB Corporation named Kenyatta Mitchell, an industry veteran with nearly 20 years of leadership in government affairs, as associate vice president, government relations, in the company’s Atlanta office. She will play a

Sound Transit north commuter rail service halted by mudslide

Sound Transit, the transit agency for the Seattle, Wash. metropolitan area, offers bus, commuter rail and light rail service. The commuter rail service essentially runs from Tacoma, through Seattle and north to

BART will temporarily stop accepting new cars

BART will temporarily stop accepting delivery of new Fleet of the Future (FOTF) rail cars beginning January 8, 2021 to allow the manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation, the time to take steps to improve

railroad track

Federal Railroad Administration announces landmark achievement with full implementation of Positive Train Control

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced today that positive train control (PTC) technology is in operation on all 57,536 required freight and passenger railroad route miles, prior to

Top web stories 2020—Viral photo of COVID-19 rail freight tanker is No. 1

According to Google Analytics, There were a whopping 1.4 million pageviews on the RT&S website in 2020, and in a year that was bombarded by COVID-19 stories it is not surprising that

FRA releases NPRM on PTC systems and reporting

With the Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation deadline of December 31, 2020 just three days away, last week the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” or NPRM to

Rail Group On Air: Commuter Rail Coalition on access, capacity and public convenience and necessity

Jim Derwinski, Commuter Rail Coalition Chair and CEO/Executive Director, Metra; John Cline, CRC Government Affairs Director and Principal, Cline Strategic Consulting; Chuck Spitulnik, CRC Counsel and Partner, Kaplan Kirsch Rockwell; and KellyAnne Gallagher, CRC Executive Director,

Completion of Franklin Park CREATE B1 project will reduce delays to Metra and freight trains

Metra and Canadian Pacific, along with the CREATE partners, are pleased to announce the completion of the Canadian Pacific Crossover Upgrades project (B1). This project eliminates commuter and freight train delays by

Congress agrees on $908 billion relief bill, $45 billion of which is for transportation

After weeks of anticipation and frustration, Congress has finally reached agreement on a stimulus, or relief, bill for $908 billion according to the Washington Post. The bill includes a total of $45

November defeat still does not kill TriMet project

Despite a defeat at the ballot box, Portland officials are still saying yes to a proposed Southwest Corridor MAX line. Voters rejected Metro’s $5.2 billion regional funding measure in November, but Metro

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