Amtrak and the Maryland Transit Administration have invested $1.2 million in a new backup generator system at Baltimore Penn Station to ensure station readiness and reliability, as well as maintain continuity of critical station operations during extended utility outages.
As reported by Railway Age, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced on June 8, 2016 that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the top federal oversight agency for transit agencies, gave the CTA a perfect score on its FTA Triennial Review and found no deficiencies across multiple categories and departments.
In September 2015, XpressWest and China Railway International USA, Co., LTD. (CRI) commenced joint venture activities intended to advance the high-speed rail line planned to link Las Vegas, Nev., and Los Angeles, Calif.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin on June 2, 2016, signed the FY 2017 Transportation Bill, which approves approximately $612.6 million in infrastructure improvements, including $33.4 million for rail. The bill includes an overhaul of the trespassing regulations to improve safety on Vermont’s rail lines.
The Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Board of Directors has approved a contract for renovations of the historic Quincy station, one of CTA’s oldest stations built in 1897.
Applications are now being accepted for Washington state-funded grants and loans for projects that improve freight rail services. Funds will be available in July 2017.
New York state has awarded $16.3 million in grants through the Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program to projects that Gov. Andrew Cuomo said will strengthen infrastructure, as well as support economic development by leveraging an additional $12.8 million in additional public and private investments.
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program has received 585 applications from across the country totaling $9.3 billion in requested funding – over 18 times more than the $500 million that will be awarded.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will celebrate 20 years in service this month. Notable milestones surrounding its 20 years includes more than 360 million passenger trips, 90 miles of rail, $8-billion in economic impact and $5 billion in private transit oriented development at or near rail stations.
Premier Kathleen Wynne visited the site of the future Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station at Highway 7 in York Region on June 6 to mark the completion of track work on the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE).
The province of Ontario is committing more than CA$1 billion (US$779 million) toward the city of Ottawa’s light-rail transit (LRT) expansion project, which the province says will help grow the economy, reduce travel times and connect people to jobs.
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch Double Track project is one step closer to breaking ground after two design-build contracts were awarded for work that will significantly advance the project.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) will begin building the Wilshire/La Brea underground station for the Purple Line Extension Project June 10.
Steve Witter has been promoted to executive director of TriMet‘s Capital Projects and Construction Division.
After a nationwide search, the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) appointed Henry Li as the new general manager and chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2016.
Metra hosted a special Safety Train excursion June 3 to commemorate National Safety Month and highlight the numerous ways that Metra strives to operate the safest possible railroad for its customers, employees, local schoolchildren and the public.
Caltrain‘s Board of Directors has unanimously approved balanced operating and capital budgets for Fiscal Year 2017.
The Sound Transit Board unanimously approved changes to the Sound Transit 3 plan that will speed up Sound Transit 3 light-rail extensions by two to five years and add projects in Renton, Kirkland and North Seattle.
For four consecutive weeknights from June 6, to June 10 and for four weeknights from June 13 to June 17, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit’s (NYCT) FASTRACK program will come the G line in Brooklyn between Bedford-Nostrand Avs and Church Av.