Caltrain’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a $43.6-million capital budget, which will provide funding for bridge repair work in San Mateo, new safety improvements on the rail system and station modifications to allow for longer trains.
Fort Wayne, Ind., Mayor Tom Henry and the mayors of eight other cities plan to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) calling for cooperation in development of a Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus passenger rail corridor.
The Indiana cities include Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Plymouth, Valparaiso and Gary. The Ohio cities represented are Columbus, Marysville, Kenton and Lima.
The MOA calls for the parties “…to systematically and incrementally develop the higher-speed rail intercity system in cooperation with existing freight rail operators and owners of rightâof-way along a corridor from Chicago to Columbus through northern Indiana, hereafter known as the Northern Indiana/Ohio High Speed Rail Initiative.”
Specifically, the MOA resolves that the parties will work together to secure funding for the federally-required Environmental Impact Study (EIS), the next step in developing the passenger rail line. The EIS would examine the preliminary engineering, technical analysis, service planning and environmental impacts along several different routes in order to determine the preferred route for locating the rail lines. Once complete, the EIS would be submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration. This study could begin in late 2014 and would take 18 months to complete.
“This is a big step forward in the effort to bring passenger rail back to our community,” said Mayor Henry. “The Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus corridor will be good for citizens throughout northern Indiana and central Ohio. It will increase transportation alternatives and help boost economic development and tourism.”
A rail corridor feasibility study concluded that approximately 2.1-million riders would use the Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus route in 2020, with that number growing to more than three million in 2040. The study also estimated that for every $1 of investment, $1.70 would be generated in economic return through job growth and increased property values. The study was completed in 2013 by Transportation Economics & Management Systems, Inc. for the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association.
The 300-mile-long passenger rail corridor would operate up to 12 trains daily, each direction, along the route. Express services would link downtown Chicago to Columbus in less than four hours.
Santa Fe, N.M., residents will see a higher level of safety at Rail Runner crossings in their area, following a review of the crossings by Rio Metro Regional Transit District, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission and the city of Santa Fe.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) Warren Avenue grade separation project is now complete and will be open to traffic beginning August 11. This is just one of many projects that will make way for the SCVTA Bay Area Rapid Transportation (BART) Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension.
New York City Transit (NYCT) veteran Frank Jezycki has been named vice president and chief officer for Staten Island Railway, effective immediately.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reached an agreement with Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) to perform design work for a portion of the route for the new passenger rail service between Chicago and Moline. Next month, IDOT is planning to begin making improvements to accommodate service on the BNSF portion of the route.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has been awarded a four-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract from the Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania to provide professional engineering design services for light-rail transit systems.
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) began construction on a new station in Potomac Shores; the station is expected to open in 2017.
Passengers along the Raleigh to Charlotte rail corridor in North Carolina will experience some of the benefits of the Piedmont Improvement Program (PIP) following project milestones met last week.
VIA Rail Canada launched an extensive renovation project July 29, which will transform its station in Brockville, Ontario.
The Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT/MTA) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Purple Line, a light-rail line to be constructed in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Construction crews took to Woodward Avenue in Detroit July 28 to start construction activities on the city’s new 3.3-mile modern streetcar line, M-1 RAIL.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to implement a series of new and enhanced safety initiatives to better ensure the safety of its customers and employees.
The city of San Antonio, Texas and Bexar County have withdrawn support of the proposed $280-million VIA Modern Streetcar Project, instead asking VIA to develop a new transportation proposal that could be taken to area voters.
Denver’s historic Union Station officially reopened to the public on July 26, 2014, after being closed for extensive renovations on December 2, 2012.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority’s (WMATA) rail system grew 10 percent with five new stations and new direct rail service between the Washington D.C. region’s two largest employment centers, all as a result of the opening of the Silver Line’s first phase.
WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles joined federal, state and local officials for the grand opening ceremony July 25 at Wiehle-Reston East Station.
SNC-Lavalin Group appointed Marc Rivard to the role of executive vice president infrastructure engineering, within the company’s Infrastructure Group. SNC-Lavalin’s Infrastructure Group addresses the full life cycle of infrastructure and includes its infrastructure concession investment, engineering, construction and operations and maintenance businesses.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) released a report outlining recommendations for short-term fixes to improve the reliability of the New Haven Line’s Walk Railroad Bridge in Norwalk, Conn.
The Tucson Sun Link streetcar line in Arizona opened to the public on July 25. Service will be supported by six streetcars seven days a week.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board of Directors voted nine to three to approve a $1.6-billion contract with Skanska, Traylor and Shea, a Joint Venture (STS), to construct the 3.9-mile first phase of the Purple Line Extension subway. The first phase, with a total budget of $2.7 billion, is currently forecast to open in 2023.