The first of two tunnel boring machines (TBM) that will dig Sound Transit’s new twin light-rail tunnels from the Northgate neighborhood in Seattle to the University of Washington (UW) began mining July 9.
The New Jersey Transit Board of Directors approved a $2.019-billion operating budget that holds fares stable for the fifth consecutive fiscal year and a $1.203-billion capital program that supports continued investments in infrastructure and equipment to maintain the system in a state of good repair for Fiscal Year 2015.
Local Florida officials joined All Aboard Florida executives at the revealing of designs for the passenger service’s new Fort Lauderdale station, which was planned and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in association with Zyscovich Architects.
Minneapolis and the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) have reached a tentative agreement regarding the plan to build the Southwest Light Rail Project from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, Minn.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) recommended awarding a $1.636-billion contract to design and build a 3.9-mile extension of the Purple Line subway from Wilshire and Western to Wilshire and La Cienega to a joint venture composed of three construction companies.
The town of Cary, N.C., North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and CSX are teaming up to give a major intersection in Cary a facelift.
GO Transit’s West Toronto Diamond (WTD) continues its progress and marked a milestone in May when the east tunnel opened to rail traffic.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has signed a contract with a joint venture for the construction of the Regional Connector, as well as awarded a design contract for a Metrolink double track project.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on July 2 issued a Notice of Recommended Award to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Chantilly, Va., to design and build the rail yard and maintenance facility for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
VIA Rail Canada celebrated the 110th anniversary of its Ocean service July 2, which serves 26 communities between Montréal and Halifax.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has passed a Fiscal Year 15 operating and capital budget totaling $1.56 billion that it says prioritizes safety, passenger needs, system reinvestment and on-time performance took effect July 1, 2014.
Two years ago, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) was granted the authority to oversee the safety of all of America’s individual public transportation systems, writes Theresa McMillan, FTA deputy administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fast Lane blog.
Keolis Commuter Services officially began operating the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) 14 passenger rail lines on July 1, 2014, with a pledge to increase on-time performance and improve safety, cleanliness and customer service.
It is no secret that rail infrastructure is expensive to maintain and, for North American transit agencies, many of which are working with strained budgets, every dollar spent on a maintenance program must stretch as far as it can go.
Column work has begun for the section of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s (HART) elevated rail line that will cross over the H-1/H-2 Freeway merge between Waipahu and Pearl City.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 114-mile Fresno to Bakersfield Section of the California high-speed train system. The ROD is the last step in the National Environmental Policy Act process and clears the way to break ground on the project.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $510 million to 83 transportation projects, including upwards of $113 million for rail-related projects.
Union Pacific (UP) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are making a significant investment in Chicago’s Metra West Line. Each will invest $45 million for the construction of a new third mainline track on the line from River Forest to Melrose Park and then from West Chicago to Geneva.
“Today, we are investing in jobs that will help solidify Illinois’ status as the premier rail center of the nation,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said. “This final piece of the West Line improvement program will enhance commuter and freight travel on one of our state’s busiest rail lines. Building world-class infrastructure is vital to a healthy economy and today’s investment will help get us there.”
The West Line improvements are designed to ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce conflicts between the passenger and freight trains that share the line. Earlier projects completed by Metra and UP modernized the signal system and added crossovers to make freight movement more efficient. A third phase on the West Line, improving the Lombard and Wheaton Metra stations, will be finished in 2015. The West Line third track construction is the final step that will allow the 59 Metra trains and 70 freight trains that use the line each day to operate at the same time, a critical step to improving the line’s reliability and efficiency.
The announcement was made during a celebration to mark the completion of a Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) rail project that included the construction of a rail overpass, the rehabilitation of two passenger stations and the addition of pedestrian tunnels in Bellwood and Berkeley and signal and track improvements along the UP/Metra West Line. The project created and supported 1,000 jobs and was funded primarily through a $52-million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, a $27 million commitment from UP and other freight railroad partners, other federal funding of $3 million and a $615,000 investment by the state of Illinois.
“Our nation’s system of bridges, rail and roads is the strength of the nation, tying us together and giving us access to the world,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). “Chicago remains the busiest rail hub in the United States, with more than 1,000 trains passing through the region every day. Protecting and investing in our nation’s infrastructure and specifically in Illinois’ transportation network, is one of my top priorities.”
“This is a new day for Metra, one in which we want to ensure that every project we execute puts commuters first,” Metra Chairman Martin Oberman said. “We are confident the West Line improvements will greatly improve the commuter experience.”
A study released by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) shows cost estimates for a proposed passenger line between Mooresville and Charlotte, N.C., rose significantly due to new infrastructure needs rather than using existing infrastructure.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) officially opened the Wareham Village Station on the CapeFLYER line. Service to the Wareham Village Station began June 27 at the new stop, located off of Main Street in Wareham.