FTA grants Maryland Purple Line environmental approval

The Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) Purple Line light-rail project received Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation.

CTA begins Blue Line overhaul this weekend

The Chicago Transit Authority’s Your New Blue track and station improvement program for the Blue Line O’Hare branch will begin this weekend, with track closures between Western and Logan Square.

RTD FasTracks breaks ground on North Metro Rail Line

Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks broke ground March 20 on the North Metro Rail Line, a new passenger rail service that will improve transit options for Denver’s northern communities when it opens in 2018.

MTA moves forward with cameras on trains

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is moving forward with the installation of video cameras on trains.

NJ mayors band together for light rail extension

Englewood, N.J., Mayor Frank Huttle III, along with 11 other mayors in the state have formed a mayors’ commission to spearhead a plan to extend the northern portion of New Jersey Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line through Bergen County.

Study puts price of New Orleans to Baton Rouge passenger train at $262 million

A study by HNTB Corp. indicates that a passenger train linking New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., on existing freight tracks, with stops in between, could begin two daily trips, ultimately growing to regular service with a possible station near the New Orleans International Airport.

Caltrain to begin serving new San Bruno Station on April 1

Caltrain will begin service for passengers at its newly grade-separated San Bruno Station April 1.

Amtrak says FY2015 budget request protects NEC infrastructure

In its FY 2015 budget request to Congress, Amtrak is seeking a change in federal investment and says that continuation of current funding levels will leave the Northeast Corridor (NEC) infrastructure “vulnerable to a bigger, costlier and far more damaging failure than anything yet seen.”

Unique equipment used to install catenary on Denver’s Eagle P3 project

Denver Transit Partners (DTP) is using a unique wire stringing train to assist in the installation of overhead power lines on Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) FasTrack’s Eagle P3 project.

Schumer wants feds to look at LIRR safety

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) urged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to begin a formal examination of Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) overall safety regime.

Giulietti: Safety must come first at Metro-North

On March 14, 2014, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad President Joseph Giulietti responded to findings of a report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) looking into Metro-North’s safety record and said the report is troubling and raises real concerns.

RTD to break ground March 20 on North Metro Rail Line

Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) will break ground March 20 on the North Metro Rail Line, a new passenger rail service that will improve transit options for Denver’s northern region and connect riders to existing transit services.

FRA releases findings from Operation Deep Dive

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released its findings and recommendations from a 60-day safety assessment of Metro-North Railroad. The assessment, known as Operation Deep Dive, found that Metro-North’s management “emphasizes on-time performance to the detriment of safe operations and adequate maintenance of its infrastructure, resulting in a deficient safety culture, increased risk and reduced safety on the Metro-North system.”

X Train elects chairman of the board

The Las Vegas Railway Express, Inc. (X Train), Board of Directors elected Michael Barron as chairman of the board, succeeding John McPherson, who is moving to become the chairman of the Compensation Committee.

APTA asks Congress to authorize $100-billion federal transit program

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released its recommendations for authorization of the transportation bill that is set to expire at the end of September 2014.

Lack of funds kills Oregon’s Columbia River Crossing project

Oregon’s Columbia River Crossing project will shut down completely by May 31, 2014, after the Oregon Legislature adjourned without reinstating construction funds for the CRC I-5 Bridge Replacement project March 7, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Construction begins on Evergreen Line tunnel

Construction has started on the Evergreen Line tunnel in Vancouver, BC, Canada, with the use of tunnel boring machine named “Alice,” after Alice Wilson, Canada’s first female geologist.

Amtrak outlines 2014 infrastructure schedule

Amtrak plans to move forward on key improvement projects in 2014, including continued installation of positive train control (PTC), the start of major construction to upgrade Northeast Corridor high-speed rail and expansion of station accessibility for passengers with disabilities.

MBTA opens Yawkey Station

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority opened its new Yawkey Station and marked the start of enhanced passenger rail service on the Framingham/Worcester Line.

Maryland Transit Administration to close three LRT stations for crossing improvement project

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is launching a track crossing improvement project at Union Avenue and Clipper Mill Road March 14 that will temporarily close three light-rail stations at Mt. Washington, W. Cold Spring and Woodberry.

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