Eglinton Crosstown RFP issued to two pre-qualified consortia

Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario issued a request for proposals for Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown light-rail project to the consortia pre-qualified to deliver the balance of the Crosstown project, an integrated system consisting of stations, trackwork, signaling, communications and other required infrastructure.

BART and unions resolve remaining labor contract issue

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) General Manager Grace Crunican says all contract issues have been settled between BART and its two largest labor Unions. She will recommend the ratification of a final collective bargaining agreement with SEIU Local 1021 and ATU Local 1555 to the BART Board of Directors as soon as possible.

Sound Transit board approves $1.1 billion 2014 budget

The Sound Transit Board approved a $1.1-billion 2014 budget that continues major light-rail expansions, carries more than 31 million riders next year and continues work to update the regional transit Long-Range Plan. The overall budget is relatively unchanged from 2013.

SEPTA unveils new capital improvement plan

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) presented a new capital improvement plan for addressing some of the transit system’s most pressing needs, including critical infrastructure upgrades and equipment replacement.

Newly elected BART board president seeks changes to future labor negotiations

Newly elected Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board President Joel Keller will seek changes to the agency’s labor negotiations process during his term as board leader. Director Keller was elected board president on Dec. 19 by a unanimous vote, the third time his fellow board members have chosen him to lead the board since he was first elected to represent District 2 in 1994.

SMART receives funds; adds station at Sonoma County Airport

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has approved $16.7 million in funds to extend Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) passenger rail service to the site of SMART’s Operations & Maintenance Facility near the Sonoma County Airport.

Five teams vie for California HSR Phase 2 construction contract

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) received five qualified bids for the next 60-mile phase of high-speed rail construction from Fresno south to the Tulare-Kern County line near Bakersfield, a contract worth $1.5 to $2 billion.

Wabtec signs contract to provide PTC Equipment/Services for Sound Transit

Wabtec Corporation signed a $34-million contract with Sound Transit, in the Seattle, Wash., region, to design, install, test and commission a Positive Train Control (PTC) system.

CTC allocates nearly $12 million for rail-related projects

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has made new allocations totaling $152 million to 36 projects statewide. This latest round of funding drives the total amount of transportation funding allocated in 2013 beyond the $3 billion barrier.

NYCT transforms “one of the least appealing subway stations”

Often recognized as one of the “least appealing subway stations in the system,” according to New York City Transit (NYCT), the 149 St – Grand Concourse 2, 4 and 5 station in the Bronx has gone through an aesthetic transformation befitting one of the most heavily used mass transit hubs in the city and the borough’s fourth busiest station.

FRA launches in-depth safety assessment of Metro-North

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) launched a 60-day safety assessment of Metro-North Railroad in response a December 1 derailment in the Bronx. Operation Deep Dive, beginning December 16, 2013, will exhaustively review Metro-North’s compliance with federal regulations, its procedures and practices and its safety culture.

TriMet GM launches outside review of light-rail maintenance needs

TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane has launched an outside review of the Portland, Ore., agency’s light-rail maintenance system, which includes MAX vehicles and trackway. In order to better address both an aging and an expanding rail system, McFarlane wants a more comprehensive look at maintenance needs and to set a course for continuous improvement in the years ahead.

MDOT/MTA receive six statements of qualification for Purple Line

Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT/MTA) received six private-sector responses to a Request for Qualifications to design, build, construct, finance, operate and maintain the Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties under Maryland’s newly adopted Public-Private Partnership (P3) law.

RTD Board of Directors approves North Metro Rail Line contract

The Denver, Colo., Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board of Directors approved a $343-million contract award to Graham, Balfour Beatty, Hamon Constructors (GBBH) to design and build the North Metro Rail Line to 124th Avenue.

Gold Line Bridge received five engineering and construction awards in 2013

This year, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority was honored with five industry awards for the Gold Line Bridge, a 584-linear foot structure is says now serves as a gateway to the San Gabriel Valley.

Metrolink’s Perris Valley Line extension receives federal money

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will dole out $75 million in federal grant funds to extend the Metrolink 91 passenger rail line from Riverside to Perris, Calif.

MTA set to greet Old Man Winter

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT), Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and MTA Bridges and Tunnels are once again preparing for the arrival of winter weather.

Seattle digs deep for light rail

Three machines the length of a football field tunnel a three-mile extension for Sound Transit’s light-rail system.

Metro-North answers state and federal directive with immediate safety improvements

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad is making immediate improvements to reinforce safety at critical curves and movable bridges along the railroad’s right-of-way. These improvements were directed by New York Gov.Andrew Cuomo in a letter to the MTA and by an emergency order from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Sens. Schumer and Blumenthal want cameras inside and outside of cabs

U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to immediately begin requiring critical safety monitoring systems that consist of inward and outward facing cameras in locomotives and operating railway cabs following the December 1 Metro-North derailment.

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