• March 29, 2012
• Intercity

Illinois high-speed rail corridor work resumes

The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific will be upgrading Illinois’ high-speed route, Chicago-St. Louis, for future high-speed Amtrak trains, from April 16 through May 25. The improvements for 110-mph service include the installation of new premium rail with concrete crossties and ballast; upgrades to bridges, culverts and drainage; signal and wayside equipment installations and upgrades and roadway-rail grade crossing improvements.

• March 29, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

California’s MTC endorses regional agreement to fund modernization

The San Francisco Bay area Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved a regional agreement to fully fund the electrification of Caltrain on March 28 and is the first step in bringing modernized rail service to the region spanning San Francisco to San Jose.

• March 28, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

LIRR expands quiet car pilot program

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Long Island Rail Road is expanding its Quiet Car pilot program to include all peak hour trains on the Far Rockaway Branch and select rush hour trains on the Hempstead, Long Beach and West Hempstead branches beginning Monday, April 2.

• March 28, 2012
• Class 1

CN sells two Toronto area lines to Metrolinx for GO Transit services

Canadian National sold two rail line segments in the Greater Toronto Area to Metrolinx for C$310.5 million (US$311.6 million).

GO Transit’s Richmond Hill commuter rail service operates over a portion of CN’s Bala Subdivision. Metrolinx is acquiring a segment of the subdivision from approximately Rosedale Valley Road north through the Don Valley to CN’s main east-west freight line north of Steeles Avenue near the Toronto-York Region border.

• March 28, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

TEX Rail plans move forward with FTA approval

The Texas Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s TEX Rail commuter rail project has been approved by the Federal Transit Administration to advance to Preliminary Engineering.

The approval to enter PE will allow the authority to proceed with the engineering needed for construction.

• March 28, 2012
• Rapid Transit/Light Rail

HART CEO, FTA and Hawaii’s congressional delegation meet in D.C.

Newly selected Honolulu Area for Rapid Transit CEO and Executive Director Daniel Grabauskas met with the head of the Federal Transit Administration and with Hawaii’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., to discuss the status of Honolulu’s rail project in preparation for receiving additional federal funds.

• March 27, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

New York MTA capital funds secured in deal

From the editors at Railway Age

New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo reportedly has brokered a deal with Republican state legislative leaders to fully fund the last three years of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s five-year capital plan.

• March 27, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

Chicago region transportation leaders warn of consequences to expired funding

Leaders from the Transportation for Illinois Coalition (TFIC) and Regional Transportation Authority called on Congress to act now on extending national transportation funding ahead of a Friday deadline that, if missed, could put the region’s transportation system and entire economy in limbo. 
 


• March 27, 2012
• ON Track Maintenance

Treasury report: Now is the key time to invest in infrastructure

A new report released by the U.S. Department of Treasury with the Council of Economic Advisers finds that now is the key time to invest in infrastructure to create middle-class jobs, increase long-term competitiveness and support a more secure energy future.

• March 27, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

Union Station designated storage area to be built for MARC trains

For Maryland Area Regional Commuter Train Service patrons, boarding and exiting trains at Union Station in Washington, D.C., has often meant long hikes, uncertainty and occasional delays as MARC train platforms were switched around from day to day to accommodate Amtrak trains.

• March 26, 2012
• Bridges/Tunnels

Amtrak to float-in new Niantic Bridge lift span today

Amtrak is reaching a milestone in its efforts to replace the existing 104-year old Niantic River Bridge in East Lyme, Conn., with the float-in of the new bascule lift span to the new alignment south of the existing bridge.

• March 26, 2012
• Rapid Transit/Light Rail

LACMTA Expo Line to open April 28

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new light-rail line between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City will open to the public on Saturday, April 28. This opening will be the segment from downtown Los Angeles to the Expo/La Cienega Station. Construction work continues on the Culver City station, which is expected to open later this summer.

• March 26, 2012
• Rapid Transit/Light Rail

Parsons Brinckerhoff supporting expansion of LRT system in Phoenix

Valley Metro in Phoenix, Ariz., awarded a contract to a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and PGH Wong Engineering to provide program management/construction management services to support the planned expansion of the metro Phoenix high-capacity transit system.

• March 23, 2012
• Bridges/Tunnels

Trio of trusses

Planning, coordination and structural engineering magic come together
on a project to replace three century-old bridges in Massachusetts.

• March 23, 2012
• OFF Track Maintenance

NRC hits new highs in San Deigo

The 2012 National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Annual Conference in California is another record-breaking success.

• March 23, 2012
• Intercity

AMTRAK to more than triple number of track miles equipped with PTC

By the end of 2012, Amtrak expects to more than triple the number of track-miles on its own railroad where Positive Train Control safety technology is installed.

• March 23, 2012
• Rapid Transit/Light Rail

Additional $300 million in funding secured for Dulles rail Phase 2

The Virginia Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved an amended Senate budget, which will provide $300 million dollars in additional state funds to Phase 2 of the Metrorail to Dulles Project in northern Virginia.

• March 23, 2012
• Rapid Transit/Light Rail

Houston METRORail construction nears halfway mark

Construction progress for three new Houston METRO light-rail lines is more than 45 percent complete and expected to end in time for 2014 service dates.

• March 23, 2012
• Rapid Transit/Light Rail

Contractor named for Mesa, Ariz., LRT extension

Valley Transit Constructors, a Kiewit/Mass Electric Joint Venture, was selected as the team that will continue designing and building the Valley Metro 3.1-mile Central Mesa light-rail extension in Arizona. Parsons Transportation Group, also part of the team, will serve as lead designer.

• March 23, 2012
• Commuter/Regional

LACMTA Board approved Antelope Valley improvement plan

A motion by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority First Vice Chair, Supervisor Michael Antonovich, supporting the Antelope Valley Line Infrastructure Improvement Strategic Plan was unanimously approved by the LACMTA Board of Directors.