Dear Railway Track & Structures and Rail Group News readers,
Happy New Year. January 1 marked my first day as publisher of the Simmons-Boardman Rail Division, which consists of Railway Age, International Railway Journal and Railway Track & Structures.
The Federal Transit Administration has accepted the Honolulu rail transit project into Final Design, the final phase of the project’s development before executing a Full Funding Grant Agreement with the FTA.
Skanska signed a design-build contract to construct a 16-kilometer (9.9-mile) extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system near San Francisco, Calif. Skanska is leading a joint venture with Shimmick Construction and Herzog Contracting Corporation.
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Construction Authority) issued an end of the year statement to project stakeholders highlighting the many project milestone’s reached during 2011. Paramount in the year-in-review statement was the construction progress of the I-210 Gold Line Bridge and award of the $486 million alignment contract to Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture.
The Santa Monica City Council approved action advancing the 15.2-mile Expo Line between Los Angeles and Santa Monica, Calif. At the Dec. 13 city council meeting, city staff presented recommendations and the city council entered into agreements with the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority to perform $9.55 million in improvements to three stations.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) reported that a train operated by its subsidiary Genesee & Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd (GWA) derailed in the vicinity of the Edith River bridge, approximately 40 km (18.6 miles) north of Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, December 27.
Following discussions with its state and local partners, Amtrak is taking the lead on the next phase of renovations at the Lancaster Train Station. The Capstone project will address the much anticipated rehabilitation of the passenger areas, including interior work to the waiting room, concourse, restrooms and hallways and exterior work to stairways and platforms.
One year ago, the Federal Transit Administration gave TriMet permission to authorize Kiewit Infrastructure West to begin design and construction of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge, the first bridge to be built over the Willamette River in more than 40 years. In that time, more than 1 million pages of calculations have gone into the engineering of the bridge, now being built in the river. Drilling for the first of 12 shafts is complete and crews placed a rebar cage in advance of concrete, which was poured on Friday, Dec. 23.
North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kent Conrad, Congressman Rick Berg and Governor Jack Dalrymple said they have a plan in place to move forward on upgrading the Amtrak-BNSF Railway near Devils Lake, ND. Rising floodwaters in the Devils Lake basin have threatened the rail lines and bridges near Churchs Ferry, forcing Amtrak to suspend service on its Empire Builder line earlier in 2011.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will advance minor projects this week through Dec. 30.
There will be single tracking between Rhode Island Avenue and Fort Totten on the Red Line from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday for rail/tie renewal.
There will also be single tracking on the Red Line between Friendship Heights and Medical Center from 10 p.m. – closing, Tuesday through Thursday for rail fastener renewal and between New York Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue for DDOT bridge work.
Between 10 p.m. and closing, Tuesday through Thursday, there will be single tracking between Smithsonian and Eastern Market on the Orange Line for switch replacement prep and between East Falls Church and West Falls Church for cable installation.
On the Blue Line from 10 p.m. until closing, Tuesday through Thursday, there will be single tracking between Smithsonian and Eastern Market for switch replacement prep.
As a preventive measure, VIA Rail Canada will redirect passengers on board the Montreal/Gaspé train service onto buses for the Matapedia/Gaspé leg of the trip, in both directions. VIA has taken this decision, in consultation with the Société des chemins de fer de la Gaspésie (SCFG), following questions raised as to the condition of the rail network in the area. The situation will remain as such until an updated notice is released.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board approved the agency’s budget for 2012, culminating a process that began with the release of the agency’s Preliminary Proposed Budget and Four-Year Financial Plan in July, updated last month by a Final Proposed Budget and Four-Year Financial Plan. In addition, the board approved an amendment to the 2010-2014 Capital Program that outlines how the final three years of the program are to be funded.
Ballots will go out this week to members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen employed by Amtrak for a new collective bargaining agreement. The tentative five-year deal would provide members with 10 general wage increases totaling 14 percent, compounding to 15 percent, over the life of the contract.
One year and 500 submissions later, the names for Houston, Texas, METRO’s East End, Southeast and North Lines have been finalized. The METRO Board of Directors approved the following names for its new light-rail lines:
Despite an overall downward trend in transportation fatalities in the United States, estimates for 2010 released by the National Transportation Safety Board reveal a rise in several categories, including motorcycles, medium and heavy trucks, buses, rail and pipeline.
“Though the NTSB continues to advocate for changes to address human factors, equipment and infrastructure improvements to prevent crashes, we continue to see far too many deaths each year,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.
The data indicate that overall transportation fatalities decreased to 34,925 in 2010 from 35,994 in 2009.
Rail fatalities increased from 742 to 813, with the majority at grade crossings, though deaths on light, heavy and commuter rail rose from 229 to 253.
Armtec Infrastructure Inc. has secured a number of rail infrastructure projects, valued at more than CA$30 million (US$29 million), within the Greater Toronto Area. These projects were anticipated as part of the previously announced CA$50 million (US$48.6 million) in new contracts that are expected to be booked during the fourth quarter.
Aecon Group Inc.’s joint venture with Dufferin Construction Company, a division of Holcim (Canada) Inc., has reached commercial and financial close for the Air Rail Link “spur line” and passenger station at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The project is valued at CA$128.6 million (US$125 million).
Southern California’s Caltrans and Metrolink have jointly developed a pilot project to show commuters that trains are a viable alternative to freeway traffic. Both train and freeway travel times are now displayed on electronic highway message signs near the Fullerton and Anaheim train stations.
Rip Rapson, the president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation, issued a statement formally responding to the announcement that a long-planned light-rail project in Detroit would be abandoned in favor of a regional bus rapid transit system. The foundation is part of the private funding group that initiated the rail project. Members of that group, M1 Rail, together pledged almost $100 million. Kresge’s commitment is $35 million.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road launched a pilot of LIRR Train TimeTM, a digital service that provides real-time train arrival status to customers using mobile devices or desktop computers. Starting December 19, LIRR customers using the Port Washington Branch will be able to use the service by going to http://mta.info/lirr/TrainTime.