ICC OKs Highway/Rail Grade Crossing Projects

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has signed off on stipulated agreements to improve safety at highway/rail grade crossings in Bond, Champaign, Henry and St. Clair counties. Total cost: $3.17 million.

MBTA Lines Plagued with Track Defects

BOSTON – MBTA has its work cut out for it.

FRA Safety Bulletin Aims to Increase Awareness of Hand-Operated Main Track Switches

Following a train collision that occurred on April 16 involving a misaligned switch, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a Safety Bulletin to remind railroads about ways to “ensure safe operation of hand-operated main track switches.”

FRA to Railroads: Approval Required for PTC System Outages Under Certain Conditions

Railroads now must seek Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval before temporarily disabling their Positive Train Control (PTC) systems during infrastructure upgrades or capital projects, according to a notification in the Federal Register. A previous provision allowing them to just notify FRA of the disablement has expired.

CDOT to Replace 3-Mile Stretch Along Metro-North’s New Haven Line

As part of a multibillion-dollar effort to improve commuter rail service across the state, the Connecticut Department of Transportation plans to replace a three-mile stretch of track along Metro-North’s New Haven line.

MTA’s State of Good Repair Work on 7 Line Slated for May

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that state of good repair work on the 7 line’s 82 St-Jackson Heights and 111 St stations in Queens will begin next month.

Honolulu Rail Safety Plans Call for Security Cameras, Patrols

A federally mandated rail safety plan that names the city Department of Transportation Services as the final responsible party for the forthcoming rail system is nearing official approval.

PUCO Approves Rail Crossing Upgrades in Four Counties

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved $1.6 million in state and federal funds for rail crossing safety upgrades in Clinton, Hamilton, Lucas, and Stark counties.

NTSB Identifies Probable Cause in 2021 Worker Fatality in Texas

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued Railroad Investigation Report 23/04 for the investigation of an accident on Sept. 22, 2021, involving an equipment operator who was struck and killed by a load of steel he was transporting by a roadway maintenance machine near Castroville, Texas.

Ties on I-90 Bridge Must Be Rebuilt for Sound Transit Service

Crews have been working in the former express lanes of Interstate 90 for a couple of years now, attempting to repair faulty track supports along Sound Transit’s future light-rail extension.

Metrolinx Shares Progress on Finch West LRT

Metrolinx has made progress on its guideway, the two terminus stations, and the maintenance and storage facility as the spring season gets underway.

MTA Completes Renovations at Grand St BD Subway Station 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on April 17 that crews have completed renovation work at the Grand St BD subway station in Chinatown under New York City Transit’s Re-NEW-vation campaign, which entailed rebuilding station components during a 55-hour window.

Regional Transportation Authority

Metra to Begin Construction at 103rd Street Washington Heights Station

Metra crews on April 21 will begin work on a major rehabilitation project at the Rock Island Line’s 103rd Street/Washington Heights Station. The station will remain open for passenger service throughout the project, but the depot building will be inaccessible to commuters while construction is underway.

FRA Awards Automated Track Inspection Program Contract to ENSCO 

ENSCO Inc., a provider of railway track inspection and measurement technology, has announced that the Federal Railroad Administration has awarded it a new five-year contract to carry out its Automated Track Inspection Program.

NTSB: Fractured Rail Identified in Fiery BNSF Minnesota Derailment

BNSF railroad is analyzing a section of fractured rail following last month’s fiery derailment that forced evacuations in southwest Minnesota, federal investigators said; however they have not officially concluded that the broken rail caused the crash.

NS Reaches East Palestine Clean-Up Milestone

Norfolk Southern (NS) on April 15, nearly two-and-a-half months after the Feb. 3 East Palestine, Ohio derailment, announced that it has completed excavation of the impacted soil beneath the removed south track, and will

Federal Officials Tour Coastal Erosion in San Clemente, Del Mar

Another top federal official visited Southern California on April 13 to see two places where the vital coastal railroad is threatened by erosion.

Caltrain to Take On Electrification Construction

Caltrain has announced that its service will be reduced from 104 trains per day to 82 trains per day for the weeks of April 17-21 and April 24-28 to accommodate Caltrain Electrification construction and testing.

OCTA’s Emergency Stabilization Effort Paves Way for Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Rail Service 

All regular Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service is set to resume beginning April 17, after the Orange County Transportation Authority’s emergency construction work has been completed to stop slope movement and stabilize the tracks in south San Clemente.

Ohio Commission Approves Safety Upgrades for 100-Plus Crossings 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently approved $1.17 million in safety upgrades at more than 100 rail crossings in 15 counties.

LOAD MORE