The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Inc. (NRC), appointed Christian Jostlein, safety manager at Holland LP, as the new chairman of the NRC Safety Committee. Jostlein replaces outgoing Chair Tammy Mathews, corporate safety, health & environmental director at RailWorks Corporation, after her successful term as chair expired.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to implement a series of new and enhanced safety initiatives to better ensure the safety of its customers and employees.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved four highway-rail grade crossing projects in Marion, Holmes, Shelby and Huron counties.
Watco Companies named Dan Smith Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (EVP, COO). In this position, Dan will be responsible for overseeing the operational performance, organizational development and process improvements of Watco’s Operating Divisions.
As Congress considers legislation to avoid a shortfall of the Highway Trust Fund, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and 11 of his predecessors wrote an open letter to Congress.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Fix&Fortify Sandy recovery work is returning to the G Greenpoint Tube for five consecutive weeks, beginning July 25 and ending September 2.
Due to overhead wire, track and station improvement projects, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the Center City tunnel from 10 p.m. on Friday, August 1, through 4 a.m. on Monday, August 18.
During the closure, SEPTA’s in-house Engineering, Maintenance & Construction Division crews will work around-the-clock on key maintenance and construction tasks to improve safety and service reliability.
Members of SEPTA’s Track Department will work inside the tunnel, as well as outside at the 40th Street Portal. Crews will weld together long rail strings and install more than 14,000 feet of new rail on the eastbound track of the tunnel from the Portal to 22nd Street Station. At the Portal, crews will also replace two concrete-embedded track switches. This work will include demolishing existing concrete surface track and steel, constructing new track switches and pouring the new concrete surface.
SEPTA’s Power Department will replace nearly 24,000 feet of worn overhead contact wire throughout the tunnel and almost 5,000 feet of wire support assemblies and protection board on the westbound side of the tunnel between 19th and 30th Street Stations.
“This blitz concept is used in the transportation industry because it allows organizations to maximize productivity during improvements projects while minimizing the period of inconvenience to passengers and communities we serve. This is especially true when there is a single track operation, like our trolley tunnel,” said SEPTA Deputy General Manager Jeff Knueppel. “Because the Center City tunnel is used 24 hours a day and is a five-mile, single track operation, it is difficult for our crews to get productive work windows. Without this blitz and 17-day closure, we’d have months of nighttime and weekend shutdowns to complete all of the projects.”
Other work that will be completed during the trolley closure includes replacing worn track components and cleaning the track drains and stormwater system throughout the tunnel; completing maintenance work on the tunnel’s signal system and on key components near 34th and Ludlow, where the Route 10 separates from Routes 11, 13, 34 and 36; testing back-up and emergency lighting cables and making numerous station repairs and improvements such as on stairs, lighting and platforms.
A report from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) National Freight Advisory Committee (NFAC) has made 81 recommendations to improve the performance of the nation’s freight transportation system. These recommendations will be used to inform the development of USDOT’s National Freight Strategic Plan.
Union Pacific will strengthen Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure by investing $6.1 million in the rail line between Milwaukee and near Sheboygan, Wis. The project, funded entirely by Union Pacific, began June 10 and is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of September.
Over the past four years, the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, Inc. (NRC), has made financial contributions to a variety of university rail education and training programs in an effort to support up-and-coming professionals seeking careers in the rail industry and to help develop a well-qualified workforce for its member companies.
InnoTrans 2014 is shaping up to be the largest-ever of this biennial global railway trade show, which attracts close to 3,000 companies representing every railway discipline.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved 11 highway-rail grade crossing projects in Hamilton, Hancock, Sandusky, Portage, Erie, Butler and Paulding counties.
Earlier this month, more than 525 CSX employees worked to complete the company’s 2014 maintenance “Jamboree” on a section of its network in the Southeast, replacing about 68,000 ties and 200,000 feet of rail and completing nearly 120 miles of surfacing work.
Minneapolis and the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) have reached a tentative agreement regarding the plan to build the Southwest Light Rail Project from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie, Minn.
The town of Cary, N.C., North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and CSX are teaming up to give a major intersection in Cary a facelift.
GO Transit’s West Toronto Diamond (WTD) continues its progress and marked a milestone in May when the east tunnel opened to rail traffic.
Watco has installed two to general manager positions at Great Northwest Railroad (GRNW) and the company’s Wallula switching site.
Stacy Grant has accepted the position of general manager for the GRMW. Grant will be responsible for supervising daily operations, specifically focusing on improving productivity, efficiency and safety. He has been with Watco Transportation Services since September of 2004 when he began working as a conductor for the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad (PCC). He then served as a trainmaster on the GRNW before being named assistant general manager of the GRNW and the PCC.
Travis Chamberlain has accepted the position of general manager for the Wallula switching site. Chamberlain will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the site and will report directly to the director of Switching Operations. His duties will be to coordinate efforts between all railroad departments and to achieve performance goals with optimum safety, economy, efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring profitability of all departments.
Chamberlain previously worked in the paper industry at Boise for 11 years before joining the Watco Team in May of this year.
Five railroad crossings will be closed within the next week in Beaumont, Texas, while Union Pacific crews make repairs; all closings are expected to last one day, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On July 3, repairs will be made at the crossing on Coburn Drive; on July 4, the crossing on Todd Street will see repairs; on July 5, the crossing on Langham Road will see repairs; on July 6, the UP crossing on Keith Road will be closed to through traffic for repairs and on July 7, the crossing on S. Major Drive will see repairs last.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) plans to introduce legislation that he says will enforce and enhance rail safety.
Two years ago, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) was granted the authority to oversee the safety of all of America’s individual public transportation systems, writes Theresa McMillan, FTA deputy administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fast Lane blog.
