Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) will break ground March 20 on the North Metro Rail Line, a new passenger rail service that will improve transit options for Denver’s northern region and connect riders to existing transit services.
OmniTRAX, Inc., named the 2014 Safety People of the Year; each of the five winners was selected by division managers based on nominations from team members at the individual rail lines.
Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) has initiated a new Safety Friday program, following an in-depth analysis that found more injuries occur early on Fridays than any other time of the week.
Railway Age magazine has named Coos Bay Rail Link the 2014 Short Line Railroad of the Year, and Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Co. its 2014 Regional Railroad of the Year. The awards will be presented at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., Friday, April 25, 2014.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released its findings and recommendations from a 60-day safety assessment of Metro-North Railroad. The assessment, known as Operation Deep Dive, found that Metro-North’s management “emphasizes on-time performance to the detriment of safe operations and adequate maintenance of its infrastructure, resulting in a deficient safety culture, increased risk and reduced safety on the Metro-North system.”
A North American railroad yard in North Baltimore, Ohio, has chosen to upgrade its current yard control system to include 18 new switch locations with use of the RailComm Domain Operations Controller (DOC®) System. In addition, 16 derail locations are being added throughout the yard.
BNSF has committed to making $250 million in investments for rail transportation improvements in North Dakota.
Amtrak plans to move forward on key improvement projects in 2014, including continued installation of positive train control (PTC), the start of major construction to upgrade Northeast Corridor high-speed rail and expansion of station accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is launching a track crossing improvement project at Union Avenue and Clipper Mill Road March 14 that will temporarily close three light-rail stations at Mt. Washington, W. Cold Spring and Woodberry.
An underpass that is an integral element of the Valley View Avenue Grade Separation Project in California is scheduled to open in April with the full project slated for completion in August.
New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has launched a series of inspections to safeguard New York’s residents from potentialincidents involving the shipment of crude oil by rail throughout the state.
Caltrain has released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the planned electrification of the corridor between San Jose and San Francisco, Calif., which will upgrade the signal system, implement Positive Train Control, electrify the corridor and purchase new high-performance electric multiple units (EMUs).
Deep through the heart of winter, work on New York City Transit‘s Montague Tube continues with a focus on the demolition of concrete walls and removal of debris caused by Superstorm Sandy.
President Obama proposed a $302-billion, four-year surface transportation reauthorization effort while visiting the historic Union Depot train station in Saint Paul, Minn.
Canadian National is reaching out to municipalities along its North American rail network to review its safety practices, share relevant information on dangerous goods traffic and discuss emergency response planning.
CSX‘s J&L Tunnel Modification Project in Pittsburgh, Pa., has won the Project of the Year Award from the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) and the Diamond Award for Engineering Excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania (ACEC/PA), recognizing the project’s safe completion, sustainability, cost-effectiveness and community benefits.
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) officials held the first of a series of public meetings on Monday, Feb. 24, introducing the public to the next step of the Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail project and asking for feedback as it begins Tier 2 environmental studies.
Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is facing another delay after the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) stated that “the contractor has not yet met the contract requirements for substantial completion.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has launched a series of initiatives to improve safety throughout its operations by strengthening reporting responsibilities, emphasizing management oversight and installing automatic speed controls.
Starting in March, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will begin the first project for the Your New Blue improvement program for the Blue Line O’Hare branch, a $492-million program to provide faster, smoother commutes and improved stations.
The Your New Blue includes a number of track and station improvement projects along the 12.5-mile stretch of the O’Hare Branch between the Grand and O’Hare stations and is the largest, most comprehensive investment in the Blue Line since the O’Hare branch was extended to the airport from Jefferson Park in 1983-1984.
“Your New Blue Program represents a huge investment in CTA riders and visitors traveling to Chicago via O’Hare and the many vibrant communities along the North and Northwest Sides,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool. “These long-overdue improvements are part of Mayor [Rahm] Emanuel’s efforts to modernize our transit system for the 21st century.”
The first phase of Your New Blue involves replacing crossties, tie plates and other track materials on the Milwaukee elevated track structure between the Damen and Logan Square stops.
Later in 2014, the CTA will begin rehabilitation projects at the Western, Damen and California rail stations. In all, the four-year Your New Blue program will upgrade 13 stations, including adding a new elevator at Addison; improve tracks and signals; install new water-management systems and repairs to ensure dry and clean subway stations and upgrade traction power to improve service and reliability.
Funding for Your New Blue is being provided by a variety of local, state and federal sources, including $86 million from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s Jump Start program.