Union Pacific will strengthen Colorado’s and Wyoming’s transportation infrastructures by investing $11 million in the rail line between LaSalle, Colo., and near Cheyenne, Wyo. The project, funded entirely by Union Pacific, began July 9 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-December.
The Susquehanna Economic Development Association-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) Joint Rail Authority (JRA) will dedicate the newly constructed Loyalsock Creek Railroad Bridge August 13.
Rail safety and innovation has been given an even greater emphasis at the federal level these days. The Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC), based in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is at the heart of cutting edge research
The derailment of a CSX coal train on a railroad bridge in Ellicott City, Md., on August 20, 2012, was caused by a broken rail with evidence of rolling contact fatigue (RCF), according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Construction crews took to Woodward Avenue in Detroit July 28 to start construction activities on the city’s new 3.3-mile modern streetcar line, M-1 RAIL.
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.
Union Pacific will strengthen Kansas’ transportation infrastructure by investing $8 million in the rail line between Herington and Whitewater. The project, funded entirely by Union Pacific, began July 16 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of September.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority’s (WMATA) rail system grew 10 percent with five new stations and new direct rail service between the Washington D.C. region’s two largest employment centers, all as a result of the opening of the Silver Line’s first phase.
WMATA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles joined federal, state and local officials for the grand opening ceremony July 25 at Wiehle-Reston East Station.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) released a report outlining recommendations for short-term fixes to improve the reliability of the New Haven Line’s Walk Railroad Bridge in Norwalk, Conn.
The Tucson Sun Link streetcar line in Arizona opened to the public on July 25. Service will be supported by six streetcars seven days a week.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved four highway-rail grade crossing projects in Marion, Holmes, Shelby and Huron counties.
In Vancouver, BC, Canada, Port Metro Vancouver and the government of Canada in have marked substantial completion of the Powell Street Grade Separation project.
Elecnor has been pre-selected by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) in California as contractor on double tracking the Mountain View single-track segment.
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.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors authorized MassDOT Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Richard Davey to execute an agreement to purchase the Berkshire Line from the Housatonic Railroad Company, a step toward delivering passenger rail service between New York City and the Berkshires.
President Obama spoke at the Port of Wilmington in Delaware on July 17 to announce a new executive action to create the Build America Investment Initiative, a government-wide initiative to increase infrastructure investment and economic growth by engaging with state and local governments and private sector investors to encourage collaboration, expand the market for public-private partnerships (PPPs) and put federal credit programs to greater use.
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.
