Ballast, Ties, Rail
SCVTA to close Dixon Landing for grade separation work
Starting June 16, Dixon Landing Road in Milpitas will be closed by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) to through traffic in both directions between Milmont Drive and just east of the railroad corridor in northern Milpitas for eight months for grade separation work.
Indiana kicks off $71-million rail upgrade
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence joined representatives from Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration and Norfolk Southern on May 29 to kick off the $71.4-million Indiana Gateway project to improve rail lines between Porter, Ind., and the Illinois state line.
FASTRACK returns to Manhattan June 2
On June 2, Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit’s (NYCT) FASTRACK program will return to Manhattan stations along the N, Q and R lines. For four consecutive weeknights the N, Q and R trains will not stop at stations in Manhattan.
UP completes New Mexico rail facility
Union Pacific celebrated the grand opening of its New Mexico rail facility May 28, which officially opened April 1. The 2,200-acre site will create value for UP customers and produce greater logistics efficiencies along Union Pacific’s critical Sunset Route, the rail line running 760 miles from El Paso, Texas, to Los Angeles, Calif.
Toronto mayoral candidate has a new transit plan for the city
John Tory, a candidate for mayor of Toronto, ON, Canada, unveiled his One Toronto Transit Plan that he says will help relieve transit and traffic congestion in Toronto within seven years.
SEPTA to perform track renewal along trolley line
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will conduct a track renewal project on a portion of its Route 11 trolley line from June 1-August 30, 2014.
NYCT says Central Park West FASTRACK a success
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit’s (NYCT) FASTRACK maintenance program came to the A, C, B and D Central Park West line in Manhattan last week. Hundreds of NYCT employees performed a range of cleaning and maintenance tasks of station and tunnel infrastructure, signal equipment and track and third rail components.
CSX mainline opens in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
CSX said it has reached a major milestone in the construction of its $100-million intermodal terminal in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QB, Canada with the official opening of its mainline leading directly to the Perron Industrial and Maritime Park.
NCDOT awards $16 million for state rail improvement projects
The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded more than $16 million to 40 projects across the state through the Freight Rail and Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program.
Stella-Jones completes acquisition of Boatright’s wood treating facilities
Stella-Jones Inc. has completed the acquisition of the wood treating facilities of Boatright Railroad Products, Inc., located in Montevallo and Clanton, Ala. These facilities manufacture, sell and distribute creosote and borate-treated crossties, as well as switch ties, tie plugs and bridge timbers to railroads and railroad contractors. Sales for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2013, reached $73.5 million.
Minneapolis Interchange/Target Field Station open for business
The Metro Transit Interchange/Target Field Station multi-modal transportation hub in Minneapolis, which opened May 17, 2014, links light-rail transit, regional rail and bus service and contains a civic space for retailers, an amphitheater and green space.
RailWorks-Archer Western JV celebrate role in SunRail success
SunRail passenger rail service began May 1 in Central Florida along a 32-mile route comprised of 12 stations between DeBary and south Orlando. The new service marks completion of the first phase of the $1-billion Central Florida Commuter Rail Transit (CFCRT) project.
UP to invest in Missouri’s infrastructure
Union Pacific will strengthen Missouri’s transportation infrastructure by investing $9 million in the rail line between Sedalia and Pleasant Hill, Mo. The project began May 15 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
PATCO set to begin Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation Project next week
Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) is ready to start a two-year, $103-million track rehabilitation project on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which connects the New Jersey and Philadelphia portions of the system.
VIA Rail presents action plan to address Barrhaven-area railway crossings’ challenges
VIA Rail Canada has developed an action plan based on a study conducted by RailTerm, Hatch Mott MacDonald and Siemens that looked into issues with Automatic Warning Devices (AWDs) systems at six Barrhaven-area rail crossings in Ottawa.
Union Pacific utilizing TRT 909 for Nebraska track renewal project
Union Pacific Railroad is in the midst of a $39.5-million track renewal project in Nebraska. The work, which began May 6, is being performed between Clarks and Schuyler and is scheduled to be completed by mid-July.
Comment period on SCVTA’s Mountain View Double Track Environmental Document begins
The public now has the opportunity to comment on the environmental document for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) project to add a second set of light-rail tracks in Mountain View, Calif.
UP adds to its 2014 capital spending program
Union Pacific’s Board of Directors approved an additional $150 million in capital expenditures, bringing the railroad’s total 2014 capital spending plan to $4.1 billion.
TIGER grant applications request 15 times more than available funding
The application period for the sixth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants recently ended. Once again, USDOT says the request for funds far exceeds what is available. The 797 eligible applications, compared to 585 in 2013, request $9.5 billion, 15 times the $600 million set aside for the program.