The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) sixth round of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants is making $600 million available to fund transportation projects across the country.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has approved $34.7 million in funds for 33 freight rail projects across the state which will create more than 43,000 jobs.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has issued two draft reports summarizing the feasibility of high-speed transit systems in both the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor and I-25 Front Range Corridor.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) received five qualified bids for the next 60-mile phase of high-speed rail construction from Fresno to the Tulare-Kern County line near Bakersfield, which will be worth $1.5 to $2 billion.
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.”
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.
Construction has begun on the $248.3-million, 24-mile-long Perris Valley Metrolink Extension in Southern California, which will extend the current Metrolink 91 Line to new stations in North Riverside, Moreno Valley/March Field, Downtown Perris and South Perris/Menifee.
Major freight railroads in the United States joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in announcing a rail operations safety initiative that will institute new voluntary operating practices for moving crude oil by rail.
The Federal Transit Administration signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) in the amount of $670 million to fund the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) $1.37-billion Regional Connector Project.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has been asked by elected officials in New Hampshire and North Dakota to step up track inspections along routes that transport hazardous materials in an effort to insure rail safety to communities along the lines.
Twin Cities & Western Railroad (TC&W) rejected a proposal to relocate Minneapolis area freight rail service after reviewing a technical analysis prepared by a South Dakota engineering firm. The proposed relocation would move freight service from the Kenilworth Corridor to a St. Louis Park route to make way for the Metropolitan Council’s Southwest light-rail project.
Canadian National‘s 2014 capital plan includes an investment of approximately CA$2.1 billion (US$1.9 billion) to continue to raise network safety and efficiency, improve service and grow the business.
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Piedmont Improvement Program (PIP), a $520-million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project to improve the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte, celebrated a major milestone with the laying of the first section of track.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) has begun work on the Santa Clara Pocket Track, a third light-rail track on Tasman Drive. This additional track will allow SCVTA to store light-rail trains and put them into service quickly to meet increased service demands.
In June 2014, the Railway Tie Association (RTA) and the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) will host joint activities that will provide educational and networking opportunities relating to crossties and fastening systems. These events are expected to draw domestic and international attendees that include rail infrastructure component designers, manufacturers, researchers, and end users such as Class I’s and transit operators.
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority says that its 11.5-mile extension from Pasadena to Azusa is now more than halfway to project completion.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are hosting a live webinar to discuss the High Desert Corridor’s (HDC) potential rail component and connections to the Palmdale Transportation Center in Palmdale and Desert Xpress in Victorville.
Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) is installing crane pads for the new Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) at Port Everglades, which is slated to open in the summer of 2014.