Kokomo railroad to reopen after $5.5 million rehabilitation project
Twelve miles of inactive railroad running through the city of Kokomo to Tipton, Ind., will soon be reopened to rail freight traffic by early 2014.
Ballast, Ties, Rail
AAR: Freight rail industry invests $23 billion so taxpayers don’t have to
In 2012, the freight rail industry will invest $23 billion to build, maintain and upgrade the nation’s rail network, according to two new ads released by The Association of American Railroads.
New DART budget sets groundwork for expanded rail operations
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors approved a $1.07 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 that supports expanded Orange and Blue Lines, as well as the continued construction towards a direct rail connection to DFW Airport in 2014.
NCDOT awarded $26.5 million to alleviate passenger rail congestion
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $26.5 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to improve reliability and reduce delays on Amtrak service in eastern North Carolina. The resulting improvements are centered in the area between Rocky Mount, N.C. and Petersburg, Va., and will improve service for both the Amtrak Carolinian line, which runs between New York City and Charlotte, N.C., and the Amtrak long distance trains that run between New York City and Florida.
California HSR section receives approval from feds
In a major step forward for California high-speed rail, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a Record of Decision that approved the alignment from Merced to Fresno, allowing construction to begin next year.
BNSF wins Hay Award at AREMA conference
BNSF was awarded the 2012 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence during the AREMA Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill.
Port Mac rail project progresses with permit
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a Department of the Army permit to the Alaska Railroad Corporation to construct the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension project.
Minnesota Southwest light rail receives state grant
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released $47.5 million in competitive business development grants, including $2 million for the Southwest Light Rail Transit project.
Iowa grants more than $4 million to state railroad projects
The Iowa Transportation Commission approved more than $4 million in funding for nine rail infrastructure and related rail development projects under the Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant (RRLG) program. The rail projects are expected to support the creation and retention of more than 110 jobs within the next three years and spur development of six industrial areas across the state. The proposed developments will leverage millions in new capital investments across the state.
AECOM awarded contract to help Denver RTD complete I-225 rail line
AECOM Technology Corporation was awarded a contract to provide final design services for the Denver Regional Transportation District’s forthcoming I-225 light-rail line.
Metro-North plans New Canaan Branch track maintenance
Track maintenance work on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro-North Railroad’s New Canaan branch, connecting New York to Conneticut, will happen over the course of the next four weeks.
City of Indianapolis receives $900,000 for rail relocation
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded nearly $900,000 to the city of Indianapolis, Ind., to relocate freight rail traffic from the CSX Transportation mainline that goes through the heart of downtown Indianapolis to the nearby Indianapolis Belt Railroad. This project will separate passenger and freight rail operations, remove 10-12 existing grade crossings and improve safety while decreasing congestion and emissions.
BNSF performs maintenance and capacity improvements in Iowa and Illinois
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $154 million on maintenance and capacity improvements in both Iowa and Illinois this year.
LB Foster appoints Kasel SVP, Rail Business
L.B. Foster Company appointed John Kasel to senior vice president, Rail Business. In this new role, Kasel will be responsible for the performance and success of the company’s rail-related businesses, which will be combined under his leadership.
TTCI employees receive “The 2011 SAGE Best Paper Award”
The Editorial Board of Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit presented “The 2011 SAGE Best Paper Award” to researchers at Transportation Technology Center, Inc., including Principal Investigator Huimin Wu, Senior Vice President Technology Semih Kalay and Scientist Harry Tournay for their paper “Development of the wheel‐rail interface management model and its applications in heavy haul operations.”
UP performing $7.4 million in Missouri infrastructure improvements
Union Pacific is enhancing Missouri’s transportation infrastructure by investing $7.4 million in the rail line that runs just west of Jefferson City and Pleasant Hill. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
L.B. Foster provides 11,000 CXT concrete ties for Tesoro refinery
L.B. Foster Company has been awarded a contract by RailWorks Track Systems, Inc., to supply 11,000 of its CXT Concrete Ties for the construction of an unloading facility at the Tesoro oil products refinery in Anacortes, Wash.
CN invests US$35 million in Wisconsin to serve Superior Silica Sands
Canadian National and Superior Silica Sands have entered into a multi-year agreement to move frac sand from a new processing plant now under construction in northern Wisconsin.
2012 chief enigneers’ survey: WISH LIST
Safety remains at the top of engineering department’s list of equipment guidelines.
You want to impress a railroad engineer with a piece of maintenance equipment? Make sure it’s versatile, reliable, as well as easy to maintain, to transport and to use. Above all else, it must be safe.
Maintaining ballast below the ties
Optimal track conditions rely heavily on ballast maintenance.
Ballast doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. For those outside of the industry, the flashy signals, rail and crossties are what railroad lines are made of.