Ballast, Ties, Rail

UP working on $14.4 million Kansas infrastructure improvements

Union Pacific is enhancing Kansas’ transportation infrastructure by investing $14.4 million in the rail line that runs between Kansas City and just east of Topeka. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The 55-mile project includes replacing nearly 11 miles of rail, along with about a mile of rail in various curves, as well as renewing the surfaces at 83 road crossings. In addition, crews will be replacing 52,400 ties, spreading 21,400 tons of ballast to help provide a more stable roadbed and replacing 14 switches.

DART starts light rail train tests in Irving

Dallas Area Rapid Transit in Texas completed the first light-rail test train into Irving, as it completed the five-mile section between Bachman Station and the Irving Convention Center on Monday, April 9. The first section of the
14-mile Orange Line opens July 30.

WMATA proceeds with “Metro Forward” work

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority released a schedule of planned major track work for the second half of 2012. WMATA’s massive rebuilding effort, known as Metro Forward, will resume with midday trackwork on Monday, April 16 and with weekend trackwork on Friday, April 20.

Harsco awarded international track equipment orders

Harsco Corporation received international orders for its railway track maintenance rail grinders totaling more than $20 million, including the company’s first rail equipment order from South Korea and its first larger-capacity 30-stone rail grinder sale into China’s urban metro transit market.

Metro Gold Line contractor receives Notice To Proceed

California’s Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority issued a Full Notice to Proceed to Foothill Transit Constructors, A Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture for the $486 million Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa light-rail alignment project. The Full Notice to Proceed affords the Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture the ability to implement all aspects of the design-build contract, including design and construction of the 11.5 miles of tracks, stations, crossings, bridges, utilities, maintenance facility and more. The total project budget is $735 million.

IDOT commits $2.2 million to BNSF viaduct replacement project

The Illinois Department of Transportation is committing $2.2 million to complete the engineering and design plans for replacing the BNSF viaduct over Illinois Route 29 in Chillicothe, Ill.

The project will replace the two existing viaducts with a single structure carrying three mainline tracks, a yard track, a service road and a pedestrian walkway.

Brian Thompson Joins Stantec

Brian Thompson joined Stantec as a senior railway engineer in Charlotte, N.C. Thompson has 21 years of experience in the design of mainline and industrial and rail yard tracks, transit design and environmental and civil engineering for the railroad industry.

Heilig joins Progress Rail

Progress Rail Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., has hired Tim Heilig as senior vice president of customer solutions. In this role, Heilig will work with Progress Rail Services and its subsidiary, Electro-Motive Diesel, to enhance the companies’ many products and services. Additionally, he will be involved in helping develop new products.

Port of Los Angeles receives $40.72 million for rail yard project

The Port of Los Angeles received $40.72 million to improve rail operations and access to West Basin rail yards as part of a larger funding allocation from the California Transportation Commission. The CTC distributed $271 million in new funding to 73 projects that will improve the state’s highways and rail systems and enhance the state’s economic recovery.

RT&S launches “Rail Brief” weekly engineering newsletter

The editors of Railway Track & Structures are pleased to bring you “Rail Brief,” a weekly e-mail newsletter that brings breaking news about rail engineering and maintenance-of-way to your inbox. Whether it occurs on or off the track, RT&S “Rail Brief” will cover advancing projects, developing technologies and other updates on rail infrastructure.

KCS improves fluidity with work on Laredo Subdivision

Last week, a Kansas City Southern production gang completed a 50-day effort to install 100,000 crossties and 4.5 track miles of new rail to replace the 112-pound rail in curves. The production gang also renewed crossings and surfaced the track between mileposts 22 and 147 (approximately West Killam to Robstown, Texas) on the Laredo Subdivision.

Unitrac awarded Amtrak contract

Unitrac Railroad Materials, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Healey Railroad Corporation, received a $1.1 million contract to supply special trackwork to Amtrak.

Granite JV awarded $56 million Arizona streetcar project

Granite Construction Incorporated, in a joint-venture with Old Pueblo Trackworks, comprising Granite and RailWorks Track Systems, has been awarded a $56 million contract by the city of Tucson, Airz., to build the first federally-funded streetcar project in more than 60 years. Granite will book its share, approximately $29 million, into backlog during the first quarter of 2012.

Illinois high-speed rail corridor work resumes

The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific will be upgrading Illinois’ high-speed route, Chicago-St. Louis, for future high-speed Amtrak trains, from April 16 through May 25. The improvements for 110-mph service include the installation of new premium rail with concrete crossties and ballast; upgrades to bridges, culverts and drainage; signal and wayside equipment installations and upgrades and roadway-rail grade crossing improvements.