The 20th Annual AAR Research Review was held March 31-April 1 in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the Hotel Elegante. The review brought approximately 550 attendees to the event, which had a theme of “Research Innovation for Current and Future Needs of North American Railways.”
Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have moved to begin tunneling the western segment of the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown light-rail transit (LRT).
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (R-TN-09) joined representatives from Atlantic Track and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) for a tour of Atlantic Track’s Memphis, Tenn., operations and facility.
The first railroad bridge to be built in more than a century connecting the U.S. and Mexico is expected to be operational by the second half of 2015.
Sterling Construction Company, Inc.’s subsidiary, Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company, LLC (RLW) was selected as a major subcontractor for a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Graham Contracting on construction of the Skyway Bridge for North Metro Rail in Denver, Colo. Construction of the 9,800-foot bridge is planned to begin in May 2015 and to take two years to complete. RLW’s portion of the project has a value of approximately $29 million.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is making $500 million available for the seventh round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), through its Rail Freight Assistance Program, doled out more than $20 million in grants for rail improvement projects throughout the state.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) plans to suspend weekend service on the Fitchburg Line from April 25 until November 22.
Two bills of substantial importance to railroads—Staggers Rail Act revisions as part of reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Board (STB), and extension of the deadline to implement Positive Train Control (PTC)—took meaningful steps forward March 25, gaining the imprimatur of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Oregon’s TriMet said construction activities surrounding the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project are now “substantially complete” with some intermittent work taking place this summer.
The Long Island Rail Road’s $45-million Colonial Road Improvement Project is now underway. The Colonial Road Bridge will close to vehicular traffic March 30 and contractors prepare to demolish the 115-year old bridge that spans the tracks in the Village of Thomaston near the LIRR’s Great Neck Station.
Canadian National has planned its annual major work program for the Quebec Bridge.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and Metro-North Railroad this spring will be making critical repairs on the Devon Bridge on the New Haven commuter rail line and doing maintenance work on the line’s Waterbury Branch.
U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) introduced the Track, Railroad, and Infrastructure Network (TRAIN) Act, which the senators say will reform the environmental permitting process for rail projects in order to facilitate a more efficient way to approve rail infrastructure.
Kansas City Southern is investing approximately $18 million in construction and improvement projects on its Laredo Subdivision from Laredo to Corpus Christi, Texas.
U.S. Rep. and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Jeff Denham (R-CA) joined representatives from HDR, Inc., and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) for a tour of the Colton Crossing Rail-to-Rail Grade Separation Project.
The Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) released plans for a $17.5-million capital program in 2015 that will focus heavily on bridge projects, a trend it anticipates will continue in the future.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) seeks public input on a plan for prioritized improvements to the Palouse and Coulee City (PCC) Rail system in eastern Washington. Once finalized, the plan will be used to help develop future funding, policy and planning goals.
In Minneapolis, Minn., the Metropolitan Council and the Park and Recreation Board have reached an understanding on the Southwest Light Rail Transit (Green Line Extension) crossing of the Kenilworth Channel.