Plasser announces Blechinger as new president
Plasser American Corporation has announced that the company selected Thomas Blechinger as its new President, succeeding Dr. Günther Oberlechner.
Track Structure
Wheeler Lumber hosts South Dakota congressional staff for tour, rail discussion
Wheeler Lumber, a National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member, received a visit from the staff of U.S. Congresswoman Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) for a tour of the company’s Whitewood, South Dakota, facility Sept. 8.
MBTA advances bridge replacement work
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will progress work on the second phase of a bridge replacement project this fall.
Gross & Janes awarded patent for crosstie pre-treatment
Gross & Janes Co. has received a United States Patent for a ‘two-step’ borate pre-treatment dipping process and related equipment the company developed to increase the life of wood railroad crossties.
ConnDOT prefers long span vertical lift bridge for Walk Bridge replacement
The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (ConnDOT) preferred alternative to replace the Walk Bridge in Norwalk, Conn., is a Long Span Vertical Lift bridge.
WSDOT still has $5 million available for freight rail projects
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has reopened the application period for $5 million in loans for freight rail projects.
BNSF completes second track at Pecos River
BNSF has completed double tracking a three-mile segment that crosses the Pecos River near Fort Sumner, N.M.
TriMet completes Rose Quarter MAX improvements
TriMet resumed regular service along MAX light-rail lines Sept. 4 in Portland, Ore., following improvements that were made during the past two weeks.
Sound Transit wraps up Northgate extension tunnel mining
Sound Transit has announced that contractors have completed mining the final of six tunnel segments along the Northgate Link Extension twin tunnels.
Complete failure of cracked rail led to Jan. 2015 CP derailment
A complete failure of an already-cracked rail led to the January 2015 derailment of a Canadian Pacific train near Nipigon, Ontario, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
FTA to Honolulu leaders: No additional funds for rail project
Honolulu, Hawaii, leaders and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials concluded two days of discussions on a Recovery Plan for the Honolulu rail project on Aug. 30.
Springfield Rail Project takes a step forward with completed Carpenter Street underpass
Officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 29 to mark the completion of the Carpenter Street underpass, a grade separation project that will also help support larger rail improvements in Springfield, Ill.
TranSystems wins Hay award at AREMA Conference
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) presented the 2016 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence to TranSystems for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program P-1 Englewood Flyover project.
LACMTA, NCDOT outline plans for federal grants
Officials on opposite sides of the country outlined plans to enhance safety of local rail systems using recently awarded federal funds.
Canada, Ontario reach US$2.3B funding agreement for infrastructure
The government of Canada and the province of Ontario reached an agreement that makes CA$2.97 billion (US$2.3 billion) in combined funding available for infrastructure improvements in the province.
MTA uses special machine to speed up track laying
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that Metropolitan Transportation Authority has completed track laying between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma for the Long Island Rail Road Double Track project (LIRR).
CTC allocates $55M to rail, safety projects in California
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated $814 million to 135 transportation projects in the state and includes $55 million to four rail and safety projects.
Oregon DOT approves nearly $12 million for rail projects
The Oregon Transportation Commission has approved nearly $12 million in funding for rail projects statewide.
WMATA expands East Falls Church derailment investigation
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is expanding the investigation into the East Falls Church derailment to include Metro Transit Police.
Rep. Blum tours HiRAIL Corp.
More than 20 Class 1 and shortline railroad representatives, local officials and other industry stakeholders joined HiRAIL Corporation Aug. 18 for a tour of its facility and discussion with Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA).