Rep. Brad Ashford (D-NE-2) joined representatives from NMC Railway Systems for a tour of the company’s Omaha facility and discussion of public policy priorities for the local business and rail communities.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is soliciting applications for $10 million in competitive grant funding available to states to improve highway-rail grade crossings and track along routes that transport energy products, such as crude oil and ethanol.
The guidelines for the grant applications set by the FRA encourage states to include innovative solutions to improve safety, especially at highway-rail grade crossings. The funding is part of the Railroad Safety grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products (STEP) by Rail Program.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation has made increasing safety at highway-rail grade crossings, especially along routes transporting energy products, one of its top priorities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This money allows the department to support innovative ideas and solutions developed at the local level and I encourage states to apply for this funding.”
Highway-rail grade crossings collisions are the second-leading cause of all railroad-related fatalities. Last year, 269 individuals died in these collisions. While the number of fatalities has decreased for the last several decades, this number increased last year for the first time this decade.
FRA notes that highway-rail grade crossing accidents are frequently the result of a driver’s lack of awareness of a crossing or an oncoming train or a driver’s attempt to “beat the train.” Earlier this year, FRA ramped up its campaign to prevent collisions and save lives at highway-rail grade crossings through greater education, stronger enforcement and smarter engineering. To accomplish this, FRA developed key partnerships and has: worked with Google and other technology companies to integrate FRA’s grade-crossing location data to provide audio and visual alerts when using turn-by-turn navigation applications; partnered with local law enforcement agencies to increase enforcement at railroad crossings and supported research on grade crossing technology.
“Most of these deaths are completely preventable and that is why the Federal Railroad Administration has redoubled its efforts to reverse last year’s upward trend. These funds will allow states to take innovative ideas and make them a reality to increase safety and decrease fatalities,” said FRA Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg.
Through the GROW AMERICA Act, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has proposed creating new grant program that would make $250 million available to local communities for highway-rail grade crossings, as well as other critical rail infrastructure projects. In addition, USDOT has proposed continuing Federal Highway Administration’s $220-million per-year dedicated grant program for highway-rail grade-crossing projects.
Earlier this year, USDOT released its rule that raises the bar on the safety of transporting crude oil by rail. The rule requires stronger tank cars and 21st century electronically controlled pneumatic brakes that activate simultaneously on all tank cars, reduce the distance and time needed for a train to stop and keep more tank cars on the track if a train does derail. USDOT has also required that railroads transporting crude oil notify State Emergency Response Commissions of the movement of crude oil through individual states.
Broomfield, Colo.-based Encore Rail Systems, Inc., a single-source provider of tie plugging and rail seat abrasion prevention and repair equipment and compounds, on Sept. 2, 2015 announced the retirement of Doug Delmonico, the company’s Founder.
Twin Eagle Sand Logistics, LLC, a subsidiary of Twin Eagle Resource Management, LLC, has broken ground on the Permian Rail Park located on the Union Pacific, approximately eight miles west of the city of Big Spring, Texas. The 530-acre rail park is Twin Eagle’s fifth terminal development and is centrally located to serve the Eastern side of the Permian Basin.
Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) will begin the final stages of its 18-month effort to completely rehabilitate the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Workers began installing the first sections of rail on the $388-million Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Double Track Project, which will build a second track over an 18-mile stretch between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma stations.
The Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety advisory to emphasize the importance of timely repairs of ballast defects and conditions on main tracks.
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Rep. Larry Bucshon (D-IN-8) and Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann celebrated August 20 at the grand opening of Indiana Rail Road’s (INRD) new White River Bridge.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for its Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) located at the Harry Schnabel, Jr., Lab.
The Mississippi Transportation Commission (MTC) has given its approval for the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to award $1.44 million in grants to several railroads across the state for maintenance and improvement projects.
Lindsey Collins has joined the NRC (National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association) as Vice President of Grassroots Advocacy.
Whitmore has hired Douglas Reid as vice president of product development. He brings more than 20 years of experience to the Whitmore leadership team in the areas of new business development, marketing and product management.
For the first time this year, Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit’s FASTRACK program returns to stations along the 1, 2 and 3 lines between Midtown Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn for two consecutive weeks starting August 17.
TNW Corporation (TNW), operator of shortline railroads and logistics centers, has completed a multimillion dollar upgrade at its Panhandle Logistics Center, which is located on the TXNW Railway complex in Sunray, Texas.
As part of Metra‘s continued efforts to maintain and improve the quality and reliability of its service, a major tie replacement and track resurfacing project will begin August 17 on the Rock Island Line to Joliet.
The West Rail Bridge, the first rail bridge connecting U.S. and Mexico in more than 100 years, became operational August 7.
Legislators voiced support for the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) rail-roadway grade-separation projects during a progress update briefing, which focused on six projects in construction or final design and located in the cities of San Gabriel, Industry and Pico Rivera and unincorporated Los Angeles County, including Rowland Heights.
Crews will be out along Metro-North Railroad’s New Canaan Branch in Connecticut during the first four weekends of August to renew railroad crossings at three intersections with local streets and rebuild the railroad bridge over the Merritt Parkway.
One of the bridges along Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) North Metro Rail Line will be the longest in the FasTracks program. It will also be the longest bridge in Colorado. Construction began in early August 2015 and it will take about two years to complete.