Extenders bill passes out of Senate Finance Committee, includes 45G for shortlines

The Senate Finance Committee passed legislation, Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act, on April 3 renewing a set of provisions known as “tax extenders.”

SFMTA begins rail rehab project

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) began a project in late March to rehabilitate aging rails on San Jose Avenue, adjacent to the Cam Beach Yard near Balboa Park Station.

Canada’s TSB attributes CP derailment to poor drainage

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) published its report on an April 2013 Canadian Pacific accident and found poor drainage and water-damaged track bed led to 17 cars derailing.

IntegriCo Composites moving to Louisiana

IntegriCo Composites is making a $20 million capital investment to establish a manufacturing facility near Springhill, La., that will produce transportation infrastructure components including crossties, rail crossings and industrial mats from landfill-bound plastic waste. The company also will relocate its corporate headquarters from Temple, Texas, to Webster Parish, La.

Shallow LRT tunnels, LRT over channel on bridge recommended for Southwest LRT project

According to the Metropolitan Council, the Southwest Light Rail Transit staff in Minneapolis, Minn., has recommended building shallow tunnels for light- rail tracks and a bridge over a channel between two lakes for the Southwest Light Rail Transit Green Line Extension. Planners also recommended keeping Mitchell Station as the westernmost station in Eden Prairie.

NYSDOT performs second round of inspections to guard against CBR accidents

New York state will make additional efforts to protect residents from potential disasters involving the transport of crude oil.

DART accelerates opening date for DFW Airport Station

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will connect North Texas commuter to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW Airport) four months early and under budget with the opening of DFW Airport Station August 18.

CTC allocates funds for ACE grade separation project

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated $334 million in funding to 53 projects, including $48 million to the Alameda Corridor East – Construction Authority (ACE) Puente Avenue Grade Separation Project.

NCDOT begins series of PIP rail improvements between Salisbury and Kannapolis

On March 24, the N.C. Department of Transportation will begin a rail project to add 11 miles of second track to the Norfolk Southern line between Salisbury and Kannapolis. The work will involve upgrading some railroad crossings and permanently closing others, extending Kimball Road from Main Street to Center Avenue and constructing a bridge carrying the North Carolina Railroad tracks over Kimball Road.

UP performing nearly $11.8 million in improvements to Missouri infrastructure

Union Pacific will strengthen Missouri’s transportation infrastructure by investing nearly $11.8 million in the rail line between near Kansas City, Mo., and near Marshall, Mo. The project, funded entirely by UP, began March 18 and is scheduled to be completed by June 2, 2014.

FTA grants Maryland Purple Line environmental approval

The Maryland Transit Administration’s (MTA) Purple Line light-rail project received Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation.

TTCI hosts Senate and House Appropriation Committee members for facility tour

On March 18, members of the Senate and House Appropriation Committee toured the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Transportation Technology Center (TTC), near Pueblo, Colo., to learn firsthand about the activities being performed at the site.

CTA begins Blue Line overhaul this weekend

The Chicago Transit Authority’s Your New Blue track and station improvement program for the Blue Line O’Hare branch will begin this weekend, with track closures between Western and Logan Square.

RTD FasTracks breaks ground on North Metro Rail Line

Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks broke ground March 20 on the North Metro Rail Line, a new passenger rail service that will improve transit options for Denver’s northern communities when it opens in 2018.

NJ mayors band together for light rail extension

Englewood, N.J., Mayor Frank Huttle III, along with 11 other mayors in the state have formed a mayors’ commission to spearhead a plan to extend the northern portion of New Jersey Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line through Bergen County.

Study puts price of New Orleans to Baton Rouge passenger train at $262 million

A study by HNTB Corp. indicates that a passenger train linking New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., on existing freight tracks, with stops in between, could begin two daily trips, ultimately growing to regular service with a possible station near the New Orleans International Airport.

Maintaining ballast

Technological advancements are being incorporated into North American ballast maintenance products and services.

CREATE keeps Chicago rail moving

In it’s 11th year, the CREATE program continues its capacity and safety enhancements to secure Chicago’s place in a strong national rail network.

UP performing $4.5 million in trackwork between Nebraska and Iowa

Union Pacific will strengthen transportation infrastructure in Nebraska and Iowa by investing nearly $4.5 million in the rail line between Omaha, Neb., and near Missouri Valley, Iowa. The project, funded entirely by Union Pacific, began March 5 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of May.

UNITRAC, NRC host Rep. Duncan for Knoxville facility tour

U.S. Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN-02), joined representatives from UNITRAC Railroad Materials, the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC), the Gulf & Ohio Railway and Nisus Corp. for a tour of UNITRAC’s manufacturing facility in Knoxville, Tenn., on March 17.

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