Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed James Smith, Jr., as secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Robert Smith as the administrator for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are accepting public comments on a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Evaluation for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project.
HART and FTA officials have prepared a Draft Supplemental EIS Evaluation for the Rail Project as required by a recent U.S. District Court ruling. The draft covers the re-evaluations of the Beretania Street Tunnel Alternative and Mother Waldron Neighborhood Park.
A public hearing will be held on July 9 at the Neal Blaisdell Center. Comments will be accepted both orally and in writing at the hearing.
The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is a 20-mile elevated rail line that will connect West Oahu with downtown Honolulu and Ala Moana Center. The rail system includes 21 stations at key education, employment and retail destinations, including UH-West Oahu, Leeward and Honolulu community colleges, Honolulu International Airport, Downtown Honolulu, Pearl Harbor and Ala Moana and Pearlridge shopping centers.
The first 10 miles of the rail system from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium is expected to open in 2017, with the full 20-mile line opening in 2019.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) Board of Directors has voted to transfer full leadership and funding for rail planning in the Altamont Corridor to the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC).
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved construction authorization at four highway-rail grade crossings in Crawford, Darke, Medina and Preble counties.
Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider, Springfield Mayor Michael Houston and Sangamon County Chairman Andy Van Meter signed an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement (IGA) to advance design work as a part of the 10th Street Railroad Consolidation Plan.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a safety advisory June 3 on the importance railroad safety procedures to ensure the safety of the traveling public and railroad employees when grade-crossing warning systems and wayside signal systems are temporarily removed from service for purposes of testing, inspection, maintenance or repair.
RailComm has provided its yard control system to a yard in Geismar, La. The yard is now able to wirelessly control 26 switches using RailComm’s Domain Operations Controller (DOC) system, RailComm’s RADiANT data radios, universal switch machine controllers and two hardened, outdoor rated PCs.
United Transportation Union Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (UTU-SMART)-represented hostlers employed by Canadian National have ratified a new five-year agreement by a unanimous majority.
ACF Industries’ rail car manufacturing plant in Milton, Pa., reopened its doors June 5, 2013 after four years of being shut down.
Delcan, a multi-disciplinary, engineering, planning, management and technology firm, appointed six to principal, senior principal and vice president positions.
A new survey released indicates that there is growing support for expanding public transportation.
Siemens is currently installing the its Sitras SES Energy Storage Unit with supercapacitor technology in the U.S. on the new TriMet Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Line.
Coos Bay Rail Link (CBR) and the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay have signed a 10-year agreement, effective May 31, authorizing CBR to be the operator the 134-mile line.
America’s privately owned Class 1 freight railroads could lose revenue up to 80 percent of their entire annual capital budgets if a forced competition scheme proposed by the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) was adopted, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said in comments filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB).
Union Pacific published its 2012 Sustainability and Citizenship Report, underscoring the company’s innovations in the areas of environmental stewardship, safe operations, employee well-being, community development and customer value, as well as its commitment to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance and ethics.
Sound Transit opened six bids for the contract to mine 3.4 miles of twin light-rail tunnels between Husky Stadium at the University of Washington and the Northgate Mall area in Seattle, Wash.
United Transportation Union Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation workers (UTU-SMART)-represented train and engine workers employed by Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Company have ratified a new five-year agreement by an overwhelming 89 percent majority.
The agreement provides for wage increases equal to the 2011 national UTU agreement, including percentage increases to crew consist payments, full back-pay and increases in training pay.
The agreement also provides improved bereavement leave, establishes a Rule-G bypass agreement and establishes a health and welfare benefit package that replicates the National Health and Welfare package, including the Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit Plan.
Lake Superior & Ishpeming’s primary business is the transportation of iron ore over a 16-mile shortline from the Empire-Tilden Mine, operated by Cliffs Natural Resources, south of Ishpeming, to Lake Superior for transport.
The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railway was organized in 1893 as a subsidiary of Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company (now Cliffs Natural Resources), the iron ore mining company. From its beginning, the railroad’s primary business was the transport of iron ore from the Marquette Iron Range, west of Marquette, to docks on Lake Superior, from which the ore could be shipped to steel mills on the lower Great Lakes.
The National Freight Advisory Committee (NFAC) has named its list of members, a diverse group of professionals that will provide advice and recommendations aimed at improving the national freight transportation system.
Watco Transportation Services has named Brit Sonnier as general manager for the Baton Rouge Southern Railroad (BRS).
Canadian National (CN) is accelerating work on the $33-million upgrading of its Whitehall Subdivision in Wisconsin to increase car-loading capacity and train velocity for the growing frac sand supply chains
