TCRC- MWED and Canadian Pacific reach tentative contract agreement

Canadian Pacific and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC-MWED), which represents 2,600 maintenance-of-way workers, reached a tentative five-year contract settlement.

BLET members ratify new contract at Montana Rail Link

By a better than three-to-one majority, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Montana Rail Link (MRL) on November 20. The agreement covers approximately 400 members.

UIC Innovation and Railway Research Awards recognizes TTCI’s freight research

The inaugural International Union of Railways (UIC) Innovation and Railway Research Awards were held in Paris, France, on Dec. 11, where Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI) was recognized for its freight research at its Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST).

L.B. Foster, Union Pacific enter agreement for concrete crossties

L.B. Foster Company has agreed on a multi-year contract extension with Union Pacific for the supply of prestressed concrete railroad ties from its Tucson, Ariz., facility. The previous supply contract was set to expire on December 31, 2012.

Progress Rail mobile welding assets from RibbonWeld LLC

Progress Rail Services Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., has purchased mobile welding assets from RibbonWeld LLC, a rail welding company based in Springfield, Mo.

Plans advance for Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center

An agreement has been reached for Amtrak to continue to own and operate the new $23-million Rochester Intermodal Transportation Center in Rochester, N.Y., at the existing Amtrak station location on 320 Central Avenue.

Washington state Oks funds to improve three crossings

Washington state regulators approved funds to improve the safety of three railroad crossings in Kelso, Longview and Oakesdale, Wash.

NRC names 2012 special award recipients

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) released the list of winners of the 2012 Field Employee and Rail Construction Project of the Year Awards.

Calgary opens West LRT, completes 7 Avenue project

In Calgary, AB, Canada, the city’s West LRT line officially opened on Dec. 10.

Three California commuter rail projects get state funds

The California Transportation Commission allocated $108.7 million to three commuter rail projects that will help ease traffic congestion, improve safety and support economic growth.

LIRR full rush service returns following signal repair

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) will operate full morning and evening rush hour service beginning Monday, Dec. 10, as a result of Amtrak restoring the signal system capacity in one of its two flood-damaged East River tunnels.

St. Paul Union Depot restoration completed

Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) in St. Paul, Minn., completed the $243-million historic restoration of the 90-year-old Union Depot train station.

Final early works contract for the Evergreen Line awarded

The final early works contract for the Evergreen Line in British Columbia, Canada, has been awarded, which lays the groundwork for major construction and helps to keep the project on track for 2016.

Alton & Southern to expand RailComm system

Alton and Southern Railroad will expand its existing RailComm Yard Control System by adding several new components to the yard.

Santa Clara VTA receives state funding to expand BART facilities

California Transportation Commission (CTC) has voted unanimously to allocate $50 million in state funding to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).

Amtrak requests $336 million in emergency funds

Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman told a U.S. Senate committee the New York region needs to strengthen rail capacity and resiliency in order to create “a better ability to resist damage, recover from an event and return the rail system to service” following major disasters.

Canada’s transit ridership continues growth

According to the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), public transit ridership for the first six months of 2012 showed remarkable growth across Canada, registering an increase of 3.2 percent during the same period a year earlier.

Honolulu city council authorizes FTA grant for rail project

The Honolulu City Council voted eight to one in favor of authorizing the execution of the $1.55-billion Full Funding Grant Agreement with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the Honolulu rail project.

Ottawa recommends Rideau Transit Group for light-rail project

In Ottawa, ON, Canada, city staff has recommended that the international consortium known as the Rideau Transit Group be awarded the contract to design, build, finance and maintain the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT) project.

Canadian Pacific outlines vision for future, weighs interest in DM&E west end

Canadian Pacific has outlined the railroad’s go-forward plan for change with plans to improve service, increase efficiency, lower cost and grow the business.

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