The Denver, Colo., Regional Transportation District (RTD) staff has recommended its board of directors to move forward with a proposal from Graham, Balfour Beatty, Hamon Constructors (GBBH) to design and build the North Metro Rail Line to 124th Avenue. The proposal commits to completing construction of the line to 124th by January 2018.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has closed seven more of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) outstanding safety recommendations, bringing the total number of recommendations closed to 20 out of 29.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has awarded its 2013 North American Environmental Employee Excellence Award to CSX Manager of Environmental Remediation Matthew Adkins. Adkins was one of seven industry professionals nominated for this annual award and is the sixth CSX employee to win in the past 12 years.
In Portland, Ore., TriMet reorganized its Operations Division with a goal to improve service to riders with greater reliability.
In Illinois, Fox River Grove President Robert Nunamaker, Metra Board Member Jack Schaffer, interim Executive Director Don Orseno and other officials dedicated the newly rebuilt Metra Fox River Grove Station on the UP Northwest Line.
Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) four-year labor contract agreements have been approved by its two largest unions. According to BART, the agreements lay the groundwork for continued reliable service for years to come.
Washington state’s Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Advisory Council (RAC) has given its unanimous approval of a report affirming cooperation on future uses of the corridor.
BNSF selected Montana Rail Link, Inc. (MRL) as its 2013 Shortline of the Year for its significant growth and continued emphasis on a strong safety record. In addition, Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad (BDW) won the Special Recognition Award. The awards were presented during the annual BNSF Shortline Conference on October 21 in Irving, Texas.
Canadian National has reached tentative collective agreements with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference – Conductors, Trainpersons and Yardpersons (TCRC-CTY).
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to extend the Silver Line to South Station and the Seaport District with East Boston.
“Growth requires investment and connecting the people of Chelsea directly to the airport, Seaport District and South Station and will bring new opportunities for the residents of these communities,” said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. “If we want to expand opportunity in our commonwealth, this is what government must do and do well.”
The Silver Line Gateway Expansion will create a new branch of the MBTA Silver Line service that will connect South Station and the Seaport District with East Boston and Chelsea. This service is projected to carry 9,000 riders per day with an estimated travel time of 15 to 19 minutes from the Seaport to Chelsea, connecting thousands of residents north of downtown Boston with work and play opportunities in the rapidly growing Seaport District.
The Silver Line Gateway Expansion will also include the modernization of the Chelsea passenger rail station, which will be relocated to Everett Avenue as part of a new multimodal Silver Line/passenger rail station that will be fully accessible. In addition, Massachusetts Department of Transportation will begin reconstruction on the Washington Avenue Bridge.
The project is will cost an estimated $82.5 million, with the bulk of funding, $20 million, being dedicated to the new Chelsea passenger rail station. Service is expected to begin in late 2015.
San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad (SPSR) will celebrate its 10th anniversary on November 3. Based in Benson, Ariz., where it connects with Union Pacific’s Los Angeles-Chicago main line, SPSR began operations in 2003 after acquiring the line from RailAmerica, Inc. (now Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.).
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) unveiled the newly renovated and enhanced Queens Village LIRR Station.
Harsco Rail received a railway track and infrastructure maintenance equipment award from SBB, the federal railway system of Switzerland.
The Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation, led by the panel’s Chairman, U.S. Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) and Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), released its final report on the current state of freight transportation in the United States and its recommendations for freight transportation improvements to strengthen the U.S. economy.
Officials on October 29 toured Lower Manhattan to see some of the emerging technologies the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is considering as part of the agency’s hardening and resiliency efforts to protect the system from future storms.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) has been informed by the Hawaii tax department that it will receive more than $63.7 million in General Excise and Use Tax (GET) surcharge revenue this quarter.
Pacific Imperial Railroad, which provides freight services on the Desert Line servicing the Tijuana-Tecate region of Baja California, Mexico and eastern San Diego County through its 99-year lease with the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), has made changes to its senior management team. Donald Stoecklein has chosen to retire as president to focus on his family and other ventures.
BNSF’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tom Hund will retire during the first quarter of 2014. Hund will be replaced by Julie Piggott, currently vice president, planning and studies and controller.
Lingering latent salt residue left by Superstorm Sandy’s extensive flooding inside the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. (PATH) rail tunnels will be removed, with corroded cables, track and other equipment replaced, under a $50-million project authorization approved by PATH’s Board of Commissioners.