Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on Jan. 8 toured the Meriden train station on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) rail corridor, which is the site of an ongoing transit-oriented development (TOD) project with a primary focus on stimulating the area within a half-mile of the proposed new Meriden Intermodal Center.
Norfolk Southern assisted 94 industries in locating or expanding their businesses along its rail lines in 2014.
Marking significant progress toward modernizing California’s transportation infrastructure, on Jan. 6 the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) joined hundreds of supporters and government, student, community, transportation, business and labor leaders to break ground on the nation’s first high-speed rail system.
A $996-million federal grant has been awarded to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to extend Green Line light-rail service from East Cambridge to Somerville and Medford.
In 2014, CSX and its customers worked together on 107 projects to build or expand facilities on CSX’s network and shortline partners.
Massachusetts Gov.Deval Patrick joined Reps. Richard Neal (D-MA-1) and James McGovern (D-MA-3), Massachusetts Department of Transportation Acting Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Frank DePaola, local elected officials and community members Dec. 22 for the inaugural run of Amtrak‘s Vermonter service on the Knowledge Corridor.
“This year, the Kansas City Southern management team refined the company’s vision, restating it to be the leading transportation provider both within and between the U.S. and Mexico by consistently providing superior value to our customers, offering challenging careers to our employees and increasing value to our shareholders,” stated KCS’s President and Chief Executive Officer David Starling in his annual “State of the Railroad” memo.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) closed a $403-million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for Fairfax County and a $195 million TIFIA loan for Loudoun County to fund construction of Phase Two of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Silver Line extension.
New York State awarded $17.8 million in funding from the State’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program to 12 rail projects that will repair and replace 65 miles of track and ties, rehabilitate grade crossings and bridges and construct new connections to improve safety and operations.
Four rail projects in South Dakota have received $56 million in public and private funds.
Following months of work, a multitude of inspections and an additional CA$10 million (US$8.6 million) investment, Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQ) got the go-ahead from Transport Canada.
On December 5, CMQ received the official revocation of a series of notices and orders, confirming immediate threats no longer exist on CMQ railway. The notices and orders were transferred to CMQ following its purchase of bankrupt Montreal Maine & Atlantic.
CMQ has spent the past four months installing more than 32,000 new crossties, 110,000 linear feet of rail and 25,000 tons of ballast, upgrading bridges, culverts and crossings, completing surfacing work and removing more than 300 in-track rail defects from its main tracks and sidings. The Sherbrooke subdivision is the 125-mile backbone of CMQ’s Quebec rail line and stretches from Lac-Mégantic to Brookport just east of Farnham.
“We had to make this investment. The line was covered in snow last February and March when we were finally able to begin our diligence, but we made a commitment to Lac-Mégantic Mayor Laroche and citizens, as well as many regulators, that we would address the years of neglect,” said CMQ President and Chief Executive Officer John Giles. “It was an extremely tough undertaking. We had industry peers questioning the amount of work that we signed up for with such a short construction season. I knew we were in good hands with Ron Marshall, general manager of engineering, leading this project with his team.”
When asked about the scope of project, Marshall commented, “This is one of the most challenging construction seasons I’ve ever been involved in. But I knew from my experience working with this team at RailAmerica that I would have the support I needed. This investment demonstrates our team’s commitment to operating the railway in a safe and responsible fashion.”
CMQ considers Phase 1 of its transformation now largely completed.
“Not to say we don’t have a lot more track and infrastructure work to do next spring, but we have already started Phase II, which focuses on growth, customers and interline partners,” said Giles.
National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) selected the winners of its 2014 Safety, Field Employee of the Year, Small Project of the Year and Large Project of the Year awards. The winners will be recognized at this year’s NRC Conference, January 7-10, 2015, in Hollywood, Fla.
The Metra Board of Directors highlighted the need for the $1-billion 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP), which aims to untangle a knot of railroad tracks on the South Side of Chicago, Ill., that causes significant delays for Metra, Amtrak and several freight railroads.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated more than $254 million for 41 transportation projects that it says will enhance the safety and mobility of Californians throughout the state. The allocation includes $102 million for rail projects.
The first light-rail vehicle traveled on the Foothill Gold Line December 9, kicking off the testing phase of the line, which will connect Pasadena and Azusa, Calif.
The Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA) broke ground Dec. 8 on the Wilson Station Reconstruction Project, which will modernize the 91-year-old stationhouse and the station’s more than 100-year-old track structure.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board received an update from Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) officials on its Automated People Mover (APM) project, saying that the light-rail-line could be in service by 2024.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released its proposed $2.9-billion Operating Budget and $3.6-billion Capital Budget. Combined, together with debt service, the proposed agency budget for 2015 totals $7.8 billion in proposed spending.
Beginning on December 4, Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) trains will be operating on a revised schedule as contractors begin work on the next phase of the Ben Franklin Bridge rehabilitation project, which connects Philadelphia, Pa., and Camden, N.J. The new schedule will affect service between midday Thursday and early Monday morning and will remain in effect until early February 2015.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) awarded approximately $560 million to 77 transportation projects including light-rail projects throughout the state.