Ontario government pushes forward with previously approved transit plan
Ontario, Canada, is moving forward to deliver the largest transit expansion in the city of Toronto’s history, which will help ease congestion and create thousands of jobs.
ON Track Maintenance
FRA to study NEC improvements, proposes revised passenger emergency preparedness regs
The Federal Railroad Administration issued a Notice of Intent that it will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate potential passenger rail improvements on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston, Mass. The FRA is leading the planning and environmental evaluation of the NEC, an effort known as NEC Future, in close coordination with the involved states, the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission, Amtrak and other stakeholders.
RTD breaks ground on two expansion projects
The Denver Regional Transportation District is breaking ground on two expansion projects. The final structure on the West Rail Line that will serve Denver, Lakewood, Golden and Jefferson County and the first segment of the Northwest Rail Line between Denver Union Station and south Westminster.
Sound Transit sets budget, schedule for Northgate extension
The Seattle Sound Transit Board of Directors adopted a lifetime budget and schedule to extend light rail from the University of Washington to the Northgate area north of Seattle. Sound Transit expects to break ground on the North Link project this summer and open for service in 2021.
HART requests $1.55 billion in New Starts funding
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation submitted a request for $1.55 billion in federal New Starts funding for the Honolulu rail transit project.
CTC approves $61.3 million for SFMTA Central Subway Project
California Transportation Commission unanimously approved a commitment of $61.3 million in state high-speed rail connectivity funds to the The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Central Subway Project.
BNSF plans $92 million capital program in Oklahoma
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $92 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement projects in Oklahoma this year.
Metro-North tweaking summer schedules for construction projects
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad is making minor schedule changes effective Monday, July 2, 2012, on the Hudson and New Haven Lines to accommodate several construction projects. There are no changes on the Harlem Line.
IDOT recommends Springfield 10th Street alignment in Tier 1 DEIS for Chicago to St. Louis corridor
The Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluating high-speed rail service improvements along the 280-mile Chicago to St. Louis Corridor was released on Tuesday, June 26. A key question with the improvements was what route to funnel freight and passenger traffic as it traversed through Springfield, Ill. The Illinois Department of Transportation recommended rail traffic be moved to the existing Norfolk Southern corridor running along 10th Street.
VIA Rail unveils plan to continue modernization
VIA Rail Canada, as part of its ongoing modernization, is taking action to better meet customer demand. VIA Rail is introducing significant improvements to its operations, including tracks, stations and trains, better interconnectivity with other carriers, enhanced customer experience and e-services.
UP plans Illinois infrastructure improvements
Union Pacific plans to enhance Illinois’ transportation infrastructure by investing nearly $25 million in the rail line that runs between Fults (about 30 miles south of Dupo) and near Chester. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by mid-October. This work is in addition to the project Union Pacific is doing in 2012 on the Illinois Department of Transportation’s High Speed Rail corridor between Chicago and St. Louis.
It’s official: USDOT’s TIGER IV grants doled out to 47 projects
Forty-seven transportation projects in 34 states and the District of Columbia will receive a total of almost $500 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2012 program.
UP performing more than $22 million in Nebraska infrastructure improvements
Union Pacific is enhancing Nebraska’s transportation infrastructure by investing more than $22 million in the rail line that runs between O’Fallons, Neb., and the Wyoming border. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by mid-October.
Rail and transit get 21 percent of Virginia’s $11.4 billion transportation program
The Virgina Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved $11.4 billion in allocations for transportation improvement projects over the next six years beginning July 1. The Six-Year Improvement Program distributes funding for highway, road and bridge projects, as well as rail, transit, bicycle, pedestrian and other transportation improvements across the state.
TIGER IV funding light on rail
No official word from the U.S. Department of Transportation has been released regarding awards of the fourth round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, but news from various congressional offices is revealing what projects will benefit from the latest round of grants. The initial tally indicates rail related projects did not fare as well as they had in past TIGER funding cycles, but several key projects will see federal money.
Regional agreement to fund Caltrain modernization is approved
The approval by the city of San Jose, Calif., is the last endorsement needed for a regional agreement to fully fund the modernization of the San Francisco Bay area Caltrain system.
BNSF plans capital programs worth $140 million in Colorado, Wyoming
BNSF plans to invest an estimated $140 million in capital programs in both Colorado and Wyoming this year.
MTA New York City Transit declares latest round of FASTRACK a success
June 15 saw the wrap-up of another round of FASTRACK activities as hundreds of Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit workers completed their tasks along the Lexington Avenue Line prior to the start of the morning rush.
STB proceeds on Tongue River Railroad’s revised construction proposal
The Surface Transportation Board made public its approach for the continuation of the Tongue River Railroad Company, Inc.’s (TRRC) revised proposal to build and operate a new rail line in Montana. This approach takes into account a number of recent changed circumstances and will allow the board to complete its review of TRRC’s current plans for a new railroad line.
Denver RTD receives two sound proposals for I-225 rail project
The Denver Regional Transportation District received two competitive proposals for the I-225 Light Rail Project.