Denham named rail subcommittee chair
Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was named chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee for the 113th Congress.
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OSHA, BNSF sign accord regarding whistleblower policies
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has signed an accord with BNSF, announcing the railroad’s voluntary revision of several personnel policies that OSHA alleged violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) and dissuaded workers from reporting on-the-job injuries.
Watco names two to safety roles
Watco Transportation Services named Josh McCormack regional safety manager for the East Region. He will assist the East Region railroads, the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR), as well as East Region switching sites by ensuring the highest standards of training and compliance are met.
MassDOT’s transportation plan includes $3.8 billion in rail projects
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board and Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard Davey set a plan for the next generation of transportation investment in the commonwealth.
HART: Initial project delay costs lower than anticipated
Construction delay costs for the rail transit project stemming from the recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling, halting construction until archaeological fieldwork is complete, are coming in lower than budgeted, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) said.
Kirkland named GM of Autauga Northern Railroad
Watco Transportation Services named Anthony Kirkland general manager at the Autauga Northern Railroad (AUT).
RailComm to provide train control system to Northshore Mining
RailComm has been chosen to provide its Domain Operations Controller (DOC) train control system for Northshore Mining in Silver Bar, Minn.
NJ Transit to restore full-service into New York post Superstorm Sandy
New NJ Transit rail schedules take effect on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, will include additional trains on the North Jersey Coast Line that will restore service levels into New York to 100 percent, reflecting the agency’s ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery and repair.
Amtrak adds two new board members
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Christopher Beall are expected to assume their new responsibilities as members of the Amtrak Board of Directors soon.
Amtrak plans significant infrastructure projects for 2013
Amtrak has set out to work on a long list of infrastructure projects during 2013.
NYCT FASTRACK comes to the Grand Concourse
Metropolitan Transit Authority New York City is bringing FASTRACK to line segments outside of the Central Business District and Downtown Brooklyn.
VIA Rail notes ridership rise on the Canadian
Between Dec. 20 and Jan. 6, VIA Rail Canada welcomed 14 percent more passengers than last year on its service, The Canadian.
Customer site investments on CSX total $3.2 Billion in 2012
CSX worked with its customers in 2012 to locate 105 new or expanded facilities on its eastern rail network or on connecting shortlines.
Amtrak adds weekday Acela Express round-trip
Amtrak is expanding its Northeast Corridor high-speed rail service with the addition of a new weekday Acela Express round-trip between New York and Washington, D.C, beginning on Jan. 28.
Watco names Thompson WWAR operations director
Western Australia Rail (WWAR) named Darrell Thompson as operations director. He will be responsible for verifying the operating plans based on customer tonnage projections and the weekly rail plan schedule provided and approved by the customer service logistics manager.
Feds commit $135 million to extend Sacramento Light Rail Blue Line
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has committed $135 million to extend the existing Sacramento Light Rail Blue Line by 4.3 miles, linking downtown Sacramento, Calif., to the growing South Sacramento County corridor.
RTA: 45G tax credit raises 2013 tie forecast
The 45G infrastructure tax credit for shortline railroads has been authorized retroactively for 2012 and extended for 2013. The Railway Tie Association (RTA) responded to this news, saying that for RTA members, this is a game changing piece of legislation for hardwood and softwood tie demand for 2013.
Minnesota’s Metropolitan Council awards preliminary engineering contract for Southwest LRT
AECOM Technology Corporation was awarded a $16.8-million contract by the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities to perform preliminary engineering work on the Southwest Light Rail Transit line in Minneapolis, Minn.
Balfour Beatty Rail promotes and expands operations positions
The Rail Services division of Balfour Beatty Rail, Inc., has promoted and expanded the roles of key operational personnel, as well as consolidated office operations.
R & R Contracting acquires Oberkramer Contracting
RR Mergers & Acquisitions, a specialist in the sale of rail service and rail supplier companies in North America, said R & R Contracting has acquired Oberkramer Contracting.