Bells & Whistles—WMATA not ready to fix rail due to rail car wheel issue
The top news stories we were following the week ending Sept. 23.
Track Maintenance
Washington Metro on possible track issues behind rail car wheel problems: ‘WMATA is treading carefully’
Washington Metro’s Vice President and Assistant Chief Safety Officer Jayme Johnson wants everyone to know that the NTSB investigation involving the 7000-series rail car is still ongoing, and that no definitive conclusions have been made.
APTA calls on Congress for needed funding following severe natural events
Transit agencies across the U.S. have some unmet needs due to severe natural events, and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is taking the natural route for funding.
U.S. DOT announces grant awards for improvement of rail-highway crossings
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $59 million in grant awards for rail-highway grade crossings in California, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.
MBTA does five years’ worth of rail improvements in 30 days; addresses FTA Special Directive
The MBTA announced that service on the Orange Line and Green Line Union Square resumed on Sept. 19.
MTA track replaced with proven updated design
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that normal J and Z service was restored by 5 a.m. on Sept. 19 between the 121 Street and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stations in Queens following completion of approximately 2.4 miles of track replacement.
Closure of MBTA Green Line D Branch planned for infrastructure upgrades
Beginning Saturday, Sept. 24, the Green Line D Branch will close for three nine-day, full-access closures.
Union Pacific will replace ties on Metra’s UP-North Line
Union Pacific is about to embark on a major tie project over 45 miles of its Metra UP-North Line. The portion of the line receiving the new ties runs from Kenosha and Chicago, and the work will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
September issue of RT&S is now online
The September issue of RT&S features our 2022 Engineer of the Year John Cech from BNSF.
Watch: Federal grant awarded to BNSF’s Salmon Bay Bridge project
On Sept. 9, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced that $25 million will be awarded to the Salmon Bay Bridge project by the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program.
Watch: MBTA releases video of work being executed on Orange Line
MBTA’s Orange Line is now 69% complete
Passenger line from Montreal to Boston is being talked about again, but rail needs work
Instead of high speed it will take it slow and luxurious, but a passenger line between Boston and Montreal could be a real possibility.
Bells & Whistles—Southwest Corridor light rail project takes an unexpected hit
The top news stories of the week ending Sept. 9.
Scenic railroad closed due to damaged crossties
There will not be much to see of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad line over the coming days.
Fire in crosstie yard leads to evacuations; officials say heat could be the cause
Firefighters from multiple departments spent much of Sept. 7 battling a crosstie fire in Hazen, Nev.
BART shuts down service due to ‘kink in the rail’
Heat continues to get in the way for BART.
MBTA Orange Line work reaches halfway mark
The MBTA has announced that 50% of the work taking place along the Orange Line during the 30-day closure is complete.
Record-breaking CRISI funding will help fuel ‘railroad revolution’
The U.S. DOT has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing the availability of over $1.4 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant funding.
MBTA has been responding to FTA’s safety concerns, but more work is on the horizon
The MBTA launched the Quality, Compliance, and Oversight Office to address the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) findings contained in the Safety Management Inspection report.
FTA hands MBTA another list of needed safety changes
Following a safety inspection of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) rail transit system, the U.S. DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a report of findings and informed both MBTA and the state agency in charge of its oversight—the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU)—of needed safety changes that are in addition to directives FTA announced in June.