CP confirms termination of exploratory talks with CSX

Canadian Pacific said that exploratory conversations held with CSX concerning a possible business combination have ended.

London Trackwork Inc. wins supply contract for Confederation Line

London Trackwork Inc. has been awarded the supply contract for special trackwork for the Confederation Line in Ottawa, ON, Canada. The contract, worth several million dollars, will take one-and-a-half years to complete.

AECOM completes acquisition of URS Corporation

AECOM completed its acquisition of URS Corporation on Oct. 17, 2014, following approval of the merger agreement by URS’ stockholders and the stock issuance proposal by AECOM’s stockholders at each company’s respective special stockholder meetings held on Oct. 16, 2014.

CTA Board approves minimum wage ordinance for contractors, subcontractors

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board approved an ordinance that will require all CTA contractors and subcontractors to pay their eligible employees a minimum wage of $13 per hour.

New Metra station awarded Illinois funds

A new Metra station at 79th Street in the Chicago neighborhood of Auburn Park-Gresham received a $21.5-million boost in state funds. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced the funds Oct. 11 and is part of the governor’s agenda to create jobs and build infrastructure to drive the state’s economy forward.

FEIS, ROD issued for CREATE’s 75th Street CIP

The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program partners and the Federal Highway Administration announced the availability of the combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (75th Street CIP).

Fairfax County approves streetcar funds

Fairfax County in Virginia approved funding preliminary engineering designs for the planned Columbia Pike Streetcar, a joint project with Arlington County, which serves as the lead partner for the project.

Wisconsin awards funds to six freight projects

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has approved six freight rail improvement projects totaling more than $24 million in grants and loans. The goal of Wisconsin’s freight railroad assistance program is to increase the use of rail transportation and support economic development and job creation.

CTC allocates $78 million to BART maintenance shop and yard improvements project

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $1 billion to repair its transportation system and alleviate traffic delays statewide, including $78 million to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) for its maintenance shop and yard improvements project.

SCVTA marks BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension milestone

On October 13, Hostetter Road at the intersection of the future Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) corridor fully re-opened from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, marking the completion of an important milestone on the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension project.

SEPTA, BLET reach tentative five-year agreement

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), representing 200 rail engineers at Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), have reached a tentative agreement for a new five-year contract with the transit agency that will cover workers through July 2015.

BART Board conditionally earmarks $2.5 million for additional station

A future additional station along the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) eBART extension could receive a $2.5-million boost after a vote October 9 by the BART Board of Directors, who voted to earmark the funds toward the cost of a Pittsburg Center Station at the intersection of Highway 4 and Railroad Avenue.

NJ Transit names chief of its Office of System Safety

New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) appointed Gardner Tabon as the chief of the recently-established Office of System Safety, as part of an initiative to reinvigorate NJ Transit’s corporate-wide safety culture.

Metra unveils $2.4 billion modernization plan; 2015 budget includes 10.8 percent fare increase

Chicago’s Metra released a long-term, multibillion dollar modernization plan focused on replacing the agency’s aging rail cars and locomotives and addressing the ongoing critical need to maintain safe and reliable service for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.

DART re-elects Strauss chair

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) board of directors re-elected Robert Strauss as their chair for the coming year.

HDR wins Sound Transit East Link contract

Sound Transit has awarded HDR its construction management services contract for East Link’s light rail Bellevue Segment. Voters approved the measure to construct and operate a light-rail transit system in the Puget Sound region.

RailComm provides its DOC system to Ferromex

Ferromex railroad has chosen RailComm to provide yard automation to 80-plus newly-installed switch machines, which will be controlled via the RailComm Domain Operations Controller (DOC) in Torreon City, Mexico.

Bentley Systems names Be Inspired finalists

Bentley Systems, Inc., a company dedicated to providing software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, has announced the project finalists in the 2014 Be Inspired Awards competition.

UTU members ratify pacts on two terminal railroads

United Transportation Union Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (UTU-SMART)-represented trainmen, engineers and yardmasters employed by Lake Terminal Railroad have ratified a new six-year agreement by a unanimous vote.

MTA NYCT to close three station platforms for three months

Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit (MTA-NYCT) will close three Manhattan-bound platforms at 104 St-Oxford Avenue and 88 St-Boyd Avenue stations on the A line for three months as part of an ongoing $39-million renewal project at five stations along the Liberty Avenue Line.

LOAD MORE