ASCE Honors Thomas Viaduct Railroad Bridge
ELKRIDGE, Md. – The Thomas Viaduct Railroad Bridge was honored as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the Maryland chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Track Structure
SANDAG Starts Phase 5 of Del Mar Bluffs Project
DEL MAR, Calif. – A seawall will be constructed at 11th street as part of SANDAG’s project to stabilize the bluffs at Del Mar.
Camp Hall Rail Project Construction Moves Forward in South Carolina
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Palmetto Railways’ Camp Hall Rail Project continues in 5 phases before completion in spring 2026.
South Coast Rail Construction Almost Complete
TAUNTON, Mass. – Construction on the South Coast Rail project between Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts is nearing completion. Once that occurs, safety testing can begin.
WATCH: SMART Gauntlet Track Construction for Petaluma North Station
PETALUMA, Calif. – From April 13th to 14th, SMART will have a partial system closure to install a gauntlet track for a new Petaluma North station.
Saskatchewan Short Lines Receive C$530K in SRIP Allocations
SASKATCHEWAN – The government of Saskatchewan announced it is investing C$530,000 in short line rail infrastructure.
Track Inspections and Speed Restrictions After 4.8 Earthquake in NJ; Amtrak, CSX, MTA (UPDATED 4/8)
WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. – After a 4.8 earthquake, Amtrak implements speed restrictions and performs track inspections. CSX inspected bridges and related structures.
Metra Outlines 2024 Construction Plan
CHICAGO – Metra on April 3 detailed its construction program for 2024, covering station, track, road crossing, bridge, and signal/communications improvement projects along the Chicagoland commuter railroad’s 11 lines totaling nearly 500 route-miles. In addition
Smart Rocks, Smart Tamper: Investigating the Mechanics of Ballast Tamping
ATLANTA – Railway Track & Structures, April 2024 Issue: There are many forces that work to deteriorate track geometry over time. These forces don’t begin and end at the wheel/rail interface; they are transmitted to the vehicles and their components and into the track structure and its components. On ballasted track, ballast absorbs these forces, and its maintenance is critical to preserving and correcting several types of track geometry defects.
SANDAG’s Draft Budget for FY2025 Includes Del Mar Bluffs Stabilization
DEL MAR, Calif. – A draft budget was approved by SANDAG and includes details about stabilizing the Del Mar Bluffs and a rail realignment plan.
2021 CP Derailment Caused by Undetected Rail Flaw
Winnipeg, MANITOBA – The TSB in Canada reported an undetected rail flaw led to a broken rail and subsequent derailment of a CP train back in October 2021.
Boosting Rail Safety and Efficiency: Pioneering Autonomous Inspections and Predictive Maintenance with ENSCO
In the rapidly evolving world of rail infrastructure management, a groundbreaking approach is revolutionizing safety and efficiency. ENSCO, a leader in inspection technologies and engineering solutions, is at the forefront of this transformation, leveraging autonomous data acquisition, advanced sensor technologies, and predictive analytics to redefine rail maintenance globally.
TriMet’s MAX Blue Line Disruption in April for Rail Crossing Upgrades
PORTLAND, Ore. – A section of Gresham’s MAX Blue Line will be closed for a week in April to allow for rail crossing upgrades.
Passenger Service Resumes in San Clemente; OCTA Seeking Long-Term Solutions
SAN CLEMENTE – Two months after a landslide halted passenger service at Mariposa Point, OCTA announces the completion of a catchment wall has allowed regular passenger service to resume.
Bridge Collapse Shuts Down Port of Baltimore — From Our Colleagues at Railway Age
BALTIMORE – The tragic early morning collapse of the I-695 Francis Scott Key Bridge, which spans the Patapsco River, following a bridge strike by a container ship weighing 95,000 gross tons, has brought the Port of Baltimore, an important trade hub, to a halt. The Port of Baltimore has suspended all vessel traffic into and out of the port until further notice. The accident is a serious blow to the port operations of both CSX and Norfolk Southern, particularly for intermodal container, automotive and coal traffic.
PANYNJ Approves Construction for Newark AirTrain Access and Northeast Corridor Station
NEWARK – PANYNJ approved construction for a $160 million project that will add a pedestrian bridge and Northeast Corridor station for Elizabeth and Newark residents.
MTA’s F and M Lines Regular Service To Be Restored April 1st After Track Replacement Work
NEW YORK CITY – In Manhattan and Queens, MTA workers completed track replacement and a station re-NEW-vation. Regular service will resume on both lines on April 1st.
PRT Invests Over $150MM in Light-Rail Infrastructure
PITTSBURGH – Combining multiple rehabilitation projects, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will rehabilitate its light-rail system through 2028.
Completion of Catchment Wall Allows Passenger Service To Resume in San Clemente
ORANGE COUNTY – Crews finished work on the 200-foot-long catchment wall that will protect the rail right of way in San Clemente. This comes after a landslide caused passenger service to halt in January.
BNSF Restores Service After ‘Significant Damage’ to Rail Bridge
CANADIAN, Texas – BNSF was able to restore service to both of its main lines in the Panhandle Subdivision in north Texas on March 16th.