RT&S December 2022 Editor’s Notebook
Join David C. Lester for the December 2022 Editor’s Notebook.
MTA Announces Accessibility Upgrades at Multiple Subway and LIRR Stations
NEW YORK, N.Y. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced a sweeping package of accessibility upgrades that will make nine more New York City Subway stations accessible, replace and upgrade elevators at another five subway stations, and make seven Long Island Rail Road stations in Queens and Nassau and Suffolk Counties fully accessible for the first time while replacing elevators at two additional LIRR stations.
December Digital Edition of Railway Track & Structures Now Online
The digital edition of the December 2022 issue of Railway Track & Structures is now on line.
Rail Strike Threat Over (Updated, 4:05 p.m ET, 12.01.)
There will not be a rail strike Dec. 9 and unionized rail workers will not gain from Congress an unfunded mandate of seven railroad-paid sick days annually.
ASLRRA, NRC Comments Address Proposed Rule to Amend Certain Training Regulations
WASHINGTON – On Nov. 29, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) submitted comments to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) concerning a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend regulations concerning training, qualification and oversight for safety-related railroad employees (Training Rule).
Mississauga Bridge Being Replaced to Support Future LRT
TORONTO – Construction for a new bridge is underway over Mary Fix Creek (near Port Credit GO), which will extend from Eaglewood Boulevard in the east to Oriole Avenue in the west and replace the existing bridge over the creek at Inglewood Drive.
Broadway Subway Project Update
VANCOUVER, BC – On October 12, RT&S reported on the introduction of tunnel boring machines to Vancouver’s Broadway Subway project, and said “The project will add 3.5 miles to the SkyTrain Millennium Line, from the VCC-Clark Station to Broadway, then Arbutus. Total funding for the project, about US$2.3 billion, will be shared by the government of British Columbia, the government of Canada, and the city of Vancouver.”
Cass Scenic Railroad Working with WVDOT to Replace Bridge
CHARLESTON, WV – The Cass Scenic Railroad has been a popular attraction for rail enthusiasts and the general public since it opened in 1963. A portion of the railroad, the line between Cass and Durbin, has not been used since 1985 when the Trout Run Bridge was washed away by a flood.
For Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, a $4.7MM Upgrade
The first phase of a $4.7 million rehabilitation project will start this fall on the 33-mile Chelatchie Prairie Railroad in Washington state.
Report: ‘Critical Structural Finding’ Causes MBTA to Shut Down JFK/UMass Station Entrance
According to a Boston Herald report, a “critical structural issue that was threatening public safety” was discovered this past weekend during an inspection at the entrance to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) JFK/UMass Station from Columbia Road to the pedestrian concourse leading to the station headhouse.
RTD Resumes Full Service on R Line
Following a derailment that occurred in Aurora on Sept. 21 that impacted the R Line, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) has restored full service to the affected four-mile stretch of the corridor from Aurora Metro Center to the 13th Avenue Station with additional safety measures in place.
Caltrain to Reduce Service for Electrification Construction
Caltrain announced on Nov. 28 that it will temporarily reduce service from Monday, Dec. 5, through Sunday, Dec. 18 to accommodate electrification construction that includes signal cutover work at 16 grade crossings, requiring a 24/7 single-tracking window between Belmont and Mountain View.
Transport Canada to Address Climate Change Impacts on Rail
Transport Canada has launched its first climate change-focused call for proposals to help ensure “railway infrastructure is resilient to extreme weather events.”
Metrolinx Begins Canopy and Cabinet Installation on Finch West LRT
The first eight pedestrian shelters for the Finch West light rail transit (LRT) have been installed at Driftwood Avenue, Metrolinx recently reported.
APTA Says Almost All North American Transit Agencies Face Worker Shortage
Worker shortages have affected nearly every sector of the North American economy during the past year, and the American Public Transportation Association recently released a study that shows the transit industry is no exception.
First Phase of Rail Expansion at Port Greer Complete
The South Carolina Ports Authority announced that the first phase of an Inland Port Greer rail expansion is finished.
Pennsylvania North Shore Railroad Now Serving New Propane Terminal
The Pennsylvania North Shore Railroad is now serving a new 240,000-gallon propane terminal in Northumberland, Pa., which opened on Nov. 22.
Timpson Joins HNTB
HNTB has appointed Diana Timpson, PE, PMP, as Senior Project Manager of Rail Transit in the firm’s Seattle, Wash., office.
Amtrak Advances Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project
Amtrak is moving forward on the $1.5 billion replacement of the 116-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge to “improve railroad efficiency on the Northeast Corridor (NEC).”
BNSF’s New Sandpoint Bridge Opens for Business
Fifty years after Burlington Northern consolidated the traffic of two predecessor routes onto a single line featuring a nearly mile-long bridge near Sandpoint, Idaho, successor BNSF has opened its long-anticipated second bridge. The first train to officially cross the new structure was an empty coal train at 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2022.