The Metra Board of Directors has formally called on Congress to extend the Dec. 31, 2015 deadline to install Positive Train Control (PTC), agreeing with a staff analysis that in the current regulatory environment, Metra will not be able to legally operate beyond that date.
Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) awarded $3.75 million in state funds for the South Hamilton Crossing grade separation project. The funds are part of $7 million in funding for transportation projects in Butler and Hamilton County.
Canadian Pacific completed the sale of more than 280 miles of track from Schenectady, N.Y., to Sunbury, Pa., to Norfolk Southern.
PortMiami heralded in the “big ship” era with the completion of its -50/-52 ft. Deep Dredge and On-dock Intermodal Rail project.
September 18 marked 15 years of steadily growing ridership since the Puget Sound region’s commuters first climbed aboard Sounder commuter trains. Since Sounder began operating in 2000, more than 29 million people have used the popular commuter and game day service.
Battelle has been awarded a $3.1-million contract by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), to perform an Independent Safety Assessment and safety certification support for the design and implementation of Interoperable Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) on the Queens Boulevard Line in the New York City Transit system.
RailComm will launch its new smart monitoring and analytics platform, RailComm Insight™, as well as new software and hardware products for yard automation and mainline dispatching at Railway Interchange 2015.
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in North Carolina will receive a $180-million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for construction of the LYNX Blue Line light-rail extension. The TIFIA loan will support the expansion of the light-rail system from Center City Charlotte to the UNC Charlotte Campus.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the state of North Carolina and the commonwealth of Virginia have signed off on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Richmond to Raleigh (R2R) passenger rail line along the Southeast Corridor. The completion of the FEIS is one of the final steps necessary before construction of the project can move forward once funding is secured.
China Railway International USA CO., LTD. and XpressWest have agreed to form a joint venture that will accelerate the launch of the XpressWest rail project connecting Las Vegas, Nev., to Los Angeles, Calif., (Southwest Rail Network).
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has named Jeffrey Knueppel, P.E. its next general manager. With this appointment, Knueppel will oversee 9,300 employees and full operation of the sixth largest transportation agency in the country.
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) received the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) 2015 Outstanding Achievement Award of Excellence in Environmental Document Preparation for the Purple Line’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
The Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) board of directors has selected HNTB Corporation to design the OC Streetcar project.
On Sept. 15, officials celebrated the completion of a $93-million rail project vital for improving the efficiency and sustainability of cargo movement as shipment volumes increase at the Port of Long Beach.
Laura Mohr joined HNTB Corporation as vice president and rail and transit group director in one of the firm’s Los Angeles offices.
As part of its efforts to reduce costs and hold the line on spending, $5.7 million in Metra savings and efficiencies will be incorporated into the agency’s 2016 annual budget plan.
SNC-Lavalin has named Neil Bruce president and chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors, succeeding Robert Card, who will retire. Bruce will begin in his new role October 5, 2015.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report reviewing the process of Positive Train Control implementation. Bottom line: Most railroads will not meet the deadline.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to President Barack Obama outlining what they call “a viable funding framework to break the logjam over funding for a new trans-Hudson commuter rail tunnel.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded 21 organizations around the country with a share of $19.5 million in grants to support comprehensive planning projects that improve access to public transit.
