Broomfield, Colo.-based Encore Rail Systems, Inc., a single-source provider of tie plugging and rail seat abrasion prevention and repair equipment and compounds, on Sept. 2, 2015 announced the retirement of Doug Delmonico, the company’s Founder.
Twin Eagle Sand Logistics, LLC, a subsidiary of Twin Eagle Resource Management, LLC, has broken ground on the Permian Rail Park located on the Union Pacific, approximately eight miles west of the city of Big Spring, Texas. The 530-acre rail park is Twin Eagle’s fifth terminal development and is centrally located to serve the Eastern side of the Permian Basin.
Elissa Konove, the chief financial officer at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has been named the deputy chief executive officer at Metrolink, effective September 14.
Following extensive input from the public and local governments across the region, the Sound Transit Board identified the projects that will be studied as potential candidates for a November 2016 Sound Transit 3 ballot measure.
Results of studies completed during the coming months will help the board decide which of the projects should be included in a draft ballot measure for more public input early next year. The candidate projects are listed here.
Sound Transit 3 will respond to the strong support across the region for additional mass transit expansions as the region’s population grows by an estimated 1 million residents through 2040. The projected growth is equivalent to adding the current combined populations of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.
In June and July, Sound Transit received thousands of written comments and survey responses on which projects from the regional transit Long-Range Plan represent the highest priorities. A total of 1,025 people submitted written comments at meetings across the region and by e-mail and mail and more than 70 local governments and organizations sent comment letters. The nearly 25,000 people who took a non-scientific online survey more than doubled the response to 2014 public involvement that guided board actions to update the Long-Range Plan.
Public input reflected strong continuing support for priorities including but not limited to extensions of light-rail to Everett, Tacoma and downtown Redmond; light-rail extensions to Seattle’s Ballard and West Seattle areas and an array of other potential investments including additional light-rail extensionsand Sounder commuter rail services and facilities.
Each of the identified candidate projects will be studied to generate estimates of ridership, capital operating and maintenance costs; travel times and reliability; potential for transit-oriented development and other factors including benefits, needs and potential risks.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Rail Division recently made crossing safety improvements at an intersection near Kernersville, N.C.
Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) will begin the final stages of its 18-month effort to completely rehabilitate the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Workers began installing the first sections of rail on the $388-million Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Double Track Project, which will build a second track over an 18-mile stretch between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma stations.
As part of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority’s (WMATA) investigation into the cause of an August 6 derailment, a technical incident report has been released.
The Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) approved an updated set of rules for transporting hazardous materials by rail. Combined with Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) addition of four rail inspectors, the rules aim to improve the state’s ability to both prevent incidents and respond to them if they do occur.
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Pollack joined Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse along with state and local officials Aug. 27 to celebrate the opening of the new $4.3-million Holyoke Train Station on the Knowledge Corridor and restoration of Amtrak Vermonter Line service.
On Aug. 30, TriMet MAX Orange Line test trains will begin running frequently along the 7.3-mile route between Downtown Portland and north Clackamas County in preparation for its opening Sept. 12
The Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety advisory to emphasize the importance of timely repairs of ballast defects and conditions on main tracks.
Phoenix voters approved Transportation 2050, a transportation plan which as developed by a citizen-led committee of transportation experts and community advocates and expands investment in light-rail construction by building an additional 42 miles of light rail throughout the city.
Siemens has been awarded a $156-million contract by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) on the Queens Boulevard Line.
The Federal Transit Administration on Aug. 20 signed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed 17-mile Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (D-O LRT) Project, which would run from Chapel Hill to Durham, N.C.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $9.5 million in grants to 19 projects in 13 states selected to help train a new generation of skilled workers and support long-term careers in the public transportation industry.
The management team at SamTrans is being restructured to improve the operating efficiency and the administrative functions of SamTrans, Caltrain and San Mateo County Transportation Authority.
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Board of Governors has appointed Elizabeth Caruso, CAE, as AREMA’s executive director and chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2015.
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, has completed the acquisition of Regional Rail, LLC (Regional Rail), operator of shortline railroads and rail-related businesses in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), along with the departments of Education and Labor, released a joint report, “Strengthening Skills Training and Career Pathways across the Transportation Industry,” which details future employment hot spots in transportation by industry subsectors, occupations, career areas and geographic areas.
